Packers missed FG: "blocked" or "deflected" (1 Viewer)

[The Jerk]

I didn't see the Rayner kick. All I know is that the NFL Gamebook has a listing of a blocked kick by the Seahawks. Can anyone who saw the play tell me if the ball was officially blocked (ball did not cross the line of scrimmage) or deflected (ball was touched by a player but made it across the line of scrimmage).

Also, I would appreciate anyone who can direct me to a website that verifies the play one way or another.

Thanks.

 

[GroveDiesel]

Your league seriously differentiates between the two? Why would you do that if you apparently don't even have a stat resource to go to?

And the kick was deflected. It bounced and rolled all the way into the endzone.

 

[w3junky]

Yea this play screwed me over too. My opponent was given two points for the block kick.

 

[mad sweeney]

Yea this play screwed me over too. My opponent was given two points for the block kick.

Good, cuz it was blocked.

 

[Pipes]

Why does a blocked kick have to go backwards?

 

[Isotopes]

Why does a blocked kick have to go backwards?

Because it could be deflected by a defender and still go through the uprights.

 

[Pipes]

Why does a blocked kick have to go backwards?

Because it could be deflected by a defender and still go through the uprights.

Then it's a regular field goal. Any contact with a kicked ball that causes the ball to not go through the uprights is a blocked field goal.Same principal for basketball. The ball doesn't have to go backwards, just contacted by the defender to cause the miss.

 

[my man otis]

IIRC per your definition it would have been deflected.

I think the ball actually rolled a bit and crossed the end line to the left of the FG post.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

IIRC per your definition it would have been deflected.I think the ball actually rolled a bit and crossed the end line to the left of the FG post.

I think for it to be called a deflection, it would actually have to be a normal looking kick and deflected wide. Like it grazed a defenders hand which made it go wide but it still had the juice to get there. That wasn't the case...the ball was impeded and it didn't have any juice to be close.

 

[The Jerk]

IIRC per your definition it would have been deflected.I think the ball actually rolled a bit and crossed the end line to the left of the FG post.

I think for it to be called a deflection, it would actually have to be a normal looking kick and deflected wide. Like it grazed a defenders hand which made it go wide but it still had the juice to get there. That wasn't the case...the ball was impeded and it didn't have any juice to be close.

The distinction between blocked and deflected is not just done for statistical purposes. A blocked FG by definition does not cross the line of scrimmage and can be recovered by the kicking team without necessarily changing possession. Typically, this is only important on end-of-half FG attempts as virtually all other kicks occur on 4th down. I once saw the Steelers win a game vs. the Browns in OT where a 3rd down FG try was blocked and recovered by the Steelers, followed by a successful 4th down FG. If the 3rd down kick had been deflected and went forward past the line of scrimmage, then a "recovery" by the Steelers would not have mattered and the ball and possession would have gone over to the Browns.In fact, a blocked kick can bounce back to the kicker or holder who can then run the ball in for a TD. I imagine passing is also allowable in such a situation although I'm not clear on the rules in that specific case.

 

[bonscott]

The NFL records the stat like this:

A block is if the kick never passes the line of scrimage. There is then a stat for a blocked kick.

A deflection is if a kick passes the line of scrimage. The stat for that is simply a missed FG on part of the kicker. The NFL does not record a blocked kick for a deflection.

 

[CalBear]

Why does a blocked kick have to go backwards?

Because it could be deflected by a defender and still go through the uprights.

Then it's a regular field goal. Any contact with a kicked ball that causes the ball to not go through the uprights is a blocked field goal.Same principal for basketball. The ball doesn't have to go backwards, just contacted by the defender to cause the miss.

You'll have to inform the NFL rules committee, then, since they make distinctions between kicks that cross the line of scrimmage and those that don't.

 

[Pipes]

Why does a blocked kick have to go backwards?

Because it could be deflected by a defender and still go through the uprights.

Then it's a regular field goal. Any contact with a kicked ball that causes the ball to not go through the uprights is a blocked field goal.Same principal for basketball. The ball doesn't have to go backwards, just contacted by the defender to cause the miss.

You'll have to inform the NFL rules committee, then, since they make distinctions between kicks that cross the line of scrimmage and those that don't.

Well apparently fantasy football sites are ignoring the official NFL rules by awarding points for the deflected kick. I guess I don't understand the distinction...kicker kicks the ball, defense hits the ball, ball does not go through the uprights....sounds like a block to me and the defense should get points for that.

 

[Isotopes]

The distinction between blocked and deflected is not just done for statistical purposes. A blocked FG by definition does not cross the line of scrimmage and can be recovered by the kicking team without necessarily changing possession. Typically, this is only important on end-of-half FG attempts as virtually all other kicks occur on 4th down. I once saw the Steelers win a game vs. the Browns in OT where a 3rd down FG try was blocked and recovered by the Steelers, followed by a successful 4th down FG. If the 3rd down kick had been deflected and went forward past the line of scrimmage, then a "recovery" by the Steelers would not have mattered and the ball and possession would have gone over to the Browns.

In fact, a blocked kick can bounce back to the kicker or holder who can then run the ball in for a TD. I imagine passing is also allowable in such a situation although I'm not clear on the rules in that specific case.

Great explanation! Thanks.

 

[CalBear]

Well apparently fantasy football sites are ignoring the official NFL rules by awarding points for the deflected kick. I guess I don't understand the distinction...kicker kicks the ball, defense hits the ball, ball does not go through the uprights....sounds like a block to me and the defense should get points for that.

It may be reasonable to award points for a deflected kick, but the NFL defines a blocked kick as one that doesn't pass the line of scrimmage. The reason for that is that the blocked kick doesn't constitute a change of possession; even if the defensive team touches the ball, it's still fourth down, so if the kicking team falls on it, the ball still turns over on downs. Whereas if the ball goes past the line of scrimmage, possession has changed. That means that if the defensive team touches a missed (or deflected) field goal, the ball is live and can be recovered by the kicking team. Ask Leon Lett.

 

[fridayfrenzy]

IIRC per your definition it would have been deflected.I think the ball actually rolled a bit and crossed the end line to the left of the FG post.

I think for it to be called a deflection, it would actually have to be a normal looking kick and deflected wide. Like it grazed a defenders hand which made it go wide but it still had the juice to get there. That wasn't the case...the ball was impeded and it didn't have any juice to be close.

The distinction between blocked and deflected is not just done for statistical purposes. A blocked FG by definition does not cross the line of scrimmage and can be recovered by the kicking team without necessarily changing possession. Typically, this is only important on end-of-half FG attempts as virtually all other kicks occur on 4th down. I once saw the Steelers win a game vs. the Browns in OT where a 3rd down FG try was blocked and recovered by the Steelers, followed by a successful 4th down FG. If the 3rd down kick had been deflected and went forward past the line of scrimmage, then a "recovery" by the Steelers would not have mattered and the ball and possession would have gone over to the Browns.In fact, a blocked kick can bounce back to the kicker or holder who can then run the ball in for a TD. I imagine passing is also allowable in such a situation although I'm not clear on the rules in that specific case.

Thanks for the clarification...I didn't realize there was a distinction like that for the NFL stat and was just talking based on a broad definition of the word "deflected" and "blocked"

 

[The Jerk]

IIRC per your definition it would have been deflected.I think the ball actually rolled a bit and crossed the end line to the left of the FG post.

I think for it to be called a deflection, it would actually have to be a normal looking kick and deflected wide. Like it grazed a defenders hand which made it go wide but it still had the juice to get there. That wasn't the case...the ball was impeded and it didn't have any juice to be close.

The distinction between blocked and deflected is not just done for statistical purposes. A blocked FG by definition does not cross the line of scrimmage and can be recovered by the kicking team without necessarily changing possession. Typically, this is only important on end-of-half FG attempts as virtually all other kicks occur on 4th down. I once saw the Steelers win a game vs. the Browns in OT where a 3rd down FG try was blocked and recovered by the Steelers, followed by a successful 4th down FG. If the 3rd down kick had been deflected and went forward past the line of scrimmage, then a "recovery" by the Steelers would not have mattered and the ball and possession would have gone over to the Browns.In fact, a blocked kick can bounce back to the kicker or holder who can then run the ball in for a TD. I imagine passing is also allowable in such a situation although I'm not clear on the rules in that specific case.

Thanks for the clarification...I didn't realize there was a distinction like that for the NFL stat and was just talking based on a broad definition of the word "deflected" and "blocked"

My pleasure... I think for FF purposes, as long as the FG is missed, it is reasonable to say deflected = blocked and I have no problem with that as long as the stat is consistent all year long in a given league.