Fair Catch Kick 



I'm sitting here enjoying the Monday Night Football game and I noticed that John Madden again has mentioned right before half-time the rarest of football plays. I think he mentioned it last week or the week before. Tonight he mentioned that in his days as a head coach, he had always wanted to call that play but never had a chance. A fair catch kick takes place at the end of a half or the game. If a team punts, the receiving team can call a fair catch and then put the ball in play with a free kick. That would be like a kick off. No rush, no defenders within 10 yards — basically an undefended play. If it goes through the uprights — three points. It's such a rare play for several reasons. Most importantly there has to be not enough time of the clock for any attempts to score a touchdown or to move the ball closer for a easier kick. The other big factor is field position. Your opponent has to be punting from near their end zone so that you can fair catch the ball within range (probably inside the 50 yard line). Also, it is such a rare play that it may not ever come to mind if you are a coach or a player. (Unless you are John Madden).

I really enjoy the strange and rare and obscure. I have seen and love swinging gate plays, double reverses, flea-flickers, hook-and-lateral, intentional safeties, halfback pass. Although I have heard of the Fair Catch Kick, I never head of it ever being attempted. After a quick Google search I found a interesting discussion on the rules regarding the kick and its permutations. Here is the Wikipedia definition. Most interestingly, I finally found out evidence of the Fair Catch Kick occurring in 1964 and 1968 in two Green Bay Packer games versus the Chicago Bears. Very cool discussion about this most rare of football plays. Of course, by writing this, I've missed the third quarter. Of course, the Packers are losing by 19 points so they will need more than a very rare three point kick to win this one.  

Posted: Mon - October 3, 2005 at 08:51 PM          

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