Field goal - Definition and Overview

"Field goal" (formerly "goal from the field") is a general term used in some sports wherein a goal may be scored either during general play ("from the field") or via some sort of free shot. The term has been used in basketball as well as in Canadian, American, and rugby football. However, the term is somewhat obscolescent in rugby, where one is apt to refer now only to the drop goal or dropped goal, which is the invariable form of the field goal therein. Also, the term is now a misnomer in American and Canadian football, where the rules have been rewritten to refer to all forms of goal scored as "field goal", even if from a free kick.

In American, Canadian, and rugby football, a [field] goal may be scored only by a place kick or drop kick. The ball must pass over a crossbar 10 feet off the ground and between upright posts 18' 6" (5.64 m) apart, to count, and the kick must not be a kickoff. The rules of the particular game may impose additional requirements.

The current record for the longest field goal in the NFL is 63 yards by Tom Dempsey in 1970 and Jason Elam in 1998.

The current record for NCAA College Football Division 1-A is 67 yards and held by three people:

• Russel Erxleben on October 10, 1977
• Steve Little on October 15, 1977
• Joe Williams on October 21, 1978

A field goal is a form of scoring in basketball in which a player successfully shoots the ball through the hoop during play. If the shot is taken from inside an arc painted on the court it is worth two points; if taken from beyond that it counts for three points. The distance from the arc to the basket varies from league to league and level to level.