A
field goal in
U.S.
football and
Canadian football
is a
goal that may be scored during
general play ("from the field").
Execution of a field goal.
A field goal may be scored by a placekick or the now very rare
drop kick. The ball
must pass "through the uprights", that is, over a crossbar that is
10 feet off the ground and between upright posts that are apart, to
count.
Strategy
Because a field goal is worth only three points, while a touchdown
scores at least six (usually seven with the
extra point), teams will generally only attempt
a field goal in the following situations:
- It is fourth down (third down in Canadian rules), especially if
the offense is more than a yard or two from a new first down and
generally within the opponent's 35-yard line
- In the first half, there is only enough time remaining to
execute one more play
- In the second half, there is only enough time remaining to
execute one more play, and the team on offense needs three points
to win or tie (four points in a few leagues given special
circumstances)
- The game is in overtime, and
scoring any points will end the game
Except in desperate situations, a team will generally attempt a
field goal only when keeping a drive alive is unlikely, and their
kicker has a significant chance of success, as a missed field goal
results in a turnover at the spot of the kick (in the NFL; in the
NCAA it is at the spot of the snap (the
line of scrimmage)). Even under ideal
conditions, the best kickers in the NFL have difficulty making
kicks longer than 50 yards consistently (the NFL record is 63 yards
and the CFL record, 62 yards). If a team chooses not to attempt a
field goal on fourth down (third in Canada), it can
punt to the other team. A punt cannot score
any points in American football (though it can result in a
single in Canadian football), but it may
push the other team back toward its own end.
Jason Elam shares the record with
Tom Dempsey for the longest kick in NFL
history with a 63 yard field goal. High school, college and most
professional football leagues only offer a three-point field goal;
however, some professional leagues have encouraged more rare kicks
through
four-point field goals.
NFL
Europe encouraged long field goals of 50 yards or more by
making those worth four points instead of three (much like
Australian rules'
Super Goal or
basketball's
three-point
line). Similarly, the sport of
arena
football sought (unsuccessfully) to repopularize the
drop kick by making that worth four points; it
failed, since only one kicker (
Brian Mitchell) was able to do it
with any semblance of proficiency. (In
six-man football, where there is no
offensive line, all field goals are worth four points instead of
the usual three.)
How field goals are kicked
When a team decides to attempt a field goal, it will generally line
up in a very tight formation, with all but two players lined up
along or near the line of scrimmage: the
placekicker and the holder. The holder is
usually the team's
punter
or backup
quarterback. Instead of the
regular
center, a team
may have a dedicated
long snapper
trained especially to snap the ball on placekick attempts and
punts.
The defense will likewise line up all or nearly all of its players
near the line of scrimmage to try to block the kick. The defense
can try to block the kick only at the line; it cannot attempt to
bat down a field-goal attempt at the uprights like a goalie. If
there is a significant likelihood of a miss and the strategic game
situation warrants it, the defense may leave one player well behind
the line of scrimmage to attempt to return a missed field goal; as
with other kicks, a missed field goal can be returned for a yardage
gain up to and including a touchdown. The risk in this is that if
there is a return attempt, then unless there is a score the defense
will take over at the spot where the returner is brought down,
which may be a considerably worse position than where they would
have taken over had they not attempted a return. Thus, teams will
usually attempt a return only towards the end of a half or in a
particularly desperate situation.The holder usually lines up 7–8
yards behind the line of scrimmage, with the kicker a few yards
behind him. Upon receiving the snap, the holder holds the ball
against the ground vertically, with the stitches away from the
kicker. The kicker begins his approach during the snap, so the
snapper and holder have little margin for error. A split-second
mistake can throw everything off.
The measurement of a field goal's distance is from the point where
the ball was positioned for the kick by the placekicker to the
goalpost. In American football, where the goalpost is in the back
of the end zone, the ten yards of the end zone are also added into
the distance the line of scrimmage.
Missed and blocked field goals
In the NFL, missed field goals attempted from the 20-yard line or
closer result in the opposing team taking possession at the 20-yard
line. Missed field goals attempted from beyond the 20-yard line
result in the opposing team taking possession at the spot of the
kick. Until 1994, the opposing team would take position at the line
of scrimmage, unless the kick was attempted from inside the 20-yard
line.
Prior to the 1974 season, missed field goals resulted in the
opposing team gaining possession at the line of scrimmage or the
20-yard line, whichever was closer to the
goalpost.
Under NHFS (high school) rules a field goal attempt is no different
from any other scrimmage kick (punt, drop kick). If the field goal
attempt is no good and becomes dead in the end zone it is a
touchback. If the ball becomes dead on the
field the defensive team will next put the ball in play from that
point. If a field goal is blocked behind the line of scrimmage
either team may pick it up and return it until they are ruled down,
out of bounds, or score a touchdown.
The opposing team may also catch a missed field goal and attempt to
return it. This is only rarely performed in American football, as
on average the opposing team would not be able to return the ball
to the spot of the kick. However, it is occasionally done,
particularly when a very long kick is attempted at the end of the
first half. On November 4, 2007,
Antonio Cromartie of the
San Diego Chargers returned a missed
field-goal from
Ryan Longwell
(
Minnesota Vikings) for 109 (109.9
actually) yards and a touchdown, the longest play in NFL history,
and the longest play possible under current NFL scoring rules
(yards gained are normally rounded down and 110 yards would be
out-of-bounds). (Four of the six longest plays in NFL history are
returns of missed field goals for touchdowns.) One reason for
returning missed field goals is the kicking team typically consists
of mostly linemen, unlike on punts where a dedicated cover team is
used. Thus a well timed return can easily lead to a touchdown for
the returner.
In the NCAA, the opposing team takes possession at the line of
scrimmage rather than at the spot of the kick.
In American football, a missed field goal is said to be "no good".
If it misses to the kicker's left it may be called "wide left" and
conversely "wide right" if it misses to the kicker's right. It may
also be described as being "short" if it is aimed correctly but
does not have the distance to go through the uprights.
In
Canadian football, if the
defense does not return a missed field goal out the end zone, or if
the missed field goal goes through the end zone, then the kicking
team scores a
single point. This
may occasionally lead to situations at the end of a close game
where the team on defense stations their punter behind the goal
posts to punt the ball out of the end zone in case of a missed
field-goal attempt to preserve a victory or tie. Also, a missed
field goal may be played by any onside player on the kicking team,
that being the kicker and anyone behind him at the time of the
kick. It is risky to have anyone positioned behind the kicker when
the ball is being kicked since those player(s) would be unable to
help prevent the defending players from blocking the kick; however,
on occasion teams might intentionally miss a field goal in hope of
recovering the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
In Canadian football, returning a missed field goal is somewhat
more common than in American rules for two reasons. First,
returning the ball out of the end zone allows the defense to avoid
giving up a single point, and second, the wider field of the
Canadian game makes the average return longer. However, many CFL
coaches judge that conceding a single and taking possession at the
point of last scrimmage (or 35-yard line, whichever is further from
the goal line) to be a better gamble than returning a missed field
goal and avoiding a single.
Occasionally (about once in 40 field goal attempts in the NFL ),
the defense will succeed in blocking a field goal. If a blocked
field goal is in or behind the neutral zone, it is treated like a
fumble and can be advanced by either team.
Beyond the neutral zone, a blocked kick is treated like a punt or
missed field goal and can be advanced only by the defense, unless a
defensive player fumbles the ball, after which an offensive player
can advance it.
Kicking styles
There are several styles kickers have used for kicking field goals
over the years. The soccer style is the most widely used kicking
style in football today.
Soccer style
"Soccer style" gets its name from the game of
soccer and the manner in which soccer
players kick a ball. A soccer style field goal kicker approaches
the ball from an angle and kicks the ball with the instep of his
foot. Typically a kicker will take three steps straight back and
two side steps to the left (if right footed). This will put them in
the proper position for approaching the ball. Some kickers, such as
Adam Vinatieri, start farther to the
side and facing away from the line, then proceed to "swing" their
body around, almost in a semicircle motion, kicking the ball in
with the same final motion.
Soccer style is almost universally used in American and Canadian
football today. In field goal and extra point attempts, the ball is
snapped to a holder lined up about
seven yards from the
line of
scrimmage.
The distance of the holder behind the line of scrimmage is not
mandated by any rule, but rather has developed by trial and error
over time as the optimal distance to allow the center, holder and
kicker to combine to get the kick off, and force defenders to run a
greater distance in attempts to block the kick.
When the holder sets up closer than seven yards to the line of
scrimmage (thus making the kick itself shorter and thus easier to
make), blocked kicks increase since defenders have a shorter
distance to cover and the kick can often be blocked before it
achieves sufficient height. When holders set up farther than seven
yards behind the line, blocks become less frequent, but the kick
itself becomes longer and thus accuracy declines. The accuracy of
the snap to the holder also declines, sometimes leading to blocked
kicks if the holder cannot handle it cleanly.
Popularized by
Pete Gogolak,
soccer-style kicking has greatly improved placekickers' accuracy.
Hall of
Fame
kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza
made only 58% of his field-goal attempts; today's best kickers make
nearly 80% of their attempts.
Straight-ahead style
In the "straight-ahead" or "straight-on" style, the kicker takes
several steps back and kicks the ball with the toe of his shoe.
This style was widely used until the soccer style took over
beginning in the early 1960s.
Unlike the soccer-style, the straight-ahead style requires the use
of a special shoe that has a flattened toe and is reinforced to be
extremely rigid. Additionally, some kickers wore a kicking shoe
that was one or even two sizes smaller than normal. Hall of Famer
George Blanda, a straight-ahead kicker
who also played
quarterback, wore a
modified shoe that allowed him to play both positions without
changing shoes. However, many modern kickers (the "soccer-style"
term has all but disappeared) use a shoe that features a smooth
contact surface.
Mark Moseley was the last full-time
straight-ahead place kicker in the NFL, retiring after the 1986
season. Moseley was also among the best kickers of any style,
having been the only NFL kicker to ever be named league MVP.
Steve Cox kicked the last
straight-ahead field goal in the NFL in 1987. Cox was a punter who
also kicked off and occasionally kicked long field goals.
Edmonton Eskimos place kicker
Dave Cutler was
among the last straight-ahead kickers in the
CFL. Despite the widespread
adoption of the instep kick since his retirement in 1984, Cutler
remains one of the most successful kickers in league history.
Current
Calgary Stampeders punter
Burke Dales also on rare occasions will
kick long field goals or kick-offs. When he does so, he uses the
straight-ahead style.
While having disappeared almost entirely from professional and
major-college football, the straight-on style is still seen in high
school, semi-pro, amateur, and occasionally small-college
football.
Drop kick
A
drop kick is made when the kicker drops
the ball and then kicks it when it bounces off the ground. This
kick was popular in the early 1900s. However, the modern American
football is more pointed on both ends, making the bounce less
reliable. The main advantages of the drop kick are that 1) the
kicking team gains an additional blocker and 2) there is one less
person (the holder) who has to do their job perfectly to succeed.
Because the advantage of an extra blocker is minimal and
professional teams practice their special teams so frequently
(meaning the holds are usually good), drop kicks are rarely seen
because only straight-on kickers can do it for the most part.
The last successful drop kick in the NFL was made on January 1,
2006, by
New England Patriots
quarterback
Doug Flutie for an extra
point. It was the first time in 64 years that a drop kick was
converted for an extra point in the NFL.
The last successful drop-kick extra point in the
NCAA was by
Aaron
Fitzgerald of the
University
of LaVerne on November 10, 1990, against
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
[397337]
History
In the early days of football, kicking was highly emphasized.
- In 1883 the scoring system was devised and field goals counted
5 points while touchdowns and conversions counted 3 each.
- In 1897 the touchdown was raised to 5 points while the
conversion was lowered to 1 point.
- The field goal was changed to 4 points in 1904 and then to the
modern 3 points in 1909.
- The touchdown was changed to 6 points in 1912 (in American
football; the Canadian game did not change this until 1956).
- In 1924 the conversion was spotted at the 3-yard line.
- In 1925–1928 it was moved to the 5-yard line.
- In 1929 it was moved to the 2-yard line.
- Finally, in 1968 it was moved back to the 3-yard line.
- The goalposts were originally located on the goal line; this
led to many injuries and sometimes interfered with play, and the
NCAA moved the goal posts to the rear of the end zone in 1927. The
NFL (still following NCAA rules at the time) followed suit, but
moved the posts back to the goal line in 1932, where they remained
until 1974. The Canadian game still has posts on the goal
line.
- In 1959 the NCAA goalposts were widened to 23 feet 4 inches,
the standard width for high school posts today.
- In 1988 the NCAA banned the kicking tee, requiring kicks from
the ground.
- In 1991 the college goalposts were reduced in width to 18 feet
6 inches, the width of NFL goal posts. In 1991 and 1992, this meant
severe angles for short field goal attempts, since the hashmarks
were still located 53 feet 4 inches apart. In 1993, the NCAA
narrowed the distance between the hashmarks to 40 feet (which was
the width of hashmarks in the NFL until 1972, when they were
narrowed to 18 feet 6 inches).
- Like the collegiate goalposts, the NFL goal posts were located
on the goal line. They were moved to the rear of the end zone in
1974, as a result of the narrowed hashmark distance of 1972, which
had made for easier field-goal angles.
- In 1967, the NFL adopted the "slingshot" goalpost, with a
single post curving to support the crossbar. The NCAA later adopted
the same rule, but later allowed the use of "offset" goalposts,
with two posts rather than one. Three schools in Division I-A currently use two posts instead of
one for goalposts in their stadiums: Florida
State
, LSU
, and Washington State
. A special exemption was allowed by the NFL
for the New Orleans Saints to use
the offset goalposts during their 2005 season, when they used
LSU's stadium for home games in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Field-goal records
Longest field goals
National Football League
Canadian Football League
Arena Football League
- 63 yards: Aaron Mills, San Jose SaberCats (W 26–6) v Florida Bobcats, May 18, 1996
- 62 yards: Brent Williams,
Dallas Desperados v Austin Wranglers May 22, 2000
- 62 yards Clay Rush, Colorado Crush vs. Los Angeles Avengers, Feb. 27,
2005
- 61 yards Ian Howfield, Las Vegas Sting at Miami Hooters, July 8, 1995
- 60 yards Rusty Fricke, Denver Dynamite vs.
Columbus Thunderbolts, July
26, 1991
Collegiate
- 69
yards: Ove Johansson, Abilene
Christian
(W 17–0) v East Texas
State
, October 16, 1976 (2-inch tee) Shotwell Stadium,
Abilene. NAIA.
- 67 yards: Russell Erxleben,
Texas (W 72–15) v Rice, October 1, 1977 (2-inch tee)
- 67 yards: Steve
Little, Arkansas (L 9–13) v
Texas, October 15, 1977 (2-inch tee)
- 67
yards: Joe Williams, Wichita State
(W 33–7) v Southern
Illinois
, October 21, 1978 (2-inch tee)
- 67
yards: Tom Odle, Fort Hays State
(W 22–14) v Washburn
, November 5, 1988 (2-inch tee), NCAA Division II.
- 67 yards: Mike Billengas,
Tecnologico de Monterrey Campus Mexico City ([Mexico City, Mexico])
(L 22–14) v UVM (MEX), July 27, 2006
- 65
yards: John Triplett Haxall, Princeton
(L 1g,1s-2g,2t,1s) v Yale
, November
30, 1882 (w/out tee) The Polo Grounds
, 5th Avenue at 110th Street, New York
City.
- 65 yards: J.P. Ross, Birmingham A.C. (W 5–4) v Alabama, November 12, 1892
(drop-kick)
- 65
yards: Tony Franklin,
Texas A&M (W 24–0) v
Baylor
, October 16, 1976 (2-inch tee) (after Johansson's
69–yarder)
- 65
yards: Martin Gramatica, Kansas State (W 73–7) v Northern
Illinois
September 12, 1998 (longest in NCAA history without
a tee)
- 64 yards: Jose Martinez, UTEP (W 58–13) v UCF, September 27,
2008
- 64 yards: Tony Franklin, Texas A&M (W 24–0) v Baylor,
October 16, 1976 (2-inch tee) (before Johansson's 69–yarder)
- 64 yards: Russell Erxleben, Texas (W 13–6) v Oklahoma (2-inch
tee) October 8, 1977
- 63 yards: Morten Andersen,
Michigan State, at Ohio State, September 19, 1981
- 63
yards: Joe Duren, Arkansas
State (W 22–20) v McNeese State
, November 23, 1974 (2-inch tee) NCAA Division II
- 63 yards: Clark Kemble, Colorado State vs Arizona, November 15,
1975
- 63
yards: Scott Roper, Arkansas State (W 27–20) v North Texas
State
, November 7, 1987 (2-inch tee) NCAA Division
1-AA
- 63 yards: Tim Foley, Ga. Southern (Div. I-AA) vs. James
Madison, Nov. 7, 1987 (2 inch Tee)
- 63 yards: Bill Gramática,
South Florida v. Austin Peay, November 18, 2000 (longest field goal
at sea level w/o tee in NCAA history)
- 62 yards: Iseed Khoury, North Texas (W 47-14) v.
Richmond Oct 1, 1977
- 62 yards: Jason Hanson, Washington State University vs.
University of Nevada at Las Vegas, September 28, 1991 (w/o
tee)
- 62 yards: Derek Doerfler, Baker University vs. William Jewell
College, 2007
- 61 yards: Dan Eichloff, University of Kansas vs. Ball State,
1992
- 61 yards: Mark Porter, Kansas State Wildcats vs. Nebraska
Cornhuskers, October 22, 1988
- 61 yards: Ralf Mojsiejenko, Michigan State, at Illinois, September 11, 1982
- 61 yards: Bill Shear, Cortland State (NY) vs. Hobart, 1966. 1st
60+ yard field goal at any level of organized football
- 61 yards: Steve Little, Arkansas (L 9–3) v Tulsa, September 25, 1976 (2-inch
tee)
- 60 yards: Bill McClard, Arkansas (W 36–3) v SMU, November 14, 1970 (2-inch
tee)
- 60 yards: Russell Erxleben, Texas (W 26–0) v Texas Tech October
29, 1977
- 60 yards: Kevin Butler, Georgia (W
26–23) v. Clemson 1984
- 60 yards: John Hall, Wisconsin (W 34-27) v. Minnesota November
11, 1995
- 60 yards: Pete Garces, Idaho State v Cal State Northridge,
1998
- 60 yards: Mason Crosby, Colorado v Iowa State, 2004
- 60 yards: Gary Cismesia, Florida State University (L 12–45) vs.
University of Florida, 2007
- 59 yards: Carson Wiggs, Purdue (W 52-31) v Toledo, September 5,
2009
- 59 yards: Jan Stenerud, Montana
State v Montana, 1965
- 59 yards: Joe Petrone, Idaho State (W 53–32)v Portland state,
1968
- 59 yards: Ralf Mojsiejenko, Michigan State, at Purdue, October 1, 1983
- 59 yards: Cloyce Hinton, Ole Miss v Georgia, October 11,
1969
- 59 yards: Jared Siegel, Oregon v UCLA , 2002
- 58 yards: Alexis Serna, Oregon State (L 41-13) v. California
September 30, 2006
- 58 yards: Jon Bacon, University of Cincinnati (T 17–17) @
Miami, Ohio 1994
- 58 yards: Mason Crosby, Colorado (L 23–3) @ Miami, 2005
- 58 yards: Óscar Silva Reta, UANL v UNAM (W 37–34), 2009. This
was the winner field goal.
- 57 yards: Morten Andersen,
Michigan State, at Michigan, October 1, 1980
- 57
yards: Gene Branum, Austin College
(T 24–24) v Concordia
College
, December 12, 81 (NAIA Division II National
Championship Game)
- 57 yards: Ryan Harrison, Air Force (W 20–17) v Texas Christian,
September 13, 2007
- 57 yards: Derek Doerfler, Baker University vs. Culver-Stockton
College, 2007
- 57 yards: Alex Henery #90, Nebraska Cornhuskers (W 40-31) vs.
Colorado Buffaloes November 28, 2008
- 57 yards: Jacob Branstetter #14, Kansas Jayhawks vs Oklahoma
Sooners October 24, 2009
- 57 yards: Philip Welch #18, Wisconsin Badgers v Fresno State
Bulldogs, September 12, 2009
- 56 yards: Caleb Sturgis #19 Florida Gators W(41-17) v Georgia
Bulldogs, October 31,2009
Tony Franklin is the only kicker with 2 field goals over 60 yards
in the same game.
Russell Erxleben
kicked 3 field goals over 60 yards in 1977, an NCAA record.
Scott Lewis attempted the longest field goal in college football
history, 72 yards, Arizona State vs USC, October 4, 1980.
Kevin
Butler attempted a 72 yard field goal, Georgia vs. Florida State,
1984 Citrus
Bowl
.
High school
Famous field goals and missed attempts
- November 8, 1970: Tom Dempsey, 63
yards New Orleans Saints (W
19–17) vs Detroit Lions with only 2
seconds left to give the Saints a much-needed win. Dempsey kicked
the ball in the straight-ahead fashion. This kick is famous as the
longest regular-season NFL kick in history and because Dempsey was
born with a right club foot and no toes
(this was his kicking foot).
- January 17, 1971: Rookie kicker Jim O'Brien of the Baltimore Colts kicked a 32-yard field
goal with 9 seconds remaining in Super Bowl
V for the deciding margin in the Colts' 16–13 win over the
Dallas Cowboys.
- October 16, 1976: Tony Franklin kicked two 60+ yard field goals
in one game. His first one of 64 yards broke the collegiate record.
Later in the game he kicked a 65 yard field goal. On the same day
however, Ove Johansson kicked a 69 yard field goal to break
Franklin's record.
- December 12, 1982: With the score tied 0–0 late in the fourth
quarter in a blinding snowstorm in Foxborough and the ball deep in
Miami Dolphins territory, the
New England Patriots called a
timeout and brought a snowplow on the field to clear a lane for
kicker John Smith. The kick was good, and the Patriots held on for
a 3–0 lead in what has been dubbed the "Snowplow Game.' The NFL has since banned this
practice, which was not addressed in the rule book at the
time.
- November 30, 1985: Van Tiffin, 52
yards Alabama Crimson Tide (W
25–23) vs Auburn Tigers on the final
play of the Iron Bowl Article
- January 27, 1991: Scott Norwood
misses 47 yards Buffalo Bills (L
20–19) vs New York Giants in the
final seconds of Super Bowl XXV,
allowing Giants to win, famously missing wide right. Article
- November 16, 1991: This missed field goal is the first of many
from the Miami –
Florida State rivalry. This game featured #1 Florida State
versus #2 Miami
Hurricanes. Gerry Thomas, Florida State kicker, missed the
field goal with less than a minute left. This miss lead to the
Miami win, and the 'Canes went on to win the National Championship.
In fact, the missed field goal in this game is so well known that
the game is commonly referred to by reference to it ("Wide Right I"). A similar game-ending situation
would present itself in the same match up in the following year
("Wide Right II").
- November 25, 1993: On a rare Thanksgiving Day snowstorm in Dallas, the
Miami Dolphins' Pete Stoyanovich attempted a 41 yard field
goal with 15 seconds remaining, and the Dolphins down 13-14 versus
the Dallas Cowboys. The field goal
was blocked, but Dallas' defensive tackle Leon
Lett touched the ball after it hit the ground, and Miami
regained possession. Stoyanovich kicked again, this time good.
Dolphins, W, 16-14.
- October 25, 1998: Jason Elam, 63
yards Denver Broncos (W 37–24) vs
Jacksonville Jaguars at the end
of the first half. This tied Dempsey's record. Elam used the
soccer-style kick.
- January 17, 1999: After a perfect regular season with the
Minnesota Vikings of 35-for-35
field goals and 59-for-59 points-after-touchdown, kicker Gary Anderson missed a potential game-winning
field goal with less than two minutes to go in the NFC Championship
game against the Atlanta Falcons
which the Vikings led at the time, 27–20. After the miss, the
Falcons drove 71 yards and tied the score on a Chris Chandler to Terence Mathis touchdown, sending the game
into sudden-death overtime. Atlanta won 30–27 on a Morten Andersen field goal nearly 12 minutes
into the extra period.
- February 3, 2002: Adam Vinatieri,
48 yards New England Patriots
(W 20–17) vs St. Louis Rams final
play of Super Bowl XXXVI. Vinatieri
was also a part of the famous snow game against the Oakland Raiders
in the divisional playoffs where he kicked the winning fieldgoal in
a blinding snowstorm
- November 10, 2002: In a CFL playoff game, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers partially
blocked a field goal attempt by B.C. Lions kicker Matt Kellett. Winnipeg's
Arland Bruce returned the missed kick 112 yards for a touchdown in
a game the Bombers eventually won 30–3.[397338] (Readers unfamiliar with Canadian
football should note that the CFL field is 110 yards long between
the end zones, and each end zone is 20 yards deep, thus allowing
for the longer yardage.)
- January 14, 2006: Mike
Vanderjagt missed 46 yards, wide right. Indianapolis Colts ( L 18–21 ) vs
Pittsburgh Steelers with 18
seconds remaining in AFC Divisional Playoffs. The NFL would later
announce that a botched call earlier in the game should have not
gone in favor of the Colts, which led to the field goal.
Four days
after the miss, Vanderjagt appeared on The Late Show, which is
hosted by Indianapolis
native and Colts fan David Letterman. In his appearance, he
completed a 46-yard field goal on West 53rd Street, outside the
Ed Sullivan
Theater
.
- June 28, 2007: BC Lions P/K Paul McCallum missed a field goal from 32
yards which was subsequently caught just inside the end line (the
far end of the end zone) by Toronto
Argonauts KR Bashir
Levingston, who then returned the ball the entire length of the
field for the longest possible missed field goal return for a
touchdown in all of professional football, 129 yards.
- January 20, 2008: In the NFC Championship game between the
New York Giants and the home team,
the Green Bay Packers, Giants
kicker Lawrence Tynes missed two field goal attempts in the 4th
quarter, either of which could have ended the game. One was at 43
yards out with 6:53 left to go in the ballgame, which it sailed
wide left. The second was a 36 yard attempt with just 4 seconds
left, missing that kick as well. Rookie snapper Jay Alford snapped the ball too high, which gave
the football the hook wide left. In
overtime however, after Corey Webster intercepted the last pass of
quarterback Brett
Favre's career with the Packers, Tynes got redemption after
kicking a 47 yard field goal with 12:34 in OT. It was the longest
field goal ever in Lambeau
Field
postseason history from a
visiting team.
- September 28, 2008: Sebastian
Janikowski of the Oakland Raiders attempted a 76 yard field
goal. It fell short. This was an NFL record for longest field goal
attempt.
References
- http://kimrin.com/ola/bilder/Media/one_week_big.jpg
- Rush connects on 62-yard field goal
-
http://www.asuindians.com/pdf3/80548.pdf?ATCLID=1138306&SPID=2798&DB_OEM_ID=7200&SPSID=45847
- Krider, Dave. Legends of HS Football: Dirk Borgognone.
NFLHS.com. 2005.
- OnlineAthens: Prep Notebook 09/05/99
- [1]
External links
(NV) v Sparks (NV), September 27, 1985
) (W 29-7) v Mountain Range High School (Colorado
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