Amidst Cocktail Party last week and all the high-end Power 4 games yesterday, an interesting finale took place in Maryland last week, as Johns Hopkins beat something called Muhlenberg on a play only allowed again this year after being illegal for 76 years. Per The Athletic ($$):
After a completed or awarded fair catch, a team can attempt a field goal directly from that spot. No snap. No rush. The defense must line up 10 yards away, and the kicker can use a holder without a tee or attempt a dropkick.
A make is worth 3 points, and the opponent can return a miss. Even a fair catch as time expires in a half can produce an untimed kick.
Hopefully the video embed works, but this was the wacky finish:
Think Kirby and the staff know about this and have a plan to use it if they fair catch a punt with 2 seconds or less left and within Woodring’s range to win a game? Yeah, me too.
I knew that was a rule, but had no they had taken it out, let alone put it back. You KNOW Kirby has that as a potential option on his play sheet if needed. He doesn’t overlook even the tiniest of details.
Who do you think was on the Kirby phone, advising Johns Hopkins to attempt this procedure, just to check on the refs for future precedence…We don’t need any more of those, “well, he looked like he was offsides, I’ve never seen anyone that fast before”…..# Tyler Simmons was on sides!!…..GO DAWGS!!
I would say no. At the end of the half in the 2021 S Carolina game the punt returner did not call for a fair catch. Meanwhile I was screaming to fair catch. Georgia ended up with a FG anyway.
The play wasn’t allowed in 2021, so it wasn’t an option for Kirby then. Super narrow usage circumstances, but interesting for tight games at halftime or end of game.
I’ve always wondered why dropkicks weren’t used more with the influx of foreign kickers… feel like Thor would have been good at it!
Monty Python in the post title, for the win.
Good for the *Googles Johns Hopkins football mascot* Blue Jays!