Fair-catch free-kick rule is Jim Harbaugh's favorite. Here's how many times it's worked in NFL
The Chargers and kicker Cameron Dicker made NFL history against the Denver Broncos on Thursday night, earning three points at the end of the first half with the successful execution of a rare fair-catch free-kick field goal.
So what's a fair-catch kick? It's Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh's favorite rule in football.
The NFL rule book states that "after a fair catch is made or is awarded as the result of fair catch interference, the receiving team has the option of putting the ball in play by a snap or fair catch kick (drop kick or place kick without a tee) from the spot of the catch or succeeding spot after enforcement of any applicable penalties."
The kicks are counted as field goals by the NFL.
Read more: Chargers make history with rare fair catch kick against Broncos
Circumstances that would make attempting such a kick advantageous to a team don't occur often. According to the NFL, only seven such attempts have been successful.
Dicker's 57-yarder is the longest successful fair-catch kick in league history, as the Chargers joined the Green Bay Packers as the only teams to pull off the accomplishment twice.
Here's a look at every successful fair-catch kick.
Nov. 6, 1921
Kicker: Curly Lambeau
Team: Green Bay Packers
Opponent: Evansville Crimson Giants
Distance: Unknown
On this day, Packers player-coach Lambeau rushed for at least one touchdown, connected on four extra points and "was shooting the oval like a bullet, and with deadly accuracy," according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
He also made the NFL's first known fair-catch kick.
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Punting from around the Giants' 10-yard line late in the second quarter, Evansville's Frank Fausch sent a "sky-high" kick of about 25 yards to Green Bay's Grover Malone.
"Malone signaled for a free catch and Lambeau completed the play with a nifty placekick," the Press-Gazette wrote of the play that gave the Packers a 22-0 lead on their way to a 43-6 victory.
Nov. 26, 1933
Kicker: Ken Strong
Team: New York Giants
Opponent: Green Bay Packers
Distance: 30 yards
Another triple-threat player, Strong recovered after fumbling twice earlier in the game. Up 14-0 in the third quarter, a short punt by the Packers was fair caught by New York's Dale Burnett at the Green Bay 30. The Giants opted for the free kick and Strong's attempt made it "just inside one of the uprights," according to the New York Times. New York went on to claim a 17-6 victory.
Sept. 13, 1964
Kicker: Paul Hornung
Team: Green Bay Packers
Opponent: Chicago Bears
Distance: 52 yards
In his first game back following a season-long suspension for his role in a gambling scandal, Green Bay superstar Hornung "ran, kicked and passed his way back into the hearts of Green Bay Packer fans" during a 23-12 season-opening win, according to the New York Times.
Green Bay made a fair catch on a Chicago punt with seconds remaining in the first half. With legendary Packers quarterback Bart Starr serving as his holder, Hornung made the first fair-catch kick in more than 30 years ... barely.
"Hornung's kick just cleared the crossbar as Roosevelt Taylor leaped high and almost tapped it down," the New York Times wrote.
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The 52-yard boot stood as the longest fair-catch kick in NFL history until Dicker broke the record Thursday night.
Dec. 4, 1966
Kicker: Fred Cox
Team: Minnesota Viking
Opponent: Atlanta Falcons
Distance: 40 yards
Cox connected a 40-yard fair-catch kick as time expired in the first half of the Vikings' 20-13 loss to the Falcons, but that was hardly his claim to fame. He played in all four of the Vikings' Super Bowl appearances of the 1970s and remains the team's all-time leader in points scored (1,365) and field goals made (282).
He also invented the Nerf football.
Nov. 3, 1968
Kicker: Mac Percival
Team: Chicago Bears
Opponent: Green Bay Packers
Distance: 43 yards
The only game-winning free kick in NFL history came after Chicago's Cecil Turner called for a fair catch of a Packers punt at the Green Bay 43-yard line. Percival then connected on his kick with 26 seconds remaining to lift the Bears to a 13-10 win.
Chicago coach Jim Dooley told the Chicago Tribune after the game that offensive line coach Abe Gibron had reminded him of the obscure fair-catch kick rule a few plays earlier.
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“When the Packers had second down and 10 at their 15-yard line, Abe said, ‘Let’s get the fair catch when they punt so we can go for the free kick,’” Dooley said.
Nov. 21, 1976
Kicker: Ray Wersching
Team: San Diego Chargers
Opponent: Buffalo Bills
Distance: 45 yards
Wersching's free kick came as time expired in the second quarter and was his second field goal during the Chargers' eventual 34-13 win. The fourth-year kicker made only four of eight field-goal attempts over nine games that year and was waived during the offseason.
Wersching went on to play 11 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, winning two Super Bowls with the team and retiring as its all-time leader in points (979, now second to Jerry Rice's 1,130), field goals (190) and extra points (409).
Dec. 19, 2024
A rare fair catch free kick results in a Cameron Dicker 57-yard FG for the @Chargers 🤯
It's the first free kick FG since 1976! pic.twitter.com/yb0cyPuKnR— NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2024
Kicker: Cameron Dicker
Team: Chargers
Opponent: Denver Broncos
Distance: 57 yards
As time ran out in the second quarter, L.A.'s Derius Davis called for a fair catch at the Chargers 38 on a punt by Denver's Riley Dixon. Davis was unable to make the catch, but officials called Denver's Tremon Smith for interference and awarded the Chargers possession at the Broncos 47 with the opportunity to take advantage of the obscure fair-catch kick rule.
With punter J.K. Scott as his holder, Dicker had no trouble making the 57-yard kick in a situation he later said special teams coach Ryan Ficken actually had brought up during team meetings leading up to the game.
“Looking over at [Denver’s] sideline, it was funny," Dicker said after the game. "They were confused what was going on. We talk about it every week, so it was normal for us."
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It was the first successful fair-catch kick this century, following previous attempts by the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Packers, 49ers and Carolina Panthers.
The kick allowed the Chargers to pull within 21-13 at halftime and perhaps sparked a second-half rally that resulted in a 34-27 win.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
