4th-and-5 from the B12. Team A is in field-goal formation. Holder A1 mishandles the snap, and attempts to run the ball. Seeing that he will likely be tackled before he gets a chance to get a first down, A1 drops the ball straight down and the point of the ball touches the B11-yard line. The entire ball is beyond the line of scrimmage. A1 kicks the ball as soon as the point touches the ground with the heel of his non-kicking foot on the line of scrimmage. The ball goes through the uprights. What is the call?
Image from The Lost Art of Kicking (1939) in the Pro Football Hall of Fame collection
Drop kick! Flutie Flakes! Booyah!
In order to have a valid drop kick attempt, a part of the kicker’s body must be on or behind the line of scrimmage at the time of the kick. Therefore, the ball could be across the line, while the kicker’s “plant” foot remains on the line.
The rulebook was revised in 1991 to close a loophole that allowed a player to attempt a drop kick from anywhere on the field, including beyond the line-of-scrimmage and during kickoff returns.
Drop kicks are a staple of the sandlot football playbook. While still in the rulebook, the drop kick is exceedingly rare in the NFL. They were more often attempted when footballs were made with a more round shape, making it easier to pull off such a play.
To illustrate the rarity of the play, these are the most recent drop kick attempts in the NFL:
Jan. 29, 2012 — Saints quarterback Drew Brees attempted a drop kick while playing for the NFC in the 2011 Pro Bowl. Although it occurred in a meaningless exhibition game, and he didn’t even score, it is included here solely to give the list depth.
Jan. 1, 2006 — Patriots quarterback Doug Flutie, in his final game before retiring, successfully drop-kicked an extra point the last regular-season game of the 2005 season.
Nov. 28, 1948 — An extra-point attempt was scored by drop kick by 49ers kicker Joe Vetrano against the Browns. This game was not an NFL game but rather an All-American Football Conference, before the 49ers and Browns were admitted to the NFL, so technically it is only padding the list.
Dec. 21, 1941 — Ray “Scooter” McLean converted a drop-kicked extra point for the Bears in the NFL Championship game.
Ben Austro is the editor and founder of Football Zebras and the author of So You Think You Know Football?: The Armchair Ref's Guide to the Official Rules (on sale now)
5 thoughts on “Tough quiz: 7 calls you may never see in NFL (but how would you rule?)”
The 2013 Fiesta Bowl featured a variation on Question 3.
Ah…. Dickie Moegel.
This almost happened in a 1997 Jaguars-Steelers game. The potential game-winning field goal for the Steelers was blocked, and as a Jaguar began to return it for a touchdown, he ran past Bill Cowher, who made a motion as if he was going to tackle the player. Cowher said that he almost made the tackle.
For Q #1, I have always been interested to see a 7th Quarter kickoff happen, but it never has as of yet. I did watch the Los Angeles Express Triple-Overtime USFL playoff game on ABC, and no kickoff occurred to start the 3rd OT period, only the ends of the field at the LA coliseum were switched, with possession maintained by the offense, as a continuation of the same drive from the end of the 2nd OT period.
Wow! Good to know someone was watching.
With all of the revisions to the overtime section of the rulebook for modified sudden death, it is a little more clearly stated that there is another kickoff. Before then, it was probably an item in the officials’ Casebook.
4th-and-5 from the B12. Team A is in field-goal formation. Holder A1 mishandles the snap, and attempts to run the ball. Seeing that he will likely be tackled before he gets a chance to get a first down, A1 drops the ball straight down and the point of the ball touches the B11-yard line. The entire ball is beyond the line of scrimmage. A1 kicks the ball as soon as the point touches the ground with the heel of his non-kicking foot on the line of scrimmage. The ball goes through the uprights. What is the call?
The 2013 Fiesta Bowl featured a variation on Question 3.
Ah…. Dickie Moegel.
This almost happened in a 1997 Jaguars-Steelers game. The potential game-winning field goal for the Steelers was blocked, and as a Jaguar began to return it for a touchdown, he ran past Bill Cowher, who made a motion as if he was going to tackle the player. Cowher said that he almost made the tackle.
For Q #1, I have always been interested to see a 7th Quarter kickoff happen, but it never has as of yet. I did watch the Los Angeles Express Triple-Overtime USFL playoff game on ABC, and no kickoff occurred to start the 3rd OT period, only the ends of the field at the LA coliseum were switched, with possession maintained by the offense, as a continuation of the same drive from the end of the 2nd OT period.
Wow! Good to know someone was watching.
With all of the revisions to the overtime section of the rulebook for modified sudden death, it is a little more clearly stated that there is another kickoff. Before then, it was probably an item in the officials’ Casebook.