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 to allow defenders time to hit the receiver. A second reason for a fair catch, on a punted ball, is to prevent the ball from rolling toward the receiving team's goal and being downed deep in the team's own territory. Both the 2001 and 2020 versions of the XFL removed the fair catch in an effort to attract fans who disliked the rule. Canadian football and arena football also do not have fair catch rules, with the XFL and Canadian football preferring a five-yard "no-yards" rule instead. In rugby union and Australian rules football, a loose equivalent to a fair