Ball holders are not legally required, but they make the goal-kicking process simple, efficient, and accurate. But what are some of the pros and cons of a holder? What happens if you don’t have one? Why do you need one anyway? And what does the rule book have to say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Why Are There Holders If They Are Not Necessary?<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhile not always as glamorous as a touchdown, field goals are essential to any (American) football game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Field goals are not limited to extra points after a touchdown. Often these kicks at the goal are part of strategic play<\/strong>. For teams to score a cool 3 points, their kickers need to be able to take the shot from most distances on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDuring the early days of American football (AF), field goal kickers were ordinary players. Skip forward a few hundred years, and the goal kickers are specialized players<\/strong> who practically never miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, these strategic plays and guaranteed points are often impossible (or not easy) without a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A holder stabilizes the ball<\/strong>, allowing the kicker enough time to aim, take a run-up, and strike (kick) the ball with enough power and accuracy to get it between the uprights.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWithout a holder, the pressure is higher<\/strong> on the kicker (if the ball shifts from the wind or gravity, it will hamper the kick).<\/p>\n\n\n\nA good holder makes field goal-kicking a dream. They angle the ball<\/strong> just right, hold it<\/strong> steady, and provide the kicker with the peace of mind<\/strong> and time they need to expertly execute the kick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Where Does The Holder Fit Into The Process?<\/h4>\n\n\n\nThe “specialist team” usually comes onto the field during a field goal attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the snap (start of play from a scrimmage), the long snapper<\/strong> (a specialist who excels in passing the ball seven or more yards backward between his legs) throws the ball to the holder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe holder catches the ball and places it for the kicker.<\/strong> The holder needs to be quick and accurate<\/strong> in placement, with the laces facing away<\/strong> from the kicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe kicker then takes the shot at goal. A good holder lets the place kicker kick the ball out of their \u201chand\u201d<\/strong> (i.e., he keeps his finger on the ball until the kicker makes adequate contact with it).<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis holding duration prevents the ball from falling over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without the holder<\/strong>, the kicker would need to catch and dropkick<\/strong> the ball (an alternative to a holder).<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe holder is quite essential to the process<\/strong>, but all the \u201ccogs\u201d need to function as a unit to set up the kicker for the shot (which includes the linesmen blocking the opposing team\u2019s line).<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlthough the kicker can dropkick the ball, his range and success are often not as good as when there is a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>What Does The Rule Book Say About A Holder?<\/h3>\n\n\n\nAlthough the rules don\u2019t sti<\/a>pulate that a kicker needs a holder, they clearly state that a field goal only counts if the ball is “placed” or “dropkicked.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThese rules make kicking the ball through the posts slightly more difficult and lend themselves to a holder\u2019s assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although kicking tees may be used during kick-off (at the start of play), they are not allowed during field goals, which means the only way to place-kick is with a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The Pros And Cons Of A Holder For Field Goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\nTo fully comprehend the benefits of a holder (and how much they would be missed if they were absent), we’ll examine some advantages and disadvantages a holder brings to field goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The Benefits Of A Holder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- A holder allows for strategic plays. Instead of waiting until the 10-yard line to take a kick at goal, teams have the<\/strong> option of kicking from further away<\/strong> (provided the kicker is confident) because a place kick travels further than a drop kick.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- A holder allows the kicker to operate at their best by controlling the ball and allowing the kicker to focus on the task at hand<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- A holder allows the kicker to place-kick for a field goal without the need to try and dropkick<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- Using a holder means that your placekicker doesn\u2019t need to learn an entirely new kicking style<\/strong>; instead, they can focus their talents and skills on placekicking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The Drawbacks Of A Holder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- A holder is usually part of the “specialist” field goal-kicking team<\/strong>, which means they may not be available for a field goal attempt when this team is not on the field.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- A holder limits kickers from <\/strong>branching out and developing their dropkicking abilities<\/strong>. They act like a “crutch,” so placekickers never need to learn other techniques.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n- If the holder is inexperienced or not paying attention<\/strong>, they might end up doing more “harm” than good.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
I.e., getting in the kicker’s way, taking too long to set up, dropping the ball too soon, holding the ball at a bad angle so the ball goes skew, or not turning the laces away from the kicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/shutterstock_113103850.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Drop Kicking As An Alternative To A Holder In Football<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhile place-kicking field goals and extra points are common in football, attempting to drop-kick the ball is not such a frequent occurrence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA drop kick is similar to a punt; however, for a punt, you kick the ball before it hits the ground. When dropkicking, you bounce the ball <\/strong>on its \u201cpointed\u201d end on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOnce it bounces off the ground, you kick it when it\u2019s a few inches off the ground<\/strong>, which requires a significant amount of timing and practice<\/strong> to master (it doesn’t bounce particularly high off the ground, and there is a chance that the ball bounces skew when you throw it straight down toward your feet).<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe last dropkick attempt in the NFL<\/strong> was in 2006<\/a> by Doug Flutie while playing for the New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFortunately, the kick was a success, but it was for an extra point<\/strong>, not a field goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlthough a popular kicking technique in rugby, football balls are less well-adapted to dropkicking. Drop kicks are also usually less \u201cpotent\u201d in their range<\/strong> (place kicks go further).<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnfortunately, within the world of AF, the dropkick is too uncertain<\/strong> of a kick, with too many variables and too little control.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThese factors make it take second place to the place kick<\/strong>, which, in turn, warrants the use of a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough holders are not required per American football rules, all teams use a holder for place-kicking field goals. The holder provides the platform for the kicker by catching the ball, setting it up, and ensuring it does not shift before being kicked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The alternative to place kicking is drop kicking. Although this technique is popular in rugby, it has not been used in the NFL since 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- https:\/\/www.quora.com\/In-American-football-why-cant-you-punt-the-ball-through-the-uprights-for-3-points-Does-a-field-goal-require-a-holder-or-that-the-ball-be-grounded-while-kicked<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smart-news\/nfl-considering-eliminating-extra-point-after-touchdowns-180949427\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/nfl\/nfl-drop-kick-field-goal-explained-what-works<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- https:\/\/operations.nfl.com\/the-rules\/nfl-video-rulebook\/scoring-plays\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the world of the NFL, most people worry about how many touchdowns their team scores. However, in a close game, the victor is often…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":4,"label":"Football"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/shutterstock_1129629020.jpg",1000,739,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Shrot","author_link":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/author\/shrot\/"},"comment_info":2,"category_info":[{"term_id":4,"name":"Football","slug":"football","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":45,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":4,"category_count":45,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Football","category_nicename":"football","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7187"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7202,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187\/revisions\/7202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
During the early days of American football (AF), field goal kickers were ordinary players. Skip forward a few hundred years, and the goal kickers are specialized players<\/strong> who practically never miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, these strategic plays and guaranteed points are often impossible (or not easy) without a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A holder stabilizes the ball<\/strong>, allowing the kicker enough time to aim, take a run-up, and strike (kick) the ball with enough power and accuracy to get it between the uprights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a holder, the pressure is higher<\/strong> on the kicker (if the ball shifts from the wind or gravity, it will hamper the kick).<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good holder makes field goal-kicking a dream. They angle the ball<\/strong> just right, hold it<\/strong> steady, and provide the kicker with the peace of mind<\/strong> and time they need to expertly execute the kick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The “specialist team” usually comes onto the field during a field goal attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the snap (start of play from a scrimmage), the long snapper<\/strong> (a specialist who excels in passing the ball seven or more yards backward between his legs) throws the ball to the holder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The holder catches the ball and places it for the kicker.<\/strong> The holder needs to be quick and accurate<\/strong> in placement, with the laces facing away<\/strong> from the kicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The kicker then takes the shot at goal. A good holder lets the place kicker kick the ball out of their \u201chand\u201d<\/strong> (i.e., he keeps his finger on the ball until the kicker makes adequate contact with it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This holding duration prevents the ball from falling over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without the holder<\/strong>, the kicker would need to catch and dropkick<\/strong> the ball (an alternative to a holder).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The holder is quite essential to the process<\/strong>, but all the \u201ccogs\u201d need to function as a unit to set up the kicker for the shot (which includes the linesmen blocking the opposing team\u2019s line).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the kicker can dropkick the ball, his range and success are often not as good as when there is a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the rules don\u2019t sti<\/a>pulate that a kicker needs a holder, they clearly state that a field goal only counts if the ball is “placed” or “dropkicked.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n These rules make kicking the ball through the posts slightly more difficult and lend themselves to a holder\u2019s assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although kicking tees may be used during kick-off (at the start of play), they are not allowed during field goals, which means the only way to place-kick is with a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To fully comprehend the benefits of a holder (and how much they would be missed if they were absent), we’ll examine some advantages and disadvantages a holder brings to field goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I.e., getting in the kicker’s way, taking too long to set up, dropping the ball too soon, holding the ball at a bad angle so the ball goes skew, or not turning the laces away from the kicker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While place-kicking field goals and extra points are common in football, attempting to drop-kick the ball is not such a frequent occurrence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A drop kick is similar to a punt; however, for a punt, you kick the ball before it hits the ground. When dropkicking, you bounce the ball <\/strong>on its \u201cpointed\u201d end on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once it bounces off the ground, you kick it when it\u2019s a few inches off the ground<\/strong>, which requires a significant amount of timing and practice<\/strong> to master (it doesn’t bounce particularly high off the ground, and there is a chance that the ball bounces skew when you throw it straight down toward your feet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last dropkick attempt in the NFL<\/strong> was in 2006<\/a> by Doug Flutie while playing for the New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, the kick was a success, but it was for an extra point<\/strong>, not a field goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although a popular kicking technique in rugby, football balls are less well-adapted to dropkicking. Drop kicks are also usually less \u201cpotent\u201d in their range<\/strong> (place kicks go further).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, within the world of AF, the dropkick is too uncertain<\/strong> of a kick, with too many variables and too little control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These factors make it take second place to the place kick<\/strong>, which, in turn, warrants the use of a holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although holders are not required per American football rules, all teams use a holder for place-kicking field goals. The holder provides the platform for the kicker by catching the ball, setting it up, and ensuring it does not shift before being kicked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The alternative to place kicking is drop kicking. Although this technique is popular in rugby, it has not been used in the NFL since 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the world of the NFL, most people worry about how many touchdowns their team scores. However, in a close game, the victor is often…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":4,"label":"Football"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/shutterstock_1129629020.jpg",1000,739,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Shrot","author_link":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/author\/shrot\/"},"comment_info":2,"category_info":[{"term_id":4,"name":"Football","slug":"football","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":45,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":4,"category_count":45,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Football","category_nicename":"football","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7187"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7202,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187\/revisions\/7202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/americansportsplanet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>Where Does The Holder Fit Into The Process?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>What Does The Rule Book Say About A Holder?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The Pros And Cons Of A Holder For Field Goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The Benefits Of A Holder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/a>The Drawbacks Of A Holder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Drop Kicking As An Alternative To A Holder In Football<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n