# football rules question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079 "2004-10-19T18:31:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [October 20, 2004, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079/21 "2004-10-20T07:35:39Z")
It is no longer legal, but a player named R.C. Owens used to do it fairly regularly on long field goals in the NFL. [Cite](http://www.jaguars.com/story/3802.asp): > [@](#): > > Herb from Jacksonville: Many years ago the 49ers had a quarterback named Y.A. Tittle who would throw a high lob pass to R.C. Owens who, because of his great leaping ability, would simply out-jump the coverage to catch the pass. In addition to being a receiver, Owens would stand under the goal post on long field goal attempts and on the occasion when an opposing kick would be about to clear the cross bar he would jump up and swat the ball away, thus, effectively blocking the field goal attempt just as a lineman does at the line of scrimmage just after the kicker hits the ball. I have not seen this practice in decades and wondering if it became illegal. > > Vic: “Goal-tending” is not permitted by NFL rules. Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, ®: “Goal-tending by a defensive player leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes above the crossbar of a goalpost is prohibited. The referee could award three points for a palpably unfair action.” How it could be seen as unfair is beyond me, but there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079/22 "2004-10-20T11:38:23Z")
Goal tending on a field goal is unfair because the defense is supposed to try to block the kick at its outset. This means that the defensive line will have made a push through the offensive line. Just like on any other football play. But once the ball is in the air, you’ve got to let it play out. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079/23 "2004-10-20T11:47:14Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > It was a Sunday night game against the Broncos during the 2002 season. Chris McAllister fielded the short kick in the end zone and ran it back 107 yards for the touchdown. Twas a [Monday](http://www.nfl.com/scores/2002/week4) night game. > [@aktep](#): > > 9-4-1-(b) does state: > Any player may block a scrimmage kick in the field of play or the end zone. > > but, 2-10-5 “Definitions” states > Blocking a scrimmage kick is touching the ball by an opponent of the kicking team in an attempt to prevent the ball from advancing beyond the neutral zone (bolding mine). I’m still not totally satisfied. Your 9-4-1 states “any player may block a scrimmage kick in the field of play or endzone” and the other rule states that “blocking” is preventing the ball from advancing beyond the neutral zone. Those sound contradictory for one. But also, aren’t FGs often blocked from beyond the neutral zone, even if just by a yard or two. I realize that MOSTLY they come from a penetration into the neutral zone, but surely some kicks have been blocked from beyond the neutral zone. Could you imagine a REF (you sound like you are one) calling a penalty for blocking a kick beyond the neutral zone??? ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079/24 "2004-10-20T11:52:20Z")
actually, I am satisfied, because this one does seem to handle it. I kind of had a brain short. > [@](#): > > Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, ®: “Goal-tending by a defensive player leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes above the crossbar of a goalpost is prohibited. The referee could award three points for a palpably unfair action.” This quote is nice for another reason. I’ve seen lists of things refs call penalties for and I’ve heard that term “palpably unfair action”. The only PUA I’ve ever know about was a coach or bench player running onto the field to make a tackle. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079/25 "2004-10-20T12:42:44Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > If I may take the radical step of returning to the OP . . . > > Blocking a FG at the crossbar is illegal in both pro and college football. > … > College rules: > > > [@](#): > > > > 9-4-1-© No player shall bat other loose balls forward in the field of play or in any direction if the ball is in the end zone. > > Approved ruling 9-4-I: Team A attempts a field goal from Team B’s 30-yard-line. A Team B player in the end zone leaps above the crossbar and bats the ball in flight. The ball goes out of bounds in the end zone. **Ruling–Foul, safety.** This ruling seems weird to me. Even though it’s illegal for a player to bat down a field goal attempt, it’s _still_ in his team’s best interest to do so, because the penalty (a two-point safety) is better than letting the ball continue through the uprights (a three-point FG). ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079/26 "2004-10-20T13:44:03Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > But also, aren’t FGs often blocked from beyond the neutral zone, even if just by a yard or two. I realize that MOSTLY they come from a penetration into the neutral zone, but surely some kicks have been blocked from beyond the neutral zone. > > Could you imagine a REF (you sound like you are one) calling a penalty for blocking a kick beyond the neutral zone??? Kicks blocked within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage are considered to be blocked at or behind it. 6-3-1-b: b. The blocking of a scrimmage kick by an opponent of the kicking team who is no more than three yards beyond the neutral zone is considered to have occurred within or behind that zone (Rule 2-10-5). ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079/27 "2004-10-20T14:08:39Z")
In the college game, the play would only be a safety if the ball went out of bounds. If the ball landed in the field of play, it would be live. If the kickers recover it in the end zone, it’s six points. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-rules-question/270079.md?page=1)