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View Full Version : Rare free kick leads to huge, last-minute win in Miami (HS FOOTBALL)



woodbuck27
10-25-2011, 05:42 PM
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Rare-free-kick-leads-to-huge-last-minute-win-in?urn=highschool-wp7579

Mon Oct 24 01:20pm EDT

Rare free kick leads to huge, last-minute win in Miami ... By Cameron Smith

There are plenty of ways to win a game in the final minute, but none may be rarer than the one employed by Miami (Fla.) Belen Jesuit Prep on Friday. Trailing traditional powerhouse Miami (Fla.) Northwestern High 28-27 with less than 30 seconds remaining, Belen fielded a punt at the Northwestern 39-yard line.



That's when things got interesting. According to the Miami Herald, rather than take a few shots down the field, Belen coach Rich Stuart made one of the rarest calls in all of football: He had his team attempt a free kick.

"It's unusual, but it is completely legal," Greater Miami Athletic Conference head of football officials Joe Underwood told the Herald. "It is a free kick that can be taken following a fair catch, and it doesn't matter if it is off a kicking tee or not."

Hardly ever used outside of high school football (you can see former Arizona Cardinals turned Houston Texans kicker Neil Rackers attempt a free kick -- and miss horribly -- in an NFL game here), a free kick allows a team to attempt a field goal off a tee or held by a holder, just like a kickoff, after it fair catches a punt. Only the opposing team can return a miss (since a block is made impossible) and the opposing team must stand a full 10 yards away from the line of scrimmage. The kick is worth three points, just as any other field goal is.

PLEASE CLICK on the LINK for the entire story and video of this rare scoring play.

GO PACK GO !

MadScientist
10-25-2011, 06:00 PM
Cool to hear of one of those working. It is plenty rare because the conditions have to be just right. There needs to be little time left in the half, and you have to get a kick and fair catch it in a position where you have a chance to make it.

If nothing else, that kicker may have just earned himself a scholarship with that kick.

woodbuck27
10-25-2011, 06:10 PM
Cool to hear of one of those working. It is plenty rare because the conditions have to be just right. There needs to be little time left in the half, and you have to get a kick and fair catch it in a position where you have a chance to make it.

If nothing else, that kicker may have just earned himself a scholarship with that kick.

Yes. I'm a little surprized that play hasn't been used more in the Pro's.

GO PACK!

Harlan Huckleby
10-25-2011, 06:17 PM
I would think it would happen a few times every season in the pros, when you think about it. Time running down at end of half....

Lurker64
10-25-2011, 06:56 PM
Yes. I'm a little surprized that play hasn't been used more in the Pro's.

GO PACK!

It's largely because teams are rarely punting deep in their own zone with not much time on the clock at the end of a half. Many NFL punters are able to put it past the 50 yard line from their own end zone with a good kick, and the NFL fair catch kick does not allow a tee (just a holder c.f. rule 11, section 4, article 4). So attempting a 68 yard kick is pretty long odds, even with no rush (since in the NFL, on a fair catch kick, the defense must line up 10 yards behind the point where the ball is kicked.)

Especially since NFL pass offenses can often take the ball with 30 seconds and move 20 or more yards with time enough to kick.

channtheman
10-25-2011, 06:56 PM
I've only seen it twice. First the Packers attempted it against the Lions I think in 2008, and then I was at the Cardinals game (also in 2008 I think) when Rackers pathetically made his attempt. Watching Rackers it was like he didn't even know what he was doing.

John Madden said he always wanted to do it but he never got the chance with the right conditions for it to make sense.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiAR0h6LBsQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCBBUMnRqbo

hoosier
10-25-2011, 07:13 PM
Let's start a movement to have the goalposts placed at the goal line again, that would generate some free kicks.

woodbuck27
10-25-2011, 07:15 PM
I've only seen it twice. First the Packers attempted it against the Lions I think in 2008, and then I was at the Cardinals game (also in 2008 I think) when Rackers pathetically made his attempt. Watching Rackers it was like he didn't even know what he was doing.

John Madden said he always wanted to do it but he never got the chance with the right conditions for it to make sense.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiAR0h6LBsQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCBBUMnRqbo



Great Post ! THANKS.

PACKERS !

woodbuck27
10-25-2011, 07:17 PM
It's largely because teams are rarely punting deep in their own zone with not much time on the clock at the end of a half. Many NFL punters are able to put it past the 50 yard line from their own end zone with a good kick, and the NFL fair catch kick does not allow a tee (just a holder c.f. rule 11, section 4, article 4). So attempting a 68 yard kick is pretty long odds, even with no rush (since in the NFL, on a fair catch kick, the defense must line up 10 yards behind the point where the ball is kicked.)

Especially since NFL pass offenses can often take the ball with 30 seconds and move 20 or more yards with time enough to kick.

and the HC doesn't want to undermine his offense.

Packers !

gbgary
10-25-2011, 10:01 PM
when i was a kid i watched the bears beat us with a free kick. cryed like a baby. man was i pissed!