Where Does the Ball Go After a Missed NFL Field Goal?

Sep 21

2 min read

Updated: Oct 10

After a missed NFL field goal that crosses the line of scrimmage without a receiving team touch beyond it, the opponent normally takes over at the spot of the kick. If that spot was inside its 20, it takes over at the 20.

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

Blair Walsh kicks a field goal while a holder steadies the football during the 2013 Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium.

The kick spot is where the kicker struck the ball, not the line of scrimmage where the snap began. That distinction makes a long unsuccessful attempt costly.

A simple example

The offense snaps from the opponent's 35 and the holder places the ball at the 43. The attempt misses wide and nobody on the receiving team touches it beyond the line. The next offense starts at its 43, even if the ball landed beyond the end line.

The 20 yard provision prevents the kicking team from pinning an opponent inside its 20 merely by missing a short field goal.

When the normal placement changes

If a receiver touches the kick beyond the line before it becomes dead, general scrimmage kick rules apply. The player can return it, and a muff can create a recovery opportunity. Touching a live miss is therefore a meaningful decision.

The special kick spot rule also does not apply when the kick ends behind the line without receiving team touching beyond it. A blocked kick rolling through the backfield can remain live. As with recovering a blocked punt, location and possession matter.

An untouched missed field goal that lands in the end zone is dead. It does not automatically give the receiving team the ordinary punt touchback spot; the missed field goal placement rule still controls.

Watch the holder and the first touch

To anticipate the next spot, locate the kick, determine whether it crossed the line, then look for receiving team touching. A miss itself is not a penalty. Any flag adds a separate enforcement decision.