Fair catch the ball touches the ground. A fair catch may be followed by a snap or a type of free kick — the fair catch kick — at his team's choice, and an expired playing period may be extended if the free kick is chosen. The NCAA abolished the fair catch from its version of American football in 1950, but restored it in 1951, minus the option of kicking from the mark of the catch, which is retained in rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations and the National Football League. If the kicking team commits kick catching
Fair catch catch on a kickoff return is used primarily on short kickoffs to prevent a ball kicked high in the air from being recovered by the kicking team. Since the 2018 college football season, fair catches are now commonly employed on kickoffs that do not reach the end zone, but are perceived (for whatever reason) as having little potential for a successful return. This was the result of an NCAA rule change which treats a fair catch on a kickoff between the receiving team's goal line and 25-yard line as a touchback, with the ball being placed on the 25. Various