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A fair catch is a feature of American football and several other codes of football, in which a player attempting to catch a ball kicked by the opposing team – either on a kickoff or punt – is entitled to catch the ball without interference from any member of the kicking team. A ball caught in this manner becomes dead once caught, i.e., the player catching the ball is not entitled to run with the ball in an attempt to gain yardage, and the receiving team begins their drive at the spot where the ball was caught. A player wishing to make a fair catch signals his intent by extending one arm above his head and waving it while the kicked ball is in flight. The kicking team must allow the player an opportunity to make the catch without interference. The primary reason for the fair catch rule is to protect the receiver. A receiver directs his attention toward the incoming punt and cannot focus on the defenders running towards him. He is quite vulnerable to injury and is also at risk for fumbling the kick if the punter intentionally makes a high short kick 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. The XFL removed the fair catch rule in an effort to make the game more "extreme." Canadian football and Arena football also do not have fair catch rules, with XFL and CFL preferring a five-yard "no-yards" rule instead. In rugby union and Australian rules football, a loose equivalent to a fair catch is called a ''mark''; see mark (rugby) and mark (Australian football) for more information (however in Australian Rules Football the player is not protected from the opposition team while attempting a mark). Fair catches featured in some extinct forms of football, and they have been abolished in other modern codes. == American football == In American football, a member of the team receiving a punt or kick, may signal for a "fair catch". This is the receiver's choice in which he gives up the right to advance the ball in exchange for protection from being tackled when he is focusing on the incoming ball and thus vulnerable to serious injury. To signal a fair catch the receiver must raise one arm fully above his head and wave it from side to side while the ball is in flight. If the receiver fails to give a proper signal (arm not fully extended) the receiving team is penalized five yards for an invalid fair catch signal, marked from the spot of the signal, and the player is not protected from being tackled. An opponent tackling or making any contact with a receiver who has given a fair catch signal is guilty of a personal foul carrying a 15-yard penalty. If the interference is deemed flagrant, the kicking team member can also be ejected from the game. If the receiver attempts to advance the ball after signalling for a fair catch he is penalized five yards for "delay of game", because the fair caught ball becomes dead once caught. Regardless of whether a fair catch signal is made, no opponent may interfere with anyone attempting to catch the kicked ball, his path to the ball, or with the flight of the ball. This is the foul of "Kick Catching Interference" which is a "personal foul" carrying a 15-yard penalty. If the interference is deemed flagrant, the kicking team member can also be ejected from the game. A player signaling for a fair catch is not required to catch the ball; however, after making the signal, he may not initiate contact with any member of the kicking team until the ball is touched by another player. If he does he will be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. If the ball hits the ground or a member of the kicking team, the fair catch is off and rules for kicked balls apply. If the receiver "muffs" the ball (touches it, but then fails to obtain control of the ball), then the ball can be recovered by the kicking team once 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 National Collegiate Athletic Association (USA) 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 of the National Football League. The fair catch signal can be used as a legal form of deception: If the receiver has no intention of actually fielding the ball, but wishes it to roll into the end zone for a touchback, he may signal for a fair catch in front of where the ball will land, making the kicking team think it will not reach the end zone. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「fair catch」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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