Things that you used to think existed in football

[Reverend Conehead]

Just for laughs, post anything that you used to think existed in football when you were a kid, but don't really. Here are mine:
1. An onsides punt. As a kid I was a little confused about the differences between a kickoff and a punt. I thought it was possible to punt the ball, have it go ten yards and recover it to keep a drive going.
2. A kickoff field goal. I used to think when you were kicking off if the kicker managed to kick it through the uprights it counted as a field goal. In theory, I guess, you could have a great kicker and the other team would never get the ball while you just keep kicking three-pointers.
3. An endzone-to-endzone touchdown pass. I'm not talking about just a touchdown pass from your own endzone where the QB throws a pass to a receiver, RB or whatever, and then he runs to the endzone for a TD. I'm talking about the QB throwing a pass from his own endzone to a receiver standing in the opponent's endzone for a TD. That's one strong arm.

Your turn. Post the goofy things you thought about football when you were a kid.

 

[links18]

Fair Catch forward pass: I swear I read in some official publication somewhere that you could, or used to be able to, throw a forward pass from the point where a kick was fair caught.

One Point Safety: It seems this is still possible, but I still don't understand it, no matter how many times I read the explanation for it.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Fair Catch forward pass: I swear I read in some official publication somewhere that you could, or used to be able to, throw a forward pass from the point where a kick was fair caught.

I've never heard of that. There is such a thing as a free kick field goal attempt if you've made a fair catch. I've only seen it attempted once in a game in the 80s when the Cowboys were playing the Giants. We got a fair catch with hardly any time left and Rafiel Septien was allowed to attempt a free kick field goal with no pass rush of about 56 yards or something. He missed. Landry tried it because the chances seemed better than a Hail Mary.

One Point Safety: It seems this is still possible, but I still don't understand it, no matter how many times I read the explanation for it.

I seem to have heard somewhere that there's some way of getting a one-point safety in college football. I'm not sure if that's accurate or what circumstances would warrant that.

 

[yentl911]

This used to exist - intimidation - I used to think as a defensive back you could destroy a receiver trying to catch a ball to not only make a play but to have the guy think twice about coming across the middle again. The NFL is turning into two hand touch.

 

[remdak]

Fair Catch forward pass: I swear I read in some official publication somewhere that you could, or used to be able to, throw a forward pass from the point where a kick was fair caught.

One Point Safety: It seems this is still possible, but I still don't understand it, no matter how many times I read the explanation for it.

We used to call that a "Spot Pass" when we played sandlot football as kids. We would catch the kick off or punt and then throw a forward pass.
The one point safety is only possible on an extra point.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

We used to call that a "Spot Pass" when we played sandlot football as kids. We would catch the kick off or punt and then throw a forward pass.
The one point safety is only possible on an extra point.

Is the one-point safety only possible in college ball or is it also in the NFL?

 

[Rogah]

One Point Safety: It seems this is still possible, but I still don't understand it, no matter how many times I read the explanation for it.

It has always been possible in college and is now possible this year in the pros. It can only happen on a conversion after a TD. Suppose the team going for the conversion turns the ball over to the defense (fumble, INT or blocked kick) then the defense runs back into their own end zone and gets tackled. That's your 1-point safety.

 

[Rogah]

My brother once told me that an illegal forward pass is a turnover. I believed it for a while.

 

[rynochop]

Is the one-point safety only possible in college ball or is it also in the NFL?

I've never heard that rule before...that's crazy. There's a YouTube video of one with Oregon And Kansas state, EP was blocked, Kansas state recovered and ran back into the end zone, guy lateralled to someone who was tackled.

And yeah, it is now possible in the NFL with the rule change

 

[Rogah]

I've never heard of that. There is such a thing as a free kick field goal attempt if you've made a fair catch. I've only seen it attempted once in a game in the 80s when the Cowboys were playing the Giants. We got a fair catch with hardly any time left and Rafiel Septien was allowed to attempt a free kick field goal with no pass rush of about 56 yards or something. He missed. Landry tried it because the chances seemed better than a Hail Mary.

I think I remember this.

The fair catch FG attempt can only be tried in the final minute of either half. It provides a 10 yard neutral zone and the play doesn't start until the ball is kicked (much line a kickoff) so you can make the attempt from the line of scrimmage itself instead of having to snap it back 7 yards.

No tee allowed and you can't fake it once you declare you're kicking. If it's short the defense can return it (which is true of any FG attempt).

 

[Rogah]

Just for laughs, post anything that you used to think existed in football when you were a kid, but don't really. Here are mine:
1. An onsides punt. As a kid I was a little confused about the differences between a kickoff and a punt. I thought it was possible to punt the ball, have it go ten yards and recover it to keep a drive going.

The old XFL had a rule that if a punt went 25 yards then it was a loose ball. So not only did the defense have to field all punts, but you'd occasionally see a "surprise" punt on, like, 3rd and long.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

When I was in grade school in Grandview, Texas, we used to play a sandlot variant of football that we called "pro tackle." It was like regular football except that you were allowed to throw a forward pass even after you passed the line of scrimmage. Later after my family moved to Hawaii, the kids in school there played the same game, except they called it "Hawaiian style football." I never believed it was part of NFL rules.

On another note, I saw an NFL game ages ago, some time in the 70s, in which a player did not understand the touchback rules. He caught a punt or kick on about the 5 yard line and then retreated into the endzone and knelt down, thinking he would get a touchback and it would come out to the 20. Oops, it was a safety. For the life of me, I can't remember who was playing. If the Cowboys were playing, it was the opponents who did this gaffe. It may have been the Rams, but I'm not sure. I was very young.

 

[LatinMind]

.
3. An endzone-to-endzone touchdown pass. I'm not talking about just a touchdown pass from your own endzone where the QB throws a pass to a receiver, RB or whatever, and then he runs to the endzone for a TD. I'm talking about the QB throwing a pass from his own endzone to a receiver standing in the opponent's endzone for a TD. That's one strong arm.
.

Possible in techmo bowl

 

[big dog cowboy]

Things that you used to think existed in football

The NFL officials clearly understanding what a completed pass is.

 

[links18]

The NFL officials clearly understanding what a completed pass is.

How about winning a game with your back-up QB?

 

[remdak]

How about winning a game with your back-up QB?

That exists for every team in football except the Cowboys.

 

[links18]

That exists for every team in football except the Cowboys.

Sure existed for Denver last night.....