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Field goal

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This article is about a kick to score in gridiron football. For other uses, see Field goal (disambiguation).

Younghoe Koo (right) of the Atlanta Falcons attempts a field goal, while Cameron Nizialek (left) serves as the holder.
A set of gridiron football goal posts—two uprights (vertical) and a crossbar (horizontal)

A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar.[1] The entire ball must pass through the vertical plane of the goal, which is the area above the crossbar and between the uprights or, if above the uprights, between their outside edges.[a] American football requires that a field goal must only come during a play from scrimmage (except in the case of a fair catch kick) while Canadian football retains open field kicks and thus field goals may be scored at any time from anywhere on the field and by any player. The vast majority of field goals, in both codes, are placekicked. Drop-kicked field goals were common in the early days of gridiron football but are almost never attempted in modern times. A field goal may also be scored through a fair catch kick, but this is also extremely rare. In most leagues, a successful field goal awards three points (a notable exception is six-man football in which, due to the small number of players available to stop the opposing team from blocking the kick, a field goal is worth four points).[2]

Since a field goal is worth only three points, as opposed to a touchdown, which is worth six points, it is usually only attempted in specific situations (see Strategy).

The goal structure consists of a horizontal crossbar suspended 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with two vertical goalposts 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart extending vertically from each end of the crossbar.[3] In American football, the goals are centered on each end line; in Canadian football, they are centered on each goal line.

Strategy

[edit]

As a field goal is worth only three points, while a touchdown scores at least six (which usually becomes seven with a successful conversion, and potentially eight with a two-point conversion), teams will generally attempt a field goal only in the following situations:

  • It is last down (third in Canadian football, fourth down in American football), especially if the offense is more than a yard or two from a new first down, and within kicking range of the goalposts (about 45 yards at the professional level).
  • In the first half, if there is only enough time remaining to execute just one more play, regardless of the down.
  • In the waning moments of the second half, if a successful kick will win or tie the game. In this situation, a team may choose to attempt the field goal on an earlier down or if there is still enough time remaining to execute more than one play. If there are problems with the snap or hold, the team would be then able to abort the kick attempt (kneel down, or throw an incomplete pass), and still have at least one down and time remaining to re-attempt the kick.
  • In overtime, if a successful field goal wins and ends the game, a team may choose to attempt a game-winning kick as soon as they get into field goal range (for example, a long pass completion that advances the ball inside the opponent's 20-yard line). In this situation, a team may just decide to try to end the game rather than risk another play that could result in an interception or fumble.

Except in desperate situations, a team will generally attempt field goals only when keeping a drive alive is unlikely, and its 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) or at the line of scrimmage (in the NCAA). In American high school rules and Canadian football, where a missed field goal is treated the same as a punt, most teams still opt not to attempt field goals from very long range since field goal formations are not conducive to covering kick returns. Even under ideal conditions, the best professional kickers historically had difficulty making kicks longer than 50 yards consistently.[4] If a team chooses not to attempt a field goal on their last down, they can punt to the other team. A punt cannot score any points in American football unless the receiving team touches the ball first and the kicking team recovers it (though it can result in a single in Canadian football), but it may push the other team back toward its own end.

The longest field goal kick in NFL history is 66 yards, a record set by Justin Tucker on September 26, 2021, which broke the record previously held by Matt Prater (2013) at 64 yards. The third longest is 63, originally set by Tom Dempsey (1970) and then matched by Jason Elam (1998), Sebastian Janikowski (2011), David Akers (2012), Graham Gano (2018), Brett Maher (2019), and Joey Slye (2024).[5] The record in the CFL is 62 yards, set by Paul McCallum on October 27, 2001.[6] High school, college and most professional football leagues offer only 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), a rule since adopted by the Stars Football League. 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, all field goals are worth four points instead of the usual three.) The overall field goal percentage during the 2010 NFL season was 82.3%. In comparison, Jan Stenerud, one of only three pure kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (along with fellow placekicker Morten Andersen and punter Ray Guy), had a career field goal percentage of 66.8% from 1967 to 1985.[4]

How field goals are kicked

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Video of a successful field goal try.

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.[citation needed] 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 holder usually lines up seven to eight 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 disrupt the entire attempt. Depending on the level of play, the ball, upon reaching the holder, is held up by either the aid of a small rubber "tee" (all ranks up to the high school level, which is not the same as the kickoff tee, but rather a small platform, and comes in either 1 or 2-inch varieties) or is held up by the ground (in college and at the professional level).

Dustin Hopkins of the Washington Redskins attempts a field goal against the Carolina Panthers in 2018

The measurement of a field goal's distance is from the goalpost to the point where the ball was positioned for the kick by the holder. In American football, where the goalpost is located at the back of the end zone (above the end line), the ten yards of the end zone are added to the yard line distance at the spot of the hold.

Until the 1960s, placekickers approached the ball straight on, with the toe making first contact with the ball. The technique of kicking the ball "soccer-style", by approaching the ball at an angle and kicking it with the instep, was introduced by Hungarian-born kicker Pete Gogolak in the 1960s.[7] Reflecting his roots in European soccer, Gogolak observed that kicking the ball at an angle could cover more distance than kicking straight-on; he played college football at Cornell and made his pro debut in 1964 with the Buffalo Bills of the AFL; his younger brother Charlie was also an NFL kicker. The soccer-style kick gained popularity and was nearly universal by the late 1970s; the last full-time straight-on kicker in the NFL was Mark Moseley, who retired in 1986.

Successful field goals

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If there is any time left in the half, the method of resuming play after a successful field goal varies between leagues.

National Football League and most professional leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association
The scored-against team receives a kickoff.[8][9]
National Federation of High Schools
The scored-against team can choose to either receive a kickoff or kick off themselves. (In practice, almost all choose to receive.)
Canadian Football League
The scored-against team may elect to either kick off from their 30-yard line, receive a kickoff from the opponents' 30-yard line, or scrimmage from their own 40-yard line. In the last three minutes of the fourth quarter, the scoring team kicks off from their 30-yard line.[10] The option of scrimmaging (no kickoff), first instituted in 1975, was eliminated in 2009, but the change proved unpopular and was reinstated the following season.
Football Canada
The scored-against team may elect to either kick off from their 35-yard line, receive a kickoff from the opponent's 45-yard line, or scrimmage from their own 35-yard line.[11]

Missed field goals

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A missed field goal is said to be "no good" if the kicked ball does not cross between the uprights and over the crossbar of the goal posts. If it misses to the side of the uprights, it may be called "wide left" or "wide right" as the case may be. A field goal attempt may be described as "short" if it does not have sufficient distance to go over the cross bar. Some commentators will only describe a field goal attempt as being short if it appears to have been aimed correctly while others will describe an attempt appearing to lack both accuracy and distance as being both wide and short.

If a field goal attempt is missed, and the ball does not go out of bounds and has not been ruled dead by a referee, then a defensive player may advance the ball, as with a punt or kickoff. This type of play usually occurs either during an extremely long field goal attempt or if the attempt is blocked. If there is a significant likelihood of a miss and the strategic game situation warrants it, the defense places a player downfield, in or near their end zone, to catch the ball. The risk in this is that the return man may be tackled deep in his own territory, at a considerably worse position than he could have gotten by letting the ball go dead (see below); furthermore, should the returner fumble the ball, the kicking team can recover it and gain a new set of downs (the advantage is that the kicking team is lined up very close together to stop kick blockers, and not spread across the field like a kickoff or punt team, and is therefore in poor position to defend the return). Thus, teams will usually return a kick only towards the end of a half (when the kick will be the final play) or in a particularly desperate situation.

If a ball caroms off one of the goal posts or the crossbar but lands in the field of play, the ball is considered dead and cannot be returned. (This is not the case in arena football, where large "rebound nets" surround the goal posts for the explicit purpose of keeping the ball in play.) However, if the ball continues into the goal after caroming, the score counts. If the ball re-enters the field of play after crossing the vertical plane of the goal, the score also counts; this is now known as the "Phil Dawson rule" after the eponymous player scored a game-tying field goal that rebounded off the back support of the goal and back into the field of play.

Situations where the defense does not return a missed field goal vary between leagues and levels of play:

National Football League
Missed field goals attempted from the defending team's 20-yard line or closer result in the defense taking possession at their 20-yard line. Missed field goals attempted from behind the 20-yard line result in the opposing team taking possession at the spot of the kick. (From 1974–1993, the opposing team would take possession at the line of scrimmage, unless the kick was attempted from inside the 20-yard line, in which case the opposing team would take possession at the 20-yard line. Prior to 1974, a missed field goal was treated the same as a punt, and the kicking team could down the ball in the field of play if it did not cross the goal line; if the unsuccessful attempt crossed the goal line, it was a touchback, unless the defense ran the ball out of the end zone, which did not become legal until 1971.)
NCAA
The opposing team takes possession at the line of scrimmage rather than at the spot of the kick. If the line of scrimmage is inside the 20-yard line, the opposing team takes possession at the 20.[citation needed]
High school
Under NFHS (high school) rules (except Texas, which plays largely by NCAA 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 enters the end zone it is a touchback (NFHS rules do not allow a scrimmage kick or free kick to be advanced if it crosses the goal line). 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 (see below).
Canadian football
If the defense does not return a missed field goal out of the end zone, or if a missed field goal attempt goes out the back of end zone, then the kicking team scores a single point. This sometimes results in the team on defense stationing 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 (onside players 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 players 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. Returning a missed field goal is much more likely in Canadian football than in American rules for a few reasons. First, since the goal posts are on the goal line in front of a 20-yard end zone (rather than at the back of a 10-yard end zone), a missed field goal is much less likely to go out of bounds while in the air. Also, not returning the ball out of the end zone results in the defense conceding a single point, which may be crucial in a close game. Moreover, the wider field of the Canadian game makes the average return longer (in terms of yardage). However, many Canadian football coaches judge that conceding a single and taking possession at the 35-yard line is preferable to returning a missed field goal and avoiding a single at the cost of poor field position.

Blocked field goals

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The Fresno State Bulldogs block a Texas A&M field goal attempt.

Occasionally, the defense will succeed in blocking a field goal. If the ball falls in or behind the neutral zone, it is treated like a fumble and can be advanced by either team. If the ball instead falls forward beyond the neutral zone, it is treated like a missed field goal under the rules explained above.

History

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In the early days of football, kicking was emphasized. In 1883, the scoring system was devised with field goals counting for five points, and touchdowns and conversions worth four points. In 1897, the touchdown was raised to five points while the conversion was lowered to one point. (In 1958, the NCAA created the two-point conversion for conversions scored via run or pass; the NFL followed suit in 1994.) Field goals were devalued to four points in 1904, and then to the modern three points in 1909. The touchdown was changed to six points in 1912 in American football; the Canadian game followed suit in 1956.

The spot of the conversion has also changed through the years. In 1924, NCAA rules spotted the conversion at the 3-yard line, before moving it back to the 5-yard line in 1925. In 1929, the spot was moved up to the 2-yard line, matching the NFL. In 1968, the NCAA diverged from the NFL rules and moved the spot back to the original 3-yard line. Canadian rules originally spotted the conversion at the 5-yard line, which remains closer than in the American code (for kicked conversions) as the goalposts are at the front of the end zone.

In 2015, to make conversion kicks harder, the NFL and CFL moved the line of scrimmage for conversion kicks to the 15- and 25-yard lines, respectively. (The CFL also moved the spot for two-point conversion attempts to the 3-yard line, while then NFL remained at the 2-yard line.)

The goalposts were originally located on the goal line; this led to many injuries and sometimes interfered with play. 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 starting in the 1932 NFL Playoff Game, a change made necessary by the size of the indoor Chicago Stadium and kept when the NFL rules stopped mirroring the NCAA rules in 1933. The NFL kept the goal posts at the goal line until 1974, when they were moved back to the rear of the end zone, where they have remained since. This was partly a result of the narrowed hashmark distance made in 1972 (making them the same width as the goalposts), which had made for easier field-goal angles. The Canadian game still has posts on the goal line.

The width of the goalposts and the hashmarks have also varied throughout the years. In 1959, the NCAA goalposts were widened to 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m), the standard width for high school posts today. In 1991, the college goalposts were reduced in width to 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m), matching the NFL. For the 1991 and 1992 seasons, this meant potentially severe angles for short field goal attempts, since the hashmark width remained at 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m). In 1993, the NCAA narrowed the distance between the hashmarks to 40 ft (12.19 m), matching what was the width of hashmarks in the NFL from 1945 through 1971; as mentioned above, the NFL narrowed the hashmarks in 1972 to goalpost width at 18.5 feet (5.64 m). Canadian hash marks in amateur play are 51 feet (16 m) apart, 24 yards from each sideline. The Canadian Football League formerly used this spacing, but narrowed the hash mark spacing to 9 yards (8.2 m) in 2022.[12] The Canadian field is 195 feet (59 m) in width, 35 feet (11 m) wider than the American field.

The NFL increased the height of the uprights above the crossbar to 20 feet (6.10 m) in 1966 and 30 feet (9.14 m) in 1974. In 2014, they were raised five feet to 35 feet (10.67 m) after the adoption of a proposal by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.[13]

The "slingshot" goalpost, having a single post curving 90° up from the ground to support the crossbar, was invented by Jim Trimble and Joel Rottman in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[14] The first ones were built by Alcan and displayed at the Expo 67[14][15] world's fair in Montreal. The NFL had standardized its goalposts in 1966 and adopted the slingshot for the 1967 season.[14] The NCAA subsequently adopted the same rule, but later allowed the use of "offset" goalposts with the older two-post base. The CFL was the first league to use the slingshot goalposts. They debuted in the 2nd game of the CFL's Eastern Conference final in 1966 at Montreal's Autostade because Landsdowne Park (now TD Place Stadium), the home of Ottawa Rough Riders, was undergoing renovations. They were also used in the Grey Cup the next week at Vancouver's Empire Stadium. Three schools in Division I FBS currently use dual-support posts: 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 the 2005 season, when they used LSU's stadium for home games after Hurricane Katrina.

Goalposts at the professional level today are sometimes equipped with a video camera mounted to the stanchion immediately behind the center of the crossbar. Since these cameras are both above and slightly behind the crossbar, a field goal attempt will be judged good if it strikes this equipment.

A small plastic tee, which can be 1 to 2 inches (25–51 mm) high (smaller than the kickoff tee), may be used for field goals and extra points in some leagues, including US high schools and Canadian amateur play. The NFL (and most other professional leagues) has never allowed the use of tees for field goal kick attempts, having always required kickers to kick off the ground for such attempts (and for extra points; a rare exception for a U.S.-based pro league to allow the usage of such tees for such attempts was the original USFL in the 1980s).[16][17] In 1948, the NCAA authorized the use of the small rubberized kicking tee for extra points and field goals, but banned them by 1989, requiring kicks from the ground, as in the NFL.[18][19] The CFL allows the use of a tee for field goals and convert kicks, but it is optional.[20]

During the 2011 NFL season, a record 90 field goals of 50 yards or longer were made.[21] In 2012, this record was raised to 92 field goals of 50 yards or longer.[21]

Longest field goal records

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According to the Guinness World Records, the longest recorded field goal successfully kicked at any level was 69 yards. It was kicked by Ove Johansson of the Abilene Christian University Wildcats in the 1976 game against East Texas State University Lions (now Texas A&M University–Commerce) in Shotwell Stadium, Abilene, Texas.

NFL

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The longest successful field goal in NFL history was 66 yards by Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens against the Detroit Lions on September 26, 2021. The longest field goal attempt in an NFL game was 76 yards by Sebastian Janikowski of the Oakland Raiders against the San Diego Chargers on September 28, 2008.[22]

Distance Kicker Team Result Opponent Date Notes Location Elevation Weather
66 yards Justin Tucker Baltimore Ravens 19–17 Detroit Lions September 26, 2021 Right-footed; game-winning field goal as time expired; ball bounced off crossbar before crossing the plane.[23] Ford Field 601 ft (183 m)[24] Dome
65 yards Brandon Aubrey Dallas Cowboys 25–28 Baltimore Ravens September 22, 2024 Right-footed; longest field goal in a loss AT&T Stadium 584 ft (179 m) Retractable roof closed
64 yards Matt Prater Denver Broncos 51–28 Tennessee Titans December 8, 2013 End of 1st half[25] Sports Authority Field at Mile High 5,200 ft (1,585 m) 13 °F (−11 °C); Sunny; Wind: S at 3 mph; Humidity: 72%
63 yards Tom Dempsey New Orleans Saints 19–17 Detroit Lions November 8, 1970 Born with a stub for a right foot. Game-winning kick as time expired. Detroit kicker Errol Mann had kicked a field goal with 0:11 remaining to give Lions the lead. Previous record was 56 yards in 1953.[26] Tulane Stadium 16 ft (5 m) 65 degrees, relative humidity 79%, wind 10 mph
Jason Elam Denver Broncos 37–24 Jacksonville Jaguars October 25, 1998 First field goal to tie record Mile High Stadium 5,200 ft (1,585 m)
Sebastian Janikowski Oakland Raiders 23–20 Denver Broncos September 12, 2011 Left-footed Sports Authority Field at Mile High 5,200 ft (1,585 m) Light rain early
David Akers San Francisco 49ers 30–22 Green Bay Packers September 9, 2012 Left-footed; end of first half; ball bounced off crossbar before crossing the plane Lambeau Field 640 ft (200 m) 70 °F (21 °C); Mostly Cloudy; Wind: N at 7 mph; Humidity: 43%
Graham Gano Carolina Panthers 33–31 New York Giants October 7, 2018 Game-winning field goal as time expired. Bank of America Stadium 751 ft (229 m) 88 °F (31 °C); Mostly Sunny; Wind: E at 6 mph; Humidity: 59%
Brett Maher Dallas Cowboys 37–10 Philadelphia Eagles October 20, 2019 End of 1st half AT&T Stadium 584 ft (179 m)
Joey Slye New England Patriots 13-30 San Francisco 49ers September 29, 2024 End of 1st half; broke franchise record for longest field goal Levi's Stadium 78 °F (26 °C); Sunny
62 yards Matt Bryant Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23–21 Philadelphia Eagles October 22, 2006 Game-winning kick as time expired Raymond James Stadium 35 ft (11 m)
Stephen Gostkowski New England Patriots 33–8 Oakland Raiders November 19, 2017 Right-footed; kicked as time expired at the end of the first half Estadio Azteca 7,280 ft (2,220 m) 63 °F (17 °C); Mostly Cloudy
Brett Maher Dallas Cowboys 29–23 (OT) Philadelphia Eagles December 9, 2018 Right-footed; kicked as first half ended AT&T Stadium 567 ft

(173 m)

Retractable roof closed
Brett Maher Dallas Cowboys 22–24 New York Jets October 13, 2019 Right-footed; kicked as first half ended MetLife Stadium 7 ft

(2 m)

64 °F (18 °C); mostly sunny; Wind: S at 7 mph; Humidity: 51%
Matt Prater Arizona Cardinals 34–33 Minnesota Vikings September 19, 2021 Kicked as time expired at the end of the first half State Farm Stadium 1,150 ft (350 m) Retractable roof closed
Harrison Butker Kansas City Chiefs 20–24 Buffalo Bills October 16, 2022 Tying kick as time expired at the end of the first half[27] Arrowhead Stadium 843 ft (257 m) 66 °F (19 °C); Sunny with NW wind at 15 mph
Matt Prater Arizona Cardinals 28–16 Dallas Cowboys September 24, 2023 Kicked as time expired at the end of the first half State Farm Stadium 1,150 ft (350 m) Retractable roof closed
61 yards Sebastian Janikowski Oakland Raiders 9–23 Cleveland Browns December 27, 2009 Left-footed Cleveland Browns Stadium 580 ft (180 m)
Jay Feely Arizona Cardinals 16–19 (OT) Buffalo Bills October 14, 2012 Right-footed; longest game-tying field goal with 1:09 remaining in the 4th quarter, missed a 38-yard field goal that would have won the game at the end of regulation University of Phoenix Stadium 1,150 ft (350 m) Retractable roof closed
Justin Tucker Baltimore Ravens 18–16 Detroit Lions December 16, 2013 Right-footed; game-winning field goal with 43 seconds remaining; sixth field goal of the game Ford Field 601 ft (183 m)[24] Dome
Greg Zuerlein St. Louis Rams 18–21 (OT) Minnesota Vikings November 8, 2015 Right-footed TCF Bank Stadium 869 ft (265 m) 58 °F (14 °C); sunny
Jake Elliott Philadelphia Eagles 27–24 New York Giants September 24, 2017 Right-footed; game winning kick as time expired. Second game of NFL career. NFL rookie record for longest made field goal. Lincoln Financial Field 39 ft (12 m) 91 °F (33 °C); sunny
Jason Myers Seattle Seahawks 16–23 Los Angeles Rams November 15, 2020 Right-footed; 4th & 10, 0:02 time remaining, end of first half SoFi Stadium Sea level Calm
Ka'imi Fairbairn Houston Texans 13–33 Seattle Seahawks December 12, 2021 Right-footed NRG Stadium 260 ft (79 m)
Greg Joseph Minnesota Vikings 27–24 New York Giants December 24, 2022 Right-footed; game-winning kick as time expired. Longest field goal in Vikings franchise history. Third field goal of the season of more than 60 yards at U.S. Bank Stadium. U.S. Bank Stadium 840 ft (260 m) Dome
Jake Elliott Philadelphia Eagles 34-28 Minnesota Vikings September 14, 2023 Right-footed; end of 1st half Lincoln Financial Field 39 ft (12 m)
Tyler Bass Buffalo Bills 30–27 Miami Dolphins November 3, 2024 Right-footed, game winner with :05 left in 4th quarter Highmark Stadium Sunny, 54 °F (12 °C)
60 yards Steve Cox Cleveland Browns 9–12 Cincinnati Bengals October 21, 1984 Straight-ahead kick; on AstroTurf Riverfront Stadium 490 ft (150 m)
Morten Andersen New Orleans Saints 17–20 Chicago Bears October 27, 1991 Left-footed; on AstroTurf; first 60-yard kick done indoors, as well as the first done with the soccer-style kick Louisiana Superdome Sea level Dome
Rob Bironas Tennessee Titans 20–17 Indianapolis Colts December 3, 2006 Right-footed; game winner with six seconds remaining LP Field 400 ft (120 m)
Dan Carpenter Miami Dolphins 10–13 Cleveland Browns December 5, 2010 End of 1st half Sun Life Stadium 5 ft (1.5 m) 77 °F (25 °C), wind SW at 14 mph (23 km/h)
Greg Zuerlein St. Louis Rams 19–13 Seattle Seahawks September 30, 2012 In his rookie season; longest field goal in third quarter; also kicked a 58-yard field goal in the first quarter Edward Jones Dome 466 ft (142 m) Dome
Chandler Catanzaro Arizona Cardinals 18–33 Buffalo Bills September 25, 2016 Longest field goal in career New Era Field 600 ft (180 m)
Wil Lutz New Orleans Saints 25-28 Minnesota Vikings October 2, 2022 Kicked with 1:56 left in fourth quarter. Later missed a game-tying 61-yard attempt that struck the left upright and then the crossbar as time expired. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 43 ft (13 m)
Brett Maher Dallas Cowboys 40-3 Minnesota Vikings November 20, 2022 Made after initial make was called back due to review on previous play U.S. Bank Stadium 840 ft (260 m) Dome
Greg Zuerlein New York Jets 22–27 Minnesota Vikings December 4, 2022 Right-footed; third career kick of more than 60 yards. Longest field goal in Jets franchise history. U.S. Bank Stadium 840 ft (260 m) Dome
Harrison Butker Kansas City Chiefs 19-8 Denver Broncos October 12, 2023 Right-footed; kicked as time expired at the end of the first half Arrowhead Stadium 843 ft (257 m) 67 °F

(19.4 °C) Cloudy

Brandon Aubrey Dallas Cowboys 33-13 Philadelphia Eagles December 10, 2023 Right footed; kicked with 0:50 in first quarter. Later kicked a 59-yarder in the third quarter with 4:49 left; first kicker in NFL to kick 59 yards or more twice in the same game.[28] AT&T Stadium Dome
Brandon Aubrey Dallas Cowboys 20-15 New York Giants September 26, 2024 Right footed; kicked in the third quarter at 5:06 left in the quarter MetLife Stadium

Prior to Dempsey's 1970 kick, the longest field goal in NFL history was 56 yards, by Bert Rechichar of the Baltimore Colts in 1953.[26][29] A 55-yard field goal, achieved by a drop kick, was recorded by Paddy Driscoll in 1924, and stood as the unofficial record until that point; some sources indicate a 54-yarder by Glenn Presnell in 1934 as the record,[29] due to the inability to precisely verify Driscoll's kick.

In a pre-season NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks on August 29, 2002, Ola Kimrin kicked a 65-yard field goal.[30] However, because pre-season games are not counted toward official records, this accomplishment did not stand as the official record, even before Tucker bested it in 2021. In another pre-season NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders on August 17, 2024, Brandon Aubrey kicked a 66-yard field goal. This would have tied the current record if it were a regular season game.

CFL

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Professional spring football

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College football

[edit]

The following kicks were successful with the use of a kicking tee, which was banned by the NCAA after the 1988 season. And prior to 1991, the goal posts were 23 feet, 4 inches. They were narrowed to 18 feet, 6 inches.[39]

Division Distance Kicker Team Opponent Date Notes
Overall 69 yards Ove Johansson Abilene Christian East Texas State October 16, 1976 Overall field goal record with the use of a tee
Division I FBS 67 yards Russell Erxleben Texas Rice 1977
67 yards Steve Little Arkansas Texas 1977
Division I FCS 63 yards Scott Roper Arkansas State North Texas 1987
Division II 67 yards Tom Odle Fort Hays St Washburn November 5, 1988
Division III 62 yards Dom Antonini Rowan Salisbury September 18, 1976
NAIA 69 yards Ove Johansson Abilene Christian East Texas State October 16, 1976

After the 1988 season, the use of a kicking tee was banned. The following kicks were successful without the use of a tee.

Division Distance Kicker Team Opponent Date Notes
Overall 65 yards Martin Gramática Kansas State Northern Illinois September 12, 1998 Overall NCAA field goal record without the use of a tee
Division I FBS 65 yards Martin Gramática Kansas State Northern Illinois September 12, 1998 Also the longest field goal since the NCAA narrowed the goalposts in 1991[39]
Division I FCS 63 yards Bill Gramática University of South Florida Austin Peay November 18, 2000
Division II 64 yards Garrett Lindholm Tarleton State Texas A&M–Kingsville November 14, 2009 The 64-yard field goal was made as time expired forcing overtime. Tarleton State went on to win the playoff game.[40]
Division III 62 yards Matthew Aven Claremont Cal Lutheran October 19, 2013
NAIA 62 yards Derek Doerfler Baker William Jewell October 8, 2007

The longest known drop-kicked field goal in college football was a 62-yard kick from Pat O'Dea, an Australian kicker who played for Wisconsin. O'Dea's kick took place in a blizzard against Northwestern on November 15, 1898.[41]

U Sports

[edit]

The longest field goal in U Sports football history is 59 yards, by Niko Difonte of Calgary Dinos, playing against the UBC Thunderbirds on November 11, 2017. The field goal was the final and winning play of the 81st Hardy Cup.[42][43]

High school

[edit]

Independent amateur

[edit]
  • 68 yards, Fabrizio Scaccia, Treasure Coast Bobcats (FL), March 29, 2009[50] (world record for a kick without the aid of a tee, which was banned for field goal and extra point attempts in the NCAA in 1989)

Independent Women's Football League

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Longest missed field goal return records

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NFL

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Field goal returns are rare in the NFL, since an attempt with sufficient distance that misses the uprights will automatically be dead. Returns are possible when a field goal is short, but in that case returners will usually down the ball so as to scrimmage from the spot of the kick. Normally, a return will only be attempted when there is not enough time left in the half to run a play from scrimmage. Nevertheless, the following five field goals have been returned at least 107 yards for a touchdown in the 21st century. The record of 109 yards, set by Antonio Cromartie in 2007 and tied by Jamal Agnew in 2021, is the maximum number of yards that can be achieved on a scoring play:

Distance returned Returner Team Opposing kicker Opposing team Distance attempted Date Location
109 yards[52][53] Antonio Cromartie San Diego Chargers Ryan Longwell Minnesota Vikings 58 yards November 4, 2007 Metrodome
Jamal Agnew Jacksonville Jaguars Matt Prater Arizona Cardinals 68 yards September 26, 2021 TIAA Bank Field
108 yards[54][55] Devin Hester Chicago Bears Jay Feely New York Giants 52 yards November 12, 2006 Giants Stadium
Nathan Vasher Chicago Bears Joe Nedney San Francisco 49ers 52 yards November 13, 2005 Soldier Field
107 yards[56] Chris McAlister Baltimore Ravens Jason Elam Denver Broncos 57 yards September 30, 2002 Ravens Stadium

CFL

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Because the goalposts in Canadian football are on the goal line, and because downing the ball in the end zone results in the kicking team scoring a single point, field goal returns are much more common. The longest missed field goal return in the CFL is 131 total yards. Against the Montreal Alouettes on August 22, 1958, the Toronto Argonauts' Boyd Carter ran 15 yards, then threw a lateral to Dave Mann, who then returned it for the final 116 yards.[57] This return, which started 21 yards behind the goal line, was during the era of 25-yard end zones (which made the maximum theoretical missed field return distance 134 yards in those days) and therefore cannot be met or exceeded on the modern field with 20-yard end zones. Since the shortening of the end zones in the CFL in 1986, a field goal has been returned for the maximum 129 yards on four occasions: by Bashir Levingston of the Toronto Argonauts on June 28, 2007,[58] by Dominique Dorsey also of the Toronto Argonauts on August 2, 2007,[59] by Tristan Jackson of the Saskatchewan Roughriders on July 14, 2012 [60] and by Trent Guy of the Montreal Alouettes on September 23, 2012.[61]

NCAA

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In NCAA college football, only five missed field goals returns for touchdowns have ever been returned 100 yards or more:[62]

U Sports

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In U Sports football, like in the CFL, the longest possible missed field goal return is 129 yards, and this has occurred three times.[43]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ An exception applies with respect to goalposts that have a remote-controlled camera mounted on top of the crossbar, often now used in nationally televised games. A field goal attempt will still be considered good if the ball strikes such a camera instead of passing over the crossbar.

References

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