Small, possibly misguided, rant...
I think icing the kicker in the NFL is dumb...
But...
If a time out is called, I don't think the kicker should be allowed that practice kick.
Players are expected to stop running full speed into a ball carrier on the whistle. Players are expected to veer away from a QB as soon as the ball leaves his hands. Players are expected to adjust their hitting angle based on the offensive player's head placement, all split second decisions. There's no reason a kicker can't stop on the whistle.
I understand that I'm comparing apples to oranges, and that the rules I mentioned are about "player safety," where kicking a free ball isn't. However, if I'm a defensive player, and the kicker is gonna get a chance to practice the exact kick he'll be trying, and everyone else has stopped, I'm blocking the damn thing... And then it does become a player safety issue.
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