Can an NFL player jump over the line to block a field goal?

Only if he was in a stationary position within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped. A player who runs forward and leaps across the line is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct.

What is the penalty for leaping in the NFL?

Fifteen yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, plus an automatic first down because the foul is on the defense.

When did the NFL ban leaping over the line?

NFL owners approved the ban on March 28, 2017 at the Annual League Meeting, on a proposal from the Philadelphia Eagles.

ORIGINSeptember 22, 20263 min read

An NFL Defender Could Leap The Line To Block A Kick Until 2017. Now It Is 15 Yards.

Hurdling the center to block a field goal was a real NFL tactic until the owners made it unsportsmanlike conduct in March 2017.

Blocking a field goal by getting a running start and jumping over the offensive line was once a legal, if rare, NFL tactic. It is now a 15-yard foul.

The vote

At the Annual League Meeting on March 28, 2017, NFL owners approved a Philadelphia Eagles proposal banning the play. The NFL Players Association supported it on player-safety grounds: a leaper who is contacted in mid-air has no way to protect himself on the way down.

What the rule actually says

Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (r) of the 2026 rulebook makes it unsportsmanlike conduct to run forward and leap across the line of scrimmage in an obvious attempt to block a field goal, a Try kick, or an apparent kick, unless the leaping player was in a stationary position within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped.

A player who is more than one yard behind the line of scrimmage before or at the snap may run forward and leap, provided he does not cross the line of scrimmage or land on players.

The penalty

Unsportsmanlike conduct is a loss of 15 yards, enforced from the succeeding spot if the ball is dead or the previous spot if the ball was in play. Because a leaping foul is by definition committed by the defense, it also carries an automatic first down.

No kick required

The rulebook's Approved Rulings note that a leaping or leverage foul does not require a kick to actually be attempted, as long as the offense was in a scrimmage kick formation at the snap.

Quick answers

Can an NFL player jump over the line to block a field goal?: Only if he was in a stationary position within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped. A player who runs forward and leaps across the line is guilty of unsportsmanlike conduct.
What is the penalty for leaping in the NFL?: Fifteen yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, plus an automatic first down because the foul is on the defense.
When did the NFL ban leaping over the line?: NFL owners approved the ban on March 28, 2017 at the Annual League Meeting, on a proposal from the Philadelphia Eagles.

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ORIGIN

Yards, plus an automatic first down, for a hip-drop tackle