NFL Uprights Grew 5 Feet Taller In 2014 Because Of One Kick Over The Top
NFL goal post uprights used to stop 30 feet above the crossbar. A disputed 2012 kick in Baltimore led to a 2014 rule that raised them to 35.
Before 2014, the NFL rulebook said the vertical posts extend at least 30 feet above the crossbar, as ProFootballTalk quoted it when the change was proposed.
The kick in Baltimore
On September 23, 2012, Ravens rookie Justin Tucker kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to beat the New England Patriots 31-30, NFL.com reported. The ball passed above the top of the right upright, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick believed it had sailed outside.
The fix
In March 2014 the Patriots proposed raising the uprights five feet, to 35 feet above the crossbar. Their argument, per ProFootballTalk, was that officials have trouble judging whether a kick higher than 30 feet above the crossbar is good. The owners approved it at the 2014 annual meeting, CBS Boston reported.
The rule today
Rule 1, Section 3, Article 2 of the 2026 rulebook says the uprights extend 35 feet above the crossbar. Under Rule 15, Section 3, Article 11, whether a field goal or try was good is reviewable only if the ball crosses the plane of the goal post below the top of the uprights, or if the ball touches anything.
Quick answers
- How tall are NFL uprights?
- The 2026 NFL rulebook says the uprights extend 35 feet above the crossbar, and the crossbar is 10 feet above the ground.
- Why were NFL uprights made taller?
- The Patriots proposed it in 2014, arguing that officials struggle to judge kicks higher than 30 feet above the crossbar. The proposal followed a disputed game-winning Ravens field goal against the Patriots in 2012.
- Can a field goal over the top of the upright be reviewed?
- Only if the ball crosses below the top of the uprights or touches something. A kick that passes above the top is not reviewable under Rule 15.
Sources
- NFL.com: Tucker's last-second kick sends Ravens over Pats
- ProFootballTalk: Patriots want to extend the uprights
- CBS Boston: Patriots' Proposal To Raise Height Of Goalposts Approved By NFL
- 2026 Official Playing Rules of the National Football League
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