Freezing the kicker

[jim]

I think it's a mistake to call timeout to freeze a kicker. Once the timeout has been called, the kicker knows that they can't call another one. While you are setting up for the first kick, it would take a great deal of concentration to not be aware that at any moment the other team could call a timeout. That to me, is worth more than the extra time to think about it. The simple fact of not knowing 100% if the play is going to go off as planned to me is more disruptive than anything.

Let them kick it, hoping that maybe 1% of someones concentration is on the empending timeout that never comes.

[obucard]

I agree, but I'm waiting until it really embarrasses someone. Imagine if a kicker shanks it, only to find out the coach called timeout at the last possible moment. He nails the second try. Bonus points if the kicking team is trailing by less than 3. Double bonus points if it's in a playoff game. You'll never see it again after that, especially if the coach gets fired.

[cardsfansince82]

I agree, but I'm waiting until it really embarrasses someone. Imagine if a kicker shanks it, only to find out the coach called timeout at the last possible moment. He nails the second try. Bonus points if the kicking team is trailing by less than 3. Double bonus points if it's in a playoff game. You'll never see it again after that, especially if the coach gets fired.

This has happened several times before, although not in a playoff game.

[Faceman]

If it were me, and they waited until the last second, I'd tell my team to go ahead an snap and kick it anyway. It's like a warm up try.

[Richie Allen]

Wasn't there talk of getting rid of the last second timeout on field goal kicks after that one year when we saw it every week?

[cARdsfan]

I know it's just gamesmanship and all and if I'm a coach I do it too, but it seems kind of bush league to me. Once everyone is set it shouldn't be allowed.

But so as to not steal the thread, yeah as common as it is not calling the TO may be a bigger distraction. I'd still do it though.

[RickStain]

Some goobs at some university did a study a few years ago. Compared field-goal percentages in different situations (yardage, weather, field type, etc.) and found that kickers were slightly more likely to miss after being "iced."

Edit: Apparently that goob was Scott Berry, former president of the American Statistical Association. His study claimed a 10% lower chance of making a kick or 40+ yards in "iced" situations over uniced.

[Sutter'sBeard]

I think it's a mistake to call timeout to freeze a kicker. Once the timeout has been called, the kicker knows that they can't call another one. While you are setting up for the first kick, it would take a great deal of concentration to not be aware that at any moment the other team could call a timeout. That to me, is worth more than the extra time to think about it. The simple fact of not knowing 100% if the play is going to go off as planned to me is more disruptive than anything.

Let them kick it, hoping that maybe 1% of someones concentration is on the empending timeout that never comes.

Just a note here: If we're talking NFL here, you can ice the kicker up two three times as long as there is more than 30 seconds left in a half and you have 3 TO's left. If it's High School or NCAA, there is no consecutive time out rule.

[BooCubs]

plus i saw a recent game where the coach called a time out right before the snap and the kicker got the kick off and missed but when he got to rekick he made it.

I think its just rolling the dice.

[lukethedrifter]

plus i saw a recent game where the coach called a time out right before the snap and the kicker got the kick off and missed but when he got to rekick he made it.

I think its just rolling the dice.

It's not just rolling the dice. If the above quoted study is good research then icing the kicker, decreases his odds of making the kick by a measurable amount. Very few strategies guarantee a desired result.