Although the NFL has loosened the rules against celebrations, one restriction remains in place: Players can’t dunk the ball over the goal post.
NFL owners voted this week to roll back some of the league’s longstanding celebration penalties, including using the football as a prop. But according to ESPN the league still doesn’t allow dunking over the goal post because it considers that using the goal post as a prop, and because of the potential for delaying the game.
Then-Saints tight end Jimmy Graham delayed a game by about 20 minutes in 2013 when he dunked over a goal post and hit the cross bar in the process, knocking the goal post off-balance. The next offseason, the league banned dunks.
Graham criticized the league for that rule change, but it’s a rule the league feels strongly enough about that it will stay in place even after this week’s move to let players have a little more fun in the end zone.
FAQs
There is a goal centered on each end line, with a crossbar 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground and goalposts 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart (in college and the NFL) extending at least 35 feet (11 m) above the crossbar.
What are the dimensions of the NFL uprights? ›
The current NFL rulebook mandates that the goal posts have a crossbar 10 feet above the ground that stretches 18 feet and 6 inches across. The uprights, or bars on either side, extend 35 feet vertically and have to be between three and four inches in diameter.
Are NFL goal posts taller than college? ›
Football field goal posts are positioned in the centre of the end line of each end zone. The crossbar is always 10ft (3m) high for high school, college, and NFL football. The overall height and width of field goal posts varies, with high school posts being both shorter and wider than college and NFL field goal posts.
What year did the NFL move goalposts? ›
In 1974, the goal posts on an NFL field were moved from the goal line to the end line. The change had a major impact on the game, reducing the number of field goals and freeing up the end zone for passing, running, and punting while removing a safety hazard.
How tall is the cross bar on a goal post? ›
The Professional Field Goal Post (NFL) has a yellow finish. Professional (NFL) Football Field Goal Posts have a top of crossbar height of 10' (3.05 m) and inside width of 18'6" (5.64 m). The uprights extend 35' (10.67 m) from the top of the crossbar, resulting in an overall height 45' (13.72 m).
What is the width and height of the goal post in football? ›
They are square, rectangular, round or elliptical in shape and are not dangerous to players. The distance between the posts is 7.320m and the distance from the lower edge of the crossbar to the ground is 2.44m. Both goalposts and the crossbar have the same width and depth of 12cm.
Are NFL uprights narrower than college? ›
The official crossbar width for high school football is 23'4", while the official crossbar width for the NCAA and NFL is 18'6".
How tall should a goal post be? ›
Professional (NFL) Football Field Goal Posts have a top of crossbar height of 10' (3.05 m) and inside width of 18'6" (5.64 m). The uprights extend 35' (10.67 m) from the top of the crossbar, resulting in an overall height 45' (13.72 m).
What size are football goalposts in feet? ›
These goalposts are the most popular size of goal used and can be seen at any professional football event or even at the park. The FA recommends that players aged 15 and over use 24ft x 8ft goals, whilst those aged 13 and 14 playing in youth and junior 11-a-side games use 21ft wide x 7ft high goals.
Did the NFL narrow the goalposts? ›
Why Did the NFL move the Goal Posts? In 1974, the NFL moved the goal posts from their offset position to the back of the end zone. Although player safety was a concern, much of it was to discourage long-range field goals. In 2015, the league experimented by narrowing the goal posts for the Pro Bowl.
Football Field Dimensions. High school football fields share the same size as NFL and collegiate fields measuring exactly 120 x 53.3 yards. All football fields have 100 yards of play and two endzones that are 10 yards deep. Though the overall size stays the same there is a slight variation in measurements on the field.
