fair catch
noun
: a catch of a kicked football by a player who gives a prescribed signal, may not advance the ball, and may not be tackled
Examples of fair catch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2023, yet another rule disincentivized kicking the ball into play: Returning teams could call for a fair catch outside of the endzone and still start their drive at the 25-yard line.
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Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2024
The approval came almost a year after owners approved a rule that spotted the football at the 25-yard line even if a fair catch was called for inside the 25 during kickoffs.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Among other nuances, the kicker will not be allowed to cross the 50-yard line until the ball is fielded, penalties from scoring plays will not carry over and fair catches from kickoffs will be eliminated.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 2 Aug. 2024
Those statistics were an unintended consequence of the league adding fair catches last year and discouraging returns for player safety purposes due to the old kickoff’s high injury risk.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fair catch 
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2024
The approval came almost a year after owners approved a rule that spotted the football at the 25-yard line even if a fair catch was called for inside the 25 during kickoffs.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Among other nuances, the kicker will not be allowed to cross the 50-yard line until the ball is fielded, penalties from scoring plays will not carry over and fair catches from kickoffs will be eliminated.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 2 Aug. 2024
Those statistics were an unintended consequence of the league adding fair catches last year and discouraging returns for player safety purposes due to the old kickoff’s high injury risk.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fair catch
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fair catch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Fair catch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair%20catch. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
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