Why do coaches try to "ice kickers"?

[SBR Lou]

If you think about it, a kicker is a lot like a sniper. Extra time before they must hit their mark allows them to better gauge the wind, go through their motions, mental routine etc.

Whereas, if no timeout is called and they walk right onto the field and gotta kick in 20, you'd think if there's anything running through their minds at all and they don't have a few extra seconds to get ready, it's far more likely they miss with no timeout called.

[The Seer]

more time to think...uh what if I miss it? self doubt

[SBR Lou]

more time to think...uh what if I miss it? self doubt

Okay, but we agree that it would work the other way with confident kickers. Instead of looking at it from a- how confident are most kickers perspective, I think you have to look at what is required of kickers, which is the ability to gauge the conditions on the field, look at the mark they're kicking from etc. All things that an extra few seconds would help.

A guy I really would like to weigh in on this thread is ShamsWoof10, because he happens to be an expert on this subject.

[pavyracer]

When you take a timeout before a play do you ice a QB? No.

Same applies to kicker.

[The Seer]

Okay, but we agree that it would work the other way with confident kickers. Instead of looking at it from a- how confident are most kickers perspective, I think you have to look at what is required of kickers, which is the ability to gauge the conditions on the field, look at the mark they're kicking from etc. All things that an extra few seconds would help.

A guy I really would like to weigh in on this thread is ShamsWoof10, because he happens to be an expert on this subject.

Some kickers you could never ice like Vinatieri. Yeah shams could weigh in here, talk to him alot. I was chiming in on coach's point of view.

[rm18]

also the guys who need to block it are defensive players mostly so they are rested up more to block it, I can block more kicks in video games if I take a timeout to rest my guys before the big play.

[maniac0201]

Most NFL kickers won't "ice up", but some college kids might. Just don't call the timeout one second before the snap and give them a practice kick.

[pavyracer]

But the offense gets to rest too so the resting the defense arguement doesn't make any sense. Actually it gives the chance to the FG unit to adjust depending who the defense choses to play.

[SBR Lou]

Some kickers you could never ice like Vinatieri. Yeah shams could weigh in here, talk to him alot. I was chiming in on coach's point of view.

You'll never ice Vinatieri in a big spot, but for some inexplicable reason the guy will miss the most meaningless, 28yd field goals from time to time and sometimes it happens in spurts like last year.

I don't know the career numbers or if he was known for that before becoming a Patriots legend, but he isn't always automatic when there's nothing on the line.

[maniac0201]

Or in the case of Ryan Longwell, both coaches ice him.

[Willie Bee]

"(Football) is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical."
- - - Yogi Berra

[curious]

The "ice" ploy should be abolished. IMHO.

[blackbart]

coach's like nothing more than to feel in control, thus the fascination with icing the kicker even though it has proven to be a bad strategy. the timeout is always used elsewhere more effectively.
most kickers have said they like it [iceing] as it gives extra prep time

[ryanspeer2001]

I've thought about this quite a bit myself and each time I lean with "icing" as a useless tactic. Only defense I have for icing a kicker is it pulls them away from their practice tee for an extra two-minutes. Figure they warm up for a good 4-5 mins before they know they need to make a big kick and get a practice kick in every 20-30 seconds. Well what happens to them after they walk away and instead of going right out and kicking a field goal have to walk around the field for two minutes?

[ShamsWoof10]

Well from my point of view as a former kicker/coach/fan but current degenerate I would say that I do NOT think it makes any differance because it's so routine to them....

I recall my first FG my Jr. year which was a game winner and the other team called timeout because they didn't have 11 guys... I was nervous as sh*t so while I was standing there I didn't know what to do during the timeout being it was the first FG of my life... I went through my motion and it was like the nerves were all of a sudden gone... I hit the 28 yarder from the right hash easily with 1.30 to play but we gave up a late drive to lose...

Anyway I do NOT think it rattles the kickers for many reasons but two of them are how routine the motion is to these guys and the other is if he misses the first time and you take a timeout then it's highly unlikely he misses again and you blew the percentages.. If he makes it then he'll likely make it again on the other hand what the hell else are you going to do with those timeouts..? As far as rest for the players I would say that has no baring because they are not running far if anywhere so rest is not an issue...

This all got started because Janakowski missed a FIFTY TWO.. yeah FIFTY TWO yarder after making the first one and the MEDIA correlated the timeout with the miss... That was simply a coincidence and to boot the second attempt FROM FIFTY TWO HIT THE TIP TIP TIP TOP OF THE UPRIGHT... HOLLLLLY F*CK WHAT A KICK... He has the strongest leg ever and Prator from Denver is right behind him...

The way to really disrupt a kicker is to get into his head and the only way to do that is to make him "THINK" he has to kick the ball differantly which in very few cases do you kick it differantly... Get two guys who can take a quarter off the top of the backboard which I would "GUESS" is about 13FT. Well I know FOR SURE the first thing you are asked to do when trying out for an NFL team is you must be able to kick it over the cross bar (10ft. high) from the middle of the endzone (5 yards away)... The line of scrimmage is 7 yards from the ball so they are 2 yards further back and my "GUESS" is the ball would be about 13 ft. up at 7 yards so make those f*ckers wear lee press on nails... If the ball is kicked perfectly it MAY still get over them but A LOT of the time it's not but the FG is short enough where it don't matter and it flutters through anyway however if it's not it will get blocked and the kicker knowing this after seeing these guys before would know to focus on his form which may cause him to over think his routine and that is of course the original goal of this ....isn't it..?

The only thing is there is a rule called "leeping" and you have to be careful not to land on someone or jump up and FWD. towards the line of scrimmage...

[btraband]

Very informational Shammy,for those of you that don't know.......Shammy was knocked down in his prime by too many hot chicks and fast cars, still got the metal plate in the head shammy? Hell of a kicker though. Still could kick for the Lions and Browns.

[ShamsWoof10]

Very informational Shammy,for those of you that don't know.......Shammy was knocked down in his prime by too many hot chicks and fast cars, still got the metal plate in the head shammy? Hell of a kicker though. Still could kick for the Lions and Browns.

Hey that's actually not far from the truth with the hot chicks and fast cars hahaha... Instead of the metal plate I went with a chin implant and that's still in there 11 years later.. Had I had the leg/technique that your boy "Haney" had I would have kicked for the Lions...

Your boy "Haney" was pretty good... I use to jock him back in the day where I would go watch him kick at the Glass Bowl and I was impressed with that generation of kickers in college because that was the first year they took the kicking tee away and the goal posts in college went from 24 ft. wide to the NFL's 18 ft. wide... I think being a college kicker is harder then being an NFL kicker and I am sure you guys will disagree but think about it before you do...