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What is a Field Goal? Field Goal Betting Explained

David Genge

Editor

Publish Date: March 31, 2021

Fact checked by: Jesse M Cox

A field goal is commonly used in American football to describe when a player either makes a place kick or drop kick through the uprights and over the crossbar of the goal.

The rules state that in American football, a field goal can only come during a play from scrimmage but in Canadian football a field goal can be scored by any player on the pitch at any time.

A place kick is a common scenario in the NFL as well as rugby league and rugby union, and is when the ball is placed on a specific spot and the kicking player attempts to score points from the kick.

As place kick is placed in the field, it is known as a field goal when converted and in most codes of sport is worth three-points.

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How is Field Goal used in Sports Betting?

Field goals play a vital role in the strategies of sports teams and thus play a vital role in the outcome of a match which affects the result of betting markets.

Some sportsbooks will run specific sub-markets on field goals, such as whether or not a field goal will be the last method of scoring points in a game.

Also, because a field goal is worth three points in a majority of sports, this plays an important aspect of the winning margin markets as a team may opt to attempt a field goal at the end of a game as opposed to scoring a try or touchdown which are both worth more points.

Did you know…

In December 2013, Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater scored the longest field goal in NFL history against the Tennessee Titans scoring from 64 yards from the goal.

To put that into context, in the history of the NFL regular season only 18 field goals have ever been scored from further than 60 yards.

Do Extra Points Count as Field Goals in Betting?

No, extra points do not count as field goals in betting. Extra points are used after touchdowns to try and get 1 additional point. Field goals are scored when the offense kicks a ball through the uprights during any down, and they generally account for 3 points.