The rules of football have changed quite a bit throughout NFL history, but some old rules are still on the books, even if they’re rarely used.
From Flutie converts NFL’s first drop kick in 64 years:
According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame web site, the league’s last drop kick for points was on Dec. 21, 1941 — two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor — when Ray ‘Scooter’ McLean converted for the Chicago Bears to beat the New York Giants 37-9 in the NFL championship game.‘Flutie might have been there the last time it happened,’ placekicker Adam Vinatieri joked.
The ball was more round until 1934, making the bounce more predictable. And the rules were changed to require the kicker to be behind the line of scrimmage, relegating the drop kick to a riskier version of a place kick or extra point.
[...]
Flutie took his position for a regular shotgun snap, then retreated to the 12 yard-line to await the ball; he caught the ball, dropped it to the grass and kicked it off the short hop straight through the uprights.