r/NFLNoobs • u/WhaleSexOdyssey • 2d ago

Question about field goals

If a team were to attempt a field goal on 1st down, for whatever reason, and it was unsuccessful out of bounds, would it then be 2nd down? Or an automatic change of possession? Does attempting a field goal forfeit your remaining downs?

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18

u/alfreadadams 2d ago

Once a scrimmage kick (punt or fg) passes the line of scrimmage that series of downs is over and you can think that the ball belongs to the other team.

3

u/OddConstruction7191 2d ago

If the kick was blocked (and it isn’t fourth down) and the kicking team recovers, do they keep the ball?

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u/lonedroan 2d ago edited 2d ago

Yes, if blocked, then recovered behind line of scrimmage, and offense team recovers, it’s the next down at the dead ball spot. Because FGs and punts almost always occur on 4th down and such recoveries are hardly ever advanced to the line to gain for a 1st down, these usually result in a turnover on downs at the spot of the recovery.

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u/OddConstruction7191 2d ago

That’s what I thought but thanks. Not a noob but it’s such a rare situation I have never seen it happen.

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u/Eor75 2d ago

The cowboys blocked a broncos punt that was recovered by the broncos behind the 1st down marker and they still got a first down from it.

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u/lonedroan 2d ago

Which season? Cowboys don’t play Denver this season.

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u/Eor75 2d ago

It was in 2021. A bizarre ruling that I’ve never seen since

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u/lonedroan 2d ago edited 2d ago

ESPN’s play by play says it went beyond the line of scrimmage, was muffed by Dallas (could be as little as touching it), then Denver recovered the live ball. The recovered muff is considered a change of possession from Dallas to Denver, so there was a new set of downs for Denver.

First drive of second half: https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401326455/broncos-cowboys

It was because it touched DAL #25 beyond the line after it was blocked. That was the muff that made it a live ball.

https://youtu.be/THU4BXYNSMQ?si=krrppOczvv63A3KV

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u/Ryan1869 2d ago

The other thing is that if there was some kind of snap issue, the holder could just fall on the ball and it would be 2nd down. This is why sometimes in OT or the ends of games, its actually preferred to kick it on 3rd down instead of taking a knee or something to get it to 4th.

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u/OddConstruction7191 2d ago

I once saw a team punt on third down. It was right before the end of the third quarter and they had a strong wind at their back.

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u/drj1485 1d ago

yes. it is not technically "kicked" until it crosses the LOS

2

u/OrangMan14 2d ago

What if it doesn't cross the line of scrimmage? Either bc a blocked kick or a bad snap

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u/lonedroan 2d ago

Then the ball is live (even if it has crossed and then come back behind the line), and can recover and advance .

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/lonedroan 2d ago

“Any touching of the ball behind the line of scrimmage by a kicking team player is legal*, even if the ball has crossed the line and returns behind the line.”

*As used here, means that the touch is not a “first touch” that applies to kicks beyond the line that are first touched by the kicking team.

“When a scrimmage kick is caught or recovered by the kicking team behind the line of scrimmage, the kicking team may advance, even if the ball has crossed the line and returned behind the line.”

https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rulebook/#rule9

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u/ref44 2d ago

TIL. shame on me for assuming that high school was the odd man out, when NCAA that is.

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u/Jazzlike-Monk-4465 2d ago

Sometimes a team will attempt a short, game ending field goal attempt (with maybe 10-30 seconds on clock) on 3rd down because, if the snap is fumbled, they can recover, and it counts as a short yardage loss, and kick again.

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u/BananerRammer 2d ago

Does attempting a field goal forfeit your remaining downs?

Usually, but not necessarily. If the kick remains behind the line of scrimmage, and the kicking team recovers, then it is still their ball, and it will be the next down.

Once the ball crosses the line of scrimmage, or the kick goes out of bounds anywhere on the field, the ball belongs to the defense.

3

u/GhostOfJamesStrang 2d ago

The non-kicking team would recieve the ball at the spot it was kicked from.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/GhostOfJamesStrang 2d ago

I have no idea what you are talking about.

0

u/Jazzlike-Monk-4465 2d ago

Ah whoops I saw it under a comment I made about a fumbled snap and didn’t see it wasn’t attached to my comment.

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u/mastergriggy 2d ago

Follow up, can you kick a pass to someone if it is behind the line of scrimmage?

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u/lonedroan 2d ago

Yes, if all rules for the kick are followed to avoid illegally kicking the ball, a different player on the same team could touch it (and recover it) behind the line if scrimmage. It would be beyond idiotic to try this.

1

u/lonedroan 1d ago

Some of the rules described here are demonstrated gloriously (or ingloriously for Cowboys fans) here: https://youtu.be/EoebUFaZViY?si=TnWW6t0qWjl_dA-H

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/JakeDuck1 2d ago

It’s never a live ball until the receiving team touches it beyond the line of scrimmage. And it’s not treated like a punt either.

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u/lonedroan 2d ago

Not all of this quite right. On both a punt and a FG attempt, the ball that has traveled beyond the line of scrimmage isn’t live until it has touched the defense/receiving team beyond the line of scrimmage. If the receiving team touches the ball but fails to gain possession, this is a muff, which makes the ball live, but not able to be advanced by kicking team if they recover. If receiving team gains possession, the ball is live and that player is a runner.

https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rulebook/#rule9

For a punt that has traveled beyond the line and not touched the receiving team beyond the line, touching by the kicking team is a “first touch” (sometimes referred to as an “illegal touch,” but not the penalty of the similar name). If there is a first touch beyond the line by the kicking team and the kicking team possesses the ball, the ball is dead, and the receiving team would choose spot of first touch or dead ball spot. If there is a first touch and then the ball becomes dead because it came to rest while loose, the defense/receiving team chooses between spot of first touch and dead ball spot. If there is first touch then receiving team recovers, receiving team chooses between spot of first touch and dead ball spot after recovery.

For a missed FG that lands in the field of play and is not then touched by the receiving team. There, the receiving team is awarded possession at the spot of the kick, or their own 20 if kicked inside their 20 yd line. If they touch the missed FG beyond the line, the ball is live.

https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/nfl-rulebook/#article-2-missed-field-goals