text:
United States military seniority
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
United States military seniority is the method by which the United States Armed Forces determine precedence among commissioned officers, in particular those who hold the same rank. Seniority is used to determine assignments, tactical commands, promotions and general courtesy. To a lesser extent, historical seniority is used to recognize status of honor given to early United States military leaders such as inaugural holders of certain ranks or those officers who served as leadership during major wars and armed conflicts.
Contents
[hide]
1 Modern-day seniority
2 Tactical and operational seniority
3 Historical seniority
3.1 Historical seniority list
4 See also
5 References
Modern-day seniority[edit]
The modern-day seniority system of the United States commissioned officer corps operates on two different levels. For officers of different ranks, seniority is simply determined by who holds the highest rank. For instance, Army colonel is senior to captain and captain senior to lieutenant. Seniority extends across services as for instance major in the Army is senior to captain in the Air Force while commander in the United States Navy is senior to both. For officers in the same rank or paygrade, seniority is determined by the date of whom assumed their rank earlier.[1] If officers of the same grade have the same date of rank, then seniority is determined in order by the officer's previous rank's date and so forth.[1] If all promotion dates of ranks are the same, seniority is then determined on order of: previous active duty grade relative seniority (if applicable),[1] total active commissioned service,[1] and finally, total federal commissioned service or date of appointment as a commissioned officer.[1] The secretaries of each service may establish further seniority rules if applicable.[1]
A type of "positional seniority" exists for military officers who hold top leadership positions of the armed forces. For instance, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is considered the senior most officer of the entire United States military, even though it is possible that contemporaries of the same rank may have earlier dates of rank or time in service. Likewise, heads of various armed service branches are considered senior most within their service; unified commanders are also considered senior most in their respective regions yet not necessarily to each other.
The regular United States military hierarchy is as follows:
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
When compared to each other, seniority is determined among the service heads by lineal number and commissioning date. Externally, the standing of each service head is determined by the date of the creation of the position as follows.
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
Chief of Naval Operations
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Commandant of the Coast Guard
Chief of the National Guard Bureau
The officers in charge of the Unified Combatant Commands are considered "operational officers" while the standard military hierarchy is administrative. For instance, the Chief of Naval Operations, who would most likely be senior to a naval admiral in command of the United States Pacific Command, would not be able to issue direct orders to said commander since operational chain of command is separate from regular administrative military hierarchy.[2] Military seniority, within itself, would not be affected.
[show]
Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Department of Defense
Regional responsibilities
Africa Command
Central Command
European Command
Northern Command
Pacific Command
Southern Command
Functional responsibilities
Special Operations Command
Strategic Command
Transportation Command
Inactivated
Atlantic Command
Joint Forces Command
Space Command
Strike Command
Tactical and operational seniority[edit]
Tactical seniority, also known as "battlefield seniority", is the manner in which a senior officer in command of a given tactical situation is determined. For instance, within the United States Navy, groups of ships performing exercises together will have one ship designated as the tactical senior unit. The commander of said ship is the senior tactical officer and may in fact be junior in rank to the other officers of the tactical group. For multi-national exercises, such as the Sharem event in South Korea, ships of foreign nations are sometimes given tactical seniority and thus may issue routine movement orders to United States vessels. Actual combat would fall under the Task Force system, in which a United States admiral, with clear seniority, would take command over all vessels.
Groups of Army units, especially in active combat, may be placed under tactical command of any officer, regardless of rank seniority, for completion of a single mission. During World War II, the term "mixed unit" was commonly used to denote military formations created from several other smaller units, most often "on the spot", due to operational confusion and the need for a single battlefield commander to take authority over all units physically present. Army Air Force bomber groups operated on a similar principal, in that tactical command could pass to officers who were not necessarily the senior most present, given the specific needs of the mission or casualties during the mission itself.
Operational seniority refers to the ability to issue long range orders to U.S. forces, such as deployments, general orders, and other administrative matters. Operational seniority is never granted to non-U.S. officers and usually stems from such major offices as the Bureau of Naval Personnel or the Army Personnel Branch.
Historical seniority[edit]
Historical seniority loosely indicates the general significance of various generals and flag officers within the scope of the history of the United States. Historical seniority is typically only bestowed to those officers who were the inaugural holders of ranks or for those who served as the senior most military officer during a major armed conflict.
The only case where historical seniority has been legally established by the United States Congress are for the two "super ranks" of the armed forces of the United States, these being the ranks General of the Armies and Admiral of the Navy. By clear precedent, the holders of these two ranks (three persons in all) are senior to all other officers of the United States military, past and present. By special Congressional edict, George Washington is considered the senior most officer of all time meaning he may never be lesser in seniority to any other military officer, although Washington technically shares the same rank with John Pershing.
The office of general was discontinued after the Civil War, but revived in 1919 by the title of "General of the Armies of the United States" when General John J. Pershing was appointed to that office on 3 September 1919; accepted the appointment on 8 September 1919, was retired with that rank on 13 September 1924, and held it until his death on 15 July 1948. No other officer has occupied this office on active duty. General Pershing held the grade of General of the Armies of the United States under the provisions of the Act of U.S. Congress of 3 September 1919 (Public Law 45). Washington was posthumously appointed General of the Armies of the United States under s:Public Law 94-479. Under s:Order 31-3, the effective promotion date was on 4 July 1976. Congress specified that no officer of the United States Army should outrank Lieutenant General George Washington on the Army list. While promoted to a lieutenant general only a year before his death, he was the most senior officer and the only lieutenant general in the army. The same is true of Ulysses S. Grant, who was the second person to permanently hold this rank. (Winfield Scott was a brevet lieutenant general for his service in the Mexican–American War.) Washington was referred to as "commander in chief" of the Continental Army, a title that since the adoption of the Constitution has been reserved for the (civilian) President.
The five star officers of World War II are technically considered the most senior officers in U.S. history (with the exception of the two "super ranks" previously mentioned), yet are often considered historically junior to the military leaders of the 19th century, especially the inaugural holders of senior military ranks. Most historical seniority lists also omit three star officers, with some rare exceptions (such as Winfield Scott), and typically avoid comparing two star ranks and below, which are permanent ranks held by hundreds of officers over the past two centuries. In these cases, standard methods of seniority are utilized. Since 1981, the highest rank held by any officer in the U.S. armed forces is four stars, or a pay grade of "O-10". Modern-day admirals and generals are typically not considered in lists of historical seniority, except for extreme cases such as leaders of wars or other wide scale armed conflicts.
Historical seniority list[edit]
The officers listed below are generally accepted in military history circles as the top twenty five officers of all time in United States military history[3][4]
Seniority Order
Rank Order
Officer
Service
Highest rank
Date of rank
Historical significance
1 1 Washington, George !George Washington U.S. Army General of the Armies 4 Jul 1976 Declared by a Congressional Act in 1976 to be the senior most United States officer of all time. Held the rank of lieutenant general in the United States Army during his lifetime, as well as a special rank of "General and Commander-in-Chief" in of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
2 1 Pershing, John !John Pershing U.S. Army General of the Armies 3 Sep 1919 Only person to hold the rank of General of the Armies on active duty. Recognized unofficially as a six star general during World War II after a press conference by Henry L. Stimson.
3 1 Dewey, George !George Dewey U.S. Navy Admiral of the Navy 2 Mar 1899 Inaugural and sole holder of rank.
4 4 Scott, Winfield !Winfield Scott U.S. Army Lieutenant general 29 Mar 1847 Second person in American history to hold the rank of lieutenant general after George Washington. Senior officer of the U.S. military during the Mexican-American War as well as the opening months of the American Civil War
5 3 Grant, Ulysses !Ulysses S. Grant U.S. Army General of the Army 25 Jul 1866 Inaugural holder of the rank, which was a 19th century equivalent to a modern-day four star general (this differed from the 20th century rank of the same name which was clearly a five star position).
6 3 Farragut, David !David G. Farragut U.S. Navy Admiral 25 Jul 1866 Inaugural holder of the rank, granted by Congress due to services rendered as senior officer of the Navy during the American Civil War.
7 3 Sherman, William !William T. Sherman U.S. Army General of the Army 4 Mar 1869 Second holder of the rank "General of the Army". Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan wore four stars and held ranks equivalent to current four-star (O-10) generals and admirals, one step higher than the Civil War era rank of lieutenant general. This special version of the title General of the Army of the United States, Act of US Congress July 25, 1866, indicated that Congress intended only one person to have it at a time.
8 3 Porter, David !David D. Porter U.S. Navy Admiral 25 Jul 1866 Second person in the history of the United States Navy to hold the rank of Admiral.
9 4 Rowan, Stephen !Stephen C. Rowan U.S. Navy Vice admiral 1 Aug 1870 Longest serving officer in the history of the United States Navy with 63 years of service and retirement at the age of 80.
10 3 Sheridan, Philip !Philip H. Sheridan U.S. Army General of the Army 1 Jun 1888 Final person in U.S. Army history to hold the Civil War era rank "General of the Army". The rank was discontinued upon Sheridan's death and was not reactivated until World War II, then as a five star position.
11 4 Schofield, John !John Schofield U.S. Army Lieutenant general 5 Feb 1895 First Commanding General of the United States Army following the disestablishment of the rank General of the Army and first peacetime promotion to the permanent rank of lieutenant general.
12 4 Miles, Nelson !Nelson A. Miles U.S. Army Lieutenant general 6 Jun 1900 Last Commanding General of the United States Army. Succeeded by Samuel Baldwin Marks Young who became the first Chief of Staff. From this point on the Chief of Staff was by default considered the most senior officer of the United States Army.
13 3 Bliss, Tasker !Tasker Bliss U.S. Army General 6 Oct 1917 Second person promoted to the four star rank of General in the 20th century (the other was John Pershing) for service in the National Army during the First World War.
14 2 Leahy, William !William D. Leahy U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral 15 Dec 1944 First five star officer appointed during the Second World War
15 2 Marshall, George !George C. Marshall U.S. Army General of the Army 16 Dec 1944 Second officer promoted to five stars. The initial promotion of these officers was spaced over a period of one week so as to match the original seniority held by the officers at the four star level.
16 2 King, Ernest !Ernest J. King U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral 17 Dec 1944 Third officer promoted to five star rank
17 2 MacArthur, Douglas !Douglas MacArthur U.S. Army General of the Army 18 Dec 1944 Fourth officer to hold five star rank and second within the United States Army (after George Marshall). MacArthur was further considered for promotion to the "six star" position of General of the Armies, both during and following the Second World War.
18 2 Nimitz, Chester !Chester W. Nimitz U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral 19 Dec 1944 Fifth officer to hold five star rank and the third within the United States Navy. Served as the first post-World War II Chief of Naval Operations
19 2 Eisenhower, Dwight !Dwight D. Eisenhower U.S. Army General of the Army 20 Dec 1944 Later served as President of the United States. Required to resign his commission as a five star officer during his term; five star rank was reinstated after leaving office by president John F. Kennedy
20 2 Arnold, Henry !Henry H. Arnold U.S. Army General of the Army 21 Dec 1944 Last of the initial five star appointments during the Second World War.
U.S. Air Force General of the Air Force 7 May 1949 Five star rank was converted to that of General of the Air Force in 1949. No other officer has held the Air Force five star version since Arnold.
21 2 Halsey, William !William F. Halsey U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral 11 Dec 1945 First of two post World War II promotions to five star rank (the other being Omar Bradley)
22 2 Bradley, Omar !Omar Bradley U.S. Army General of the Army 20 Sep 1950 Last officer in U.S. history to be promoted to five star rank
23 3 Spruance, Raymond !Raymond Spruance U.S. Navy Admiral 4 Feb 1944 A close contender for the rank of Fleet Admiral, his promotion was consistently blocked by Congressman Carl Vinson, but he was granted the full pay of an Admiral on the retirement list in July 1948. The Spruance-class destroyer is named in his honor.
24 3 Patton, George !George Patton U.S. Army General 14 Apr 1945 Generally regarded as the most successful combat commander of the European theatre of World War II. A possible contender for the rank of General of the Army, he was killed in an automotive accident in 1945 before any such consideration[5]
25 3 Ridgeway, Matthew !Matthew Ridgway U.S. Army General 11 May 1951 Replaced Douglas MacArthur as senior officer during the Korean War, after MacArthur was relieved by Harry S. Truman. Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
Alexander Vandegrift is also frequently included in historical seniority lists due to his status as the first Commandant of the Marine Corps to hold a four-star rank, as is Anna Mae Hays who was the first woman to be promoted to brigadier general in the history of the United States. Historical seniority is rarely referred to after the Korean War since modern military seniority systems had been well-established after the mid 20th century. Expanded seniority lists such as the one listed below do exist mostly in recognition of major military leaders of modern wars and conflicts.
Officer
Service
Highest rank
Date of rank
Historical significance
Westmoreland, William !William Westmoreland U.S. Army General 1 Aug 1965 Senior most operational officer of the Vietnam War. Omitted from some historical lists, since Westmoreland served in the later 20th century when the regular military seniority system had already been well established.
Rickover,, Hyman !Hyman G. Rickover U.S. Navy Admiral 3 Dec 1973 Head of the nuclear program of the United States Navy and one of the longest serving officers in United States military history.
Powell, Colin !Colin Powell U.S. Army General 4 Apr 1989 Served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War. Later considered for five star promotion; however, a Congressional bill was never passed. Later served as Secretary of State.
Schwarzkopf, Norman !Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. U.S. Army General 1 Nov 1988 Senior commander of Operation Desert Storm. As with Colin Powell, was considered for five star rank but without result.
Petraeus, David !David Petraeus U.S. Army General 30 Jan 2007 Considered for five star rank due to his status as the leader of the military during the War on Terror, however due to later scandals after retirement no further effort was made on this proposal.
Mattis, James !James Mattis U.S. Marine Corps General 7 Nov 2007 Leader of United States Central Command during the Iraq War. Led both the first and second Battles of Fallujah. Secretary of Defense under Donald Trump as of January 20, 2017.
Dunwoody, Ann !Ann E. Dunwoody U.S. Army General 14 Nov 2008 First female four star officer in the history of the United States Armed Forces.
Wolfenbarger, Janet !Janet C. Wolfenbarger U.S. Air Force General 5 Jun 2012 First female four star general in the history of the United States Air Force.
Howard, Michelle !Michelle Howard U.S. Navy Admiral 1 Jul 2014 First female four star admiral in the history of the United States Navy.
See also[edit]
List of United States Presidents by military rank
List of active duty United States four-star officers
List of United States Army four-star generals
List of United States Navy four-star admirals
List of United States Air Force four-star generals
List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f DoD Instruction 1310.01 - Rank and Seniority of Commissioned Officers
Jump up ^ http://www.jcs.mil/About/
Jump up ^ Dept of the Army, "U.S. Army Leadership Handbook: Skills, Tactics, and Techniques for Leading in Any Situation", Skyhorse Publishing; 1st edition (March 1, 2012)
Jump up ^ Hearn, Chester, "Navy: An Illustrated History: The U.S. Navy from 1775 to the 21st Century", Zenith Press; 1st edition (May 15, 2007)
Jump up ^ Showalter, Dennis E., Patton And Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century, New York City: Berkley Books (2006), ISBN 978-0-425-20663-8
[show]
v
t
e
United States Armed Forces
Book
Portal
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Category
A
MC
N
AF
CG
PHS
NOAA
Navbox
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Leadership
Commander-in-chief: President of the United States
Secretary of Defense
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Homeland Security
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
Joint Chiefs of Staff:
Chairman
Vice Chairman
United States Congress: Committees on Armed Services:
Senate
House
Active duty four-star officers
Highest ranking officers in history
National Security Act of 1947
Goldwater–Nichols Act
Organization
Service departments
Department of Defense (Secretary): Army (Secretary)
Navy (Secretary)
Air Force (Secretary)
Department of Homeland Security (Secretary): Coast Guard
Branches
Army (Chief of Staff)
Marine Corps (Commandant)
Navy (Chief of Naval Operations)
Air Force (Chief of Staff)
Coast Guard (Commandant)
Reserve components
Reserves:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
National Guard:
A
AF
Civilian auxiliaries
Military Auxiliary Radio System
Merchant Marine
Civil Air Patrol
Coast Guard Auxiliary
Unified Combatant Command
Northern
Central
European
Pacific
Southern
Africa
Special Operations
Strategic
Transportation
Structure
United States Code
Title 10
Title 14
Title 32
Title 50
The Pentagon
Installations
Units:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Logistics
Media
Unit mottoes
Operations and history
Current deployments
Conflicts
Wars
Timeline
History:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Colonial
World War II
Civil affairs
African Americans
Asian Americans
Buddhist Americans
Jewish Americans
Muslim Americans
Pakistani Americans
Sikh Americans
Historiography:
A: 1/2
MC
N
AF
Art:
A
AF
Personnel
Training
MEPS
ASVAB
Recruit training:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Officer candidate school:
A
MC
N
AF
Warrant:
A
MC
Service academies:
A (prep)
N (prep)
AF (prep)
CG
Merchant Marine
ROTC/JROTC:MJC/SMC
A
MC/N
AF
Medical
Other education
Uniforms
Uniforms:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Awards & decorations:
Inter-service
A
MC/N
AF
CG
PHS
NOAA
Foreign
International
Devices
Badges:
Identification
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Ranks
Enlisted:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Warrant officers
Officer:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
PHS
NOAA
Other
Oath:
Enlistment
Office
Creeds & Codes:
Code of Conduct
NCO
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Service numbers:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Military Occupational Specialty/Rating/Air Force Specialty Code
Pay
Uniform Code of Military Justice
Judge Advocate General's Corps
Military Health System/TRICARE
Separation
Veterans Affairs
Conscription
Chiefs of Chaplains:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Equipment
A
MC:
vehicles
weapons
other
N
AF
CG
Land
Individual weapons
Crew-served weapons
Vehicles (active)
Sea
All watercraft
Ships:
A
N (active)
AF
CG
MSC
NOAA
Weapons:
N
CG
Aircraft:
N
CG
NOAA
Reactors
Air
Aircraft
World War I
active
Aircraft designation
Missiles
Helicopter arms
Other
Nuclear football
Electronics (designations)
Flags:
A
MC
N
AF
CG
Ensign
Jack
Guidons
Food
WMDs:
Nuclear
Biological
Chemical
Legend
A = Army
MC = Marine Corps
N = Navy
AF = Air Force
CG = Coast Guard
PHS = Public Health Service
NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[show]
Highest military ranks
General officer
Flag officer
Air officer
Imperator
Marshal of Italy
Generalissimo
Generalissimus of the Soviet Union
Supreme Allied Commander
Admiral of the Navy
General of the Armies
General of the Air Force
Generalfeldmarschall
Mareşal
Marshal of the air force
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Russian Federation
Mushir
Magister militum
Spahbed
Ispahsalar
Beylerbey
Bojni Vojvoda
Chom Thap Thai
Constable of France
Domestic of the Schools
Grand Domestic
Shogun
Dux bellorum
Grand marshal
Hetman
Jenderal besar
Polemarch
Reichsmarschall
Federal General of Switzerland
Sardar
Serasker
Autokrator
First marshal of the empire
Da yuan shuai
Dai-gensui
Taewonsu
Yuan shuai
Wonsu
Marshal of Yugoslavia
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_military_seniority&oldid=800437086"
Categories:
American military personnel
Lists of generals
Lists of American military personnel
Military history of the United States
Military ranks of the United States
United States military-related lists
Military personnel by rank
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
Languages
Deutsch
Українська
中文
Edit links
This page was last edited on 13 September 2017, at 15:01.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

attrs: id class style

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

value: p

attrs: role tabindex class

values: button 0 togglelink

values: Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

values: Chief of Staff of the United States Army

values: Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force

values:
/wiki/Unified_Combatant_Command
mw-redirect
Unified Combatant Command

values: United States Special Operations Command

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Edit section: Tactical and operational seniority

values:
/wiki/Armed_forces_of_the_United_States
mw-redirect
Armed forces of the United States

values:
/wiki/John_Pershing
mw-redirect
John Pershing

values: General of the Armies of the United States

values:
/wiki/Commander_in_chief
mw-redirect
Commander in chief

values:
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

values:
center
headerSort
0
columnheader button
Sort ascending

values:
/wiki/Six_star_general
mw-redirect
Six star general

values:
/wiki/Mexican-American_War
mw-redirect
Mexican-American War

values:
/wiki/David_G._Farragut
mw-redirect
David G. Farragut

values:
/wiki/William_T._Sherman
mw-redirect
William T. Sherman

values:
/wiki/Philip_H._Sheridan
mw-redirect
Philip H. Sheridan

values: Commanding General of the United States Army

values:
/wiki/National_Army_(USA)
mw-redirect
National Army (USA)

values:
/wiki/George_C._Marshall
mw-redirect
George C. Marshall

values:
/wiki/Ernest_J._King
mw-redirect
Ernest J. King

values:
/wiki/William_Halsey,_Jr.
mw-redirect
William Halsey, Jr.

values:
/wiki/Secretary_of_Defense
mw-redirect
Secretary of Defense

values: List of United States Presidents by military rank

values: List of United States Army four-star generals

values: List of United States Navy four-star admirals

values: List of United States Air Force four-star generals

values:
nofollow
http://www.jcs.mil/About/
external free

values: International Standard Book Number (identifier)

values: Template talk:United States Armed Forces

attrs: alt src title width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: Category:United States Public Health Service

values: Category:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

values:
/wiki/Template:US_military_navbox
mw-redirect
Template:US military navbox

values: United States Deputy Secretary of Defense

values: United States Secretary of Homeland Security

values: United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security

values: United States Senate Committee on Armed Services

values: United States House Committee on Armed Services

values: List of United States military leaders by rank

values: Structure of the United States Armed Forces

values: United States Department of the Air Force

values: United States Secretary of the Air Force

values: United States Department of Homeland Security

values: Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces

values: Category:Military units and formations of the United States Army

values: Organization of the United States Marine Corps

values: Category:Military units and formations of the United States Navy

values: Category:Military units and formations of the United States Air Force

values: Organization of the United States Coast Guard

values: Category:Military logistics of the United States

values: Category:Media of the military of the United States

values: List of United States armed forces unit mottoes

values: List of wars involving the United States

values: Timeline of United States military operations

values: History of the United States Marine Corps

values: History of the United States Coast Guard

values: Military history of the United States during World War II

values: History of civil affairs in the United States Armed Forces

values: United States Army Center of Military History

values: United States Marine Corps History Division

values: United States Military Entrance Processing Command

values: Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

values: United States Marine Corps Recruit Training

values: Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois

values: United States Air Force Basic Military Training

values: United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May

values: Officer Candidate School (United States Army)

values: Officer Candidates School (United States Marine Corps)

values: Officer Candidate School (United States Navy)

values: Warrant Officer Candidate School (United States Army)

values: United States Military Academy Preparatory School

values: United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School

values: Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps

values: Category:Military education and training in the United States

values: Uniforms of the United States Marine Corps

values: Awards and decorations of the United States military

values: Inter-service awards and decorations of the United States military

values: Awards and decorations of the United States Army

values: Military awards of the United States Department of the Navy

values: Awards and decorations of the United States Air Force

values: Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard

values: Awards and decorations of the Public Health Service

values: Awards and decorations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

values: Authorized foreign decorations of the United States military

values: International military decoration authorized by the US military

values: Identification badges of the Uniform Services of the United States

values: Badges of the United States Marine Corps

values: United States Army enlisted rank insignia

values: United States Marine Corps rank insignia

values: List of United States Navy enlisted rates

values: United States Air Force enlisted rank insignia

values: List of United States Coast Guard enlisted rates

values: United States Army officer rank insignia

values: United States Navy officer rank insignia

values: United States Air Force officer rank insignia

values: United States Coast Guard officer rank insignia

values: United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

values: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps

values: United States Armed Forces oath of enlistment

values: United States Uniformed Services Oath of Office

values: Code of the United States Fighting Force

values: Creed of the United States Coast Guardsman

values: Service number (United States Armed Forces)

values: Service number (United States Marine Corps)

values: Service number (United States Air Force)

values: Service number (United States Coast Guard)

values: United States Department of Veterans Affairs

values: Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States

values: Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

values: Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps

values: Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy

values: Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force

values: Chaplain of the United States Coast Guard

values: Equipment of the United States Armed Forces

values: List of vehicles of the United States Marine Corps

values: List of weapons of the United States Marine Corps

values: List of United States Marine Corps individual equipment

values: Equipment of the United States Air Force

values: Equipment of the United States Coast Guard

values: List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces

values: List of crew-served weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces

values: List of land vehicles of the U.S. Armed Forces

values: List of currently active United States military land vehicles

values: List of currently active United States military watercraft

values: List of current ships of the United States Navy

values: List of ships of the United States Air Force

values: List of United States Coast Guard cutters

values: List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)

values: List of military aircraft of the United States

values: List of military aircraft of the United States (1909–1919)

values: List of active United States military aircraft

values: United States military aircraft designation systems

values: List of military electronics of the United States

values: Joint Electronics Type Designation System

values: United States and weapons of mass destruction

values: United States biological weapons program

values: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

values: nowraplinks hlist collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values:
/wiki/Dux_bellorum
mw-redirect
Dux bellorum

values: Category:Lists of American military personnel

values: Category:Military history of the United States

values: Category:Military ranks of the United States

values: Category:United States military-related lists

values:
catlinks mw-normal-catlinks
catlinks mw-normal-catlinks
interface

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values:
/wiki/United_States_military_seniority
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: A list of recent changes in the wiki [ctrl-alt-r]

values: portal navigation p-interaction p-interaction-label

values: List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [ctrl-alt-j]

values: Recent changes in pages linked from this page [ctrl-alt-k]

values:
/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard
Upload files [ctrl-alt-u]
u

values: A list of all special pages [ctrl-alt-q]

values: Permanent link to this revision of the page

values: Link to connected data repository item [ctrl-alt-g]

values: Printable version of this page [ctrl-alt-p]

values:
uls-settings-trigger
Language settings
0
button
true

values: Historische Rangordnung der höchsten Offiziere der Vereinigten Staaten – German

values: Список вищого генералітету збройних сил США за званнями – Ukrainian

values: 美国军队指挥官列表 – Chinese

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values:
suggestions
display: none; font-size: 13px;

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-United_States_military_seniority rootpage-United_States_military_seniority skin-vector action-view


text:
Field goal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about field goals in gridiron football. For field goals in rugby league and rugby union, see Field goal (rugby). For field goals in basketball, see Field goal (basketball).
Execution of a field goal.
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in American football and Canadian football. To score a field goal the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. American football requires that a field goal must only come during a play from scrimmage, while Canadian football retains open field kicks and thus field goals may be scored at any time from anywhere on the field and by any player. The vast majority of field goals, in both codes, are placed kicked. Drop kicked field goals were common in the early days of Gridiron football but are almost never done in modern times. In most leagues, a successful field goal awards three points (a notable exception is in six-man football where, due to the difficulty of making a successful field goal because of the small number of players available to stop the opposing team from attempting a block, a field goal is worth four points).
A field goal may also be scored through a fair catch kick, but this is extremely rare. Since a field goal is worth only three points, as opposed to a touchdown, which is worth six points, it is usually only attempted in specific situations (see Strategy).
The goal structure consists of a horizontal crossbar suspended 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with two vertical goalposts 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart extending vertically from each end of the crossbar.[1] In American football the goals are centered on each end line; in Canadian football the goals are centered on each goal line.
Contents
[hide]
1 Strategy
2 How field goals are kicked
3 Successful field goals
4 Missed field goals
5 Blocked field goals
6 History
7 Longest field goal records
7.1 NFL
7.2 CFL
7.3 College football
7.4 U Sports
7.5 High school
7.6 Independent amateur
7.7 Independent Women's Football League
8 Longest missed field goal return records
8.1 NFL
8.2 CFL
8.3 NCAA
8.4 U Sports
9 References
10 External links
Strategy[edit]
As a field goal is worth only three points, while a touchdown scores at least six (which usually becomes seven with a successful conversion, and potentially 8 with a two-point conversion), teams will generally attempt a field goal only in the following situations:
It is fourth down (third down in Canadian rules), especially if the offense is more than a yard or two from a new first down, and within about 45 yards of the goal posts.
In the first half, there is enough time remaining to execute only one more play.
In the second half, there is enough time remaining to execute only one more play, and the team on offense needs three points to win or tie (four points in a few leagues given special circumstances).
The game is in overtime, and a FG is the quickest, easiest, and least risky way to end the match.
Except in desperate situations, a team will generally attempt field goals only when keeping a drive alive is unlikely, and its kicker has a significant chance of success, as a missed field goal results in a turnover at the spot of the kick (in the NFL) or at the line of scrimmage (in the NCAA). In American high school rules and Canadian football, where a missed field goal is treated the same as a punt, most teams still opt not to attempt field goals from very long range since field goal formations are not conducive to covering kick returns. Even under ideal conditions, the best professional kickers historically had difficulty making kicks longer than 50 yards consistently (the NFL record is 64 yards and the CFL record, 62 yards).[2] If a team chooses not to attempt a field goal on their last down, they can punt to the other team. A punt cannot score any points in American football unless the receiving team touches the ball first and the kicking team recovers it (though it can result in a single in Canadian football), but it may push the other team back toward its own end.
The longest field goal kick in NFL history is 64 yards, a record set by Matt Prater on December 8, 2013. The previous record was 63, originally set by Tom Dempsey and then matched by Jason Elam, Sebastian Janikowski, and David Akers. High school, college and most professional football leagues offer only a three-point field goal; however, some professional leagues have encouraged more rare kicks through four-point field goals. NFL Europe encouraged long field goals of 50 yards or more by making those worth four points instead of three (much like Australian rules' Super Goal or basketball's three-point line), a rule since adopted by the Stars Football League. Similarly, the sport of arena football sought (unsuccessfully) to repopularize the drop kick by making that worth four points; it failed, since only one kicker (Brian Mitchell) was able to do it with any semblance of proficiency. (In six-man football, where there is no offensive line, all field goals are worth four points instead of the usual three.)
The overall field goal percentage during the 2010 NFL season was 82.3. In comparison, Jan Stenerud, one of only two pure kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (along with Ray Guy), had a career field goal percentage of 66.8 from 1967 to 1985.[2]
How field goals are kicked[edit]
Play media
Video of a successful field goal try.
When a team decides to attempt a field goal, it will generally line up in a very tight formation, with all but two players lined up along or near the line of scrimmage: the placekicker and the holder. The holder is usually the team's punter or backup quarterback.[citation needed] Instead of the regular center, a team may have a dedicated long snapper trained especially to snap the ball on placekick attempts and punts.
The holder usually lines up seven to eight yards behind the line of scrimmage, with the kicker a few yards behind him. Upon receiving the snap, the holder holds the ball against the ground vertically, with the stitches away from the kicker. The kicker begins his approach during the snap, so the snapper and holder have little margin for error. A split-second mistake can disrupt the entire attempt.
Texas A&M attempts to kick a field goal against the Citadel in 2006.
The measurement of a field goal's distance is from the goalpost to the point where the ball was positioned for the kick by the holder. In American football, where the goalpost is located at the back of the end zone (above the end line), the ten yards of the end zone are added to the yard line distance at the spot of the hold.
In the early days of the sport, placekickers approached the ball straight on, with the toe making first contact with the ball. The technique of kicking the ball "soccer-style", by approaching the ball at an angle and kicking it with the instep, was introduced by kicker Pete Gogolak in the 1960s.[3] The Hungarian-born Gogolak, reflecting his roots in European soccer, observed that kicking the ball at an angle could cover more distance than kicking straight on.
Successful field goals[edit]
If there is any time left in the half, the method of resuming play after a successful field goal varies between leagues.
National Football League
The scored-against team receives a kickoff.[4]
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The scored-against team receives a kickoff.[5]
National Federation of High Schools
The scored-against team can choose to either receive a kickoff or kick off themselves. (In practice, almost all choose to receive.)
Canadian Football League
The scored-against team may elect to either kick off, receive a kickoff, or scrimmage from the 35-yard line. The option of scrimmaging from the 35 yard line was eliminated for the 2009 CFL season, but the change proved unpopular and was reversed the following year.
Football Canada
The scored-against team may elect to scrimmage the ball at its own 35-yard line, kick off from its own 35-yard line, or require the scoring team to kick off from its 45-yard line.[6]
Missed field goals[edit]
A missed field goal is said to be "no good" if the kicked ball does not cross between the uprights and/or over the crossbar of the goal posts. If it misses to the posts' left it may be called "wide left" and "wide right" if it misses to the posts' right. A field goal attempt may be described as "short" if it does not have sufficient distance to go over the cross bar. Some commentators will only describe a field goal attempt as being short if it appears to have been aimed correctly while others will describe an attempt appearing to lack both accuracy and distance as being both wide and short.
If a field goal attempt is missed and does not go out of bounds, a defensive player may catch the ball and return it, like a punt or kickoff. This type of play usually occurs during an extremely long field goal attempt due to the distance the defense must travel to reach the returner. If there is a significant likelihood of a miss and the strategic game situation warrants it, the defense places a player downfield, in or near their end zone, to catch the ball. The risk in this is that the return man may be tackled deep in his own territory, at a considerably worse position than he could have gotten by letting the ball go dead (see below); furthermore, should the returner fumble the ball, the kicking team can recover it and gain a new set of downs (the advantage is that the kicking team is lined up very close together to stop kick blockers, and not spread across the field like a kickoff or punt team, and is therefore in poor position to defend the return). Thus, teams will usually return a kick only towards the end of a half (when the kick will be the final play) or in a particularly desperate situation.
If a ball caroms off one of the goal posts or the crossbar, but lands in the field of play, the ball is considered dead and cannot be returned. (This is not the case in arena football, where large "rebound nets" surround the goal posts for the explicit purpose of keeping the ball in play.) However, if the ball caroms off one of the goal posts or the crossbar and continues into the goal, the score counts.
Situations where the defense does not return a missed field goal vary between leagues and levels of play:
National Football League
Missed field goals attempted from the defending team's 20-yard line or closer result in the defense taking possession at their 20-yard line. Missed field goals attempted from behind the 20-yard line result in the opposing team taking possession at the spot of the kick. (Until 1994, the opposing team would take possession at the line of scrimmage, unless the kick was attempted from inside the 20-yard line, in which case the opposing team would take possession at the 20-yard line.)
NCAA
The opposing team takes possession at the line of scrimmage rather than at the spot of the kick. If the line of scrimmage is inside the 20-yard line, the opposing team takes possession at the 20.[citation needed]
High school
Under NFHS (high school) rules, a field goal attempt is no different from any other scrimmage kick (punt, drop kick). If the field goal attempt is no good and enters the end zone it is a touchback. If the ball becomes dead on the field the defensive team will next put the ball in play from that point. If a field goal is blocked behind the line of scrimmage either team may pick it up and return it (see below).
Canadian football
If the defense does not return a missed field goal out of the end zone, or if a missed field goal attempt goes out the back of end zone, then the kicking team scores a single point. This sometimes results in the team on defense stationing their punter behind the goal posts to punt the ball out of the end zone, in case of a missed field-goal attempt, to preserve a victory or tie. Also, a missed field goal may be played by any onside player on the kicking team, (onside players being the kicker and anyone behind him at the time of the kick). It is risky to have anyone positioned behind the kicker when the ball is being kicked since those player(s) would be unable to help prevent the defending players from blocking the kick; however, on occasion teams might intentionally miss a field goal in hope of recovering the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. Returning a missed field goal is much more likely in Canadian football than in American rules for a few reasons. First, since the goal posts are on the goal line in front of a 20-yard end zone (rather than at the back of a 10-yard end zone), a missed field goal is much less likely to go out of bounds while in the air. Also, not returning the ball out of the end zone results in the defense conceding a single point, which may be crucial in a close game. Moreover, the wider field of the Canadian game makes the average return longer (in terms of yardage). However, many Canadian football coaches judge that conceding a single and taking possession at the 35-yard line is preferable to returning a missed field goal and avoiding a single at the cost of poor field position.
Blocked field goals[edit]
The San Francisco 49ers block a field goal attempt by Philadelphia Eagles kicker David Akers on October 12, 2008, and return it for a touchdown.
The Fresno State Bulldogs block a Texas A&M field goal attempt.
Occasionally, the defense will succeed in blocking a field goal. If a blocked field goal is in or behind the neutral zone, it is treated like a fumble and can be advanced by either team. Beyond the neutral zone, a blocked kick is treated like a punt and can be advanced only by the defense, unless a defensive player fumbles the ball, after which an offensive player can advance it.
History[edit]
In the early days of football, kicking was highly emphasized. In 1883, the scoring system was devised, with field goals counting for 5 points, and touchdowns and conversions worth 4 apiece. In 1897, the touchdown was raised to 5 points while the conversion was lowered to 1 point. Field goals were devalued to 4 points in 1904, and then to the modern 3 points in 1909. The touchdown was changed to 6 points in 1912 in American football; the Canadian game followed suit in 1956.
The spot of the conversion has also changed through the years. In 1924, NCAA rules spotted the conversion at the 3-yard line, before moving it back to the 5-yard line in 1925. In 1929, the spot was moved up to the 2-yard line, which the NFL had done until 2014. In 1968, the NCAA diverged from the NFL rules in moving the spot back to the original 3-yard line. Canadian rules originally spotted the conversion at the 5-yard line, which remains closer than in the American code as the goalposts are at the front of the end zone. In 2015, to make conversion kicks harder, the NFL and CFL moved the spot of the kick to the 15 and 25-yard lines, respectively. In addition, the CFL moved the spot for a two-point conversion up to the 3-yard line to entice more teams to go for 2 points as opposed to one.
The goalposts were originally located on the goal line; this led to many injuries and sometimes interfered with play, and the NCAA moved the goal posts to the rear of the end zone 90 years ago in 1927. The NFL (still following NCAA rules at the time) followed suit, but moved the posts back to the goal line starting in the 1932 NFL Playoff Game, a change made necessary by the size of the indoor Chicago Stadium and kept when the NFL rules stopped mirroring the NCAA rules in 1933. The NFL kept the post at the goal line until 43 years ago, when they were moved back to the rear of the end zone for the 1974 season. This was partly a result of the narrowed hashmark distance of 1972, which had made for easier field-goal angles. The Canadian game still has posts on the goal line.
The width of the goalposts and the hashmarks have also varied throughout the years. In 1959, the NCAA goalposts were widened to 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m), the standard width for high school posts today. In 1991, the college goalposts were reduced in width to 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m), matching the NFL. For the 1991 and 1992 seasons, this meant potentially severe angles for short field goal attempts, since the hashmark width remained at 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m). In 1993, the NCAA narrowed the distance between the hashmarks to 40 ft (12.19 m), matching what was the width of hashmarks in the NFL from 1945 through 1971; the NFL narrowed the hashmarks in 1972 to goalpost width at 18.5 feet (5.64 m). In the CFL, the hashmarks are 51 feet (16 m), but the field is 195 feet (59 m) in width, 35 feet (11 m) wider than the American field.
The NFL increased the height of the uprights above the crossbar to 20 feet (6.10 m) in 1966 and 30 feet (9.14 m) in 1974. In 2014, they were raised five feet to 35 feet (10.67 m) after the adoption of a proposal by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.[7]
The "slingshot" goalpost, with a single post curving to support the crossbar, was invented by Jim Trimble and Joel Rottman in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[8] The first were built by Alcan and displayed at Expo 67,[8][9] the World's fair in Montreal. The NFL had standardized the goalposts in 1966 and adopted the slingshot for the 1967 season;[8] the NCAA later adopted the same rule, but later allowed the use of "offset" goalposts, with two posts rather than one. Three schools in Division I FBS currently use dual-support posts: Florida State, LSU, and Washington State. A special exemption was allowed by the NFL for the New Orleans Saints to use the offset goalposts during the 2005 season, when they used LSU's stadium for home games after Hurricane Katrina.
Goalposts at the professional level today are sometimes equipped with a camera mounted to the stanchion immediately behind the center of the crossbar. Since these cameras are both above and slightly behind the crossbar, a field goal attempt will be judged good if it strikes this equipment.
In 1989, the NCAA banned the kicking tee, requiring kicks from the ground.[10][11]
During the 2011 NFL season, a record 90 field goals of 50 yards or longer were made.[12] In 2012, this record was increased to 92 field goals of 50 yards or longer.[12]
Longest field goal records[edit]
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
As recorded in Guinness World Records:
The record for a field goal at any level is 69 yards. It was kicked by Ove Johansson of the Abilene Christian University Wildcats in the 1976 game against East Texas State University Lions (now Texas A&M University–Commerce) in Shotwell Stadium, Abilene, Texas.[13]
NFL[edit]
The longest field goal made was 64 yards by Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos on December 8, 2013.[14] The longest field goal attempt in an NFL game was 76 yards by Sebastian Janikowski on September 28, 2008.[15]
In the history of the NFL regular season, only 18 field goals have been made from at least 60 yards:[16]
Distance
Kicker
Team
Result
Opposition
Date
Notes
Location
Elevation
Weather
64 yards Matt Prater Denver Broncos 51–28 Tennessee Titans December 8, 2013 End of 1st half Sports Authority Field at Mile High 5,280 ft (1,610 m) 13 °F; Sunny; Wind: S at 3 mph; Humidity: 72%
63 yards Tom Dempsey New Orleans Saints 19–17 Detroit Lions November 8, 1970 Born with a stub for a right foot. Game-winning kick as time expired. Detroit kicker Errol Mann had kicked a field goal with :08 remaining to give Lions the lead. Tulane Stadium 16 ft (4.9 m)
63 yards Jason Elam Denver Broncos 37–24 Jacksonville Jaguars October 25, 1998 First field goal to tie record; soccer-style kicker Mile High Stadium 5,280 ft (1,610 m)
63 yards Sebastian Janikowski Oakland Raiders 23–20 Denver Broncos September 12, 2011 left-footed Sports Authority Field at Mile High 5,280 ft (1,610 m) Light rain early
63 yards David Akers San Francisco 49ers 30–22 Green Bay Packers September 9, 2012 left-footed; end of first half; ball bounced off crossbar before crossing the plane Lambeau Field 640 ft (200 m) 70 °F; Mostly Cloudy; Wind: N at 7 mph; Humidity: 43%
62 yards Matt Bryant Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23–21 Philadelphia Eagles October 22, 2006 game-winning kick as time expired Raymond James Stadium 35 ft (11 m)
61 yards Sebastian Janikowski Oakland Raiders 9–23 Cleveland Browns December 27, 2009 left-footed FirstEnergy Stadium 580 ft (180 m)
61 yards Jay Feely Arizona Cardinals 16–19 (OT) Buffalo Bills October 14, 2012 right-footed; longest game-tying field goal with 1:09 remaining in the 4th quarter, missed a 38-yard field goal that would have won the game at the end of regulation University of Phoenix Stadium 1,150 ft (350 m) Retractable roof closed
61 yards Justin Tucker Baltimore Ravens 18–16 Detroit Lions December 16, 2013 Right-footed; game-winning field goal with 43 seconds remaining; sixth field goal of the game Ford Field 601 ft (183 m)[17] Dome
61 yards Greg Zuerlein St. Louis Rams 18–21 (OT) Minnesota Vikings November 8, 2015 Right-footed TCF Bank Stadium 869 ft (265 m) 58 °F (14 °C); sunny
61 yards Jake Elliott Philadelphia Eagles 27–24 New York Giants September 24, 2017 Right-footed; game winning kick as time expired. Second game of NFL career. Lincoln Financial Field 39 ft (12 m) 91 °F (33 °C); sunny
60 yards Steve Cox Cleveland Browns 9–12 Cincinnati Bengals October 21, 1984 straight-ahead kick; on AstroTurf Riverfront Stadium 490 ft (150 m)
60 yards Morten Andersen New Orleans Saints 17–20 Chicago Bears October 27, 1991 left-footed; on AstroTurf; first 60-yard kick done indoors Louisiana Superdome Sea level Dome
60 yards Rob Bironas Tennessee Titans 20–17 Indianapolis Colts December 3, 2006 Right-footed; game winner with six seconds remaining LP Field 400 ft (120 m)
60 yards Dan Carpenter Miami Dolphins 10–13 Cleveland Browns December 5, 2010 End of 1st half Sun Life Stadium 5 ft (1.5 m) 77 °F (25 °C), wind SW at 14 mph (23 km/h)
60 yards Greg Zuerlein St. Louis Rams 19–13 Seattle Seahawks September 30, 2012 in his rookie season ; longest field goal in third quarter; also kicked a 58-yard field goal in the first quarter Edward Jones Dome 466 ft (142 m) Dome
60 yards Chandler Catanzaro Arizona Cardinals 18–33 Buffalo Bills September 25, 2016 longest field goal in career New Era Field 600 ft (180 m)
Prior to Dempsey's 1970 kick, the longest field goal in NFL history was a 56-yard field goal by Bert Rechichar in 1953. A 55-yard field goal, achieved by a drop kick, was recorded by Paddy Driscoll in 1924, and stood as the unofficial record until that point; some sources indicate a 54-yarder by Glenn Presnell in 1934 as the record, due to the inability to precisely verify Driscoll's 55-yarder.
In a pre-season NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks on August 29, 2002, Ola Kimrin kicked a 65-yard field goal.[18] However, because pre-season games are not counted toward official records, this accomplishment is not the official record.
CFL[edit]
62 yards, Paul McCallum, Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Edmonton Eskimos, October 27, 2001[19]
60 yards, Dave Ridgway, Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers, September 6, 1987[19]
College football[edit]
69 yards, Ove Johansson, Abilene Christian vs. East Texas State on October 16, 1976. (NAIA)
67 yards, Tom Odle, Fort Hays State vs. Washburn, 1988. (NCAA)
67 yards, Joe Williams, Wichita State vs. Southern Illinois, 1978. (NCAA Division I)
67 yards, Russell Erxleben, Texas vs. Rice, 1977. (NCAA Division I)
67 yards, Steve Little, Arkansas vs. Texas, 1977.[20] (NCAA Division I)
65 yards, J. T. Haxall, Princeton vs. Yale, 1882.
All of the above kicks were successful with the use of a kicking tee, which was banned by the NCAA prior to the 1989 season.
65 yards, Martin Gramatica, Kansas State vs. Northern Illinois, 1998 - without a tee [21]
The longest known drop-kicked field goal in college football was a 62-yard kick from Pat O'Dea, an Australian kicker who played on the Wisconsin Badgers football team. O'Dea's kick took place in a blizzard against Northwestern on November 15, 1898.[22]
U Sports[edit]
The longest field goal in U Sports football history is 57 yards, by Jerry Foster of St. Mary's Huskies, playing against the Mount Allison Mounties on October 18, 1986.[23]
High school[edit]
68 yards, Dirk Borgognone, Reno High School vs. Sparks High School (Nevada), September 27, 1985[24][25]
67 yards, Austin Rehkow, Central Valley High School (Spokane Valley, Washington) vs. Shadle Park High School (Spokane, Washington), October 18, 2012, game-tying FG with :02 left in 4th quarter (CV would go on to win 62-55). [26][27] (tied with two others)
62 yards, David Rosenbaum, Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.) vs. Spingarn High School, October 3, 2003. While no records are kept, considered to be the longest extra point scored. Penalties due to excessive celebration, unsportsmanlike conduct, and taunting.[28]
Independent amateur[edit]
68 yards, Fabrizio Scaccia, Treasure Coast Bobcats (FL), March 29, 2009[29] (world record for a kick without the aid of a tee, which was banned for field goal attempts in the NCAA in 1989)
Independent Women's Football League[edit]
44 yards, Sarah Oliver, California Quake vs. New Mexico Menace, April 26, 2008.[30]
Longest missed field goal return records[edit]
NFL[edit]
Field goal returns are rare in the NFL, since an attempt with sufficient distance that misses the uprights will automatically be dead. Returns are possible when a field goal is short, but in that case returners will usually down the ball so as to scrimmage from the spot of the kick. Normally, a return will only be attempted when there is not enough time left in the half to run a play from scrimmage. Nevertheless, four field goals have been returned for at least 107 yards in the 21st century:
Distance returned
Returner
Team
Opposing kicker
Opposing team
Distance attempted
Date
Location
109 yards[31] Antonio Cromartie San Diego Chargers Ryan Longwell Minnesota Vikings 58 yards November 4, 2007 Metrodome
108 yards[32] Devin Hester Chicago Bears Jay Feely New York Giants 52 yards November 12, 2006 Giants Stadium
108 yards[33] Nathan Vasher Chicago Bears Joe Nedney San Francisco 49ers 52 yards November 13, 2005 Soldier Field
107 yards[34] Chris McAlister Baltimore Ravens Jason Elam Denver Broncos 57 yards September 30, 2002 Ravens Stadium
CFL[edit]
Because the goalposts in Canadian football are on the goal line, and because downing the ball in the end zone results in the kicking team scoring a single point, field goal returns are much more common. The longest missed field goal return in the CFL is 131 total yards. Against the Montreal Alouettes on August 22, 1958, the Toronto Argonauts' Boyd Carter ran 15 yards, then threw a lateral to Dave Mann, who then returned it for the final 116 yards.[35] This return, which started 21 yards behind the goal line, was during the era of 25-yard end zones and therefore cannot be met or exceeded on the modern field with 20-yard end zones. Since the shortening of the end zones, a field goal has been returned for the maximum 129 yards on two occasions: by Tristan Jackson of the Saskatchewan Roughriders on July 14, 2012 [36] and by Trent Guy of the Montreal Alouettes on September 23, 2012.[37]
NCAA[edit]
In NCAA college football, only five missed field goals returns for touchdowns have ever been returned 100 yards or more:[38]
September 17, 1966: Don Guest (California Golden Bears), 108-yard return for a touchdown after a failed 47-yard field goal attempt by Washington State.[38]
September 28, 1968: Richie Luzzi (Clemson Tigers), 108-yard return for a touchdown after a failed 47-yard field goal attempt by Georgia.[39]
September 7, 2013: Odell Beckham Jr. (LSU Tigers), 109-yard return for a touchdown after a failed 59-yard field goal attempt by UAB.[38]
November 30, 2013: Chris Davis, Jr. (Auburn Tigers), 109-yard return for a touchdown after what would have been a tie-breaking 57-yard field goal attempt by Alabama fell short as time expired, what some writers and fans call the greatest play in college football history.[40][41][42][43]
September 3, 2016: Brandon Wilson (Houston Cougars), 109-yard return for a touchdown after a failed 53-yard field goal attempt by Oklahoma.[44]
U Sports[edit]
In U Sports football, the longest possible missed field goal return is 129 yards, and this has occurred three times.[23]
Jeremy Botelho of the Manitoba Bisons playing against the Simon Fraser Clansmen on September 11, 2009
Jedd Gardner of the Guelph Gryphons playing against the McMaster Marauders on October 8, 2010
Tunde Adeleke of the Carleton Ravens playing against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on October 5, 2013
References[edit]
Jump up ^ http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/4_2012_Field.pdf
^ Jump up to: a b Battista, Judy (November 6, 2011). "Kickers Are Becoming Can’t-Miss Performers". The New York Times. p. SP4. Archived from the original on November 14, 2011.
Jump up ^ http://www.cornellbigred.com/News/football/2007/10/29/DartNotes102907.asp?path=football[permanent dead link]
Jump up ^ http://static.nfl.com/static/content/public/image/rulebook/pdfs/14_2013_Scoring.pdf
Jump up ^ http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/FR14.pdf
Jump up ^ "The Canadian Amateur Rule Book for Tackle Football" (PDF). Vancouver Mainland Football League. Football Canada. p. 19. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
Jump up ^ [1]
^ Jump up to: a b c "Touchdown for Canada!". En Ville. (Montreal, Quebec, Canada). March 18, 1967. p. 3.
Jump up ^ http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-02-05/sports/fl-rottman-goal-post-super-bowl-0205-20100205_1_slingshot-post-orange-bowl
Jump up ^ http://tech.mit.edu/V109/N1/foot.01s.html
Jump up ^ "No More Tee Party". CNN. September 4, 1989.
^ Jump up to: a b NFL Player Stats - Field Goals Made, 50+ Yards
Jump up ^ See the article on Johansson.
Jump up ^ http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000294584/article/matt-prater-breaks-fieldgoal-record-with-64yarder
Jump up ^ Chase, Chris. "Raiders attempt 76-yard field goal". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
Jump up ^ "Long field goals". www.profootballhof.com. November 8, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
Jump up ^ "Ford Field". Sports Venue info. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Living With 63 Yards – And Beyond". ESPN. November 4, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
^ Jump up to: a b CFL, "Regular Season All-Time Records", retrieved February 9, 2011.
Jump up ^ Sports Illustrated Almanac, 2011 edition; "NCAA FBS (1-A) Alltime Individual Leaders", pg. 242
Jump up ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/DI/2008/FBS%20compiled.pdf
Jump up ^ Hall of Fame Inductee Search: Pat "Kangaroo Kicker" O'Dea[permanent dead link]
^ Jump up to: a b "CIS Football Records". Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2014. [permanent dead link]
Jump up ^ Santoro, Joe (2005). For a moment in time, he was The Kid Who Made The Kick. RGJ.com. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
Jump up ^ 67-yard field goal; Vick’s flat tire; ‘Tebowing’ trademark. The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
Jump up ^ Jenks, Jayson. (2012). [2] Central Valley's Austin Rehkow kicks state-record 67-yard field goal. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
Jump up ^ Brown, Nathan. (2012). [3] Austin Rehkow Incredible RECORD 67-Yard Field Goal!!!
Jump up ^ http://articles.latimes.com/2003/oct/04/sports/sp-hs62xp5
Jump up ^ "Faces in the Crowd." Sports Illustrated (April 20, 2009).
Jump up ^ Catherine B Vivo (2008-05-02), Quake - #81 Sarah "Ollie" Oliver Field Goal Record 04-26-08, retrieved 2016-11-16
Jump up ^ "San Diego's Cromartie sets NFL record with 109-yard FG return". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 23, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Hester's record return pushes Bears past sleeping Giants". Associated Press. ESPN. November 12, 2006. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Vasher's 108-yard return lifts Bears over 49ers". Associated Press. ESPN. November 13, 2005. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Ravens beat Broncos in every way possible". Associated Press. ESPN. September 30, 2002. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 13, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-13.
Jump up ^ http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/76119
Jump up ^ http://cfl.ca/article/hes-the-guy-129-yard-touchdown-seals-win-for-als
^ Jump up to: a b c "How rare is missed field goal returned for touchdown?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 2, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013.
Jump up ^ Low, Chris (August 1, 2011). "Yards to Glory, SEC version". ESPN. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ Bacon, John (December 2, 2013). "Auburn-Alabama: The Greatest Play in College Football History?". Here&Now. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
Jump up ^ Vaccaro, Mike (November 30, 2013). "Auburn-Alabama is greatest ending in sports history". New York Post. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
Jump up ^ DeMarchi, John (December 2, 2013). "Is the 2013 Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn) the Most Dramatic Finish to a Football Game of All-Time?". Huffington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
Jump up ^ Lupica, Mike (December 1, 2013). "End of Auburn vs. Alabama is one second in college football that will be talked about forever". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
Jump up ^ "Oklahoma vs. Houston - Play-By-Play - September 3, 2016 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-09-05.
External links[edit]
Official NFL Field Goal Records
[hide]
v
t
e
Gridiron football concepts
Codes
American
Glossary
History
Early
Modern
Rules
Canadian
American–Canadian comparison
Burnside rules
Glossary
Arena
Indoor
9-man
8-man
6-man
Flag
Touch
Street/Backyard
Powderpuff
Wheelchair
Rules of gridiron football codes
Levels of play
Youth/midget
Pop Warner
AYF
High school
Varsity
Junior varsity
College
Club
Sprint
Professional
Practice squad
Women's
International
Field
Lines
Yard lines
Hash marks
Goal line
Sidelines
Line of scrimmage
Field goal range
Spaces
End zone
Red zone
Neutral zone
Coffin corner
Flat
Gap
Hole
Pocket
Scoring
Touchdown
One-point conversion
Two-point conversion
Field goal
Safety
Single (rouge)
Turnovers
Fumble
Interception
Muffed punt
Turnover on downs
Downs
First down
Three-and-out
Fourth down conversion
Dead ball
Play clock
Timeout
Kneel
Spike
Time warnings
3 min.
2 min.
1 min.
Clock management
Running out the clock
Untimed play
Garbage time
Statistics
Carry
Completion
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Passer rating
Total quarterback rating
Reception
Receiving yards
Pass deflected
Sack
Return yards
Total offense
Yards after catch
Yards from scrimmage
All-purpose yardage
Touchdown pass
Practice
Two-A-Days
Oklahoma drill
Three-cone drill
Film session
Officiating
Official (American, Canadian)
Chain crew
Penalty
Penalty flag
Instant replay
Miscellaneous
Ball
Coaching tree
Concussions
Equipment
12th man
Letterman
Overtime
Running up the score
Touchdown celebration
Gatorade shower
Tuck rule
Uniform number
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Field_goal&oldid=804364049"
Categories:
American football plays
American football terminology
Canadian football terminology
Hidden categories:
All articles with dead external links
Articles with dead external links from September 2017
Articles with permanently dead external links
Articles with dead external links from December 2016
Use mdy dates from April 2012
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from January 2011
Articles needing additional references from May 2010
All articles needing additional references
Articles containing video clips
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Català
Dansk
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Српски / srpski
Edit links
This page was last edited on 8 October 2017, at 14:29.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view

key: html

type: local

value: div

attrs: id class

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

value: a

attrs: id class lang

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

values: jump-to-nav mw-jump

attrs: href title

attrs: role class

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: img

attrs: alt src width height class srcset data-file-width data-file-height

attrs: href class

attrs: href class title

attrs: class style

value: b

values:
/wiki/Overtime_(sport)
mw-redirect
Overtime (sport)

values: Edit section: How field goals are kicked

values: <video id="mwe_player_1" poster="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Field_Goal.ogv/854px--Field_Goal.ogv.jpg" controls="" preload="none" autoplay="" style="width:854px;height:480px" class="kskin" data-durationhint="4.16" data-startoffset="0" data-mwtitle="Field_Goal.ogv" data-mwprovider="wikimediacommons"><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/Field_Goal.ogv/Field_Goal.ogv.480p.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp8, vorbis"" data-title="SD WebM (480P)" data-shorttitle="WebM 480P" data-transcodekey="480p.webm" data-width="854" data-height="480" data-bandwidth="1095440" data-framerate="50"/><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/Field_Goal.ogv/Field_Goal.ogv.720p.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp8, vorbis"" data-title="HD WebM (720P)" data-shorttitle="WebM 720P" data-transcodekey="720p.webm" data-width="1280" data-height="720" data-bandwidth="2868224" data-framerate="50"/><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/Field_Goal.ogv/Field_Goal.ogv.1080p.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp8, vorbis"" data-title="Full HD WebM (1080P)" data-shorttitle="WebM 1080P" data-transcodekey="1080p.webm" data-width="1920" data-height="1080" data-bandwidth="5542200" data-framerate="50"/><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Field_Goal.ogv" type="video/ogg; codecs="theora, vorbis"" data-title="Original Ogg file, 1,920 × 1,080 (14.42 Mbps)" data-shorttitle="Ogg source" data-width="1920" data-height="1080" data-bandwidth="14424242" data-framerate="50"/><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/Field_Goal.ogv/Field_Goal.ogv.160p.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp8, vorbis"" data-title="Low bandwidth WebM (160P)" data-shorttitle="WebM 160P" data-transcodekey="160p.webm" data-width="284" data-height="160" data-bandwidth="268744" data-framerate="50"/><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/Field_Goal.ogv/Field_Goal.ogv.240p.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp8, vorbis"" data-title="Small WebM (240P)" data-shorttitle="WebM 240P" data-transcodekey="240p.webm" data-width="426" data-height="240" data-bandwidth="375016" data-framerate="50"/><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/Field_Goal.ogv/Field_Goal.ogv.360p.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp8, vorbis"" data-title="WebM (360P)" data-shorttitle="WebM 360P" data-transcodekey="360p.webm" data-width="640" data-height="360" data-bandwidth="634544" data-framerate="50"/></video>

values:
/wiki/Punter_(football_position)
mw-redirect
Punter (football position)

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2011)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values:
/wiki/Center_(American_football)
mw-redirect
Center (American football)

values:
/wiki/The_Citadel_(military_college)
mw-redirect
The Citadel (military college)

values:
glossary
national_football_league
margin-top: 0.4em;

values:
glossary
national_federation_of_high_schools
margin-top: 0.4em;

values:
glossary
canadian_football_league
margin-top: 0.4em;

values:
glossary
football_canada
margin-top: 0.4em;

values:
glossary
canadian_football
margin-top: 0.4em;

values: NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision

values: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Saints

values: Edit section: Longest field goal records

attrs: alt src width height srcset data-file-width data-file-height

values: Help:Introduction to referencing with Wiki Markup/1

values: plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove

values:
/wiki/FirstEnergy_Stadium_(Cleveland)
mw-redirect
FirstEnergy Stadium (Cleveland)

values:
/wiki/St._Louis_Rams
mw-redirect
St. Louis Rams

values:
/wiki/Sun_Life_Stadium
mw-redirect
Sun Life Stadium

values:
/wiki/Edward_Jones_Dome
mw-redirect
Edward Jones Dome

values:
/wiki/Paul_McCallum_(Canadian_football)
mw-redirect
Paul McCallum (Canadian football)

values: Joe Williams (kicker) (page does not exist)

values:
/wiki/Martin_Gramatica
mw-redirect
Martin Gramatica

values:
/wiki/St._Mary%27s_Huskies
mw-redirect
St. Mary's Huskies

values: Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.)

values: Edit section: Independent Women's Football League

values: Edit section: Longest missed field goal return records

values:
/wiki/San_Diego_Chargers
mw-redirect
San Diego Chargers

values:
/wiki/Ravens_Stadium
mw-redirect
Ravens Stadium

values:
/wiki/Single_(Canadian_football)
mw-redirect
Single (Canadian football)

values:
/wiki/Dave_Mann_(American_football)
mw-redirect
Dave Mann (American football)

values:
/wiki/Simon_Fraser_Clansmen
mw-redirect
Simon Fraser Clansmen

values:
nofollow
external text
http://sportsvenueinfo.com/venues/11

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.cflapedia.com/records.htm

values:
nofollow
external free
http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/76119

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: Template talk:Gridiron football concepts

values: Comparison of American and Canadian football

values:
/wiki/Club_football
mw-redirect
Club football

values:
/wiki/Professional_football_(gridiron)
mw-redirect
Professional football (gridiron)

values: International Federation of American Football

values:
/wiki/Fourth_down_conversion
mw-redirect
Fourth down conversion

values:
/wiki/Passing_yards
mw-redirect
Passing yards

values:
/wiki/Two-A-Days_(football)
mw-redirect
Two-A-Days (football)

values: Instant replay in American and Canadian football

values: Protective equipment in gridiron football

values: nowraplinks collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner

values: Category:All articles with dead external links

values: Category:Articles with dead external links from September 2017

values: Category:Articles with permanently dead external links

values: Category:Articles with dead external links from December 2016

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from January 2011

values: Category:Articles needing additional references from May 2010

values: Category:All articles needing additional references

values: Category:Articles containing video clips

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Field_goal
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values: portal navigation p-navigation p-navigation-label

values: Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia

values: About the project, what you can do, where to find things

values: portal navigation p-wikibase-otherprojects p-wikibase-otherprojects-label

values: Field goal (amerikansk fodbold) – Danish

values:
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fieldgoal
Fieldgoal – Dutch
nl
nl
interlanguage-link-target

values: Шут из поља (амерички фудбал) – Serbian

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Field_goal rootpage-Field_goal vector-nav-directionality skin-vector action-view