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Thursday, November 7
Updated: November 11, 11:13 AM ET
 
Football 101: Special teams - kicking game

By Bob Davie
Special to ESPN.com

Every week in college football, games are decided by the kicking game. Last week, I stated that the two most measurable statistics affecting the outcome of a game are turnover ratio and field position. Not only do special teams control these two important elements, but they also provide an opportunity to score points. Every time the ball is kicked, special teams can score points in one of the following ways:
1. Field goal
2. Extra point (kick for one, run or pass for two)
3. Punt return for touchdown
4. Kickoff return for touchdown
5. Punt block for a touchdown
6. Punt block for a safety
7. Field goal block for a touchdown
8. Return point after attempt for two points
9. Recover a punt or kickoff return and advance it for a TD

This week we will discuss field goal and extra point teams. Obviously, every time a field goal or extra point team goes on the field they have an opportunity to score points. That's why this unit is vital to the success of a team. A great field goal kicker is a tremendous weapon, but efficiency of the unit is equally important. It is vital to the success of the team that this unit scores every time it takes the field. Whether it is an extra point or field goal, the goal is to be 100 percent in scoring efficiency.

Four elements must be performed perfectly for the field goal and extra point team to be successful. They are the snap, protection, hold and kick.

Operation time
Total operation time refers to the time it takes for the center to snap the ball, the holder to put it down and the kicker to get the ball kicked. The total operation time from snap to kick should not exceed 1.3 seconds. Great operation time, regardless of how good the rush is, will provide sufficient time to get the kick off.

Snappers and holders
The operation time of the snappers and holders is critical to success. Many teams in college football will have a snapper and holder who don't play other positions. In this case, they can devote all of their practice time working together on operation and technique -- obviously, the kicker will also be involved.

Kicker
It is not unusual in college football for a team to have two or three scholarship kickers. This happens because it is so difficult to evaluate high school kickers -- especially since they can kick off of a tee. In college football, the ball is kicked off the ground and that makes for a huge transition. It is very difficult to evaluate high school kickers and mistakes are made. Another factor is game pressure. You do not know until a kicker is under tremendous pressure in a big game with a big kick if he is the right one or not.

Now almost all kickers use the soccer-style technique as opposed to the conventional straight-on style you used to see years ago.

Field goal formation
In a normal kicking situation, teams will use a standard field goal alignment. In selecting personnel, they will try to use big offensive linemen and tight ends. It is not unusual to see defensive players on field goal protection teams as well. The holder will be seven yards behind the center. He is responsible for the operation and cadence used.



Unbalanced formation
Any time the ball is on or inside the 12-yard line and on a hash mark, teams sometimes will use an unbalanced line. An extra man, usually a guard, is moved from the short side to the wide side of the field. This is done because the angle of the kick makes it almost impossible for the defense to block it from the boundary or short side. You can see that it is a drastic angle when the ball is this close to the goal line. That is why the protection is overloaded to that side of the field.



Center responsibilities
Obviously, you want a perfect snap every time. It is also important for the center to change his rhythm as to when he snaps the ball so the defensive team doesn't anticipate the snap count and get a great jump. After he snaps the ball, it is important for him to get his eyes up and lock into position so he doesn't get pulled or jerked by the defensive linemen.

Normally, teams will let the center snap the ball when he is ready -- they don't go on a cadence. Once he has received a ready signal from the holder, the center can snap the ball. Because of that, it is important for all the linemen to use peripheral vision to see the ball snapped.

Interior blocking
The main coaching point for the line is simple: you want a low inside pad over a heavy inside foot. This simply means that everyone will step inside to protect and seal the inside gap without moving their outside foot. The linemen must stay low and square and not allow any penetration. Each lineman supports the outside gap with his outside hand. All interior linemen will use a three-point stance and get as low as they can. The offensive lineman can't let their defensive counterparts knock them back.



The ends
The ends have the most difficult responsibility in this unit. They must be prepared to block two rushers -- one on the inside gap and one on the outside gap. Their technique is called a rocker technique. This means they block the inside gap first, using the same footwork as the guard and tackle. But then after stepping with the inside foot, they rock back at a 45 degree angle to protect the gap between them and the wing.



The wing
The wing will protect the outside rusher by simply stepping with outside foot and punching to the hip of the widest rusher. It is important that they never move their inside foot. That would make the gap wider that the end has to protect using his rocker technique. The wings will hinge back to seal off the inside gap.



Special situations
1. Cover all kicks -- It is important for the field goal and extra points unit to cover all kicks. Kicks can be returned if they are blocked or missed. A great example of this is the Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos game earlier this season when the Ravens returned a missed field goal for a touchdown.

2. Bad snaps -- Sometimes you have a bad snap or the holder botches the catch. In this case the holder yells "Fire, fire" to alert the line that the snap has been botched. The wings immediately release to the corner of the end zone. The holder or kicker, whoever retrieves the football, will look to throw to the corner of the end zone first and to run second.



Conclusion
Field goal and extra point teams are vital because every time they step on the field they provide you with the opportunity to score. Many times all fans notice is the kicker and the result of his kick, but it is important to keep in mind that the total operation is critical to any kick's success. Most kicks are missed due to a poor snap, a poor hold or a breakdown in protection.


Q & A with Bob Davie
Thanks for all of the terrific responses and knowledgeable questions this week. Please keep sending in the questions and we'll tackle as many issues as we can this season. Here are a few of your questions regarding special teams:

One thing you didn't cover in your punting "lecture" is the offensive strategies for snapping the ball. Who counts? Who decides when the ball is centered?
Scott Bear
Berkeley, Calif.

Bob Davie: Great point. First of all, in punt protection the most difficult responsibility falls on the center. He not only has to make a perfect snap, which is his first priority, but he must also protect. How the mechanics of that work is the personal protector calls out the protection, then makes a ready call. The center can then snap the ball whenever he is ready and totally comfortable. It's also important for the center to change his routine and rhythm so the punt-block team doesn't get a jump on the snap.


I have always wondered why teams punt the ball directly to the receiver. Why not make the receiver of the punt run about 15-20 yards to the side to catch it? Why not make it a bit more difficult? It may upset potential returns, it will make the receiver move to get the ball, and it will give an advantage to the punt team.
Dennis Docheff
Warrensburg, Mo.

Bob Davie: There are some teams that will use a directional kick when facing a great punt returner. There are problems with a directional punt. Normally when you kick, you try to create a pocket for your punter. When the punter turns to kick directionally, the angle of protection gets distorted and there is a greater chance of a block. Secondly, since the punter's mechanics are altered, it is easier for the punter to shank a ball. Directional punting can be a great weapon, but you must be careful not to get the kick blocked or shank the kick.


A couple of general questions. How long should teams work on special teams in practice? I saw one successful high school coach do nothing but special teams for the last 30-40 minutes of practice. The whole time you could hear him yelling to his punt coverage guys "Sprint, sprint, sprint!!" Do you think it's best to work on special teams at the end of practice during the season? Thanks.
Jim Measel
Angola, Ind.
Bob Davie: I think with the practice time limits in college football, it is touch. On an average we would spend 30 minutes a day kicking on the field and 15-20 minutes in meetings on kicking. I also think it'd important to break it up in practice - some at the beginning, middle and end.


I enjoyed your explanation of the special teams. Watching my Buckeyes this year, I've gained a greater appreciation for the kicking game. They are one of the key factors in Ohio State's success this year.

My question is, how does the punt team account for punt blockers overloading the middle? Is it simply plugging the gaps and hoping there is too much congestion for the blockers to get penetration, or is there an actual scheme to combat this without leaving an outside rusher unblocked?
Scott White
Columbus, Ohio

Bob Davie: Any time you have blockers tight in an era, the punt protection team uses a domino technique. You actually knock the player you are blocking into the next person. What happens is it all gets wadded up in there because the offensive punt team takes real small splits to begin with.

Send in your Football 101 questions. Bob Davie will answer a few of them next week.

Editor's note: As architect of top defenses at Texas A&M and Notre Dame, Bob Davie is recognized as a top X's and O's coach. This season, Coach Davie analyzes offensive and defensive schemes as part of his season-long course on football for ESPN.com. Each week, he breaks out the chalkboard and break down the X's and O's in college football.







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