What is the importance of a Kicker in American Football? To answer the question of a kicker’s importance to a football team, a person must first know the reason why a kicker, or punter, is a position. Most of the positions, like the kicking position, and rules of football came from the English game of rugby which uses the place kicking and drop kick method in order to get the ball down the field or to receive a few extra points. The United States adopted and modernized the positions and rules of rugby in order to create football as the American sport. At first, the kicking duties went to anyone on the football team who could kick which was usually by running straight into the ball or catching and dropping the ball for a drop kick. This method …show more content…
was used due to the prolate shape of the football until the modern shape of the ball was created. Even though the shape of the ball and the place kicking method were developed the dual roles of a kicker had not changed they were still doubling at other positions. The placekicker or punter method were put into effect due to specialized techniques, leg fatigue, avoid injury and pro football teams were the first to employ specialist. As I was interviewing kickers and coaches, I was told by Gaffney High’s Kicking Coach, Garret Shelton, which explains the everyday trial of a kicker trying to prove themselves he said, “for some reason there was always this thought process that because you were kicking and this was an ‘easy’ thing to do, you shouldn't mess up. The offense works hard to score points and if they decide that you are lucky enough to be allowed an opportunity to kick the ball, you better not mess it up.” This quote explains the everyday trial of a kicker trying to prove themselves to the coaches as well as to the other players. Everyone knows that the offense is given three chances to make ten yards on the third down and score a touchdown and be titled successful. On an 80 yard drive a quarterback could complete fewer than 25% of their passes but a scope means success.
The defense also has many chances to stop a drive by the offense which also means that players get many chances to prove themselves. Then there is the kicker who has one job and one chance to prove to the coaches that they deserve another shot. If the same treatment was given to every player they would probably have to pull a player of the fowls on every play. Coach Shelton told me about his personal experiences saying “I remember during my sophomore year trying out for punter and my 1st punt was a shank left. The coach yelled at me, "that's enough of that, go back to the wide receiver’s." I was shocked that he could make a decision based on 1 attempt. I later was given the job based on having to kick during free time while trying to convince them that I could do it. We rarely ever kicked extra points. I remember asking 1 game, "Why don't we ever kick a pat?" My coach looked at me and said, ”We might not convert, and then we'd be behind." I would estimate that we failed to convert on nearly 75% of our 2 point tries. Yet we lined up again and again for another try all season. On our PATs that we attempted, we only missed 2 all year and both were blocked due to poor
blocking. Kickers are not viewed as football players, I played wide receiver and defensive back but when I was a kicking, I was treated differently than when I was playing at my other positions.“
One of the most important parts about football is the kicking portion of the game. Without it, it wouldn’t be called FOOT-ball, seeing as how it’s the only part of the game pertaining to the relationship between the foot and the ball in a direct manner. Over the years, the record distance of the longest field goals has increased, mostly because we are finding out how to kick it differently that will produce a greater distance. The PAT, or point after touchdown, is almost a given because of the distance of the kick to the field goal is just under 20 yards. With kicks that are longer than 45 yards, the success rate drops dramatically for even most college and NFL players. With that being said, you can infer that with the increase in distance from the kick to the field goal, the less made field goals there will be.
Strengths The Pittsburgh Steelers have many strengths that separate them from their competitors in the National Football League. Strengths are what give drive to the fans, players, coaches, and other members of the organization to continue the success of the past as the organization moves into the future. Some of the main strengths of the Steelers’ organization are winning, stability, location, and the fan base. Many other strengths stem from these four core strengths, all of which help to validate such an established organization.
American football in the past several years have really developed, not only from the fans perspective but also from the players and the official heads. Safety is the most important topic talked about in all sports but it is a must in football, especially because of the way the game is played with all of the tackles and hits. It is really important not only for the players to be safe but also the officials to keep it safe. Both players and officials play a key role in making the game of football safe and interesting to watch for the fans and a great experience for the players as well. As said in the Denver Post, players are expected to play with the rules…coaches are expected to teach…and game officials to emphasize the rules. The game of football, in the NFL, is safer than it has ever been because of the rules, penalties and the equipment.
“To be the best you got to beat the best; therefore I am the best cause I’ve beaten the rest” (Barry Sanders). The game of football only requires 22 men, but only one man can be the running back. The running back position is considered the most prestigious of the game. To be a great running back in the N.F.L. you must possess certain qualities such as: speed, strength, agility, field vision, quick feet, and good stamina. Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Marcus Allen all possess these qualities and are three of the best running backs the National Football League will ever see.
In college there are hated rivals that can’t stand each other. This causes college fans to have lots of pride in their teams. College stadiums also have student sections, which take the atmosphere on game day to the next level. College players know how the fans feel. This inspires them to play their hardest, and leave everything on the field to represent their school. In the NFL, instead of playing for a team because you want to represent them, players will play for teams who offer them the longest and largest contracts. Players hold out from participating in training camp because they want a bigger contract, and some even sit out games. The NFL seems to be more like a business, and geared towards making money. NFL players holding out, and being focused on money angers fans. Not all players are like this, but fans feel that the ones like this are being
The targeting rule in college football could be the “most significant rule” change ever made in the game (Matter). According to Greg Johnson of the NCAA, the rule was passed by the Football Rules Committee of the NCAA in February of 2013 to be implemented with the 2013 fall football season and is consistent with the committees’ continued attempt to address player safety. The new rule now places a tougher penalty on the defensive player for dangerous contact with the offensive player, notably direct helmet-to-helmet hits, or hits aimed above the shoulders of the offensive player. This direct, helmet-to-helmet contact is known as targeting. Although the implementation of the new targeting rule is controversial, it will help to reduce the number of serious lifelong head injuries to football players and make college football a safer sport.
Soccer is a game that is played a lot on angles and measurements. Most wouldn’t think that angles come into play when playing soccer, they just kick it into the goal wherever they can. To make a good, precise shot, you must take into account where you are in relation to the goal, and decide what angle would be the best to aim and kick for. Where the kicker is standing in correlation to the goal plays a major factor on the difficulty of the shot. Also, if the kicker is a left or right footed kicker and what side of the goal they are on also plays an important factor...
Children who are active recklessly engage in activities where injuries can occur. Nobody can predict when or how seriously anybody will get injured during an activity, however, the risks of children playing tackle football is prevalent where the dangers are imminent. The game of tackle football on a youth level is dangerous for children since they are developing physically and mentally. According to an article from The Atlantic, “America’s most dangerous football is in the peewee leagues, not the National Football League” (Barra, 2013). According to a journal article, “sports injuries account for approximately 23% of pediatric emergency department injury related visits” (Podberesky, Unsell & Anton, 2009). “Of these sports injury-related
To describe football, regulation requires that teams win by earning the most points than the opposing team like shooting hoops in basketball or running to home plate in baseball. During the process of the game, either team will play in offense or defense in order to gain or prevent points. Unlike most sports, the game of football require an enormous amount of physical contact that
Having a proper soccer kick is a key component to being a successful soccer player. Understanding the biomechanics behind the movement is important in order to guide the player to improving this skill. Kicking is a whole-body movement, more specifically multi-articular (involving many joints), that can be affected by multiple factors such as the individual (age, gender, fatigue, leg dominance), the environment, balance, and coordination.
First of all, the rules of football require one to equip himself with approximately twenty pounds of equipment, including a helmet, shoulder pads, and girdle pads. This is because football has the most contact involved out of all sports. In a football game, the norm is that the home team wears colorful jerseys and the visiting team wears white jerseys. Moreover, if a team’s offense is on the field, their defense is on the sideline. A team’s offense includes a center, who snaps the ball to the quarterback. The “QB” then has a choice to run with the ball, hand it off to a running back, or throw it to a wide receiver. The quarterback has an offensive line to protect him from the assailing defense. If a teammate happens to score a touchdown, he earns his team six points, which allows for the kicker to kick an extra point, and give his team a total of seven points. However, if the offense fails to travel at least ten yards within four attempts, or “downs,” they have the opti...
In the modern day United States the sport American football has become not only entertainment but also a tradition whether it’s watching the BCS college championship or watching the super bowl with the family. The sport of American football is unique to the United States and has grown and became iconic over the years and has become a part of many Americans lives. American Football was made in 1869 and was modeled after the sport of rugby. They took the basics of rugby and changed it to make it fit better for them. The game has changed over the years but it also affected many Americans as the tradition of Monday Night football has begun. The game has had problems with the United States government as it was said to be too dangerous to play, this lead to an upgrade in the equipment and they tried very hard to make the equipment well ensuring player safety throughout the sport.
American football has been around since the early 1900's. The players tackle each other until one is on the ground. Football has always been a full-contact sport. Throughout the years injuries have stayed part of the game and the NFL has taken their time to increase player safety. The NFL should increase player safety because of the injuries have occurred. Some of the injuries may be lifetime injuries. Serious brain injuries have been linked to football as, well as heart issues and other permanent heath problems.
They kick it at the start of each half and after making a touchdown. Like similarities, they also have differences. The American football goals are different from the soccer goals. The American football goals are Y-shaped and they do not have a net. The soccer goals are rectangular-shaped with a net and with a goalie that defends the goal.
NFL players need an education in case of injuries or if they can’t play for any reason. Players can have a degree in any type of subject. If a player wants to play in the NFL, he has to attend a college or a university that has a good football program. Some players come from high school but most players come from a four year college (Field 11). If you have a son that is going to be in the NFL who wants to play linemen, he has to be about 6’8” tall and weigh around 350 lbs. Players have to know the game. They can’t hope to be a NFL player if they don’t understand how to play the game (Green 174).