Page 1 of 1
Nets behind the goalposts - when?
Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2018 2:38 pm
by Rupert Patrick
At what point did teams start putting up nets for kicking plays to prevent the balls from sailing into the stands? I figure it had to be sometime in the 1960's. A google search came up empty on this one. Any assistance would be appreciated.
Re: Nets behind the goalposts - when?
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 1:29 pm
by sheajets
In the early to mid 80's I can still remember no nets behind the posts in certain stadiums. Houston comes to mind. Candlestick possibly?
Re: Nets behind the goalposts - when?
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:31 pm
by Ronfitch
Was it a league-wide standardized practice or were some stadiums doing it earlier on their own?
Re: Nets behind the goalposts - when?
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 3:56 pm
by RRMarshall
Yes, it was done by a few teams and it gradually caught on. In one of his books Gary Yepremian details how the Dolphins starting using the nets in the late 1970s to keep him from kicking the ball into the pool in back of the end zone where the Dolphins' mascot Flipper resided. He kept trying to kick the ball over the net and into the pool on extra points just to rile up management.