Where's the drop kick?

BKL · 12-25-2013, 10:30 PM

I was playing out a game and my team was down by 4 points. My defense recorded a safety later in the quarter, putting them down by 2 with 3 seconds left.

On the free kick we fair caught it at the opponent 45 yard line with just 3 seconds left. Isn't there a rule where my team can attempt a free drop kick field goal?

I don't see this option in the game...

OldGiants · 12-26-2013, 03:06 PM

It does NOT have to be a drop kick. However, a team does have the option to take a 'free' kick from the 45 yard line, sort of a kick off with no chance of it being blocked.

So, yes, a team should have the option to take a kick after a fair catch.

This option does not exist in college football for reasons I'll let folks google.

BowTieSports · 12-26-2013, 10:50 PM

While, yes, you are correct as to the NFL rule, it is such an obscure rule with such a specific set of circumstances to its application that it is probably more of a pain to code in to the game than it would be worth to the actual game play experience. There hasn't been a successful free kick in the NFL since 1976. And prior to Phil Dawson's attempt in the NFL this year it had been 5 years since one was even tried. Personally, while I understand it is not 100% accurate, I'm OK with a once every 5 years-or-so event not being coded into the game play.

If you are talking about realism of the game experience, though, I'd be more concerned with an NFL punter/kicker booting a 25-yard non-onside kick into the field of play on a post-safety free kick, then the option to try a free kick after said shank.

(And as an aside I don't think any of the Xbox or PlayStation NFL games had the free kick coded into the game play, either)

12-26-2013, 03:06 PM	#2
OldGiants College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Location, Location, Location	It does NOT have to be a drop kick. However, a team does have the option to take a 'free' kick from the 45 yard line, sort of a kick off with no chance of it being blocked. So, yes, a team should have the option to take a kick after a fair catch. This option does not exist in college football for reasons I'll let folks google. __________________ "The case of Great Britain is the most astonishing in this matter of inequality of rights in world soccer championships. The way they explained it to me as a child, God is one but He's three: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I could never understand it. And I still don't understand why Great Britain is one but she's four....while [others] continue to be no more than one despite the diverse nationalities that make them up." Eduardo Galeano, SOCCER IN SUN AND SHADOW

12-26-2013, 10:50 PM	#3
BowTieSports n00b Join Date: Aug 2013	While, yes, you are correct as to the NFL rule, it is such an obscure rule with such a specific set of circumstances to its application that it is probably more of a pain to code in to the game than it would be worth to the actual game play experience. There hasn't been a successful free kick in the NFL since 1976. And prior to Phil Dawson's attempt in the NFL this year it had been 5 years since one was even tried. Personally, while I understand it is not 100% accurate, I'm OK with a once every 5 years-or-so event not being coded into the game play. If you are talking about realism of the game experience, though, I'd be more concerned with an NFL punter/kicker booting a 25-yard non-onside kick into the field of play on a post-safety free kick, then the option to try a free kick after said shank. (And as an aside I don't think any of the Xbox or PlayStation NFL games had the free kick coded into the game play, either)

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