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Special Teams Oddities (laces out?)

BlazeCarolina

By BlazeCarolina,
in Carolina Panthers

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BlazeCarolina Experienced

BlazeCarolina

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Has anyone covered this here yet?  There were a lot of gaffs on both teams in special teams.  When reviewing some footage, I noticed we kicked off with the laces facing the sidlelines.  I don't generally pay that much attention to something like that, but I thought it was always laces out ala Ace Ventura?

Does anyone know what kind of effect that would have on the ball?  We have to be doing it on purpose?  Why has no one tried this yet if it is somehow effective in causing muffs?

Just trying to get something different to chat about...don't hang me.

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tukafan21 Grand Master

tukafan21

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Huge difference in kicking a FG that has to stay within a small margin of error and kicking off when it just needs to stay in bounds.

I'd say that kicking the laces on those to where it adds a little wobble to the ball flight would be more effective when someone has to try and catch the ball, you don't need a nice smooth flight path like on FG's.

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BlazeCarolina Experienced

BlazeCarolina

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4 minutes ago, tukafan21 said:

Huge difference in kicking a FG that has to stay within a small margin of error and kicking off when it just needs to stay in bounds.

I'd say that kicking the laces on those to where it adds a little wobble to the ball flight would be more effective when someone has to try and catch the ball, you don't need a nice smooth flight path like on FG's.

Is this a thing that is normally done and I just now noticed?

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tukafan21 Grand Master

tukafan21

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2 minutes ago, BlazeCarolina said:

Is this a thing that is normally done and I just now noticed?

Can't say I've ever paid any attention to the laces on kick offs before, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's a new strategy based on the new kick off rules because popping it up into the air with some wobble to it is probably the most effective kick off style these days.

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BlazeCarolina Experienced

BlazeCarolina

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1 minute ago, tukafan21 said:

Can't say I've ever paid any attention to the laces on kick offs before, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's a new strategy based on the new kick off rules because popping it up into the air with some wobble to it is probably the most effective kick off style these days.

That's what I was thinking.  Probably shouldn't have posted this so late.  Still good for discussion imo.

I am sure we have someone more knowledgeable on kicking than me.

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tukafan21 Grand Master

tukafan21

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6 hours ago, BlazeCarolina said:

Nice!  So I'm not crazy.  Will definitely be something to keep an eye on going forward.

Anyone have any theories as to why this is happening?

Honestly, after actually seeing it now, my best guess is it's more of just a personal superstition for that kicker and how he places the ball on the tee.

Because really, with how he has it aligned, he's not kicking the laces anyways.  So it might look odd, but really it's no different than if the laces were more directly outward.

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BlazeCarolina Experienced

BlazeCarolina

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2 hours ago, tukafan21 said:

Honestly, after actually seeing it now, my best guess is it's more of just a personal superstition for that kicker and how he places the ball on the tee.

Because really, with how he has it aligned, he's not kicking the laces anyways.  So it might look odd, but really it's no different than if the laces were more directly outward.

I'm no scientist, but I feel like the slight extra weight or aerodynamics would cause a slight deviation.

If it is just superstition, it is apparently working.  Would be funny if other teams start to do the same.

Year of the muff.

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tukafan21 Grand Master

tukafan21

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It's not an answer to this, but just watched an interview with the guy who kicked the 70 yard FG and he said they changed the rules for the kicking footballs this year.

In the past, they'd be given brand new balls a few hours before the game and that was all they had to break them in.

Now they get them during the week so they get multiple days to wear them in a bit and it could/should allow for longer and more accurate kicking this year.

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BlazeCarolina Experienced

BlazeCarolina

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18 minutes ago, tukafan21 said:

It's not an answer to this, but just watched an interview with the guy who kicked the 70 yard FG and he said they changed the rules for the kicking footballs this year.

In the past, they'd be given brand new balls a few hours before the game and that was all they had to break them in.

Now they get them during the week so they get multiple days to wear them in a bit and it could/should allow for longer and more accurate kicking this year.

Interesting.  I wonder why the change.  I am all for more entertaining kicking.

The rule changes probably attributed to the bounce technique being more effect as well.  Gives the coverage team longer to get down the field.

It takes me a while to understand new rules, but I heard that somewhere.

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