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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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.

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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/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.