A Statistical Rating for NFL Kickers

Honors Thesis (Honors 499)

By

Bobby Stone

Thesis Advisor Dr. Dale Umbach

Ball State University Muncie, Indiana

May 2004

Graduation Date: May 8, 2004 Abstract -

In the , the only position player that currently has a rating that evaluates his performance during the game and season is the . But, why does the kicker not have a rating? This thesis project develops four basic rating systems and an entire statistical fonnula to evaluate the kicker's performance during the course of a season. Some of the statistics that will be explored in this project is field goal percentage from certain distances, point-after-touchdown (PAT) conversions, the number offield goals made, average distance offield goal makes, misses and attempts. The statistical formula has six components, but it also has four additional factors that can be added onto the formula if one so chooses. These four factors are attempting field goals at home or on the road, on grass or on turf, which quarter was the field goal attempted in and outdoors or in a dome. Also, each kicker's total is found for this past season (2003).

Acknowledgments - I would like to thank my thesis advisor Dr. Dale Umbach for jumpstarting me with the idea of creating such a statistical rating. I would like to thank my parents, Bob and Janis, for their ttemendous help throughout this interesting experience and helping me get through some of the frustrations this project caused me at times. I also would like to thank Mrs. Jan Wamer and the rest of the staff and students at Hartford City Middle School, where I student taught, for their help and special motivation for me to keep on­ task during this last semester. Bobby Stone

Honors Thesis

A Statistical Rating for NFL Kickers

Currently, a quarterback is the only type of position player in football that has a rating to judge his performance on the field for that game or an entire season. There are four components to the quarterback rating or passing efficiency rating: completions per attempt (completion percentage), yards per attempt, interceptions per attempt, and touchdowns per attempt. The passing efficiency rating is done in the NCAA while the quarterback rating is done in the NFL. There are some main differences between the two ratings. The quantities are scaled differently such as the NFL gives 4.17 points for yards per attempt, while the NCAA gives 8.4 points for yards per attempt ("NCAA and NFL passing efficiency rating"). Also, the NFL quarterback ratings are "capped," but the

NCAA does not cap their rating. As a result there is a low end and a high end for each of the components. The NFL sets a standard from 0.000 (poor) to 2.375 (outstanding) for its ratings in each of the four components. Each component has a maximum that a passer can achieve, and if that passer achieves that mark, then he will receive a 2.3 75 for that component. After each of the four components is figured, they are added together. Next, the sum is divided by six and multiplied by 100 to get the final rating. The highest rating a quarterback or any passer of the football can get is 158.3. (NCAA and NFL Passing

Efficiency)

The purpose of understanding the passer ratings is to know somewhat what the kicker rating will resemble. Many football fans will still question the need for such a rating. Currently, the only statistics any football kicker has is points scored and an accuracy percentage. Both present ways to measure a kicker's worth or value to his team, but there are so many more components that truly evaluate that particular kicker's performance. In the accompanying Microsoft Excel file on sheets one and two, there are three more general potential ratings that almost anyone could use and implement for his own personal use. These three "minor" ratings involve basic statistics found in any