Field Goal (American and Canadian Football)

Field Goal (American And Canadian Football)

A field goal is a means of scoring in American football and Canadian football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar, during a play from scrimmage. A field goal is also scored if the ball is drop kicked through the goal; this was common in the early days of football but is almost never done in modern times. In most leagues, a successful field goal awards 3 points (a notable exception is in six-man football where, due to the difficulty of making a successful field goal due to the small number of players available to stop the opposing team from attempting a block, a field goal is worth 4 points).

The field goal is distinct from the fair catch kick – which also awards 3 points for kicking the ball through the goal – and the extra point – which awards one point. Because a successful field goal is worth only three points, as opposed to touchdowns which are worth six, field goals are usually attempted only during specific situations.

The goal structure consists of a horizontal crossbar suspended 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with two vertical goalposts 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart extending vertically from each end of the crossbar. In American football the goals are centered on each end line; in Canadian football the goals are centered on each goal line.