Kicking Tees Compared: Block, Off-the-Ground, and Specialty Tees

Every field goal in football history once went through a block. Then came the two-inch tee era, then the rules changed — the NFL banned the field goal tee in 1977, and the college game followed about a decade later — and every kicker since has had to learn to strike the ball where it sits. Youth leagues, meanwhile, still use tees and blocks because young legs need the help. That history is why the tee aisle looks confusing today: you are choosing between pieces of equipment designed for four different eras of the game. Here is what each one is for and who should own which.

Quick note: this post contains affiliate links. They cost you nothing extra, and a small commission from them keeps Kickers of Earth running. Everything here is gear I would recommend to a teammate.

The Tee Lineup, Compared

Product	Used for	Best for	Link
2-inch field goal tee	Practice and league play where tees are allowed	Young kickers (roughly under 13) learning full mechanics	2-inch FG tee
1-inch / low-profile tee	The step between 2-inch and off the ground	Kickers 12-15 in the transition window	1-inch kicking tee
Off-the-ground (no tee)	High school, college, and pro field goals by rule	Anyone competing in real games at 15 and up	FG training aids
Kickoff tee (1-inch, angled)	Kickoffs at youth and HS levels, angled per league rules	Every kicker who handles kickoffs off a tee	kickoff tee
Kicking block	Beginner practice, drills, and youth kickoff help	First-time kickers and coaches running stations	kicking block

Field Goal Tees vs Kickoff Tees: Different Jobs Entirely

These get mixed up constantly, so let us separate them. A field goal tee is a training and youth-league tool — its job is to raise the ball to a contact height your swing can reach while your mechanics are still developing. A kickoff tee is a piece of game equipment: at the youth and high school levels, kickoffs legally happen off a one-inch tee, usually angled, and your approach and contact are built around it. College kickoffs moved to the ground, but the kickoff tee still lives in every youth bag.

If your kid is buying his first tee, match it to the league’s rulebook, not to a YouTuber’s setup — the youth kicking rules vary by age group, and showing up with the wrong height equipment is an avoidable embarrassment.

The Sign That Says You Are Ready to Leave the Tee

Going off the ground is a strength and contact milestone, not a birthday one. The tell is simple: when your height and contact on mid-range kicks are consistent off the tee, the ground stops being scary. These two videos show what that transition looks like and when to make it:

If your mid-range makes are there but the ball is coming off flat or spinning, stay on the tee and fix contact first. The tee is training wheels — the time to take them off is when the bike rides straight, not on a schedule.

How to Make the Transition in About a Month

1. Week 1: Keep your usual steps and split sessions — most kicks on the 1-inch tee, a few off the ground at short range (25-30 yards). Ball position moves slightly toward the middle of your plant foot when the ball is on the ground; feel that difference early.
2. Week 2: Majority off the ground, same distances. Expect shorter balls at first — that is contact geometry, not lost leg strength. Chart every session.
3. Week 3: Full off-the-ground work from both hashes. Add wind if you can. Keep the 2-inch tee around for confidence kicks at the end of sessions.
4. Week 4: Live operations, no tee, at game distances. If the chart holds, you have made the switch for good.

The full mechanics of that jump get their own deep dive in off the ground versus tee, and the age-by-age sequencing lives in the field goal tee guide.

Three Tee Mistakes That Cost Kickers Mechanics

• Keeping a worn tee in service. A cracked or uneven tee changes the ball angle and quietly teaches a compensation swing that nobody notices for months.
• Changing height every practice. Pick a tee height, keep it for a full training block, and let your body calibrate to one geometry before you adjust anything.
• Tee work with no hold. The tee is fine for contact blocks, but every week needs some live-operation reps with a snap and hold so the swing survives a real snap and a real clock.

One detail parents miss: tee heights interact with ball size. A junior ball on a 2-inch tee sits lower relative to the sweet spot than a full-size ball does, so if your kicker switches ball sizes mid-season, re-check the contact height before judging any of the kicks. Small detail, big difference in a young swing.

Two Buying Notes Before You Spend

• Balls and tees outlive feet. A good block and tee set lasts years, so buy once. Cleats are the opposite — they are a per-season buy because feet grow.
• Match the tee to the ball size you kick. A junior ball on a full-size tee sits differently than a game ball does, and at young ages that difference changes contact. Keep the pairing consistent through a season.

One last framing thought, because parents ask me versions of this constantly: the tee is a ladder, not a crutch. Kickers who learn on the right height at the right age learn clean mechanics; kickers forced off the ground too early learn compensation swings that take years to undo. Climb it one rung at a time, keep the chart honest, and the ground will be there when your swing is ready for it.