A couple of times in the last week, I have heard the theory that we should all be trying to select kickers from teams playing in domes. Weather makes it harder to convert field goals, the idea goes, so teams playing outside should score fewer of those points. But is it a strategy that holds water?

Stephen Gostkowski, for one, didn’t get that memo. He’s led the league in kicking points three years in a row, and there are no dome-based teams in the AFC East.

But when looking at these kind of things, better to look at a larger sample set – hundreds of kickers rather than just a few.

And based on the last 10 years (320 teams playing 5,120 games), there is no statistical advantage for kickers playing in domes. In six of those 10 years, as a matter of fact, kickers in domes have averaged fewer points than the kickers playing outside.

Overall, outdoor kickers have average 1 more point per season over the last 10 years.

DOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE?
YearDomeOutdoor
2005106.2108.6
2006109.6106.2
2007106.4112.5
2008115.1116.0
2009102.6108.8
2010114.5111.2
2011112.8117.2
2012122.1117.0
2013116.6121.6
2014118.1115.3
Total112.4113.4

Here’s how they’ve ranked for the past five years (teams in bold are based in domes):

KICKERS IN LAST FIVE YEARS (1 thru 32)
20102011201220132014
Phil.S.F.N.E.N.E.N.E.
Oak.N.O.NYGDen.Phil.
S.D.N.E.Atl.S.D.Ind.
Ind.G.B.Minn.Sea.Sea.
N.E.Hou.Hou.G.B.G.B.
Atl.Dall.Det.Balt.Buff.
NYJCin.Cin.S.F.Pitt.
Pitt.Mia.Den.Ind.Dall.
St.L.Balt.Balt.Dall.Hou.
Hou.Oak.S.F.Buff.Balt.
N.O.S.D.Dall.Pitt.Den.
Balt.Atl.T.B.Ariz.Mia.
Mia.Det.Wash.NYJAtl.
Dall.Tenn.Chi.Chi.Car.
G.B.Chi.Oak.Minn.NYJ
Tenn.Phil.Sea.N.O.Cin.
Chi.Wash.Pitt.K.C.NYG
Det.Car.Clev.Tenn.Ariz.
Jac.Buff.Ind.Phil.K.C.
Sea.Sea.S.D.Car.S.F.
T.B.Pitt.G.B.St.L.Minn.
NYGMinn.N.O.Atl.Det.
Den.NYJTenn.Mia.S.D.
K.C.T.B.Phil.Cin.St.L.
Cin.NYGBuff.Hou.Clev.
Ariz.Ind.K.C.NYGN.O.
Wash.Jac.Ariz.T.B.Wash.
S.F.K.C.Mia.Oak.T.B.
Clev.Clev.St.L.Det.Oak.
Car.Ariz.NYJWash.Tenn.
Minn.Den.Jac.Clev.Jac.
Buff.St.L.Car.Jac.Chi.

And here’s how they ranked the previous five years (again, with the best teams at the top and the worst teams at the bottom).

KICKERS IN 2005-2009 (1 thru 32)
20052006200720082009
Ariz.Chi.G.B.NYGS.D.
NYGS.D.N.E.N.E.Phil.
Cin.St.L.Tenn.Phil.Minn.
K.C.Ind.Dall.T.B.G.B.
Ind.Balt.Cin.Car.NYG
Car.Jac.Sea.Atl.N.O.
Pitt.Det.Chi.G.B.N.E.
St.L.Ariz.Det.Tenn.Pitt.
Den.S.F.Clev.S.D.Den.
Buff.Cin.S.D.Minn.NYJ
Balt.Den.Ind.Balt.Tenn.
S.D.N.O.T.B.Hou.Mia.
Sea.Sea.Wash.Buff.Balt.
Mia.Dall.Hou.S.F.Buff.
Atl.G.B.Den.Chi.Hou.
Jac.NYGPitt.Ariz.Chi.
Minn.K.C.Ariz.N.O.K.C.
Hou.NYJNYJPitt.Dall.
N.E.N.E.Jac.Den.Sea.
Clev.Buff.NYGNYJAtl.
S.F.Phil.Phil.St.L.Ariz.
Tenn.Pitt.Balt.Clev.Ind.
Phil.Car.Atl.Ind.Car.
T.B.Mia.Car.Wash.Cin.
•N.O.Atl.Minn.Mia.S.F.
Dall.Tenn.St.L.Dall.Oak.
Wash.Wash.Oak.Sea.Wash.
Chi.Minn.Buff.Oak.Clev.
G.B.Clev.Mia.Jac.Det.
NYJHou.N.O.Det.Jac.
Oak.T.B.K.C.Cin.St.L.
Det.Oak.S.F.K.C.T.B.

No real merit, it seems, to the notion of trying to select kickers playing more games indoors.

(The Saints, by the way, are flagged with a black dot in 2005 because they played home games both indoors and outdoors that year -- that was the Hurricane Katrina year.)

—Ian Allan