Using the new stats to see what difference a kicker makes on kickoffs.

[Ben E Lou]

Thanks to gstelmack's latest Utility Suite updates, we now have a much greater ability to analyze a kicker's performance. Specifically, FOF tracks very little data regarding kickoffs, but now I have 22 full seasons of kickoff data from the WOOF in a database. In looking at the 140 guys in league history who have kicked off 50 times or more, here are some observations:


There's a significant range of starting field position after kickoffs, and the kicker's ratings make a big difference in that metric. WOOF's all-time best field position average among that group is the 22.3 yard-line, achieved by this guy: http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/woof/ben/playercard.php?playerid=15341. The worst? Grand Junction went with an undrafted rookie in 2011 who had the opposition averaging their start field position on the 41.6. Yowza! K Dan Suzuki Player Details (http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/woof/ben/playercard.php?playerid=7004). That's an outlier, but there are 32 guys who've let the opposition start on the 30 or better, mainly ranging from the 30 to the 35. So 22.3 is a big deal.
As one would expect, for a single season, the range is even greater. The best single season? In 2018, kickoff-only specialist Lionel Jahr (http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/woof/ben/playercard.php?playerid=11122) buried opponents on average at the 16.8 yardline. 16.8???? That rookie's 41.6 season is the worst, but there are quite a few in the mid-30s.
The all-time league-wide average filed position after kickoffs is 28.54. That number may have increased slightly with 6.3. (It was 28.2 in all seasons prior. It has been 29.2 since, but it's hard to know for sure since this particular league had some big rule changes hit the same season that 6.3 dropped.)
24.57% of kickoffs in league history have resulted in touchbacks.
Best touchback season? 53.9% by Mr. Jahr in 2025.
Worst touchback season? 1.32%! The worst in the current season was 6.5% by Oscar Fulton (http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/woof/ben/playercard.php?playerid=19550). (Fulton was also the worst field position guy this year at 34.)BOTTOM LINE: Good kickers make a significant difference on kickoffs, quite a bit more than I would have guessed.

[kurtism]

Thanks to Greg and Ben for getting us this info - always seemed to be a big absence in the game itself.

[Sun Tzu]

Any word on whether Kickoff Distance holds more weight than Kickoff Hangtime, or vice versa?

[Yoda]

BOTTOM LINE: Good kickers make a significant difference on kickoffs, quite a bit more than I would have guessed.

Field position FTW.

And people wonder why I love kickers/punters.

Then again, maybe I would have been better off if people DIDN'T know this. :cool:

[MIJB#19]

Then again, maybe I would have been better off if people DIDN'T know this. :cool:I doubt it means much, though. Only those that pay attention to every detail would go for the good kickers and I suspect those people paying attention already suspected that a talented kickoff kicker can make a difference.

[Ben E Lou]

It makes a difference. I, for one, had kicker as a not-that-important position and have been willing to go with one minsal guy there. I doubt I'll do that any longer.

[Yoda]

:(

[Firefly]

I also like punters, you know, the kind that don't allow return yards and pin the opposition inside the 10.