Kicking a Football

[Atog]

Kickers are also able to use a better form when they get a running start also. A kicker on a FG gets to take a step or to and kick with his foot planted, a kicker on a kickoff can expand and get airborne. It helps a lot

[maddog60]

Also mind you, on fields goals, there is potential for a block, so kickers have to make sure the ball gets high quickly. Simple physics, they can't risk kicking at the trajectory that would give them maximum distance, I'd wager.

[RocketsDWM]

And the football they use for kickoffs might be different than field goals. I'm not sure on that but it could account for some difference.

For instance, the ones they use on field goals are very slick and different from the ones in the regular game.

This may just be wild speculation though.

But most likely, it is the explainations such as running up to the ball and the d-line trying to block it.

[deerayfan072]

I agree about blocking the ball. In fact me and a buddy had a conversation about the onlu uncontested thing in sports, a Free Throw and a Kick off. How do you screw them up? No one is there its just you and the object. I know its hard to hit a FT, but come on

[knapplc]

Also mind you, on fields goals, there is potential for a block, so kickers have to make sure the ball gets high quickly. Simple physics, they can't risk kicking at the trajectory that would give them maximum distance, I'd wager.

I'm glad I read through before posting, because that's your answer. The run up and the tee have something to do with it I'm sure, but the trajectory is the biggest factor.

[Omaha Red Sox]

A kickoff is from the 40 yard line (NFL I think ), so it is far from an 80 yarder. It's a 60 yarder if they are able to clear the endzone chalk. And the posts are higher than the chalk.

[dgan]

A kickoff is from the 40 yard line (NFL I think ), so it is far from an 80 yarder. It's a 60 yarder if they are able to clear the endzone chalk. And the posts are higher than the chalk.

Actually, I think they kick from the 30 now, plus the endzone is an extra 10, so there is your 80 yards.

The tee height does make a difference. I remember they lowered it I think from 2" to 1" (or something like that) to reduce kickoff lengths. It worked for awhile, but then they eventually moved the kickoff point back from the 35 to the 30.

Just like in golf, the higher tee allows you to get that trajectory everyone is talking about. Instead your foot moving parallel to the ground and the ball ascending at a different angle than what your foot is travelling, your foot can now move along the same plane as the ball trajectory, thus causing more force to transfer from your foot to the ball.

Of course, the other things mentioned also are a factor. I just wanted to point out that the tee is not entirely meaningless and does improve distance.

[Metroid]

Its been said I think, but when you kick a field goal you must get the ball 'up' to clear the defensive line, the further you are away the harder it is to get enough 'drive' and still have enough height on the ball to clear the line.

On a kick off you can 'drive' the ball much more because theres nothing you're trying to kick over. I think that the tee helps as does the running start but I think, as knapp said, trajectory is the biggest factor

[sox 06]

Thanks for all of the explanations, it's just something I also wondered about.

[buffalobillsrul2002]

I would think that a little bit of it has to do with the kickoff being held too. When there's somebody holding the ball, there's a certain amount of force that's wasted by the ball having to overcome the friction of the holder first. Also, I would figure that there's more friction between the ground and the ball than there is between the tee and the ball.