Free Kick after a Fair Catch to win a game!

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by Sonofanump

Did not know that the NFL requires the ball to be kicked off of the ground.

Arizona tried one today. It has been 40 years since one has been made.

Another "gotcha" is that NFL for about the past 25 yrs. has treated it as a missed FG attempt if team R doesn't touch the ball. Not sure what happens if K is first to touch it beyond the neutral zone and then R touches it. K's touching is legal, but if R doesn't touch it they get to snap it from the previous spot, regardless of whose possession the kick ends in. If there's enough time on the clock, sometimes K's formation consists of a huddle in some corner, to avoid contact with the ball.

Attempts were more attractive for several decades before 1974 when the goals were on the goal line and play continued as for other free kicks. For several years after the "missed field goal" rule, it didn't apply to free kicks.

Rugby Union abolished scoring a goal from a fair catch free kick about 1972; before that it was fairly common.

Robert

[Texas Aggie]

What are the mechanics for, say, a 5 man crew for this?

[ajmc]

Don't know about Texas, but the NFHS Official manual defines them as follows: Positions (5 Man)
A. Referee behind upright.
B. Umpire behind upright; rule on crossbar
C. Both officials determine if kick is succesful

All other officials mechanics same as kickoff

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by ajmc

Don't know about Texas, but the NFHS Official manual defines them as follows: Positions (5 Man)
A. Referee behind upright.
B. Umpire behind upright; rule on crossbar
C. Both officials determine if kick is succesful

All other officials mechanics same as kickoff

We've never had it, but we decided we'd put the L on the GL to rule on that line.

NFL - Also the hash marks were moved in. I suspect it was the same time the goalpost was moved back. The hashmarks being moved in makes it easier for running backs to get more yardage on sweeps. I think this distorts the records of the running backs in the current era vs. prior to the move.