NFL Rule hypothetical: FG attempts

[Brian Fein]

I saw a highlight of David Akers kicking a 63-yard FG last week that made me wonder.  Is this allowed in the NFL rules?

Let's say you hypothetically have a guy on your team who can jump really high.  Like a guy that could grab a horizontal bar 12-15 feet off the ground.  Would it be allowed by league rules to have him stand under the goal posts and swat away field goal attempts?

There are lots of NBA centers and other players who can jump and get their hands above the rim.  The rim is the same height as the FG crossbar.  I'm wondering why no one has tried, on really long FG's to line up a tall WR under the goal post to block the ball from going through.

Is that allowed?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I can't imagine why it would be against the rule, you are allowed to block FG.

However, I suspect the success rate would be very low.  Most FG clear the bar by several feet even long ones.  I don't recall a FG ever being missed for being too low, only for being too wide. Plus the bar is pretty wide, you would need to be in the right spot.

You might be thinking....yeah but why not try it you might get lucky....Here is why not.  It takes one of 11 men away from the field of play, I would rather have one more DE rushing the kicker trying to get a block it that way than have high jumping WR or DB playing goalie. 

[Phishfan]

I don't recall a FG ever being missed for being too low, only for being too wide.

You've never seen a long field goal attempt come up short? I saw one just the other day but I cannot remember what game it was.

[SportsChick]

Shayne Graham against the Dolphins from 52

[CF DolFan]

Shayne Graham against the Dolphins from 52

HAHA ... it was the part of the game when things were going good for the Dolphins! The end of the second quarter erased all of that from his mind!! 

[Brian Fein]

FG's are short all the time.  In fact on long FG's they often put a guy in the end zone because you can return it if you want to, and there's lots of running room.

Here's an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt8FUjk13Y8

So what if Hester was 7 feet tall and could jump to block the kick.  Not even for the prospect of returning it but for the defense.  I'd think a guy like Randy Moss could block something that was low enough.

Watch this clip, this is what sparked my curiosity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfD25zFCxWg

edit to add: from the comments to the YouTube link:
"Goal tending by a defensive player leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes above the crossbar of a goal post is prohibited. The Referee could award three points for a palpably unfair act.  As a result, you will not find anyone in the NFL attempting the strategy you appear to suggest."

Not sure how valid that is.

[Spider-Dan]

That comment is correct.  You are not allowed to goaltend a FG kick.

[dolphins4life]

I say change the rule.

That would make the game more exciting if people could try to swat FGs away.

[Brian Fein]

No kidding!

Even better what if you could build a little staircase of guys in the end zone (like a cheerleader pyramid) and have one guy run up the backs of the players and try to jump and swat it.  I think it would make an interesting twist to make game-ending FG's a bit more interesting.

[tubba marxxx]

I say change the rule.

That would make the game more exciting if people could try to swat FGs away.

Do you realize how virtually impossible that is?

[Pappy13]

You might be thinking....yeah but why not try it you might get lucky....Here is why not.  It takes one of 11 men away from the field of play, I would rather have one more DE rushing the kicker trying to get a block it that way than have high jumping WR or DB playing goalie. 

There's also the possibility of a fake FG. Putting 1 man under the goal means one less than could defend on the line. On that 63 yard FG however I think the defense did have a man under the goal. You CAN actually return a FG attempt, so having him try to swat it away if he can't catch it does make some sense. The odds of him actually being able to do it though do seem pretty low.