Free kick alert!
Football started early this Sunday with the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing in London. Maybe they thought they could sneak this historical rarity past us. Narrator: THEY CAN'T.
The Panthers lined up for the rare free kick (also known as a fair catch kick) at the end of the first half; kicker Joey Slye missed the 60-yarder wide right.
Wait, so let’s back up. What is a free kick? Well, think the offspring of a kick-off and a field goal attempt. (Or... don't. Weird analogy is on us!)
Essentially, when a team signals for a fair catch, they are allowed to kick a field goal from the spot of the catch; the ball doesn’t need to be snapped backwards, and both teams line up kickoff-style with the defense ten yards back and the kicker allowed a running start.
It’s one of those weird football rules that you rarely ever actually see in use, just because it’s so situational; a team has to receive a punt within field goal range, and there has to be some advantage over just snapping the ball and running a regular play. So, basically, it’s only ever useful with, say, a second left on the clock.
This would’ve been the first free kick field goal since Ray Wersching booted one in for the Chargers in 1976; the nine attempts since, including Slye’s, have all been unsuccessful. The most recent attempt, by 49ers kicker Phil Dawson in 2013, was a complete misfire on a deep try from 71 yards out — so, basically, a true delight.
h/t Twitter/NFL
