There’s an old rule in sports. You’ll take points no matter how you get can.
And for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, they got on the scoreboard during last night’s contest with their division rival Denver Broncos thanks to an obscure rule that hasn’t been used in nearly 50 years.
In fact, it was so rare, many of the coaches on both sides had no idea what was going on.
Here’s what happened, and the video of the ruling playing out in real time.
Late in the first half of last night’s game, the Chargers looked as if they would go into halftime down 11 points after quarterback Justin Herbert was intercepted by cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine late in the half.
However, a quick three-and-out by the Broncos offense and a fair catch interference penalty on Denver cornerback Tremon Smith gave Los Angeles an untimed down to end the half.
And that’s when things got whacky.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh chose to take the fair catch free kick, which by rule is attempted from where a fair catch was called or has been awarded as the result of a penalty.
Typically, teams signal for fair catches well out of field goal range.
Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker proceeded to make a 57-yard field goal thanks to the rare play, which allows a team that has just made a fair catch to attempt a field goal without the opponent trying to block it.
The longest previous fair catch free kick was a 52-yarder by Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers in 1962.
The last fair catch kick attempt was by Carolina’s Joey Slye in 2019 against the Buccaneers. But, he missed the 60-yard attempt.
Dicker told reporters that the special teams unit does watch Slye’s kick each Friday, but admitted he never thought he would attempt one in a game.
“It was awesome,” Dicker said. “It was funny to be in that scenario and just be like, ‘Huh, there’s no lineup there. This looks a little weird,’ but it was really cool.”
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game that the free kick is his favorite football rule and that he had been waiting for the chance to try one all season.
This isn’t the first time Harbaugh has had his team attempt such a kick.
In 2013, as coach of the San Francisco 49ers, he had Phil Dawson try a 71-yard fair catch kick, but he missed.
“This is our chance; this is our moment,” Harbaugh said of his thought process. “I wanted to try it from 65 [yards].”
During the moment, many players on the Chargers were confused at what was unfolding.
Quarterback Justin Herbert thought he would attempt a Hail Mary, and others realized that they didn’t know as much about football as they thought.
“Everybody was trying to figure out what was going on,” outside linebacker Bud Dupree said. “We knew he could make it. We just didn’t understand. Was it going to be a two-point or three-point, or did we get the ball on the 1? We didn’t know.”
Added running back Gus Edwards: “Man, I don’t know whose idea it was to kick that, but they know ball. I was confused as s—. I ain’t ever seen that before.”