How Often Are Field Goals Blocked? The Numbers Shock Fans
How often are field goals blocked?
In modern football, blocked field goals are rare, usually happening on only a small fraction of attempts - roughly around 1% to 3% leaguewide in many NFL seasons, with individual teams often sitting at 0% to 5% depending on protection quality and sample size. A typical fan may go several games, or even a full season, without seeing one, which is why a blocked kick feels so dramatic when it happens.
What the numbers show
Recent league snapshots show how uncommon the play is. One widely cited historical example notes that in a season with 962 field goal attempts, only two were blocked, underscoring just how infrequent the event can be in a given year. More recent season-level tracking also shows that blocked kicks can cluster unexpectedly: one report described an NFL Sunday with four blocked field goals, the most in a single day since 1991.
| Level | Typical blocked FG rate | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| NFL leaguewide | About 1% to 3% | Most kicks are protected well enough that blocks remain uncommon. |
| Single team in one season | 0% to 5% | Small samples and protection mismatches can make one team look much better or worse. |
| Long-distance attempts | Higher than average | Longer kicks have more time in the air and more room for penetration. |
| Very long attempts, 60+ yards | Can approach 10% | One football analysis said 60-yard-plus tries are blocked about 10% of the time. |
Why blocks stay rare
The special teams units in football are built specifically to prevent this kind of disaster. Snap timing, kick trajectory, line protection, and the kicker's release time all matter, and one breakdown can turn a routine attempt into a block. Because teams practice these situations heavily, most field goals are either made or missed without a defender ever touching the ball.
Distance also changes the odds. The farther the attempt, the more time the defense has to collapse the edge or win a gap, which is why a 20-yard chip shot is much safer than a desperate 58-yard try in bad weather. That same logic explains why analysts often see more blocks late in games, when protection issues, fatigue, and pressure push coaches toward riskier attempts.
What recent seasons suggest
In the 2025 NFL tracking cited by TeamRankings, several teams showed block rates above 5%, while many others posted 0% in the sample period. That kind of spread does not mean some teams are "usually" blocking kicks and others are never vulnerable; it mostly reflects the low-frequency nature of the event, where one or two plays can swing percentages dramatically. A separate team leaderboard for blocked-kick prevention showed many teams at 0.00% in 2025-26 tracking, again emphasizing how uncommon blocks are on a per-team basis.
Why the public notices it so much
The blocked kick gets outsized attention because it changes expected points instantly. A field goal that looked nearly automatic can flip possession, field position, and momentum in one snap, so broadcasters replay it repeatedly and fans remember it far more vividly than a routine make. The rarity plus the stakes make it one of the most emotionally expensive plays in football.
"There were 4 blocked field goals in the NFL on one Sunday - the most in a single day since 1991," a 2025 recap noted, capturing how quickly a rare event can become a national talking point.
How often by situation
The chance of a block is not uniform across all field goals. Short kicks with clean operations are usually safe, while long kicks, rushed holds, bad weather, and heavy interior pressure all increase risk. A kick in the 50- to 60-yard range is often treated differently by coaches because the operation time is longer and the margin for error shrinks.
- Short attempts are least likely to be blocked.
- Long attempts are more vulnerable to line penetration.
- Bad weather can worsen hold timing and lower trajectories.
- Breakdowns at snap, hold, or protection can create a block even against a weak rush.
How to read the stat
Blocked field goal rate is best understood as a low-frequency event with high leverage. If you see a team with a 4% block rate, that does not mean every 25th kick will be blocked in a predictable way; it means the team's protection has been exposed enough in that sample to produce a noticeably elevated rate. Because the underlying event is so rare, percentages move fast and can look extreme after just a few games.
- Check the sample size first, because one or two blocks can distort the rate.
- Separate short, medium, and long attempts, since distance changes the risk profile.
- Look at weather and game context, especially wind, rain, and pressure situations.
- Compare protection quality over multiple seasons instead of one short stretch.
Historical context
Older NFL data show that blocked field goals were not common even decades ago. The ESPN note that only two of 962 attempts were blocked in one season remains a useful reminder that, despite changes in kicking range and athleticism, the play has long been a statistical outlier. Modern kicking has improved accuracy, but improved protection and faster specialist units have helped keep blocks from becoming routine.
What coaches focus on
Coaches and special teams coordinators treat the kick operation as a full-chain problem. The snap must be clean, the hold must be stable, the rush lanes must be controlled, and the kicker must get the ball off on time with enough trajectory to clear the defense. When one of those pieces slips, the result can be a block even against a team with otherwise solid protection.
Bottom line for fans
If you are asking how often field goals are blocked in football, the simplest answer is that it happens infrequently - usually only a few times per hundred attempts, and sometimes far less. The play is rare enough to be newsworthy, but common enough that every team still has to protect against it on every kick.
Helpful tips and tricks for How Often Are Field Goals Blocked In Football
How often are field goals blocked in the NFL?
In the NFL, blocked field goals usually happen on only about 1% to 3% of attempts leaguewide, though the exact number changes by season and by team.
Are long field goals blocked more often?
Yes, longer attempts are more vulnerable because they take longer to reach the uprights and give defenders more time to penetrate. One football analysis said kicks from 60 yards or more can be blocked about 10% of the time.
Why do blocked field goals feel so rare?
They are rare because modern special teams units are designed to prevent them through timing, blocking technique, and trajectory control. Their drama also makes them more memorable than ordinary misses or makes.
Do blocked field goals happen in bunches?
Yes, even though they are uncommon overall, they can cluster in short stretches. One NFL Sunday in 2025 produced four blocked field goals, the most in a single day since 1991.