Lions ST coordinator not a fan of emerging field goal block strategy

There’s a relatively new field goal block strategy trending in the NFL, and Lions ST coordinator Dave Fipp is not a fan of it.

In each of the last two weeks, there has been a field goal block involving a relatively new strategy, and Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp is not a fan of it.

In short, the strategy involves a defender immediately holding down the long snapper while another member of the block team hurdles over the snapper and reaches the kick unimpeded. The New York Giants were the first team to successfully do this in 2024 (the Browns did it last year ), resulting in a key stop late in their victory over the New York Giants. In the video below, you can see the Giants holding down not just the long snapper, but the lineman to the snapper’s right, allowing Isaiah Simmons the path to hurdle.

You may be wondering, “Didn’t the NFL disallow hurdling on field goals?” The answer to that is only partially yes. Back in 2017, the prevented teams from getting a running start and leaping over the line, as made popular by Seahawks Kam Chancellor. But this is the language of the rule of what constitutes an illegal unsportsmanlike act (Section 3, Article 1, subset R)

“Running forward and leaping across the line of scrimmage in an obvious attempt to block a field goal or Try Kick, or apparent kick, unless the leaping player was in a stationary position within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped.”

So because Simmons was within 1 yard of the line of scrimmage, he was permitted to try and block the kick. The following week, Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett did it, resulting in a block returned for a touchdown.

Many believe this to be a loophole in the rulebook, and while the Lions haven’t been impacted by this rule, Fipp appears to agree and has even advocated against this to the league before.

“It’s a weird thing to me because I don’t really agree with being able to drive a guy down to the ground and jump over the top of him,” Fipp said. “And I’ve expressed that to the league before, because I think, whether you call it a hold or pulling the shoot, you’re pushing a guy to the ground and shooting over the top of him and restricting him from being able to do his job. I don’t love that. It’d be kind like if you’re snatching a guy—during a pass rush, you’re snatching an offensive lineman, pulling him out of the way so a guy can run through the gap.”

Fipp couldn’t say whether he thinks the NFL will eventually close out the loophole, but he understands it’s something they have to deal with.

“The rules are the rules, we have to play within them,” Fipp said.

As for if the Lions have someone who could pull off that kind of block, Fipp said it requires someone with supreme athletic traits and wasn’t tipping his hand.

“I’ve done it in the past, I’ve had a guy who could do it. He was also a freak athlete,” Fipp said. “I’m not saying we don’t have anyone on our team that can do it, I’m not going to get into all of that. But it is definitely difficult to do.”