The New England Patriots have landed in a fresh bit of field-goal gamesmanship, and the NFL says the move is legal.
The issue surfaced when users on X noticed the Patriots were creating an optical illusion for opposing kickers during field goal attempts. It looks sneaky, and it is, but the rulebook doesn’t ban it.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe dug into the language and found that the tactic does not break any rules governing video during kicks. The rule reads: “Video During Kicks - All video and ribbon boards must show either a static image (e.g., no flashing images, blinking effects, moving text/images, etc.) or an All-22 view (e.g., high sideline, high end zone, etc.) during field goal attempts and extra-point attempts.
Any flashing, moving, or blinking text/images displayed on video boards or ribbon boards during field goal attempts and extra points are considered a violation of this policy. The prohibition will begin when the kicking team reaches the line of scrimmage and continues through the signal by the Game Officials following the kick.”
According to the reporting, the Patriots figured this out years ago with former kicker Stephen Gostkowski. The idea was simple: a screen showing the field goal during an attempt could rattle a kicker. So at Gillette Stadium, New England leaves the screen blank when it is kicking and flips it on when an opponent lines up for a field goal.
There is evidence that Gillette Stadium is substantially kinder to its own kickers than opposing kickers, though the report notes it is hard to draw a direct line from that to the optical illusion itself.
For now, the tactic stands. The bigger question is whether other teams will copy it or whether this becomes the kind of edge the league tries to shut down in a future rule change proposal.
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