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From: wales@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sport.football
Subject: Re: Canadian "single" in U.S. football?
Message-ID: <1250@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 18-Sep-84 22:43:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.1250
Posted: Tue Sep 18 22:43:35 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 07:21:37 EDT
References: <13000005@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: UCLA CS Dept.
Lines: 35

It needs to be kept in mind that end zones in the CFL are 25 yards deep,
and that the goal posts are even with the goal lines.  Hence, a failed
field goal attempt in Canadian football is less likely to go all the way
through the end zone, and the receiving team has more of a chance to get
the ball and try to run it out.

Of course, it is also true that a player catching or picking up the ball
deep in the end zone has quite a long distance to run out -- especially
if lots of opposing players are going after him.  Unless the extra point
for the other side would be crucial, the ball carrier will often decide
to go down on one knee in the end zone and give up a point in return for
reasonably good field position on the 35-yard line (but remember that
this is the 35-yard line on a 110-yard-long field).

(In case anyone reading this has no idea what is being talked about,
there is a rule in Canadian football that awards one point to the kick-
ing team if the ball goes out of the end zone, or goes into the end zone
and is not brought out by the other team.  In effect, there is no such
thing as a "touchback" in the Great White North.  This rule does not
apply on a successful field goal -- i.e., a field goal that also goes
out of the end zone still scores only three points -- and it doesn't
apply on a PAT either -- whether successful or not.

One consequence of this rule is that the defending team needs to have
someone in the end zone on a field goal attempt, in case the ball misses
the uprights but still lands in the end zone.  It may also explain why
kickers in the CFL seem to routinely kick so much farther than their
American counterparts -- even if you miss the field goal, you still have
a chance to score a point if the other team can't return your kick.)
-- 
    Rich Wales
    UCLA Computer Science Department
    3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, CA 90024 // (213) 825-5683
    ARPA:  wales@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA
    UUCP:  ...!{cepu,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!wales