what does laces out mean
“Laces out” is a football phrase that means the holder should position the ball so the laces face away from the kicker (toward the uprights) on a field goal or extra point attempt.
Quick Scoop: Core Meaning
In American football, the ball has raised laces used for grip when throwing.
For kicks, those same laces can mess with how cleanly the kicker’s foot strikes the ball and slightly affect its flight.
So “laces out” means:
- The laces should be pointed away from the kicker, roughly toward the goalposts.
- The kicker sees the smooth leather panel, not the laces, when they approach the kick.
- This helps with a cleaner strike and more predictable trajectory.
Why It Matters (In Simple Terms)
Think of it like hitting a baseball: if you don’t hit the sweet spot, the hit feels off and the ball doesn’t go where you want.
For “laces out”:
- Hitting the laces can cause extra vibration and an uneven strike, like mishitting a tennis ball with the racket off-center.
- When the laces are “in” (facing the kicker), the ball can spin or draw a bit more unpredictably.
- Kicking with laces out gives a more consistent feel and more control over accuracy and distance.
Who’s Responsible For Laces Out?
On a field goal or PAT, three players are involved:
- Long snapper – snaps the ball to the holder and tries to control the spin so the laces arrive in a good position (ideally already facing out).
- Holder – catches the snap, places the ball on the spot, and, if needed, quickly twists it so the laces end up out.
- Kicker – trusts that by the time their foot arrives, the ball is steady with laces out and correct tilt.
In high-level play, the snap is so fast that much of the “laces out” work is on the long snapper’s consistency.
Pop Culture: “Laces out, Dan!”
If you’ve seen Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , you’ve heard “Laces out, Dan!” shouted repeatedly.
- In the movie, ex-kicker Ray Finkle blames Dan Marino for holding the ball with the laces in on a crucial Super Bowl kick.
- That missed kick becomes his entire villain origin story, and “laces out” turns into an obsessive catchphrase plastered everywhere.
- Because of that, “laces out” is now a meme phrase online, often dropped in football discussions and jokes.
Other, Less Common Uses
Online, you might see “laces out” used:
- As a meme or quote referencing Ace Ventura in non-football threads, especially when someone “messes up the setup.”
- In some slang dictionaries, it’s been repurposed in explicit sexual contexts, playing off the idea of grabbing something like a football; this is niche and not the original meaning.
In everyday sports talk, though, if someone says “laces out,” they’re almost always talking about proper football kicking form or making an Ace Ventura joke.
TL;DR: “Laces out” means the football’s laces should face away from the kicker on a field goal so they can strike the smooth part of the ball cleanly; it’s a real special-teams detail that also became a famous joke from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.