How Wide Is an NFL Field Goal?

How wide is an NFL field goal? The answer may surprise you.

The Width of an NFL Field Goal

The width of an NFL field goal is 18 feet, 6 inches. This is the same width as the goal posts. The crossbar of the goal posts is 10 feet above the ground, and the uprights are 20 feet high.

The Official Width of an NFL Field Goal

The width of an NFL football field goal is 18 feet, 6 inches. This width has been in place since 1974, when the goal posts were moved from the front of the end zone to the back of the end zone.

The Unofficial Width of an NFL Field Goal

The unofficial width of an NFL field goal is 23 feet and 9 inches.

The Record for the Widest Field Goal in NFL History

The record for the widest field goal in NFL history was set by Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos in 2013. Prater kicked a field goal that was 64 yards wide. NFL fields are 100 yards wide, so this means that Prater’s field goal was over half the width of the field. Amazing!

The Player Who Holds the Record for the Widest Field Goal in NFL History

In made NFL history in 2013 when he kicked a 63-yard field goal for the Denver Broncos. The field goal was good, and the Broncos went on to win the game. As of 2019, Prater’s 63-yard field goal is the longest in NFL history.

The Game in Which the Record Was Set

On November 8, 1970, Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints kicked a 63-yard field goal at Tulane Stadium to give his team a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions. The field goal sailed through the uprights with room to spare, and it remains the longest kick in NFL history.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with the lead changing hands several times. The score was tied at 17 in the fourth quarter when Dempsey trotted onto the field to attempt the record-breaking kick. He made it with ease, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The kick cemented Dempsey’s place in NFL history, and it remains one of the most iconic moments in league history.

While 63 yards may seem like a long way, it’s actually not that far off from the average distance of an NFL field goal. In fact, since 1970, there have been 31 kicks of 60 yards or more made in regular season games. The vast majority of those have come in recent years, as kicking technology and technique have improved.

If you’re wondering how wide an NFL field goal is, the answer is that it depends on where you’re standing. From end zone to end zone, an NFL field is 180 feet wide (54 yards). But from sideline to sideline, which is where a kicker would be standing when attempting a field goal, the width shrinks to 160 feet (48 yards). That gives kickers something of an advantage, as they don’t have as far to kickthe ball if they’re closer to the middle of the field.

Regardless of where they’re standing, all kickers are aiming for an area between 18 feet wide (the width of the uprights) and 53 yards wide (the width of the field from sideline to sideline). That may seem like a big target, but remember that kickers are often kicking from long distances. It’s not uncommon for them to beAttempting kicks from 40 yards or more out, which means they don’t have much room for error.

The Significance of the Width of an NFL Field Goal

An NFL field goal is 12 feet wide. This may not seem like a lot, but this width allows for a margin of error when the kicker is attempting to make a field goal. If the field goal was any narrower, it would be much more difficult for the kicker to make the field goal. The width of the field goal is also significant because it is the same width as the goal posts. This allows for the field goal to be easily seen by the officials when it is kicked.

How the Width of an NFL Field Goal Impacts the Game

In the National Football League (NFL), the width of a field goal is 18 feet, 6 inches. The NFL first adopted this rule in 1974, when the league expanded from 14 to 16 teams. Prior to that season, the width of an NFL field goal was 20 feet.

The change in the width of an NFL field goal had a significant impact on the game. In the first season after the rule change, there were 24 percent fewer field goals attempted and 16 percent fewer made. The distance of an extra point was also increased from 7 yards to 33 yards, which also contributed to the decline in field goal attempts.

Despite the decline in field goals attempted, the average length of an NFL field goal increased from 32.9 yards in 1974 to 33.8 yards in 1975. This is because kickers still had to compensate for the narrower uprights, which were also lowered from 10 feet to 8 feet in 1974.

The change in the width of an NFL field goal had a positive impact on scoring overall. In 1974, there were an average of 43 points scored per game; in 1975, that number increased to 47 points per game. This is likely because teams were more inclined to attempt touchdowns rather than field goals when they got inside their opponents’ 20-yard line.

While the width of an NFL field goal may seem like a minor change, it had a significant impact on how teams play offense and how games are scored.

The Importance of Field Goal Accuracy

In the NFL, the width of the field goal posts is 18.6 feet, and the crossbar is 10 feet above the ground. The uprights begin 60 feet, 6 inches from each end line. Because of these dimensions, a successful field goal depends on having both accuracy and distance.

The importance of field goal accuracy was highlighted in a recent game between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens. With just over two minutes left in the game, and the score tied at 31, Patriots’ placekicker Stephen Gostkowski lined up for a potential game-winning field goal from 41 yards away. The kick was slightly to the left of dead center, but had enough distance to reach the crossbar. However, because it was not accurately struck, it bounced off the left upright and fell harmlessly to the ground. The Ravens then went on to win the game in overtime.

Gostkowski is one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, but even he is not immune to mishaps like this one. This highlights how important it is for all players on an NFL team – not just the kicking specialists – to be aware of both the width of an NFL field goal and also how important accuracy can be in determining the outcome of a game.