r/CFB • u/meatfrappe • 4h ago
History Last month, DIII Montclair State attempted a fair catch kick—a play college football hadn't seen in over 85 years
Last month, the NCAA saw its first fair catch kick attempt in more than 85 years! On September 12, 2026, Division III Montclair State attempted one against Lycoming College with one second remaining in the first half.
This video starts with Lycoming punting from its own end zone, setting up the fair catch kick. Skip to 2:48 to see the fair catch kick attempt itself.
The fair catch kick is a holdover from football's rugby roots. It allows a team that has just made a fair catch to attempt an uncontested "free kick" from the spot of the catch. The free kick must be either a place kick or a drop kick, and if it goes through the uprights, it's worth three points.
While fair catch kicks have always been legal in the NFL1, the NCAA eliminated the rule in 1950. As far as I can tell, the last attempt in college football before the ban occurred in 1939.
The NCAA brought the rule back for the 2026 season, and Montclair State is so far the first and only team to put it to use. Unfortunately, the kick sailed wide left, so the bragging rights for "first fair catch made since 1939" are still up for grabs.
1 There have been 33 known fair catch kick attempts in NFL history since 1920. The most recent was made by Cameron Dicker in 2024.