The fair catch kick rule in the NFL rulebook

The NFL rulebook contains a dusty legal fossil called the fair catch kick. If a player signals a fair catch, their team can choose to skip the offense entirely and attempt a field goal from that exact spot.

Unlike a standard play, the defense isn’t allowed to rush the kicker. They must stand ten yards back, watching helplessly like it’s a kickoff. It’s a bizarre tactical relic from football’s rugby roots that grants a free, unimpeded shot at three points when time is expiring.

Wait, do they use a kicking tee for this weird free shot?

Actually, yes! This is one of the only moments where the modern NFL allows a kicking tee for a field goal attempt. Because the rulebook classifies this as a 'free kick' rather than a standard play, the kicker gets that extra elevation usually reserved for kickoffs.

It’s a fascinating legal loophole. While tees were banned for regular field goals decades ago to increase difficulty, this 'fossil' rule preserves the old equipment privileges. The kicker can even choose to dropkick it if they want to go full 19th-century mode.

It essentially creates a protected bubble where modern physics-nerfing rules don't apply. You get a stationary ball, a specialized tee, and a defense that can't move until the ball is struck.

If it's such a huge advantage, why is it so rare?

The stars have to align perfectly for this obscure play to be unearthed. You can only invoke it immediately after a fair catch, and most punts land far outside any kicker's range.

It’s a 'break glass' play. The opposing team must be backed up against their own goal line, punting the ball to midfield with only seconds left on the clock.

It’s the NFL’s version of a solar eclipse. Since 1970, it’s been attempted fewer than 30 times. Modern punters are simply too skilled at avoiding the field position that triggers this loophole.

Has anyone actually pulled this off to win a game?

It’s the ultimate 'hail mary.' The last time someone actually split the uprights with this was Ray Wersching in 1976. He hammered a 45-yarder for the Chargers as the clock hit zero, turning a legal technicality into a victory.

Since then, it’s been a graveyard of 'almosts.' Modern kickers like Phil Dawson have tried 60-yard bombs, but the sheer distance usually turns these legal fossils back into dust.

Even when they miss, the play haunts coaches. It’s a psychological ghost that forces a defense to stand still while a kicker tries to make history.

Does that mean the defense can't even jump to block it?

They aren't technically forbidden, but they are legally handcuffed. Once the kicker’s foot strikes the ball, the defense can finally move. However, starting ten yards back makes a traditional block a mathematical pipe dream.

By the time a defender sprints those ten yards, the ball is usually sailing well over their heads. It’s like trying to swat a bird that already has a massive head start.

Their only prayer is a mishit with a low trajectory. But since that kicking tee provides extra lift, the rulebook essentially guarantees the kicker a protected flight path.