A fake field goal is a trick play in American football. It involves a running or passing play executed from a field goal formation. Usually, the holder (often the punter or backup quarterback) will throw the ball or run with it. Less frequently, the placekicker, who virtually never handles the ball in an American football game, will serve as the passer or rusher.
During a fake field goal, most teams will choose one of two different alignment options. The first is out of a normal field goal formation. The holder receives the snap and can either pitch it to the kicker, throw it during a designed pass play, or run with the ball. The second option is to shift into a special formation just before the ball is snapped, from which a variety of plays can be attempted.
The same concept can be used during a conversion (extra point) attempt, although it is more likely to occur in college football since 2015 when the National Football League (NFL) increased the distance from which an extra point is attempted.
There are some advantages to running a fake field goal or extra point. If it is a field goal, the team has the chance to either score a touchdown or extend a drive (if the ball is advanced enough yards for a first down). On an extra point attempt, the team has the chance of scoring two points instead of one, as it is a two-point conversion if completed successfully.
Players who executed fake field goal include Danny White, both the quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980s; New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri who received a direct snap and threw a touchdown pass during an NFL game in 2004; and LSU Tigers kicker Colt David who rushed for a 15-yard touchdown in 2007 after receiving the ball on a blind lateral from holder and starting quarterback Matt Flynn. [1]
Not every fake field goal play call results in an attempted trick play. In the Week 8 game of the 2014 NFL season between the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Colts staff had determined, through film study, that the Steelers’ usual kick block formation when the ball was close to the end zone and on the left hash mark, would not be able to prevent the holder from running the ball in for a touchdown. Such a situation developed with one second left on the clock in the second quarter. However, instead of lining up a normally, Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu, an eight-time Pro-Bowl and six-time All-Pro safety, shifted from his usual position, and filled the gap where Indianapolis holder Pat McAfee intended to run the ball. McAfee noticed this, aborted the trick play, and called for a normal field goal, which the Colts completed successfully. [2]
This is a glossary of terms used in Canadian football. The Glossary of American football article also covers many terms that are also used in the Canadian version of the game.
American and Canadian football are gridiron codes of football that are very similar; both have their origins partly in rugby football, but some key differences exist between the two codes.
Strategy plays a crucial role in American football. Both teams carefully plan various aspects of their gameplay in an effort to win. This includes deciding on formations, selecting players for specific positions, and assigning roles and instructions to each player on offense and defense.
Hunter Dwight Smith is an American former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL draft. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The National Football League playoffs for the 2005 season began on January 7, 2006. The postseason tournament concluded with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, 21–10, on February 5, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Center or centre (C) is a position in American football. The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense who passes the ball between his legs to the quarterback at the start of each play.
In gridiron football, the holder is the player who receives the snap from the long snapper during field goal or extra point attempts made by the placekicker. The holder is set on one knee seven yards behind the line-of-scrimmage. Before the play begins, the holder places the hand which is closest to the placekicker on the ground in a location designated by the kicker's foot, with their forward hand ready to receive the snap. After receiving the snap, the holder will place the football on the turf, or block, ideally with the laces facing the uprights and the ball accurately placed where the backhand was initially, then balancing the ball with one or two fingers until the ball is kicked.
A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or trickeration, is a play in gridiron football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a touchdown if it is successful, but with the chance of a significant loss of yards or a turnover if not. Trick plays are rarely used not only because of the riskiness, but also to maintain the element of surprise for when they are used.
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitutions", meaning that they may change any number of players during any "dead ball" situation. This has resulted in the development of three task-specific "platoons" of players within any single team: the offense, the defense, and "special teams". Within these three separate "platoons", various positions exist depending on the jobs that the players are doing.
The Swinging Gate, sometimes referred to as the muddle huddle, is an unorthodox set-piece play in American football, executed in either the offensive or special-teams sections of play. It is unusual in that the offensive line, with the exception of the center, will line up to one side of the field, leaving the quarterback and running back unprotected on the other. Its goal is to disconcert a defensive front in order to allow a quick screen pass to a wide receiver with six blockers, or to allow a short run by the running back. Surprise is the main goal of the play, and it is not typically run outside of short-yardage situations.
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ball must pass through the vertical plane of the goal, which is the area above the crossbar and between the uprights or, if above the uprights, between their outside edges. American football requires that a field goal must only come during a play from scrimmage while Canadian football retains open field kicks and thus field goals may be scored at any time from anywhere on the field and by any player. The vast majority of field goals, in both codes, are placekicked. Drop-kicked field goals were common in the early days of gridiron football but are almost never attempted in modern times. A field goal may also be scored through a fair catch kick, but this is also extremely rare. In most leagues, a successful field goal awards three points.
The 2007 Oakland Raiders season was the 48th overall season of the Oakland Raiders franchise, the franchise's 38th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 13th season since their return to Oakland and the 1st season under head coach Lane Kiffin. The team finished the season with a 4–12 record. It began with the team's fourth head coach in six seasons.
The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see Glossary of Canadian football.
The 2009 season was the Buffalo Bills' 40th season in the National Football League (NFL) the 50th overall and the fourth and final under the head coach Dick Jauron.
The Clock Play was a famous trick play in American football, immortalized in what came to be known as the Fake Spike Game, played on November 27, 1994. The contest was played by the National Football League (NFL)'s Miami Dolphins and New York Jets that featured one of the most famous comeback plays in league history. Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino ran a trick play, pretending to stop the game clock but instead threw a pass that scored the game-winning touchdown, ultimately giving Miami the 28–24 victory.
In gridiron football, a punt is a kick performed by dropping the ball from the hands and then kicking the ball before it hits the ground. The most common use of this tactic is to punt the ball downfield to the opposing team, usually on the final down, with the hope of giving the receiving team a field position that is more advantageous to the kicking team when possession changes. The result of a typical punt, barring any penalties or extraordinary circumstances, is a first down for the receiving team. A punt is not to be confused with a drop kick, a kick after the ball hits the ground, now rare in both American and Canadian football.
The Miracle at the Met refers to the Minnesota Vikings' comeback win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 of the 1980 NFL season. The Vikings trailed 23–9 in the fourth quarter, but won after Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer passed for two touchdowns to wide receiver Ahmad Rashad in the last two minutes, including a 46-yard Hail Mary pass caught with one hand on the last play of the game. The final play is also known as the "Miracle Catch." The Vikings won, 28–23.
The National Football League playoffs for the 2018 season began with the Wildcard Round on January 5, 2019, and concluded with Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 3, 2019, when the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3.
The Colts Catastrophe was an unsuccessful National Football League (NFL) trick play attempted by the Indianapolis Colts against the New England Patriots on October 18, 2015. It occurred near the end of the third quarter in the teams' Week 6 game of the 2015 NFL season.
The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers–Indianapolis Colts playoff game was a National Football League (NFL) Divisional Round playoff game between the sixth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers and the top-seeded Indianapolis Colts, taking place during the 2005–06 NFL playoffs at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 15, 2006.
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