Fair catch kick The fair catch kick is a rarely used rule in some forms of American football that allows a team , after making a fair catch of an opponent ' s kick , to attempt a field goal freely from the spot of the catch . At one time a very similar rule existed in rugby union called goal from mark . Rules and variations . Fair catch kicks can only occur when a member of the receiving team signals for , and successfully makes , a fair catch ( or is awarded a fair catch after a kick - catch interference penalty ) . The receiving team then has the option of resuming play either by snap or fair catch kick . If the receiving team elects the fair catch kick option , their kicker can make a field goal attempt from the spot where the fair catch was made and the opposing team must line up at least ten yards downfield . The kicker then may either place kick the ball from a teammate ' s hold ( a kickoff tee may be used in high school ) or drop kick the ball . At this point , all general rules apply as for a field goal attempt from scrimmage . The clock starts when the ball is kicked . Three points are awarded for kicking the ball through the uprights . If the kick is unsuccessful , the rules are similar to that of a normal missed field goal : the opposing team has the option of fielding the ball and attempting a runback , or of taking possession at the spot of the kick . A successful fair catch kick is followed by a normal kick off . The fair catch kick , which was originally considered by the NFL as a type of a free kick , has unique rules which distinguish it from free kicks , such as kickoffs . Most significantly , it is the only variant in which a kicking team can score a field goal . Also , onside kick s are not permitted ; the ball cannot be recovered by the kicking team unless first touched by the receiving team . In high school football , if the kicking team can recover or catch the ball beyond the receiving team ' s free - kick line before the ball becomes dead , they take possession of the ball . Fair catch kicks are permitted in the National Football League and at the high school level . Under National Federation of State High School Associations rules , a fair catch kick can be attempted under more circumstances ; the option remains available if a dead ball foul occurs before the next play , or if a live ball foul occurs which leads to a replay of the down . Fair catch kicks are not permitted at the collegiate level under NCAA rules . The last successful fair catch kick in the NFL was by Ray Wersching in 1976 for the San Diego Chargers against the Buffalo Bills . Since then , seven fair - catch kicks have been attempted . Most recently , Mason Crosby of the Green Bay Packers attempted an unsuccessful 69 - yard fair catch kick against the Detroit Lions on December 28 , 2008 . This kick missed by only a few yards . Had he made the kick , it would have been considered the longest kick in league history , as it would have exceeded the record of 63 yards currently shared by Tom Dempsey , Jason Elam , Sebastian Janikowski , and David Akers for a traditional field goal . Circumstances of use . A fair catch kick is very rarely attempted , as only a specific combination of circumstances makes it advantageous for the receiving side . The punt or free kick must be fair - caught at a point close enough to make a field goal attempt plausible . There will usually be insufficient time to run more than one play from scrimmage , so is only likely to be seen when the punt would otherwise be the last or next - to - last play of the half . If occurring in the second half , the receiving team would presumably be tied or trailing by three points or fewer so that a successful field goal is significant . Finally , when these rare circumstances " are " present , a well - coached kicking team should recognize that it is not in their best interests to allow their opponents to make a successful fair catch . They may thus employ any of several tactics to avoid that outcome , such as deliberately kicking the ball out of bounds or far away from any opponent , or running a non - punting play from scrimmage that allows the game clock to expire safely . In the NFL , a fair catch kick may still be attempted if the half or overtime ends on the fair catch play . This is not automatic ; a team ' s captain or coach must exercise this option . There are several reasons to prefer a fair catch kick to a normal field goal attempt from scrimmage . A fair catch kick is taken from the same yard - line of the catch rather than the usual seven to eight yards back . The defending team must remain 10 yards downfield before the kick . This allows the placekicker a full running start rather than the normal two - step approach , with no concerns about a poor snap from center or a low angle of trajectory that might allow the defense to block the kick .