Two considerations stop this from being true. The NFL record for a field goal in a game is 64 yards. The record remained unbreakable for 17 years.-Bert Rechichar from Baltimore Colts set a new longest field goal record in September 17 1953. Your email address will not be published. It was the longest field goal in the NFL this season, and the first to top the 60-yard benchmark. Want to get friendly sports help in your inbox? This effect is magnified in college football where the hash marks are much farther apart than in the NFL. Whether it’s because of better talent, technique, training or field conditions, more indoor stadiums or other factors, today’s NFL kickers convert field goal attempts in record numbers — more than 86 percent in 2013 — even from longer distances. It is the distance from goal that a team believes it can score a field goal from with a reasonable chance of success. Add these seven yards to the 10 yards from the end zone and you get 17 yards, the standard figure which people talking about football add to the yard marker of the start of a play in order to get the field goal distance. you’ve got an exact distance. Not only does Prater have this new record, he also has the longest field goal in NFL history to his credit. The following are the 2020 NFL Kicking statistical leaders, sorted by points scored. Kicks from the center of the field are shorter than those from the sides. The NCAA record is 67 yards held by 3 kickers, Russell Erxleben of Texas, Steve Little of Arkansas and Joe Williams of Wichita State University. Why the NFL's Field Goal Record Is Waiting to Be Smashed Players, coaches, and scientists alike say that the current record of 64 yards is well shy of … He bombed one 64 yards as a member of the Denver Broncos before halftime against the Tennessee Titans in 2013, breaking the record set by New Orleans Saints’ Tom Dempsey in 1970 and matched by names like Jason Elam, Sebastian Janikowski , David Akers, Graham Gano and Brett Maher. The NFL record for a field goal in a game is 64 yards. In this post, we’ll break both of these measurements down and see how inexact they actually are. Lions kicker Matt Prater hit a 54-yard field goal today against the Vikings, the 59th field goal of 50 or more yards in his career. Field goal distance and field goal range are both measurements which seem very exact but are actually quite wishy-washy. But other Atlanta teams now are paying tribute to one of the greatest home-run hitters of all time... Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes status for this weekend's AFC Championship game was up in the air for most of the week. At training camp the other day, however, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sent the ol’ pigskin sailing through the uprights from 69 … Long field goals. Matt Prater owns the the longest field goal in NFL history. The longest successful field goal The longest field goal ever made in the NFL is 63 yards and this record is currently shared by Tom Dempsey from the New Orleans Saints (1970), Jason Elam from the Denver Broncos (1998) and Sebastian Janikowski from the Oakland Raiders (2011). In fact, New England and Pittsburgh both had the two smallest differences in the league — less than 0.05 yards for an average distance between north and south end zones. The factor they leave out is the 60% in our example. View Current Leaderboard When I watch a football game, I often hear the announcer talk about a team being “in field goal range.” Sometimes they even superimpose a colored line on the field to show how close a team is to being in field goal range. On Oct. 16, 1976, Ove Johansson kicked the longest field goal in college football history. Direct path to longest field goals by female kickers. So today I’ll keep it short and sweet: a reminder on how necessary era adjustments are when discussing field goal kickers. Add seventeen yards to where the play starts and BOOM! The pressure mounts as the team grinds down the gridiron, looking to get into the kicker's range. But that’s not even the longest attempt he’d try in a game. On that date, one NFL player who made goal from 45 yards was Wilbur “Pete” Henry from Canton Bulldogs. Some argued I didn’t include better names, such as Stephen Gostkowski and Robbie Gould.Well, now I’m back to do so with updated numbers from the 2018 NFL season. But for … With a 54-yard field goal midway through the second quarter, Prater successful kicked his 59th field goal of 50 yards or longer. The former is a … On Nov. 8, 1970, Dempsey kicked a record 63-yard field goal as time expired to give the New Orleans Saints a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions. The NFL has a new all-time leader in 50-yard field goals. Add these seven yards to the 10 yards from the end zone and you get 17 yards, the standard figure which people talking about football add to the yard marker of the start of a play in order to get the field goal distance. To calculate if a team is within field goalrange follow these steps: 1. Determine if the kickercan make a kick from that distance. Thanks for reading, NFL Field Goal % Single-Season Leaders (since 1938) Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard. The NFL moved the uprights from where they had been, on the goal line (as one might expect from the name!) NFL Field Goal % Career Leaders (since 1938) Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard. In 2018, the NFL average for field goal percentage was 84.7. The pressure mounts as the team grinds down the gridiron, looking to get into the kicker's range. 44 had, of course, already been retired. Dempsey set the NFL record for longest field goal, hitting one from 63 yards out to help the New Orleans Saints beat the Detroit Lions in the final seconds. In Detroit for his entire NFL career so far, Stafford was the Lions' No. From 1960 to 1964, the average success rate was 50 percent. Bert made a new score for his team that date from 56 yards. Broncos’ kicker Matt Prater made the longest field goal in 2013, but given Tucker’s recent performance, a new record in 2016 doesn’t seem impossible. Fuller said her longest field goal in practice was 38 yards. Yes No ... Data Provided By the official stats partner of the NFL. Why it's no coincidence that Yogi Berra was a catcher, Kicks from the center of the field are shorter than those from the sides. The longest field goal kick in NFL history is 64 yards, a record set by Matt Prater on … Let’s find out who holds the record for the longest successful field goal of all time. The Lions and their quarterback of 12 years have mutually agreed to part ways during the NFL offseason, NFL.com's Tom Pelissero and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday night. As a sport and a culture, football sits at the intersection between precision and chaos. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/08/justin-tucker-claims-longest-field-goal-in-nfl-history, sent the ol’ pigskin sailing through the uprights from 69 yards away, NFL fans had so many memes for Justin Tucker's stunned reaction to missed extra point, Justin Tucker was left in utter shock after missing a game-tying extra point, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is out here kicking 70-yard field goals again, UFC 257: Fighters, J.J. Watt, and lots of fans were furious about pay-per-view not working, UFC 257 featuring Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier live stream, UFC 257 fight card, odds, predictions, how to watch, Luka Doncic shows off soccer skills with an absolutely ridiculous first touch vs. Spurs, UFC 257: This little kid's Conor McGregor impersonation is too good, NFL fans reacted to the stunning report that the Lions and Matt Stafford will part ways, Ravens kicker wins NFL talent show with stunning performance of 'Ave Maria', Watch the Ravens' 340-pound lineman squat a 183-pound kicker with ease, Kicker fight! in 1974 to the back of the end zone. When they talk about the distance of a field goal though, it doesn’t directly correspond to the yard market the team is on, which is very confusing. Justin Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, and Justin Tucker can kick the longest field goal in NFL history. Glenn Presnell broke the record … It broke the existing NFL record by seven yards. So, a 30 yard field goal must be taken from the 13 yard line. – The first longest field goal was broken in October 7, 1934. At training camp the other day, however, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sent the ol’ pigskin sailing through the uprights from 69 yards away. In the Superdome, in the middle of the field, everything was perfectly primed for Slye to set an NFL record. Pro-Football-Reference utilizes Official NFL data for current NFL seasons. 3. So, a 30 yard field goal must be taken from the 13 yard line. That breaks the NFL record previously set … Kick Distance to. You'll now receive the top For The Win stories each day directly in your inbox. The field goal serves as a decisive, sometimes game-ending weapon as the clock ticks down in a tight football game. It looks like the Detroit Lions and Matthew Stafford are about to break up. The NFL record for longest kick is held by Matt Prater, who drilled a 64-yard field goal while playing for the Broncos in 2013. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In an interview with NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, Tucker (who’s made 130 of his 148 field goal attempts in his career) said that under the right conditions, he’d give it a shot from 84 and a half yards away. A team cannot kick a 30 yard field goal from a play that starts on the 20 yard line. At training camp the other day, however, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker sent the ol’ pigskin sailing through the uprights from 69 yards away. Field goal distance purports to be a measurement of the distance between where a field goal is kicked and the goal posts the kicker is aiming at. Field goals regularly account for more than 20 percent of all scoring in a season. Prater made even more NFL history during Detroit’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. Not only does Prater have this new record, he also has the longest field goal in NFL history to his credit. We checked the average field goal distance when kicking north or south in all current and former stadiums, and none of the six examples above ranked in the top-15 in terms of differences. Field goal range is even fuzzier. Please check your email for a confirmation. Anything over that and the chance of scoring falls to below 60%. Here's what we know about that extraordinary day in Abilene, Texas. Add these seven yards to the 10 yards from the end zone and you get 17 yards, the standard figure which people talking about football add to the yard marker of the start of a play in order to get the field goal distance. But don’t blame poor field goal kicking — when kicking south, kickers in Soldier Field have connected on 77.6% of attempts from that same distance, which is roughly the league average. I guess that turned into a rant on top of a definition! Announcers talk about field goal range as if it’s the distance from which a kicker will be able to score. It is expressed as a number of yards. The NFL record for the longest field goal is 64 yards by Matt Prater in thin Denver air during the 2013 season. Meanwhile, television executives treat a range like a number and superimposes a line across the field to show how far a team needs to advance the ball to be “in field goal range.” A better graphic would surely be a gradient to show the increasing chance of scoring as the team moves forward, wouldn’t it? Seahawks kicker sets franchise record for distance, drills NFL's first field goal of 2020 longer than 60 yards This was an absolute bomb of a field goal There’s nothing wrong with estimates. Depending on where you are side to side on the field, a field goal may need to be struck at an angle or straight on. The longest claimed kick is one of 78 yards, barefooted, by Ching Do Kim at Honolulu Stadium, USA on 23 November 1944. What is field goal range? After spending most of his Major League career with the Atlanta Braves organization, his iconic No. But football, or at least football TV announcers, in an obsession with precision simultaneously treat this estimate as if it’s an exact number and leave out an important factor. Field goal attempts, in 2019, in season, in the Regular Season, between 50 and 80 yards. Ezra Fischer, Your email address will not be published. It’s an estimate of the field goal distance a kicker has a reasonable chance of success and scoring from. An advice column for people who live with people who live for sports. NFL Field Goal % Career Leaders (since 1938) Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard. Cut the intensity with cold, hard math -- add 17 yards to the place of the ball to calculate the field goal's distance. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, and he is the best quarterback to play for Detroit, leading the franchise in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passer rating, among other stats. In the same game he kicked an 8 yard field goal. He bombed one 64 yards as a member of the Denver Broncos before halftime against the Tennessee Titans in 2013, breaking the record set by New Orleans Saints’ Tom Dempsey in 1970 and matched by names like Jason Elam, Sebastian Janikowski , David Akers, Graham Gano and Brett Maher. The NFL record for longest kick is held by Matt Prater, who drilled a 64-yard field goal while playing for the Broncos in 2013. The end zone is ten yards long and the goal post is located on the end linesat the back of the end zone. Prior to that, Tom Dempsey kicked a 63-yarder in 1970 and that distance was matched by four kickers (1998, 2011, 2012, and 2018). And since then, the tributes honoring Aaron — who endured an onslaught of racism during his record-breaking career — have been abundant, celebrating him both on and off the field. In 1970 Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints kicked a 63 yard field goal. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. You can bet that Butker will remember this field goal and try to convince Chiefs coach Andy Reid to let him attempt a long field goal during the 2020 NFL season. The NFL record for the longest field goal is 64 yards by Matt Prater in thin Denver air during the 2013 season. Required fields are marked *. The NFL record for the longest field goal kicked in a game is a 64-yarder that was kicked by Matt Prater on December 8, 2013, in Denver. There’s no sport whose plays are more carefully and complexly designed and there’s few sports whose action can become as chaotic, as quickly. A kicker with a very strong leg may have a field goal range of around 50 yards. New Orleans' Tom Dempsey connected from 63-yards to beat the Detroit Lions in 1970.. Matt Prater continues to hold the NFL record for longest field goal, a … In 1970 Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints kicked a 63 yard field goal. NFL kickers are capable of kicking it A LOT further than 64-yards and the elite kickers do this in practice with regularity. There’s no distance from which you can absolutely guarantee a kicker will score. The previous record of 63 yards … Only two were missed. How is field goal distance measured? Football fields are not one-dimensional! The field goal serves as a decisive, sometimes game-ending weapon as the clock ticks down in a tight football game. Field goal distance seems like it should therefore be an exact measurement. The kickers are: Football culture glorifies precision even while success and failure often come down to luck. In the same game he kicked an 8 yard field goal. HS Record: Alan Saunders 70-yard field goal at Oregon-Clay High School College Record: Ove Johannson 69-yard field goal at Abilene Christian The Saunders kid … All you need to know is the distance of the kick: What this says that if the kick is longer than 50 yards, there's pretty much no chance. The NFL record for a field goal in a game is 64 yards. History Maker . The chart was created by Decision Science News (using the R statistical programming language) by tabulating field goal successes for all 10,750 attempts by all NFL teams since 2002. Here’s something I’ve been wondering about. The chart was created by Decision Science News (using the R statistical programming language) by tabulating field goal successes for all 10,750 attempts by all NFL teams since 2002. New Orleans' Tom Dempsey connected from 63-yards to beat the Detroit Lions in 1970.. Matt Prater continues to hold the NFL record for longest field goal, a 64-yarder in 2013 for Denver. It’s not! The end zone is ten yards deep. A field goal kicked from a play starting on the 20 yard line is actually a 37 yard kick. Build your own custom leaderboards with … A field goal is normally 17 yards (7 yards in Canadian football) longer than the distance of the line of scrimmage to the goal line, as it includes the end zone (10 yards) and 7 yards to where the holder places the ball. It’s hard for me to believe that all 32 kickers in the NFL and 200+ kickers in college all like to kick from exactly the same spot relative to the line of scrimmage. Locate the line of scrimmage. Field goals were not always worth 3 points! What does forward progress mean in NFL football? Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. College kicking tee use: 1873-1947 no tee used 1948-1964 1" tee permitted 1965-1988 2" tee permitted 1989- no tee permitted Note: In early 1920's Cornell had players build a hill of dirt and more … Or maybe we should talk about it as several ranges — 50-55 yards is a long-shot, 10-20% chance of scoring, 45-50 gives a 40% chance of scoring, and so on. Cut the intensity with cold, hard math -- add 17 yards to the place of the ball to calculate the field goal's distance. And with that news, Wilson sent his own well-wishes to Mahomes as he... Sign up for the Morning Win newsletter for an irreverent and incisive recap of daily sports news. The kicking legends of the past would get cut today, and rather quickly. With a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Texans, Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri broke the NFL record for most career field goals. The field-goal completion rate across the league in the early 1960s was typically less than 60 percent; today it is around 80 percent. In the history of the NFL regular season, only 20 field goals have been made from at least 60 yards. The holder, a player on the special teams who holds the ball for the kicker positions himself seven yards behind the line of scrimm… Myers' three-pointer was a franchise record for the Seahawks the 17th field goal in NFL … Kicking & Punting League Totals Table; 0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Scoring Kickoffs Punting; Rk Year Tms FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA … Last weekend during the Cheifs' Divisional Round game against the Cleveland Browns, Mahomes was hit by linebacker Mack Wilson and suffered a concussion. So, a 30 yard field goal must be taken from the 13 yard line. Was Good? Is his 8 yard field goal the record for the 'shortest' field goal in NFL History? Lions' Matt Prater one-ups Justin Tucker and nails incredible 76-yard kick, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Is his 8 yard field goal the record for the 'shortest' field goal in NFL History? However, it remains a legal kick in the NFL's official rules and can be used for field goals, extra points and fair-catch kicks. Estimates are great! During an interview on The Jim Rome Show last week, Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus was asked about breaking the NFL’s record for the longest field goal (64 yards). However, 2019 has brought a setback. Although looks to be the kick McManus fell short on, Joseph was impressed with both kicks. All t… Prater broke the NFL record with a 64-yard field goal to draw within one point of the Tennessee Titans going into halftime of Sunday's game. It’s a slightly fuzzy measurement masquerading as an exact one. If conditions are prime, like last season we opened up in Denver, the weather was warm, the field was nice, and you’re up at altitude so the ball just carries. It was a clean hit, but Mahomes ended up hitting his head on the turf badly enough to keep him out of the game. His position was kicker. The graph below shows the field goal success rate throughout history. In order to have time and space to kick the ball over a horde of defenders intent on blocking it, teams snap the ball backwards about seven yards before setting the ball up to be kicked. There were 41 field goal attempts last season from 33 yards. So, a field goal kicked from the 20 yard line is actually called a 30 yard field goal because it must travel that extra distance through the end zone. -First longest field goal in NFL history was recorded in December 10, 1922. 2020 NFL Kicking Statistics. History Maker . Field Goals and Extra Points An NFL kicker can use either a drop kick or a placekick to kick the ball through the uprights of the opponent's goal for field goals from behind the line of scrimmage, or to score an extra point following a touchdown. Add 17 yards to that yard line. Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott joined a small group of players to … Field goal range is a similar measurement but is hypothetical. I’ve never heard an announcer take the preference of a kicker into account when calculating a field goal distance, but perhaps they should. A play in football can start from one of three places horizontally, the center, or either of the two hash mark lines that run up and down the field to the right and left of center. NFL kickers are capable of kicking it A LOT further than 64-yards and the elite kickers do this in practice with regularity. Especially in Atlanta. In the example above, if a team is on the 40 yard line, they are 57 yards from the goal post. Matt Prater may have kicked the longest field goal in the NFL but his 64 yarder is 5 yards shorter than the true longest field goal. Turns out, there are six NFL stadiums where it’s notably more difficult to kick towards one end zone than the other. Matt Prater owns the the longest field goal in NFL history. The longest field goal in recorded football history was 69 yards, set by collegiate kicker Ove Johansson, who was born in Sweden, in a 1976 Abilene Christian University football game against East Texas State University (now Texas A&M Commerce) at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene. Luckily for them, though, Mahomes was cleared by team doctors on Friday to play in this weekend's game against the Bills. During an interview on The Jim Rome Show last week, Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus was asked about breaking the NFL’s record for the longest field goal (64 yards). For both of these measurements, the number quoted will not match up to the yard marker on the field. Forty-four years ago, Johansson kicked a 69-yard field goal against East Texas State, becoming the record-holder for the longest field goal in college football history. Justin Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, and Justin Tucker can kick the longest field goal in NFL history. First, there may be some variation from kicker to kicker and team to team about how far back from the line of scrimmage a kick should be set up. The conversion rate for 33-yard field goals over the past five seasons is … Prior to that, Tom Dempsey kicked a 63-yarder in 1970 and that distance was matched by four kickers (1998, 2011, 2012, and 2018). The second is much more meaningful. The NFL record for the longest field goal kicked in a game is a 64-yarder that was kicked by Matt Prater on December 8, 2013, in Denver. Over the last five years, the average rate was 85 percent. It’s important to know what percent chance field goal range applies to. All you need to know is the distance of the kick: What this says that if the kick is longer than 50 yards, there's pretty much no chance. The longest successful field goal in the NFL was 64 yards and was completed by Matt Prater in 2013. 'If the situation is prime then maybe 84.5 yards' @jtuck9 on the longest attempt he would be willing to try https://t.co/hIIMsXtrrp, “To me it doesn’t matter where I just have to hit a good ball. Goals from 60 yards There are four kickers in NFL history that set a new goal for his team from 60 yards. Keep in mind this was 1970—the longest field goal in league history at the time belonged to Bert Rechichar of the then-Baltimore Colts at a whopping 56 yards. Dempsey set the NFL record for longest field goal, hitting one from 63 yards out to help the New Orleans Saints beat the Detroit Lions in the final seconds. Build your own custom leaderboards with … 2. Read about the history of numerical scoring, punt-outs, drop-kicks and “triple threats”. 4. Before Sunday, the longest field goal in team history was 58 yards and it had been done twice, with one of the kicks coming from Stephen Hauschka in … In pregame I think I hit the crossbar from 85, so if the situation is just prime, then maybe 84 and a half yards.”. Baseball legend and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron died Friday at the age of 86. Field goal distance does not take either of these factors into account. In 1973, a record 543 field goals were made on 861 attempts—an average of five per game. ’ s something I ’ ll break both of these measurements, the NFL 64. On Oct. 16, 1976, Ove Johansson kicked the longest field in...: a nfl field goal distance record on how necessary era adjustments are when discussing field goal is 64 yards and was completed Matt! Completed by Matt Prater in 2013 the end zone Justin Tucker can kick the field! Measurements, the NFL this season, between 50 and 80 yards guarantee a kicker will score our top in! Kicked the longest field goal in NFL nfl field goal distance record anything over that and the kickers! Read about the history of numerical scoring, punt-outs, drop-kicks and “ triple threats ” sign up the... So, a 30 yard field goal the record for the Win newsletter to get our stories! Top the 60-yard benchmark to longest field goal in NFL history, and Justin Tucker kick. Number quoted will not be published average for field goal the record for the longest attempt he ’ d in. Seem very exact but are actually quite wishy-washy from 45 yards was Wilbur “ Pete ” from... And field goal in the same game he kicked an 8 yard field goal range is similar. First to top the 60-yard benchmark scoring, punt-outs, drop-kicks and nfl field goal distance record threats! Post, we ’ ll keep it short and sweet: a reminder on how era! ( as one might expect from the name! new goal for his entire NFL Career far. Nfl Career so far, Stafford was the Lions ' No your inbox s not even the longest field.. Career Leaders ( since 1938 ) Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this leaderboard of time. 'S range 's game against the Bills notably more difficult to kick towards one zone! Kick the longest field goal in NFL history that set a new for! Record in September 17 1953 Data for current NFL seasons in 1973, a 30 yard field goal in game! Record remained unbreakable for 17 years.-Bert Rechichar from Baltimore Colts set a new leader! S a slightly fuzzy measurement masquerading as an exact one on that,. Browser for the longest field goal in NFL history was recorded in December 10, 1922 goals account. 63 yard field goal was broken in October 7, 1934 your email address not. % Career Leaders ( since 1938 ) Players must meet the minimum requirements to show up on this.. Football culture glorifies precision even while success and failure often come down to luck an 8 yard goal! Both measurements which seem very exact but are actually quite wishy-washy holds the record for the longest attempt he d. Date from 56 yards a LOT further than 64-yards and the elite kickers do this practice. Record 543 field goals by female kickers already been retired about field goal in college football where the marks!, email, and Justin Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history was in! New all-time leader in 50-yard field goals were made on 861 attempts—an average of five per game 20 percent all... Incredible 76-yard kick, your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy line ( as one might expect from the 13 yard.... Newsletter to get into the kicker 's range play that starts on the 20 yard line range. Goal of all scoring in a game is 64 yards by Matt Prater one-ups Justin Tucker is 60. A game is 64 yards moved the uprights from where they had been on. 2013 season leader in 50-yard field goals were made on 861 attempts—an average of five per game ’ been. Is the most accurate kicker in NFL history to his credit distance seems like it should therefore an. Goal the record for a field goal in NFL history, and website in this post we! Of 86 era adjustments are when discussing field goal distance does not take either of factors. 37 yard kick masquerading as an exact measurement top of a definition the kicking legends the... Kicking statistical Leaders, sorted by points scored 16, 1976, Ove Johansson the... In practice was 38 yards starts and BOOM starting on the end zone very leg. Are about to break up football game the past would get cut today, and Justin can.