Field Goal Try Hits the Upright - Dead or Live?

On Sunday, the 49'ers David Ackers tied the NFL record for the longest field goal, with a kick of 63 yards. The ball bounced of the crossbar, and instead of bouncing back into the field of play, caromed up and through the plane of the goalposts. The Packers stationed one of their wide receiver's, 5'10" Randall Cobb in the end zone in case the kick fell short. Cobb jumped at the ball at it approached the goalpost, but his hands were well below the 10 foot crossbar. According to the rules, if the kick fell short, and was fielded cleanly, it could be returned as a live ball.

My question is, if the player had jumped, and fielded the ball in the air before it hit the crossbar (or crossed the plane of the goalposts), would it be live?

I tend to think not, since the Packers have several players capable of getting their hands more than 10 feet in the air (6'5" Jermichael Finley comes to mind), but did not send them to the end zone. On the other hand, Cobb was probably the quickest runner should the ball fall short, so I can understand why he was back there, even if it could have been swatted down.

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Yes, the ball would be live. Much the same as blocking the field goal immediately after the kick, there is no "goaltending" per se like in basketball where you cannot block a shot that is on its way down. Blocking it by jumping and fielding the ball before it rings off the crossbar would be considered a blocked field goal and would be a live ball if that player were able to field the ball without stepping out of bounds. Crazy bounce and a hell of a kick, but if a big man were there, he may have been able to snag it before it hit the goalposts and received credit for a "blocked field goal".

Leaping at the crossbar to block a kick is illegal.

I believe this practice was actually legal many years ago (pre Super Bowl era).

I may revoke my previous statement. I was going by high school football rules where I dont think there is anything to specifically prevent this act, but according to wiki answers:

Leaping at the crossbar was declared illegal by the NFL (in 1969?), after it was in vogue for about a year. In 2003, the NFL also enforced a "running forward and leaping" ban for the protection of the airborne attackers and the kickers alike. The only legal block is hitting the ball coming off the foot, or jumping straight up.

Quote: duckmankilla

Yes, the ball would be live. Much the same as blocking the field goal immediately after the kick, there is no "goaltending" per se like in basketball where you cannot block a shot that is on its way down. Blocking it by jumping and fielding the ball before it rings off the crossbar would be considered a blocked field goal and would be a live ball if that player were able to field the ball without stepping out of bounds. Crazy bounce and a hell of a kick, but if a big man were there, he may have been able to snag it before it hit the goalposts and received credit for a "blocked field goal".

That's 100% incorrect.

Sorry, didn't mean to pile on, I was posting while others were posting.

Thanks for the replies. I actually found an entry in the NFL rule book under, "Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Goal Tending":

Quote: 2012 NFL Rulebook, p. 79

GOAL TENDING
Goal-tending by a defensive player leaping up to deflect a kick as it passes above the crossbar of a goalpost is prohibited. The Referee could award three points for a palpably unfair act.

Since the kick was headed for the crossbar, and not clearly through, I think if GB had caught it, or knocked it down, they might have gotten away with it.

Who knows what the replacement crew yesterday would have called? They were already struggling with the relatively easy ones.

The big question is, would the replacement refs have known what to do?

My guess is a big NO.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Since the kick was headed for the crossbar, and not clearly through, I think if GB had caught it, or knocked it down, they might have gotten away with it.

If the Refs did the right thing, you should never be able to get away with that. I would say that the only way a player can legally make any attempt to prevent the ball from going out of the end zone, in this situation, is if it has absolutely no chance of being a completed field goal. The only way I could envision a player ever getting away with it would be to swat the ball AFTER it has struck the crossbar, because prior to that event, I doubt if the naked eyeball is really good enough to determine (from the vantage point of either official) that the ball was not going to, "Pass above the crossbar." I'd also say you wouldn't be, "Getting away with anything," because (unless I am interpreting the rule incorrectly) it would be legal to smack the ball after it has made contact with the crossbar.

The question's been answered, but I don't like it. Why shouldn't "goaltending" be allowed?

Once the ball leaves the line of scrimmage, the defense may, at any time, take it, punch it, block it, grab it, or wrestle it away from the offense. It's live.

Center muffs the snap, defense can take it.
The holder is slow with the place, defense can crush him and take it.
Kicker is slow to kick, defense can block and take it.
Kicker kicks too low, defense can block and take it.
Kicker kicks it short, defense can catch and take it.
If the kicker kicks it long enough but wide, I'm sure the defense can jump to catch it before it goes out of bounds and return it.

So where is this arbitrary line?

If a guy has the wherewithall to position himself, jump and reach perfectly to save three points, he should be given a game ball. Not a 15yd penalty.

Quote: Face

The question's been answered, but I don't like it. Why shouldn't "goaltending" be allowed?

Once the ball leaves the line of scrimmage, the defense may, at any time, take it, punch it, block it, grab it, or wrestle it away from the offense. It's live.

Center muffs the snap, defense can take it.
The holder is slow with the place, defense can crush him and take it.
Kicker is slow to kick, defense can block and take it.
Kicker kicks too low, defense can block and take it.
Kicker kicks it short, defense can catch and take it.
If the kicker kicks it long enough but wide, I'm sure the defense can jump to catch it before it goes out of bounds and return it.

So where is this arbitrary line?

If a guy has the wherewithall to position himself, jump and reach perfectly to save three points, he should be given a game ball. Not a 15yd penalty.

I agree completely. However, once the ball crosses the line of scrimmage untouched, the applied rules are different. I never looked over the "official" rules until now. There sure are alot of penalties for playing defense.

Quote: Ayecarumba

I agree completely. However, once the ball crosses the line of scrimmage untouched, the applied rules are different.

Indeed, but I can't find a connection. And now I need to argue about it.

Once kicked from the ground and past the line of scrimmage, and assuming it remains in bounds the entire time, one of three things happens. Either A) nobody touches it, it is blown dead after coming to a rest, and the ball is returned to the place of kicking, B) the kicking team touches it, and either 1) controls it, at which point it's dead, or 2) miffs it (Leon Lett, anyone?) at which point it is live, or C) the defending team touches it, at which point it is live.

In your goaltending scenario, only "C" applies.

I just can't find a logical explanation or any scenario in which the goaltending rule applies, other than for goaltending. Surely, if the kicker kicked a line drive and someone "blocked" it 10 yds past the line of scrimmage, it'd be live. If someone jumped in the endzone, short of the goalposts, but contacted the ball 11 feet off the ground, it'd be live. If someone jumped to prevent a ball kicked far enough for a field goal, but wide, from going out of bounds, it'd be live.

So it's not following predefined rules, it's simply a goaltending rule. And that is completely stupid =)

Sheriff Face NFL does not stand for National HOCKEY League. Case closed !

Quote: buzzpaff

Sheriff Face NFL does not stand for National HOCKEY League. Case closed !

And that's exactly why there should be no rules governing goaltending =p

They should allow dwarf tossing to block / knock down field goal attempts.