What College Coaches Look for in a Kicker

College coaches look for a placekicker who can consistently deliver a big kick in a pressure situation. Placekicking is a specialized position, so a kicker must be able to work on his skills by himself, away from the regular team practice. Since many college teams have more than one kicker on the roster, the player who is the strongest in practice is usually the starter on game day.

  1. Accuracy

    • College coaches want a placekicker to demonstrate a high degree of accuracy on both extra points and field goals. During the tryout process, each kicker will attempt field goals from different spots on the field. The kicker will have to determine the proper angle to take on each kick, then figure out how much the wind will affect the trajectory of the ball. The coach will have the team simulate actual field goal situations during tryouts, which will help him see how the kicker handles pressure when the defense is trying to block the kick.

    Field Goal Distance

    • A coach wants the team's kicker to have the ability to make field goals from long distance, which calls for a strong leg and good technique. The coach wants the kicker to know how much arc to use on a long field goal attempt: The ball must travel far enough to reach the crossbar, yet still be high enough to pass over the hands of the defensive line's block attempt. Many college teams have both a short field goal kicker and a long-distance kicking specialist on the roster.

    Kickoff Distance

    • College coaches look for a kicker who can deliver long kickoffs, so the opposing team will have to start from deep in their own territory. The kicker must also have good hang time on kickoffs, which allows the kicking team to get into position to make a tackle. During a tryout the coach will time the kickoffs, to see which placekicker will give the team the best chance at obtaining a field position advantage.

    Ball Control

    • A college football kicker will often have to kick the ball away from a fast kickoff return man, to prevent the opposing team from gaining a field position advantage. The kicker also must be able to perform an onside kick when the coach is trying to get the ball back after a score.

      Another skill a kicker needs is the ability to balance the distance and loft of a kick. Rather than sending the ball into the end zone for a touchback every time, good kick execution and placement allows the kickoff coverage team more time to get downfield and hold the opposition inside their own 20-yard line. During placekicker tryouts, the special teams coach will watch each kicker to see which one has the best ball control.