Are Drop Kicks Still Legal In The NFL?

Are Drop Kicks Still Legal In The NFL?
The answer may surprise you.

What is a Drop Kick?

Most people are unaware that the drop kick is still a legal play in the NFL rule book. A drop kick is when the ball is dropped from the hands and then kicked as it hits the ground. This kick must be initiated behind the line of scrimmage and not held like a placekick or punt. The last successful drop kick in an NFL game was made by Doug Flutie in 1998.

History of the Drop Kick

A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground.

The drop kick technique was codified early on in American football history and was used sparsely until well into the 20th century. A notable exception to its sparing use was during 1944, when with many football fields waterlogged due to poor weather conditions, NFL Kickers converted 45 out of 59 total field goal attempts using the drop kick technique. This percentages conversion remains an NFL record today. Several notable players have used the drop kick throughout its brief resurgence in popularity during the 1940s. Vince Lombardi infamously quipped “drop kicks are for sissies”.

In rugby union, the drop kick is used if a penalty or conversion attempt is being made and time is running out, as it can be kicked as quickly as a placekick. It was frequently used by South African scrum-half Fourie du Preez to score points after his side had been awarded a penalty try.

One of the most successful exponents of the rugby union drop-kick technique was New Zealand’s Dan Carter, who amassed 1,598 points (at an average of 15 per game) during his international career between 2003 and 2015, including 112 dropped goals.

In rugby league, one unsuccessful method of scoring a field goal more common in Greater Britain than Australia is by way of what is known as a “Zebra Dropout”, whereby play is restarted with a scrum feed 20 metres (22 yards) from where the ball went dead following 4 tackles without penetrating the opponents 10 metre line; if this does not happen within 40 seconds from play being restarted following an earlier attempt at scoring by way of field goal or drop-out/20 metre tap restart then possession reverts to the team which did not concede the previous score; If no score has been achieved following 3 such “zebras” then play reverts to rudimentary “9 man football” until such time as enough points are scored or 1 team concedes 4 unanswered goals at which point that team loses regardless of current score

How to Drop Kick

A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground.

In contrast to most types of kicks from scrimmage, the dropkick is not executed with a definitive contact point; that is, there is not a specific point of contact with the ball, as there is when performing a placekick or punt. Rather, Dropkicks can be executed when the ball hits the ground in front of or behind the kicker; balls that are kicked off a tee or held by another player may also be used for Dropkicks.

While Dropkicks are now rare in professional football, they were once regularly used throughout football’s early history. In fact, drop kicks were so common in early football that the 1904 rulebook specified that if no touchdown was attempted during an offensive possession inside an opponent’s five-yard line, play would automatically revert to a drop-kick scrimmage on first down. However, Dewey Lantz’s successful 28-yard Dropkick for an extra point after a touchdown in 1927’s Thanksgiving Day game between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions brought renewed interest in using Dropkicks for points after touchdowns; George Blanda famously utilized this method to score all four of his extra points during his 1966 NFL record-tying seven field goal game.

Despite their once ubiquitous nature,Dropkicks have largely disappeared from professional football over the years as placekicking has taken its place as the preferred method for scoring points after touchdowns and field goals; among other reasons, Placekicking provides more accuracy and consistency than most drop kicks attempt to achieve. Nevertheless, some players have retainedDropkicks as part of their repertoire; Shane Lechler of the Oakland Raidersused drop kicks several times during his NFL career to execute punts when pinned deep inside his own territory (a strategy known as “popping a McAfee”, after then-teammate Pat McAfee).

When is a Drop Kick Legal?

A drop kick is only legal during a kickoff or a safety kick, which occurs when the ball goes out of bounds behind the kicked team’s goal line, or when the kicked team commits a safety. A drop kick must be made as the ball hits the ground, and it is illegal to take more than one step before kicking the ball. If a kicker takes a step before kicking the ball on a kickoff, it is considered a foul and the opposing team will have the option of accepting a penalty or forcing the kicking team to re-kick.

Drop Kicks in the NFL

A drop kick is a type of kick in football in which the ball is dropped from the hands and then kicked when it bounces off the ground. It is usually used on special teams to attempt a field goal or extra point. In the NFL, drop kicks are only allowed on a kickoff or safety kick, and are very rare.

Drop Kicks in NFL History

A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it when it bounces up off the ground.

The drop kick technique was once commonly used in American and Canadian football, but today it is very rarely seen in either code. The kick was once an important part of both codes, particularly in Canada where it was regularly used as a tactical kicking option and was often responsible for winning games; however, its use declined sharply in the mid-20th century as football became increasingly focused on dynamic playmakers and quarterbacks rather than strategic kicking options. The last successful drop kick in American football was by Ray Wersching for the San Francisco 49ers in 1981; while Tom Dempsey successfully drop kicked a field goal for the New Orleans Saints in 1970, which at the time tied an NFL record.

In 2006, Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Philadelphia Eagles) became the first stadium equipped with cameras specifically for drop kicks; this was done following repeated failed attempts by Eagles’ placekicker David Akers. Canadian Football League (CFL) rul

Recent Drop Kicks in the NFL

There have been a few drop kicks in the NFL recently. In 2016, Patriots’ punter Ryan Allen drop kicked an extra point against the Buffalo Bills. In 2017, Eagles’ kicker Jake Elliott drop kicked an extra point against the New York Giants. In 2018, Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker drop kicked an extra point against the Cleveland Browns.

Despite these recent occurrences, drop kicks are still considered a rare event in the NFL. In fact, there hasn’t been a successful field goal attempt via drop kick since 1941.

Why are Drop Kicks Becoming Less Common?

Drop kicks are becoming increasingly less common in the NFL for a variety of reasons. First, teams are more focused on the passing game and rely less on field goals and punts. Second, the development of artificial turf has made it more difficult for kickers to generate the necessary power for a successful drop kick. Finally, the NFL has enacted rule changes that make it easier for teams to convert extra points and field goals, making the drop kick less attractive as a scoring option.

Conclusion

To conclude, drop kicks are still legal in the NFL but they are very rarely used. If you do see one it will most likely be on an extra point or field goal attempt.