If you relish the obscure, the rare, and the unusual in sports, Thursday evening was for you.

As time expired in the first half of their game against the Denver Broncos on Thursday, the Los Angeles Chargers accomplished something that hadn't been done in the NFL since 1976. After his team drew a kick-catch interference penalty on a fair catch, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker drilled a 57-yard fair catch kick to trim the Broncos' lead to 21–13.

Dicker's kick—essentially a field goal attempted without contest from the defense—was made possible by a little-known rule that allows a team to attempt a free-kick field goal after a fair catch. One of football's most obvious debts to rugby, the rule confused many fans when invoked—though those in the know were quick to praise Los Angeles coach Jim Harbaugh and his assistants.

Some disbelieved Denver coach Sean Payton when he said the Broncos practiced for it (though if anyone would, it'd probably be Payton).

Ex-defensive end J.J. Watt called the play "awesome."

The relative merits of making a fair catch kick and a regular field goal were debated.

Take a bow, student of the game par excellence Jim Harbaugh.

Other fans were just thrilled to understand the complicated NFL rule.

More of the Latest Around the NFL


This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL World Reacts to Chargers Nailing First Fair Catch Free Kick in Nearly 50 Years.

Test hyperlink for boilerplate