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The NFL's newly approved fair catch rule is to ensure that kick returners are afforded safety when catching the football.
Under the new rule, if a kickoff returner calls for a free catch anywhere within his 25-yard line, the result is the same as a touchback, and the catching team gets the ball at the 25-yard line. Any kickoff caught between the 24-yard and goal lines can be moved to the 25-yard line so that the returner calls for a fair catch.
Hence, the NFL now has the same rule as college football, which implemented the rule in 2018. The one catch with the NFL's new rule is that it might be temporary. The rule was approved as a one-year trial, which means if the NFL doesn't get what it wants out of the rule, it could be scrapped in 2024.
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Did the NFL always have a fair catch rule?
Yes, the NFL has always had a fair catch rule but not in the aforementioned format.
The old NFL rule entailed that the catching team on a punt or kickoff is always free to catch the ball in its original flight before a player touches it or hits the ground. However, unless a free catch is called, the returner may legally be tackled or hit once he makes a catch and is thus prone to injury and fumbling, especially if he has not had a chance to protect the ball or his body.
A team member attempting to catch a kickoff or punt may signal for a fair catch. To request a fair catch, the receiver must raise one arm above their head and wave it sideways while the ball is in flight. The fair catch is void if the ball is not caught, and all other rules on kicked balls apply.
Monday Night Football Schedule for 2023
Before implementing the new fair catch rule, here's the MNF schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
- Week 1: Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets, September 11 | ESPN, ABC
- Week 2: New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers, September 18 | ESPN
- Week 2: Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, September 18| ABC
- Week 3: Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals, September 25 | ESPN
- Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, September 25 | ABC
- Week 4: Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants, October 2 | ESPN
- Week 5: Green Bay Packers vs. Las Vegas Raiders, October 9 | ESPN
- Week 6: Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers, October 16 | ESPN
- Week 7: San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings, October 23 | ESPN
- Week 8: Las Vegas Raiders vs. Detroit Lions, October 30 | ESPN
- Week 9: New York Jets vs. Los Angeles Chargers, November 6 | ESPN
- Week 10: Denver Broncos vs. Buffalo Bills, November 13 | ESPN
- Week 11: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs, November 20 | ESPN, ABC
- Week 12: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings, November 27 | ESPN
- Week 13: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, December 4 | ESPN
- Week 14: Green Bay Packers vs. New York Giants, December 11 | ABC
- Week 14: Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins, December 11 | ESPN
- Week 15: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots, December 18 | ESPN
- Week 16: Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers, December 25 | ABC
- Week 17: Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys, December 30 | ESPN, ABC
