Icing the kicker

[K D]

Who invented this?

 

My theory: it was invented by a kicker!

 

One day there was (probably) a kicker that thought to himself gee I wish I didn't have to rush the kick the game winning FG. I wish someone would call a timeout so I had extra time to set everything up perfectly. What if I made people think "icing the kicker" would be a good strategy to psyche us kickers out. But nobody would be that dumb, would they?

 

👏

[Buffalo_Stampede]

It’s probably worked before. I would rather just let him kick it. Im not a fan of icing the kicker. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

I've seen spots where teams do it and the kicker misses. Never had any coach, kicker or anything say it had anything to do with it. 

 

I've also seen times where a coach waits and calls the timeout just before the snap and the kicker misses the original and then hits the redo.

 

All in all it's one of the more nonsense things in football IMO. 

[ngbills]

I only ice the kicker after the other team has already taken a time out. I could see a long break in that siltation working. On a situation when the kicking team has no time outs and is rushing for the kick it makes no sense. You are calling a time out for them basically because they would if they had one. 

[K D]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icing_the_kicker#:~:text=One variant of this tactic,after the play is over.

 

To summarize, the practice has been attributed to Mike Shannahan. In studies, on short FG's the difference was negligible and was slightly more significant on longer FG's but the results of that study have come into question. Since you can't call back to back timeouts anymore then the kicker can get very comfortable after that first timeout knowing they have all of the time they need to set up and hit the FG 

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

I was looking at some statistical analysis of this today.  Seems there is a slightly larger chance of a miss when you ice a kicker but there are

too many variables for any of it to be a general statement.  Experience level of the kicker, distance of the kick, indoor/outdoor, home or away etc.

 

One said “it doesn’t hurt and you can’t carry time outs forward so why not?”.  But having that time out if any time remains is a BIG DEAL.

[Bookie Man]

Terrible choice to use a TO there. Let them rush into the kick and save the timeout so we can at least TRY for a FG with 30 seconds left. Did McD not learn anything from 13 seconds…

[Steptide]

I feel like it was a thing like 10 or 12 years ago, but it doesn't happen nearly as often anymore, unless you're McDermott 

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

Keep in mind that the Eagles had no timeouts so to set up for the final kick, the Eagles were running around like a Chinese fire drill.

 

That is until McD rescued them with a timeout 

[Dablitzkrieg]

Ice deez nuts

[JimBob2232]

When this first started - sure...it was unusual.  In big games - giving a kicker a chance to "think" about the impact of the kick is probably an advantage to the defense.  But a 9-1 team, where the game is virtually meaningless to them (other than a W is a W) - letting them rush the kick is far better.

 

Its one of those things id wish went away entirely.  Of course - id rather we call a timeout when we have 12 people on the field....but...

[MJS]

12 minutes ago, Steptide said:

I feel like it was a thing like 10 or 12 years ago, but it doesn't happen nearly as often anymore, unless you're McDermott 

Tons of teams still do it.

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

I’ll go one further.  McDermott will ALWAYS waste a time out when our opponent faces a big play after they break the huddle and line up.  He seems to think this gives him a clue what they’re thinking and that they will have to either change to their 2nd choice play or run the original against a D that knows what’s coming.

 

If I was playing the Bills I’d line up in some other formation just to waste the time out then do what I wanted to do the whole time.

[Brand J]

I was yelling “No time out! No time out!” As the kicker was lining up and the play clock was dwindling down. I knew we’d need that time out to drive into FG range with 25 seconds left if he made it. The fact that I, a total novice, could recognize the value of a time out there while a coach who has been coaching for more than half my life couldn’t… 

It’s time. McDermott must go.

 

Hopefully Pegula feels the same. 

[Another Fan]

For a 59 yarder in the rain I definitely think "icing the kicker" plays to the advantage of the FG kicker.

 

More time in that case to concentrate on what he's got to do versus his nerves overtaking him.

 

 

A horrible horrible use of those 2 timeouts by McD 

[Buffalo716]

15 minutes ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

I’ll go one further.  McDermott will ALWAYS waste a time out when our opponent faces a big play after they break the huddle and line up.  He seems to think this gives him a clue what they’re thinking and that they will have to either change to their 2nd choice play or run the original against a D that knows what’s coming.

 

If I was playing the Bills I’d line up in some other formation just to waste the time out then do what I wanted to do the whole time.

A problem with that line of thinking is there's 15 third Downs and maybe a couple of 4th downs a game 

 

And McDermott does not call a timeout on every third down situation...

 

So the other team is guessing which three times out of 15 McDermott is going to burn a time out... Three out of 15 is not a good enough percentage to just have them trot out fake play calls

[akcash]

Fkin 59 yard field goal in the rain. Are you kidding me?

[jkeerie]

I think it fails as much as it works.  IMO it should only be done when it's the obvious last play of the game and the kicking team has called a timeout of their own to set it up. 

[Niagara Dude]

3 hours ago, KDIGGZ said:

Who invented this?

 

My theory: it was invented by a kicker!

 

One day there was (probably) a kicker that thought to himself gee I wish I didn't have to rush the kick the game winning FG. I wish someone would call a timeout so I had extra time to set everything up perfectly. What if I made people think "icing the kicker" would be a good strategy to psyche us kickers out. But nobody would be that dumb, would they?

 

👏

What pressure did the kicker have in making a FG that no one expected him to make 

[NoSaint]

7 minutes ago, akcash said:

Fkin 59 yard field goal in the rain. Are you kidding me?

yea made no sense. I think the decision was made before the situation actually presented itself - let them rush an insane kick like that