Just before halftime of Thursday night’s game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos, Chargers punt returner Derius Davis settled under a punt attempt and waved his arms for a fair catch. Tracking him in coverage was Denver backup cornerback Tremon Smith, who made contact with Davis as he was trying to field the punt.
The Chargers used a bizarre NFL rule for a ‘fair catch free kick’ field goal
Chargers’ kicker Cameron Dicker uses bizarre NFL rule to make history
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
Instead of the half ending on that play, that infraction extended the first half for one untimed down, and opened the door to one of the rarest plays in NFL history.
The play known as the “fair catch free kick.”
Governed by Rule 10, Section 2, Article 4 of the NFL Rulebook, this states:
After a fair catch is made or is awarded as the result of fair catch interference, the receiving team has the option of putting the ball in play by a snap or fair catch kick (drop kick or place kick without a tee) from the spot of the catch or succeeding spot after enforcement of any applicable penalties (3-9 and 11-4-3). This includes the 15-yard penalty enforced from the receiving team’s 20-yard line as applicable if the fair catch is made or awarded in his end zone from fair catch interference or illegal contact with the receiver after he has made a fair catch.
Davis fielded the catch at the Chargers’ 38-yard line, but the 15-yard infraction for fair catch interference advanced the football to the Broncos’ 47-yard line. Under the rules, the subsequent fair catch free kick is attempted “from the spot of the catch or succeeding spot after enforcement of any applicable penalties,” including the 15-yard interference penalty on Davis.
That meant Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker could attempt his field goal right from the 47-yard line — making it a 57-yard attempt — and the Broncos could not make any attempt to block the kick.
Dicker drilled it:
As noted by the NFL, this was the first time a fair catch free kick was successful since 1976 when Ray Wersching of the then-San Diego Chargers converted such a kick against the Buffalo Bills, from 45 yards out.
Since then nine such attempts have been made in the NFL, all of which were unsuccessful.
Until tonight.
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