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Why are there so many accurate kickers in this era? (1 Viewer)

David Yudkin

David Yudkin

Footballguy
OK, I realize I have to turn in my man card for starting a kicker thread, but I noticed that of the Top 25 most accurate kickers of all-time, 22 of them are active kickers. And the 3 that aren't currently playing retired in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

What changed to warrant such an in flux of accuracy? I realize that they have gone to using a brand new ball/kicking balls just for kicking, but could that be the only reason that kickers now are that much more accurate?

Are there that many indoor stadiums now that the weather has become less of a factor? This just seems really odd to me . . .

 
Its the $$$. I am guessing that there are moreguys working harder than ever due to the potential reward.

 
It's the toe punt. Back in the day the toe punt was what all kickers used. Toe punts make the balls go far, but it is terribly inaccurate.

 
Think about how the kicking position has evolved. It wasn't until the mid 60s that teams used specialized kickers at all. Before that, other players doubled as kickers, and weren't focused on it. There were no special teams coaches until 1969 (**** Vermeil was the first). And there were no dedicated kicking coaches until more recently.

Kicking is now done by specialists who have specialized coaching. Of course they are going to be more accurate than their predecessors.

 
Pip said:
Think about how the kicking position has evolved. It wasn't until the mid 60s that teams used specialized kickers at all. Before that, other players doubled as kickers, and weren't focused on it. There were no special teams coaches until 1969 (**** Vermeil was the first). And there were no dedicated kicking coaches until more recently. Kicking is now done by specialists who have specialized coaching. Of course they are going to be more accurate than their predecessors.
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Yea, not to mention I would guess in the older days, going for the FG would be like a slap in the face to the O.Nowadays, teams play call with considerations of a FG attempt knowing they have an accurate K whose main job is to prepare for FG attempts.
 
David Yudkin said:
OK, I realize I have to turn in my man card for starting a kicker thread, but I noticed that of the Top 25 most accurate kickers of all-time, 22 of them are active kickers. And the 3 that aren't currently playing retired in 2005, 2006, and 2007.What changed to warrant such an in flux of accuracy? I realize that they have gone to using a brand new ball/kicking balls just for kicking, but could that be the only reason that kickers now are that much more accurate?Are there that many indoor stadiums now that the weather has become less of a factor? This just seems really odd to me . . .
Click to expand...
The new kicker ball has, I think, made kicking harder. That said, there's no doubt that kicking accuracy has increasingly improved in the NFL. I suppose domes and fieldturf have something to do with it, along with greater specialization. I think the money being paid to kickers plays a big part of this, too. Teams have been using just kickers for field goals for a long time but FG percentage now is so much better than it was 20 years ago.
 
I think this is a misleading stat. You would expect a kickers FG% should look like a bell shaped curve over the course of his career, so kickers who are still in their prime are naturally going to have a higher career % than they will at the end of their career. I bet if you went back to any point in time and looked at the all time leaders in FG% it will be heavily weighted with active kickers.

This is similar to career batting average numbers in baseball.

 
Marauder said:
I think this is a misleading stat. You would expect a kickers FG% should look like a bell shaped curve over the course of his career, so kickers who are still in their prime are naturally going to have a higher career % than they will at the end of their career. I bet if you went back to any point in time and looked at the all time leaders in FG% it will be heavily weighted with active kickers.This is similar to career batting average numbers in baseball.
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That doesn't explain why the best statistical seasons a Kicker has had have all come in the 90's-00's.
 
Marauder said:
I think this is a misleading stat. You would expect a kickers FG% should look like a bell shaped curve over the course of his career, so kickers who are still in their prime are naturally going to have a higher career % than they will at the end of their career. I bet if you went back to any point in time and looked at the all time leaders in FG% it will be heavily weighted with active kickers.This is similar to career batting average numbers in baseball.
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That's a fair point generally, but it's not applicable here. Leaguewide FG rates are much, much higher now than ever.
 
Various thoughts and comments regarding the original question and subsequent replies in this thread:

1. The simple answer is simply the advancement of the art of kicking over time.

2. The first step was when the kicker became a specialized job position, rather than just a secondary role/task that some other position also handled. Once that happened, then kickers could focus solely on that task and discover that there are actually techniques involved, and begin to improve upon them.

3. Coaching has also gradually become more specialized. As noted previously, having a Special Teams Coordinator is a semi-recent development. In some instances there is now specifically a kicking coach.

4. As kickers and coaching of kickers has advanced, so has longsnapping and holding. Longsnapper is another position that at one time was not specialized.

5. The advancement and proliferation of artificial turfs has definitely helped. Field goal accuracy numbers are higher on the various artificial surfaces than on grass.

6. The K-ball (new out of the box ball used on kicking plays) is harder to kick, but its impact is on distance not really on accuracy.

7. While some kickers lose their accuracy as they get “old”, they more commonly lose their range. Older kickers are sometimes relieved of kickoff and long FG attempts if a team is willing to carry a second “big legged” kicker for those roles.

8. If anything, older kickers are often more accurate than they were earlier in their careers. Jason Elam and Matt Stover have often commented on how they focused too much on trying to kick every ball as hard and as far as they could when they first entered the league. Then they eventually learned to reign in their leg, and work on trying to get it between the uprights every time.

9. I don’t have any stats to support this but I believe as kicking accuracy has improved, that in turn has increased the expectations of the owners and coaches. In the old days I suspect teams settled moreso for whatever their kicker happened to make (and miss). Now if a kicker doesn’t produce he is dumped, and teams are more willing to search far and wide for a kicker than can produce.

10. As the art of kicking has advanced, there really isn’t anything the opposing team can do to make a kicker less accurate (unless someone figures out how to get more blocks). This is different than many offensive advancements, which are then countered by defensive advancements.

11. I hope you get over the loss of your man card David.

 
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Mike Herman said:
Various thoughts and comments regarding the original question and subsequent replies in this thread:1. The simple answer is simply the advancement of the art of kicking over time.2. The first step was when the kicker became a specialized job position, rather than just a secondary role/task that some other position also handled. Once that happened, then kickers could focus solely on that task and discover that there are actually techniques involved, and begin to improve upon them.3. Coaching has also gradually become more specialized. As noted previously, having a Special Teams Coordinator is a semi-recent development. In some instances there is now specifically a kicking coach.4. As kickers and coaching of kickers has advanced, so has longsnapping and holding. Longsnapper is another position that at one time was not specialized.5. The advancement and proliferation of artificial turfs has definitely helped. Field goal accuracy numbers are higher on the various artificial surfaces than on grass.6. The K-ball (new out of the box ball used on kicking plays) is harder to kick, but its impact is on distance not really on accuracy.7. While some kickers lose their accuracy as they get “old”, they more commonly lose their range. Older kickers are sometimes relieved of kickoff and long FG attempts if a team is willing to carry a second “big legged” kicker for those roles.8. If anything, older kickers are often more accurate than they were earlier in their careers. Jason Elam and Matt Stover have often commented on how they focused too much on trying to kick every ball as hard and as far as they could when they first entered the league. Then they eventually learned to reign in their leg, and work on trying to get it between the uprights every time.9. I don’t have any stats to support this but I believe as kicking accuracy has improved, that in turn has increased the expectations of the owners and coaches. In the old days I suspect teams settled moreso for whatever their kicker happened to make (and miss). Now if a kicker doesn’t produce he is dumped, and teams are more willing to search far and wide for a kicker than can produce.10. As the art of kicking has advanced, there really isn’t anything the opposing team can do to make a kicker less accurate (unless someone figures out how to get more blocks). This is different than many offensive advancements, which are then countered by defensive advancements.11. I hope you get over the loss of your man card David.
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I think most of these are good points. I also think that the switch to the "soccer style" kick over the straight ahead kick makes a huge difference in kicking accuracy. The first soccer style kicker didn't even appear in the NFL until the mid 60's and you still had some straight ahead kickers well into the 80's. The gradual shift to soccer style kicking would probably lead to a gradual increase in kicking accuracy over 20 years. The popularity of football also has a large impact. The league is much more popular now then it was in the 60's, 70's and even the 80's. The more popular the league is, the more kids play the game, the bigger the pool of talent there is to choose from. And given the specialization at all levels of the game, many of the new kickers that enter the league have been pretty much only kickers for a very long time - meaning they have worked on only kicking for a very long time.It's also probably notable that as the league has expanded, it's expanded to a number of warm weather cities. Since it's easier to kick in nice weather then in the cold, I'd imagine that it would have a positive effect on league-wide kicking accuracy.Finally, the proliferation of domes and retractable roof stadiums makes a huge difference, as well. Statistically, it's clear that it's much easier to kick in a dome then in an open air stadium. As of this year, 9 teams play in domed or retractable roof stadiums - many more games are played in domes now then they were in the 70's and 80's.Overall, it's probably a combo of all of these things. Kicking, like all other positions, has become a specialized assignment. And with that specialization comes the effort to optimize the outcome.
 
Chase Stuart said:
David Yudkin said:
OK, I realize I have to turn in my man card for starting a kicker thread, but I noticed that of the Top 25 most accurate kickers of all-time, 22 of them are active kickers. And the 3 that aren't currently playing retired in 2005, 2006, and 2007.What changed to warrant such an in flux of accuracy? I realize that they have gone to using a brand new ball/kicking balls just for kicking, but could that be the only reason that kickers now are that much more accurate?Are there that many indoor stadiums now that the weather has become less of a factor? This just seems really odd to me . . .
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The new kicker ball has, I think, made kicking harder.
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Are you serious? How has it make kicking harder when it appears just the opposite is taking place?
 
BeaverCleaver said:
Chase Stuart said:
David Yudkin said:
OK, I realize I have to turn in my man card for starting a kicker thread, but I noticed that of the Top 25 most accurate kickers of all-time, 22 of them are active kickers. And the 3 that aren't currently playing retired in 2005, 2006, and 2007.What changed to warrant such an in flux of accuracy? I realize that they have gone to using a brand new ball/kicking balls just for kicking, but could that be the only reason that kickers now are that much more accurate?Are there that many indoor stadiums now that the weather has become less of a factor? This just seems really odd to me . . .
Click to expand...
The new kicker ball has, I think, made kicking harder.
Click to expand...
Are you serious? How has it make kicking harder when it appears just the opposite is taking place?
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The rationale is that the new ball is much harder coming right out of the box vs. the regular game balls that have been loosened up. I believe it impacts distance more than accuracy though so in theory it shouldn't make that much difference except on extra long kicks that might fall a wee bit short.
 
Coupled with Mike Herman's #9...

How often do you see teams bringing in 2-3 kickers as "competition" for their starters or 2-3 guys to compete for the role of kicker in general?

I think that it's really the one job that is not "guaranteed" in the NFL and helps place added emphasis on guys to perfect their role of kicker in order to just stay on a team. Just in 2008 alone: Kansas City employed 2 kickers during the season (Connor Barth made 83.3% vs. Nick Novak's 60%). The Giants signed John Carney to cover for Tynes' injury. New Orleans utilized 3 different kickers with 2 of them attempting at least 10 FG during the season.

Part of it might also be that kickers are simply kicking the ball more... It's become much more of a "job" than even just a role for every single team.

2008: 32 teams and 1000 Attempts

1998: 30 teams and 889 Attempts

1988: 28 teams and 796 Attempts

1978: 28 teams and 677 Attempts

 
BeaverCleaver said:
Chase Stuart said:
David Yudkin said:
OK, I realize I have to turn in my man card for starting a kicker thread, but I noticed that of the Top 25 most accurate kickers of all-time, 22 of them are active kickers. And the 3 that aren't currently playing retired in 2005, 2006, and 2007.What changed to warrant such an in flux of accuracy? I realize that they have gone to using a brand new ball/kicking balls just for kicking, but could that be the only reason that kickers now are that much more accurate?Are there that many indoor stadiums now that the weather has become less of a factor? This just seems really odd to me . . .
Click to expand...
The new kicker ball has, I think, made kicking harder.
Click to expand...
Are you serious? How has it make kicking harder when it appears just the opposite is taking place?
Click to expand...
Because correlation doesn't equal causation.
 
All of the answers I see are correct. My theory would include the development of the soccer style kick, the specialization of the position, the development of turf and domes and the development, advancement and rotation of how many footballs are used in a game as well.

 
Bojang0301 said:
All of the answers I see are correct. My theory would include the development of the soccer style kick, the specialization of the position, the development of turf and domes and the development, advancement and rotation of how many footballs are used in a game as well.
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There has also been a huge increase in the number of people playing soccer in all age groups. I cannot say how often pro kickers started out as soccer players, but I would think it happens more often than not. From a sheer numbers standpoint, it would figure that the quality of kickers has improved at every level from high school through college to the professional ranks as the soccer ranks have swelled giving football coaches a much larger pool of kicking talent.
 
Chase Stuart said:
BeaverCleaver said:
Chase Stuart said:
David Yudkin said:
OK, I realize I have to turn in my man card for starting a kicker thread, but I noticed that of the Top 25 most accurate kickers of all-time, 22 of them are active kickers. And the 3 that aren't currently playing retired in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

What changed to warrant such an in flux of accuracy? I realize that they have gone to using a brand new ball/kicking balls just for kicking, but could that be the only reason that kickers now are that much more accurate?

Are there that many indoor stadiums now that the weather has become less of a factor? This just seems really odd to me . . .
Click to expand...
The new kicker ball has, I think, made kicking harder.
Click to expand...
Are you serious? How has it make kicking harder when it appears just the opposite is taking place?
Click to expand...
Because correlation doesn't equal causation.
Click to expand...
And actually, the K ball came about in part because the league was hoping to make field goals less automatic and touchbacks on kickoffs less frequent. Just For Kicks (an article from 1999 on the K ball's introduction to the NFL)

Minnesota vice president and coach Dennis Green, who's on the competition committee, acknowledges that K rations are being fed to the kickers partly because kickoff men, field goal kickers and punters had become so formidable. "I think the NFL wants returns to be part of the game," says Green. "They want shorter field goals, and they want more [uncertainty] when it comes to field goals."
Click to expand...
 
All good points.

The only way I can think of legitimately to decrease a PK's accuracy is to put Shaun Rogers on the kick block team - it only works 1-2 times a year, but it does sem to work. there are probably a couple other guys with that knack.

 
CrossEyed said:
It's the shoes.
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Surprised no one has seemed to take this comment more seriously.In the NFL Network show The Greatest Game, former Giants kicker Pat Summerall and current kicker Adam Vinatieri are talking about the Giants-Colts NFL Championship. Summerall comments that in those days they didn't have special kicker shoes that were squared off at the toe, but instead had regular round-toed shoes. Vinatieri commented back on how much harder that would make field goal kicking than what they wear today.
 
I once heard Morten Andersen, who is a Dane, say that his soccer background helped him out tremendously. And that he didnt understand why more low/mid level soccer players, with a nice punch in their leg, didnt follow his lead and try to make it as kickers.

 
Mike Herman said:
Various thoughts and comments regarding the original question and subsequent replies in this thread:10. As the art of kicking has advanced, there really isn’t anything the opposing team can do to make a kicker less accurate (unless someone figures out how to get more blocks). This is different than many offensive advancements, which are then countered by defensive advancements.
Click to expand...
I think this is a big one. Every other position in football has probably gotten better as well (bigger, stronger, faster, better technique), but they mostly cancel each other out.
 
I believe it primarily has to do with the change to soccer style kicking (as was mentioned above), coupled with the huge increase in the available pool of talent. Soccer didn't really start to take off as a sport for kids until the late sixties, early seventies. So, prior to that time, there were relatively few Americans who played soccer regularly as kids. Now millions do. That means a talent pool of millions; as they find they are good at soccer, they play into high school, etc. and then eventually specialize by kicking for the football team. The good kickers today were playing kids' soccer in the 70's and 80's.

 
The next question, of course, is then what impact this has in fantasy circles. If so many kickers these days rarely miss, is the challenge in taking a kicker based solely on the strength of offenses? Back in the day when I started playing (say 15 years or so ago), my leagues penalized for missed kicks. So taking an accurate kicker could help you while taking someone a bit erratic could kill you. Now it seems like that is mostly irrelevant.

 
David Yudkin said:
The next question, of course, is then what impact this has in fantasy circles. If so many kickers these days rarely miss, is the challenge in taking a kicker based solely on the strength of offenses? Back in the day when I started playing (say 15 years or so ago), my leagues penalized for missed kicks. So taking an accurate kicker could help you while taking someone a bit erratic could kill you. Now it seems like that is mostly irrelevant.
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For me, what it means is playing the matchups. While I used to put thought into which kicker to draft (I've been playing FF since 1981), I no longer worry much about the PK on my roster in leagues with liberal WW movement. I get much better production from adding and dropping 10 different PKs through the year than sticking with one guy.
 
GregR said:
CrossEyed said:
It's the shoes.
Click to expand...
Surprised no one has seemed to take this comment more seriously.In the NFL Network show The Greatest Game, former Giants kicker Pat Summerall and current kicker Adam Vinatieri are talking about the Giants-Colts NFL Championship. Summerall comments that in those days they didn't have special kicker shoes that were squared off at the toe, but instead had regular round-toed shoes. Vinatieri commented back on how much harder that would make field goal kicking than what they wear today.
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Im sure the changes have helped kickers.You have shoes specifically designed for the guy (though, I never understood why they wore 2 different colored shoes...why not just find the same color other shoe to your kicking shoe so they match).But cleat changes, turf changes, material, design, it all helps some im sure.Also...didn't the hash marks change at some point in the last 30 years...or am I imagining that?
 
A little aside here, but I'd love to see the NFL change the value of field goals depending on distance. It'll never happen I know, but it would make it more interesting I think if they didn't give the same 3 points for those automatic 20 yarders as they do for a 55 yarder.

If it's 4th and goal on the 2 and a short FG is only worth one point, teams will not be so quick to kick. I'd love to see something like:

FG of 17-25 yds worth 1 point

FG of 26-40 yds worth 2 points

FG of 41+ yds worth 3 points

 
Couch Potato said:
A little aside here, but I'd love to see the NFL change the value of field goals depending on distance. It'll never happen I know, but it would make it more interesting I think if they didn't give the same 3 points for those automatic 20 yarders as they do for a 55 yarder.If it's 4th and goal on the 2 and a short FG is only worth one point, teams will not be so quick to kick. I'd love to see something like:FG of 17-25 yds worth 1 pointFG of 26-40 yds worth 2 pointsFG of 41+ yds worth 3 points
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Please don't tell me you are serious with this.Its the NFL, not fantasy football.
 
sho nuff said:
Couch Potato said:
A little aside here, but I'd love to see the NFL change the value of field goals depending on distance. It'll never happen I know, but it would make it more interesting I think if they didn't give the same 3 points for those automatic 20 yarders as they do for a 55 yarder.If it's 4th and goal on the 2 and a short FG is only worth one point, teams will not be so quick to kick. I'd love to see something like:FG of 17-25 yds worth 1 pointFG of 26-40 yds worth 2 pointsFG of 41+ yds worth 3 points
Click to expand...
Please don't tell me you are serious with this.Its the NFL, not fantasy football.
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I'm not talking about fantasy football at all. I just think it sucks that a team can wuss out on 4th an 1 and kick a FG for 3 points. It'd be a better game if the decision to go for it was relatively more valuable.
 
Couch Potato said:
A little aside here, but I'd love to see the NFL change the value of field goals depending on distance. It'll never happen I know, but it would make it more interesting I think if they didn't give the same 3 points for those automatic 20 yarders as they do for a 55 yarder.If it's 4th and goal on the 2 and a short FG is only worth one point, teams will not be so quick to kick. I'd love to see something like:FG of 17-25 yds worth 1 pointFG of 26-40 yds worth 2 pointsFG of 41+ yds worth 3 points
Click to expand...
They are changing the scoring for kicking (and some other things) in the newly formed coming out next year version of the USFL:4 point FG if 51 yards or longer3 point XP from beyond 10 yards outNo touchbacks on kickoffs (spotted on 15 yard line if kicked out of end zone)Other rules:1 foot inbounds for a catch4 points for a safetyNo kneel downsCollege football OT rules
 
Couch Potato said:
sho nuff said:
Couch Potato said:
A little aside here, but I'd love to see the NFL change the value of field goals depending on distance. It'll never happen I know, but it would make it more interesting I think if they didn't give the same 3 points for those automatic 20 yarders as they do for a 55 yarder.If it's 4th and goal on the 2 and a short FG is only worth one point, teams will not be so quick to kick. I'd love to see something like:FG of 17-25 yds worth 1 pointFG of 26-40 yds worth 2 pointsFG of 41+ yds worth 3 points
Click to expand...
Please don't tell me you are serious with this.Its the NFL, not fantasy football.
Click to expand...
I'm not talking about fantasy football at all. I just think it sucks that a team can wuss out on 4th an 1 and kick a FG for 3 points. It'd be a better game if the decision to go for it was relatively more valuable.
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I don't think it would be better at all.I think it would make it much worse.
 
David Yudkin said:
Couch Potato said:
A little aside here, but I'd love to see the NFL change the value of field goals depending on distance. It'll never happen I know, but it would make it more interesting I think if they didn't give the same 3 points for those automatic 20 yarders as they do for a 55 yarder.If it's 4th and goal on the 2 and a short FG is only worth one point, teams will not be so quick to kick. I'd love to see something like:FG of 17-25 yds worth 1 pointFG of 26-40 yds worth 2 pointsFG of 41+ yds worth 3 points
Click to expand...
They are changing the scoring for kicking (and some other things) in the newly formed coming out next year version of the USFL:4 point FG if 51 yards or longer3 point XP from beyond 10 yards outNo touchbacks on kickoffs (spotted on 15 yard line if kicked out of end zone)Other rules:1 foot inbounds for a catch4 points for a safetyNo kneel downsCollege football OT rules
Click to expand...
I predict this also will not last long.
 
Couch Potato said:
sho nuff said:
Also...didn't the hash marks change at some point in the last 30 years...or am I imagining that?
Click to expand...
I checked that yesterday. Hash marks were moved in in 1972, so it hasn't been a difference maker in the 90s and 00s. The change came much before.
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HISTORY OF KICKING RULES1904 Field goal value was changed from five points to four

1909 Field goal value was changed from four points to three

1933 Goal posts were moved from the end lines to the goal lines, and inbounds lines or hashmarks where the ball

would be put in play were placed 10 yards from the sidelines

1935 Hashmarks were moved nearer the center of the field, 15 yards from the sidelines

1945 Hashmarks were moved from 15 yards away from the sidelines to nearer the center of the field, 20 yards from

the sidelines.

1960-1969 AFL included the option of the two-point conversion after touchdowns

1966 Goal posts offset from the goal line, painted bright yellow, and with uprights 20 feet above the cross-bar were

made standard in the NFL.

1967 "sling-shot" goal posts (with one curved support from the ground) were made standard in the NFL

1972 Hashmarks were moved nearer the center of the field, 23 yards, 1 foot, 9 inches from the sidelines… the

hashmarks were now 18 feet, 6 inches apart (the same width as the goalposts), cutting down on severe

angles for short field goal attempts

1974 The goal posts were moved from the goal line to the end lines and the uprights would be extended to 30 feet

above the crossbar; kickoffs were moved from the 40 back to the 35-yard line; and after missed field goals

from beyond the 20, the ball was to be returned to the line of scrimmage

1979 Prohibited players on the receiving team from blocking below the waist during kickoffs, punts, and field-goal

attempts

1994 Added the option of the two-point conversion after touchdowns; the starting point of all kickoffs were moved

back from the 35 to the 30-yard line; kickoff tees used can be no more than one inch in height (previously 3

inches); all field goals attempted and missed when the spot of the kick is beyond the 20 yard line, the

defensive team taking possession will get the ball at the spot of the kick; on any field goal attempted and

missed with the spot of the kick is on or inside the 20, the ball will go to the defensive team taking possession

at the 20; and the 11 players on the receiving team are prohibited from blocking below the waste during a play

in which there is a kickoff, safety kick, punt, field goal attempt or extra point kick with one exception,

immediately at the snap on these plays those defenders on the line of scrimmage lined up on or inside the

normal tight end position can block low

1999 K-ball implemented for all kicking plays in a game

2002 The chop-block technique is illegal on kicking plays; and after a kickoff, the game clock will start when the ball

is touched legally in the field of play (previously, the clock started immediately when the ball was kicked)

2003 If an onside kick inside the final five minutes of the game does not go 10 yards, goes out of bounds, or is

touched illegally, the receiving team will have the option of accepting the penalty and getting the ball

immediately (previously, the kicking team was penalized, but had another chance to kick again from five yards

back)

2004 A punt or missed field goal that is untouched by the receiving team is immediately dead once it touches either

the end zone or any member of the kicking team in the end zone (previously, a punt or missed field goal that

lands in the end zone before being controlled by the kicking team could be picked up by a member of the

receiving team and immediately run the other way)

2005 Unnecessary roughness will be called for blocks away from the play on punters or kickers; during field goal

and extra point attempts, the defensive team will be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct if it calls

consecutive timeouts in an attempt to "ice" the kicker (previously, the second timeout request was only denied

by officials, and thus could be used to distract the kickers); if the kicking team commits a penalty, the

receiving team can have the option of adding five yards to the return or taking a penalty and forcing the

kicking team to re-kick the ball

2006 Defensive players cannot line up directly over the long snapper during field goal and extra point attempts

2007 Modified the K-ball usage in a game… see separate section regarding the K-ball

2008 Field goal attempts that bounce off the goal post are now reviewable under instant replay (courtesy of the

previous season’s game tying FG by Phil Dawson for Cleveland against Baltimore)

LINK?

 
DawnBTVS said:
Coupled with Mike Herman's #9...How often do you see teams bringing in 2-3 kickers as "competition" for their starters or 2-3 guys to compete for the role of kicker in general?I think that it's really the one job that is not "guaranteed" in the NFL and helps place added emphasis on guys to perfect their role of kicker in order to just stay on a team. Just in 2008 alone: Kansas City employed 2 kickers during the season (Connor Barth made 83.3% vs. Nick Novak's 60%). The Giants signed John Carney to cover for Tynes' injury. New Orleans utilized 3 different kickers with 2 of them attempting at least 10 FG during the season.Part of it might also be that kickers are simply kicking the ball more... It's become much more of a "job" than even just a role for every single team.2008: 32 teams and 1000 Attempts1998: 30 teams and 889 Attempts1988: 28 teams and 796 Attempts1978: 28 teams and 677 Attempts
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There's also a natural lag in specialization that would explain why it took a while for results to appear. If kickers have been uniquely relied upon for the last 35 years, that means that the pool of kids that started playing football during the kicker era are still of NFL age. It makes sense that the pool would widen for 35-40 years naturally even if you ignore the soccer effect.Also, do these numbers have anything about the # of attempts of 50 plus? A possible explanation (which may be entirely wrong) is the change several years ago to place the ball at the spot of the miss on an FG rather than the line of scrimmage. It seems like that would discourage riskier attempts.
 
One interesting fact that came out of Wednesday's conference call involving competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay is that NFL field goal kickers had an 84.5 percent success rate this past season, the highest ever. "Kickers are kicking at a rate we've not seen before," said McKay, the president of the Atlanta Falcons. McKay said there hasn't been much recent discussion among the sport's rule-makers about doing something to counteract the efficiency of today's kickers, such as narrowing the goal posts. But he indicated the subject could come up in the future. "I think there was" such a discussion, McKay said. "Maybe it's been eight or nine years. There has not been since then. I have not really heard much discussion of it. I think that the numbers have increased at a pretty high rate here with the accuracy.... It's just incredible how accurate the kickers have become. "Does that mean there will be some discussion of it going forward? I don't know. But I wouldn't doubt that somebody is going to bring it back up because the accuracy is very impressive. I'll give them that. And maybe that's something, because we're always going to look at the ratio of touchdowns to field goals, and one of the things about accuracy of field goals is that ratio tends to go in the wrong direction. And so at some point I'm sure somebody will bring it back up and we'll be back talking about it."
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There are a lot of reasons for improved accuracy, but I think the primary reason is improved training and mechanics. Look at a guy like Jason Hanson. He's been in the league 17 years and his accuracy is better now than when he first started. And he's played in a dome the entire time. But if you watch him line up for a kick, his mechanics are flawless. It's like a perfect golf swing everytime.

 
Hash mark placement eliminates all who kicked before realignment. An ever growing number of indoor venues, better turf surfaces, and training account for the rest. Even kickers can now get laid by first quality tail. Not so two decades ago when they were still seen as pyriahs.

 
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