# Basic football rules question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-football-rules-question/515990>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [November 1, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-football-rules-question/515990 "2009-11-01T23:00:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-football-rules-question/515990/21 "2009-11-03T22:36:30Z")

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I was really the one being the jerk anyway, so _I’m_ sorry.

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**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-football-rules-question/515990/22 "2009-11-03T23:29:14Z")

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> [@fiddlesticks](#):
>
> A ball that hits any part of the field goal posts is a dead ball whether on a kick or a pass (a field goal that hits a post or crossbar and goes through is still a field goal though). I’m not sure if this was also the case when the posts used to be positioned at the front of the end zone or not…

No, it wasn’t always the case, and it [cost the Redskins a championship back in 1945](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_Championship_Game,_1945).

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**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-football-rules-question/515990/23 "2009-11-03T23:51:51Z")

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> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#):
>
> No, it wasn’t always the case, and it [cost the Redskins a championship back in 1945](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_Championship_Game,_1945).

Wow…I’ve never heard that story before. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-football-rules-question/515990/24 "2009-11-04T01:43:21Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> From your last link (which loaded for me):

The wording there is very, very similar (identical, maybe) to the wording used in the NCAA rule book.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-football-rules-question/515990/25 "2009-11-04T04:04:11Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> From your last link (which loaded for me):

Thanks. I was going to register for the Footballguys forums, but I didn’t want to do it at work. Guess I was wrong.

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