When Does an NFL Field Goal Count as Good?

Sep 21

2 min read

Updated: Oct 10

An NFL field goal is worth three points when a legal place kick or drop kick sends the entire ball through the goal's scoring plane above the crossbar. The ball cannot touch the ground or a kicking team player after it is kicked and before it passes through.

Part of Football 101. Explore the guide to choose your next topic.

Air Force lines up to attempt a field goal against Army beneath the yellow goalpost at Globe Life Field.

A defender's deflection does not automatically prevent a score. Neither does contact with an upright or the crossbar: a rebound that completes the required passage can still be good.

Where the ball must travel

Between the uprights, the entire football must pass inside them and above the bar. Above their tops, officials judge against imaginary vertical lines extending upward from the posts' outside edges.

A television angle can distort that relationship. The relevant view follows the ball against the actual goal plane, not its apparent position on a sideline camera.

The rule also covers an extraordinary reversal: if the ball passes through and then returns through without first striking something beyond the goal, the attempt is unsuccessful.

The type of kick matters

An ordinary field goal is a place kick or drop kick from on or behind the line of scrimmage. A fair catch kick has its own qualifying spot. A punt or kickoff through the uprights does not score three points.

The prohibition on ground contact applies after the kick. A legal drop kick deliberately contacts the ground immediately before being kicked; that preliminary bounce does not make it illegal. A conventional place kick instead uses a holder and cannot use a manufactured tee.

A blocked kick can still score

A defender gets a fingertip on a low attempt. The ball stays airborne and passes fully through the required plane. It can count. If it first hits the turf or a teammate of the kicker, it cannot.

On an extra point, the same scoring flight produces one point because the play is a try.

A timeout before the snap can interrupt the kick sequence. The guide to icing the kicker explains the timing rules and why a timeout is not a guaranteed way to cause a miss.