NFL World Reacts to Chargers Nailing First Fair Catch Free Kick in Nearly 50 Years

What a night for fans of football rules minutia.

Cameron Dicker and Jim Harbaugh before the Chargers' 17–13 win over the Falcons on Dec. 1, 2024. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

If you relish the obscure, the rare, and the unusual in sports, Thursday evening was for you.

As time expired in the first half of their game against the Denver Broncos on Thursday, the Los Angeles Chargers accomplished something that hadn't been done in the NFL since 1976. After his team drew a kick-catch interference penalty on a fair catch, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker drilled a 57-yard fair catch kick to trim the Broncos' lead to 21–13.

Dicker's kick—essentially a field goal attempted without contest from the defense—was made possible by a little-known rule that allows a team to attempt a free-kick field goal after a fair catch. One of football's most obvious debts to rugby, the rule confused many fans when invoked—though those in the know were quick to praise Los Angeles coach Jim Harbaugh and his assistants.

The rarest of the rare NFL plays: A free kick for 3 points.

Credit to #Chargers special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken for immediately recognizing the situation and talking through it with Jim Harbaugh and officials. pic.twitter.com/uH8ZqolPOC

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 20, 2024

Some disbelieved Denver coach Sean Payton when he said the Broncos practiced for it (though if anyone would, it'd probably be Payton).

“It’s a fair catch free kick situation, we practice it” -Sean Payton pic.twitter.com/vHQp94UWUQ

— Cutter Whitley (@iamcutterbutter) December 20, 2024

Ex-defensive end J.J. Watt called the play "awesome."

Fair Catch Free Kick shouldn’t be that exciting.

But it is.

That was awesome.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) December 20, 2024

The relative merits of making a fair catch kick and a regular field goal were debated.

I would argue drilling a 57 yard free kick is more pressure than a normal kick because everyone is standing around expecting you to make it lol

— Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) December 20, 2024

Take a bow, student of the game par excellence Jim Harbaugh.

Jim Harbaugh is going to be talking about that free kick for decades

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) December 20, 2024

Other fans were just thrilled to understand the complicated NFL rule.

How it feels being able to explain the fair catch free kick rule to the uninitiated. pic.twitter.com/CIAgmKyTMo

— Daggett Morse (@LaxCoachDaggs) December 20, 2024

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