Small, possibly misguided, rant...

[Sully]

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.

[tk13]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Now here's a brilliant idea:

Why didn't the Seahawks use the 'ice' rule to their advantage? Run your kicker out there and instruct your center to hold the ball until he hears the play whistled dead. As soon as your kick team gets lined up and set, call a timeout.

Your center snaps it immediately and your kicker gets his 'practice' kick to see if he had the leg to pull off a 65 yarder.

What would prevent it?

Nothing really, but that would really suck if the guy hit the first 65 yarder then chunked the 2nd one. You'd look like an idiot.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by milkman

The holder could pull the ball.

[cdcox]

So on one of those unimpeded to the QB penalties, the offender usually takes a couple of extra steps toward the QB after the whistle. Should he get a penalty for doing a practice sack? That could intimidate the QB and affect his accuracy on future throws.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by milkman

If the Seahawks had a timout left, it would be better to hit a pass 20 yards across the middle, and immediately take the timeout to set up for the FG attempt.

They had 2 timeouts left and 3 seconds on the clock.

Once they ran out of bounds after the first play, they were sitting on the 48 facing a 65 yard FG with 2 timeouts they weren't going to have a use for.

So why not burn one on the long FG 'trial' and if you see your kicker doesn't have the leg for it, you go out there and do the hail mary.

I wouldn't use my last timeout on something like that, nor would I give up a pass play or time off the clock. But in the situation I just described, there's nothing to be lost by the effort.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by cdcox

So in addition to concentrating on making a game winning FG, thinking about ball placement, field conditions, and the wind, the kicker should have to be carefully listen for an impending whistle amongst all the crowd noise to prevent getting a penalty that will take him out of FG range?

Do you think it's at all hyperbolic to argue that, 1) a kicker is concentrating more than any other player (most of which all heard and reacted to said whistle) , and, 2) you have to "carefully listen" in order to hear a whistle?

[Fairplay]

Or a rule where if the defending team calls a timeout on a FG then they get a ten yard penalty or half the distance to the goal line.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by milkman

The holder could pull the ball.

[unothadeal]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Now here's a brilliant idea:

Why didn't the Seahawks use the 'ice' rule to their advantage? Run your kicker out there and instruct your center to hold the ball until he hears the play whistled dead. As soon as your kick team gets lined up and set, call a timeout.

Your center snaps it immediately and your kicker gets his 'practice' kick to see if he had the leg to pull off a 65 yarder.

What would prevent it?

He could make the practice kick but that's no guarantee he'll make two in a row.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Muahahaha....

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by DaFace

dang too slow

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Fairplay

Or a rule where if the defending team calls a timeout on a FG then they get a ten yard penalty or half the distance to the goal line.

Well that's certainly stupid.

There are any number of legitimate reasons to call a TO on a kick.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by unothadeal

He could make the practice kick but that's no guarantee he'll make two in a row.

None at all, but if the ball lands in the end zone, you know it's not worth trying.

It's intended exclusively to see if your guy has the leg to get it there. It may not have been a big deal in this exact instance because they were in a climate controlled dome. But lets say it's a 62 yarder and you have a bit of a tailwind. Suddenly you're not exactly sure what your range may actually be.

I really think this could be a useful trick one of these days.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

They had 2 timeouts left and 3 seconds on the clock.

Once they ran out of bounds after the first play, they were sitting on the 48 facing a 65 yard FG with 2 timeouts they weren't going to have a use for.

So why not burn one on the long FG 'trial' and if you see your kicker doesn't have the leg for it, you go out there and do the hail mary.

I wouldn't use my last timeout on something like that, nor would I give up a pass play or time off the clock. But in the situation I just described, there's nothing to be lost by the effort.

What I'm talking about is, rather than limiting yourself to sideline routes on that play where he hit the short pass that set them up at the 48, I use the middle of the field to give my team a better chance to get into more favorable FG range.

[Fairplay]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Well that's certainly stupid.

There are any number of legitimate reasons to call a TO on a kick.

So what is your idea to help eliminate TO on a FG.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Fairplay

So what is your idea to help eliminate TO on a FG.

Leave it alone?