Missed Field Goal Attempts and a question to chew with your Turkey

[Derek Teigen]

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

In NFHS all missed field goals that break the plane of the goal line is a touchback and the ball is spotted at the 20 yard line.  In NCAA if a field goal attempt is missed and the ball breaks the plane of the endzone & LOS was behind the 20 yard line then the succeeding spot is the previous line of scrimmage. 

Does anybody have an understanding why the 2 levels differ in this?

Also, in reading the rule book I found it interesting that the opponent of the team that marked a successful field goal has the option to either kick or receive the ensuing free kick.  This must be a hold-over from the original rules when football was a game of field position, where teams would often try and pin their opponents deep because it was very difficult to move the ball. 

Has anybody ever had a team elect to defer their receiving of a free kick after a successful field goal and kick instead to the team that just scored?

[Ralph Damren]

Thanks, Derek, and a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours  . Field goals are boring..touchdowns are exciting. Excitement sells tickets and brings back alumni. That's more important to colleges and pros than it is to high schools. Not only is the cost of a miss more in NCAA & NFL, but the target is smaller, 23'4" goal post in NFHS, while 18'6" in both NCAA & NFL. NFHS also allows a 2" tee, while the others need to kick from the ground.

You can choose to kickoff after either a field goal or touchdown, but rarely chosen. I've only witnessed it once. In a state championship game, team A was up 52-0 at the half and received the 2nd half kickoff. With their starters still in, they marched down for another score. Team B's coach chose to kickoff and send a message ...it was sent .

[Derek Teigen]

Thanks Ralph.  I also just read a previous thread "HIGH SCHOOL RULES" where they talk about this so I missed that before posting this new thread.  In that thread they seem to think that college and NFL teams where using long field goals as a replacement for punts.

I'm not positive I buy that argument.  1st of all in College the ball is not blown dead when it crosses the plane of the goal line.  Remember Auburn's miracle field goal return to win the Iron Bowl??

Also the hang time for a punt is usually alot longer allowing K to get down the field to defend against the return.

[bossman72]

There is a youtube series called "weird rules" where guys do deep dives into why a rule is the way it is.  Here is one on your exact question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89O2k7Wq49c

[Ralph Damren]

There is a youtube series called "weird rules" where guys do deep dives into why a rule is the way it is.  Here is one on your exact question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89O2k7Wq49c

Thanks, Bossman, for finding this  . While entertaining , I disagree that extra long field goal attempts should be used in lieu of punts even before the NFL & NCAA 'punishment' of returning a miss back to the previous spot....
(1) Hang-time is very important in the punting game ,punts  have a much higher trajectory than place-kicks;
(2) Place kicks are easier to block than punts:
(3) Place kickers are trying to reach the end zone,punters want theirs to die at R's one;
(4) A punter has the agility to dodge an oncoming defender, a place kicker doesn't. 

The moderators sotra' reminded me of the "Party on Garth.." skit on SNL