Field goal and missed kick rules, explained.

What counts as a field goal

A field goal is a legal kick that scores through the opponent's goal. In ordinary American football, it is usually a place kick from scrimmage: the ball is snapped to a holder, the holder controls it on the ground, and the kicker kicks it. A drop kick can also be legal in some rulebooks, but it is rare at modern competitive levels.

The scoring test is about the ball, not the kicker's body or the holder. The entire ball must pass above the crossbar and between the uprights, or between the outside edges of the uprights if the ball is higher than the posts. A kick that hits an upright or the crossbar and then passes through is good. A kick that does not pass through the goal is no good.

How officials judge the play

1. Confirm the kick was legal for that down, usually a place kick or drop kick from behind the line of scrimmage.
2. Watch whether the ball crossed the line of scrimmage, was blocked, or was touched by the receiving team.
3. For the score, judge the ball's path through the vertical plane above the crossbar and between the uprights.
4. If the kick is no good, decide whether the ball is still live, out of bounds, dead in the end zone, recovered, returned, or subject to a special missed-field-goal spot.
5. Check for fouls such as roughing or running into the kicker, illegal formation, holding, leaping, leverage, illegal touching, or return-team fouls.
6. Set the next spot, clock status, down, and possession under the competition's rulebook.

Why uprights and crossbar matter

The ball must pass over the crossbar. A kick that passes below the crossbar, even if it is centered between the posts, is no good. The ball must also pass inside the uprights. If the kick is above the top of the uprights, officials extend the upright lines upward and judge whether the ball passed inside those outside edges.

That is why the officials stationed under the posts can disagree with a camera angle from midfield or the sideline. Their job is to judge the ball against the goal structure from the best available position. If replay is available, the review standard and reviewable facts depend on the competition.

What makes a kick miss

A field goal is no good if it is wide, short, blocked, kicked illegally, or otherwise fails to pass through the goal as required. "Wide left" and "wide right" describe accuracy. "Short" describes distance. A blocked kick may never travel far enough to be judged against the uprights at all.

A miss does not automatically mean the play is over at the kick spot. Officials still have to decide whether the ball remains live. A short kick that lands in the field of play, a blocked kick, or a kick caught by the defense can create a return, recovery, touchback, or special spot depending on where the ball went and who touched it.

Where the other team gets the ball

The spot after a missed field goal is one of the most code-dependent parts of the kicking game. At some levels, a missed field goal that crosses the line and becomes dead without a return can give the defense the ball at the spot of the kick, the previous spot, a touchback spot, or another rulebook-defined spot. The result can change when the kick was attempted from close range, when it landed in the end zone, or when the receiving team touched it.

In the NFL, the rulebook uses a special missed-field-goal spot for many untouched missed attempts that cross the line: if the spot of the kick was inside the receiving team's 20-yard line, the receiving team gets the ball at the 20; if the spot of the kick was at or beyond the receiving team's 20, the receiving team gets the ball at the spot of the kick. Other competitions may use different language or treat the miss more like an ordinary scrimmage kick.

When a missed field goal can be run back

A missed field goal can be returnable if the ball remains live and the receiving team gains possession. This is most common on a long attempt that is short of the goal, a kick caught in or near the end zone before it becomes dead, or a blocked kick that stays in play. If the returner advances the ball, ordinary live-ball rules, sideline rules, fumbles, and fouls can all affect the result.

The receiving team is not required to return every missed kick. It may let the ball become dead if the rulebook gives a better spot, or it may down the ball when return risk is not worth the field position. The strategic question is different from the rule question: officials first decide whether the ball was live and legally possessed, then apply the correct spot.

Blocked does not always mean dead

A blocked field goal is usually a live-ball play until the rules make it dead. If the kick is blocked behind the line of scrimmage and stays behind the line, either team may be able to recover it, and the kicking team may still be able to advance or continue the down under that code. If the kick crosses the line, touching and recovery restrictions become more like other scrimmage-kick rules.

This is why officials track both the block and the ball's location. A kick tipped at the line that still goes through the uprights can be good. A kick blocked backward can create a loose-ball scramble. A kick blocked beyond the line may end with a return, a dead ball, or a spot rule depending on who touched it and where it ended.

The rare fair-catch field goal option

Some rulebooks allow a team that has just made or been awarded a fair catch to attempt a field goal by a special free kick rather than by an ordinary snap. This is often called a fair-catch kick. It is rare because the spot is usually far from the goal, but it can matter near the end of a half when a team wants one immediate kick without a normal rush.

The fair-catch kick is not universal. Some competitions allow it, some do not, and some have changed the option over time. Treat it as a rulebook-specific exception connected to fair catch rules, not as part of every field goal attempt.

How fouls change the result

Penalties can turn a made kick into no score, give the kicking team another attempt, move the next snap, or add yardage to a return. Common kicking-play fouls include illegal formation, holding, roughing or running into the kicker, leverage or leaping over the line, illegal touching, blocks in the back, and personal fouls during a return.

Timing matters. A foul before or during the kick is enforced differently from a dead-ball foul after the play. A defensive foul may let the offense keep the points or choose enforcement that improves the next kick or kickoff. A foul by the kicking team on a miss can affect the succeeding spot or give the receiving team options. The exact choice belongs to the offended team under that rulebook's enforcement rules.

How time affects field goals

A field goal attempt is still a live down, not a separate clock procedure. If time expires during the down and the kick is good, the score counts unless a rule or foul cancels it. If the kick is missed, the play still has to end normally before the half or game is over.

Penalties can also extend a period or create another untimed down in some situations. That is why teams and officials do not treat a final-play field goal as finished until the ball is dead, the score is signaled or denied, and any flags are resolved.

Misunderstandings to avoid

• "A missed field goal always goes back to the line of scrimmage": the spot varies by rulebook, kick spot, end-zone result, touching, and whether the ball stayed live.
• "A missed kick is automatically dead": many missed or blocked kicks can be returned or recovered while live.
• "A punt can be a field goal": ordinary punts do not score field goals in American football; the scoring kick must be a legal field-goal type under that code.
• "Hitting the upright means no good": the kick is good if it hits the post or crossbar and still passes through the goal.
• "The defense should always return a short miss": the receiving team may get better field position by letting the ball become dead, depending on the rulebook and game situation.
• "All levels use the NFL spot": college, high school, youth, flag, Canadian, and professional rules can differ on missed-kick spots and return consequences.

Source material

• NFL Rulebook: Rules 9 and 11
• NFL Official Playing Rules PDF
• NCAA Football Rules of the Game
• NFHS Football Rules Changes