The game between the Chargers and Broncos got a little confusing toward the end of the first half Thursday night when Los Angeles decided to take advantage of an obscure NFL rule known as the fair catch kick.
With eight seconds left in the first half, the Broncos were facing a fourth-and-12 from their own 16-yard line, which was an obvious punt situation for Denver. Chargers returner Derius Davis called a fair catch on the play, and that’s where the rare fair catch kick came into play.
Basically, the rule is this: if a team catches a punt, it can attempt a free throw on the next play. The shot is not a typical field goal either. The defense has to line up 10 yards from the ball, similar to a kickoff, and is NOT allowed to attempt to block the kick. The “free throw” is more like a kickoff, except the kicker has to attempt the field goal from the ground and there is also a stand (the kicker also has the option to kick the ball, but that almost never happens) .
Here’s how the NFL describes the rule:
“After a fair catch, the receiving team has the option of putting the ball in play via a snap or a free catch kick (field goal attempt), with free catch kick lines established ten yards apart. All general rules regarding a field goal attempt from scrimmage apply. The clock starts when the ball is kicked (teeing is not allowed).
Now that you know how the rule works, let’s get back to the game. Davis actually called a fair catch from their own 38-yard line, but the Broncos were called for fair catch interference on the play, which is a 15-yard penalty. That moved the ball to Denver’s 47-yard line, and under the fair catch kick rule, that meant Cameron Dicker was able to attempt a field goal from that exact spot.
Dicker made the kick, making him the first player since Ray Wersching in 1976 to make a clean catch kick.
Dicker’s field goal cut Denver’s lead to 21-13 at the half. Wersching was also playing for the Chargers when he took his free throw, meaning the only two clean throws the NFL has seen since 1970 have been made by the Chargers, who won 34-27.
Although the team calling for a fair catch can take advantage of the free throw rule at any time during the game, it really only makes sense at the end of the half. If the Chargers had called this fair catch with 20 seconds left in the half, they probably would have run a play or two to try to get the ball closer for a field goal attempt. Remember, the free throw is only one option. on the next play after a fair catch.
The fair catch kick rule is rarely used in the NFL. The last player to attempt a fair catch field goal before Thursday night was Joey Slye, who missed a 60-yard attempt in 2019. Before Slye came along, Phil Dawson also attempted one for the 49ers in 2013, making him which is most notable because his coach at the time was Jim Harbaugh, meaning he has now been on the bench as head coach for two free kicks.
Dicker’s field goal attempt was actually only the sixth free catch kick attempt in the NFL in the last 30 years, but everyone had missed their kick before Dicker showed up.
Dicker’s kick was also just the fourth free-catch kick of 20 to become in the Super Bowl era.
