1"\N / T PHITOSOPHYOF THEKICKING GAME
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)l^.DA I t,2 7 I )-' 'e -\ a)) ) w'V' \-!- \1"\n _/ t PHITOSOPHYOF THEKICKING GAME Thereore three equollyimportont deportments of ploy in footboll: 1) Defense 2) Offense 3) Kicking Most teoms give sufficientottention to the firsttwo deporlments listedobove but tend to be negligentwhen it comesto kicking.A teom which isdeficient in the kickingdeportment operotes of only 66"/"efticiency. One ouf of every five ploys in o gome iso kick of some sori. lt shouldbe further noted, however,thot sometningvery unusuoloccurs on everykicking ploy in o gome. One, or more, of the followingthree eventstoke ploce on everykick, while ihey usuollydo not occur frequentlyon other scrimmogeploys: l. A sizeobleomount of yordoge is involved(40 yordsor more) 2. Thereis o chonge of boll possessioninvolved. 3. A specific ottempt to score points is involved (PATor FieldGool ottempt). The ploys which involvethe kickinggome. therefore, ore weighted heovily insoforos they effect the time ond outcome of the gome. Mony of the big breoksin o gome occur on o kickingploy. Breoksusuolly hoppen when o teom or o ployer is unprepored for o situotion. Where o teom is prepored, the chonce to copitolize upon o breok presentsitself ot o most opportune time. Thekicking gome breoksmork the differencebetween winningond losing. When one teom tokes little pride ond poys too littleottention to kicking,they become victimsof these bod breoks. SCOPEOF THE KICKING GAME When most people thinkof the kickinggome they thinkonly of the persondoing the punting or the ploce kicking. This,of course,is the height of shortsightedness. As importont os good, sound kickersore, they representonly o froction of whot we referto when we speok of the 'kickinggome.' Punt protection ond coveroge, fieldingkicks, punt returns,punt blocks,field positionond considerofions,PAT & field gool protection, defending PAT'sond field gools,field gool coveroge ond returns,foke kicksond foke kick defense, kick-offcoveroge, squib kickoffs, short kick-offs,prepqrotions for defensingthe short kick-off,kicking toctics, strotegy, fundomentols,kicking gome rules- oll of thesehelp comprisewhot we coll ihe kicking gome. To hove o good kickinggorne we musf be proficientin oll these oreos. ELEMENTSOF A SUCCESSFUTKICKING GAME L Eliminotionof Mistokes Most mistokesmode in the kickinggome ore coused by o lock of belief in its imporfonce. Lock of belief leodsto o lock of concentrotion ond from thot followspoor protection,poor coveroge, ond slipshodopplicotion of the complex kickinggome rules.Belief in the importonceof the kickinggome isthe key to eliminotionof mistokes. ll. Intensity Althoughintensity is essentiol in oll oreosof the kickinggame, it isbest observedin how you cover kicks(punts, kick-offs, field gools). Footboll'strue test of couroge iscovering kicks.No one willever returno kickfor o touchdown ogoinstus unlessone mon foilsto go oll out. lll. Fundomentols Kickinginvolves mony preciseskills. Punters, snoppers, holders, ond ploce kickersmust yvorkmony extfg hoursot perfecting their skills.They must concentrote when prccticing. Distoncesot which kickersond holderslocote themselves,olong with timing in snops ond getting kicksowoy, ore detoilswhich mustbe worked ot eornestlyond tirelessly. Thesetimes ond distoncerequirements ore precise,ond they requireconstont ottention. V. Attitude Thekey to on individuol'ssuccess con be directlyottributed to hisotfitude of mind. THEGAME BREAKERS l. Returno kick-offfor o touchdown. 2. Returno punt for o touchdown. 3. Returno blocked field gool ottempt for o touchdown. 4. Forceond recover o kickinggome fumble. 5. Blocko punt. 6. Blocko field gool. 7. Blocko PATif they hove scored. 8. Forceo bod snoD. 9. Recovershort kick-offs (ours or theirs)if they ore ony ottempted. TOWIN. THE KICKING TEAMS MUST: t. Keep opponents to on overoge returnof 6.0yords or lessfor every- time we punt. 2. Averogebetter yordoge per punt returnthon our opponent. Averoge betler riet yorOoge (punt minusreturn) thon our opponent (most importont) q.A Holdopponents to 26 yordlineor lessoveroge os stortingpoint followingtheir kick-off returns. Averoge returningour kickoffsto the 30 yordlineor better. A Do not ollow ony missedfield gool on our porl to be returnedpost the 20yordline, 7. Kickthe opponent into trouble (insidetheir l0 yord line)ot teostonce (punt) 8. Never commit o "Gome Breoker"error. o) cliP b) breokdownpunt protection c) roughkicker d ) missiockle e) field gool protection D fumble 9. Get oi leostone'Gome Breoker"odvontoge. o) couse fumble b) block field gool c) block punt d) block (x-pt) e) big return(cruciol time) kick-off Punt .|0. Moke no decisionmistokes in fieldingond returningkicks. o) nevercotch punt inside10 yord line b) cotch the boll on the fly c) move into boll on kick-off return I l. Scoreof leostonce or set up of leostone scoreon o kickinggome ploy. 12.Do not ollowthe opponentsio scoreor set up o scoreon o kicking gome ploy. TIMING Forbest resultsond for reosonsof sofety,there ore certoin time requirementswhich service os performonceguides for the three bosictypes of kicksin the gome. Theseore outlinedbelow: coNStsTENCYtSr-ne rrv l. Punts: A Snop (]5 yords) 0.8seconds B: Punier 1.3seconds C. Iqtol oeto*oy tl D. Hong iime CDintr-nlnn) a.SseconOs (40 yd punt) POSITIONHINTS . KICKINGGAME I. PUNTER ''Right", 'Snori") A Be sureto coll directionof punt ("1efi., "Middle', B. Get in frontof the bod snop. C. Workon kickingwhen the bod snop occurs. Whenyou ge- on in procticetoke odvontoge of the opportunityto usethis os o procticoler:erience. bringthe tip of the boll into your eyes. Keep your hondswhere you ccn :ae them. D. Whenpunting frorn in for neor yourown end zone,know tr= situotionso thot you con moke the correct decisionregording whether or not to ioke on intentionol sofetyif o bod snop occurs. E. Yourmost effective punt willtoke ploce in sifuoiionswhere ).ou con killthe bollinside the opponent's10 yordline. F. Thepunter with the best puntingyordoge overoge in coll=geis hordly ever the Leogue'sbest punier. Puntingshort in opponent'sterritory crd punting for height rotherthon row distonce do not reflect in stotistics,but the"; cre very offeciing puntingweapons. II. SNAPPER A Vorythe rhyihmyou use in snoppingthe boll sothot oppc:.3ntscon't'Zero-in'6n exoctlywhen to toke off in rushingkicks. B. Approoch the boll seporotelyeoch time you snopin proc- ce situqtions.Do not stoyin one spot ond merelyget in o groove. Thisdoes nc; provide o gome-like situotion. - - III. PROTECTING_O A Get port of your helmet (not justo "wing')on ony zone ycr re responsibleto btock. B. Fullbockshould oniicipote blockingwhere you see on cr=:lood. Do not bock-up to block. C. Center hos only one responsibilitybefore leovingon cove'cge - mokingo perfect snop. D. Remember,protectionfirst, coveroge second. V. BLOCKINGPUNTS A We willscout ond key opi:osingsnoppers to see if they: l. Rockor wind-up. 2. Snopon rhythm. B. We willscout the opposingpunter to see rvherehis foot meetsthe boll. Rusherswill then hove o londmorkto crosswhich iscpproximotely l8 inchesin front oi wherethe punter'sfoot meetsthe boll,usuolly 8 I /2 Io 10yords behind the L.O.S. l. Do not go throughthis londmork tor.,.ords the punter. 2. Do go ocrossthis londmork in frontof the pur'ier. Loyoutocross this londmork. 3. Keep your hond in yourfield of visicnond fostenyour eyes on the boll. V. BLOCKINGPAT'S AND FIELDGOALS A We willscout ond key opposingcenters to see if they: l. Rockor wind-up. 2. Snop on rhythm B. lnteriorrushmen should use strength ond toke-offin orderto drive os deep ond quicklyinto the bockfieldos they con. Get your hondshigh os the kicke/sleg swingsforword. Stoyunder the offensivelinemon's pods ond get penetrotioh. C. Outsiderushers: l. Themon linedup insidehe wingbcck shouldseek to drivethrough the noturol gop between the wingbockond tne end. Tryto get on o courseolmost porollelto the lineof scrimmoge. Junrper. 2. Thewidest rushershould drive os clcse outsidethe hip of the olfensive wingbock os he con. Assoon os he cleorshe shouldtry to get in ihe lineof ftightof the boll. Thismeens odjusiing immediotely to q courseolmost porollel to the line of scrimmoge.Skinner. Must loy out. Threestep. Turnshoulders 90 . A_ _Dolotgodt[e@ B. Loyoutolong the lineof flightfcr the boll. VI, PUNTRETURN SAFETIES A Colls: L One sofetywill be designotedto ccil: MEl"or'YOU!'on oll punts. 2. The.sofefynot fieldingthe punt willccll "FoirCotchl" or "Go!' sothot the mon fieldingit willknow whether or not to foir cotch the punt. Also,we willottempt to help locote the mostdongerous cover's position for the returnmon. B. Sofetymenshould never line up deeper thon theirown 10yord line. Theyshould not hondle o punt forwhich they hove to retreotinside the 10. C. Usuollyyou willnot signolfor o foir cotch unlessyou octuolly plon to cotch the boll. D. Generolly,your first moves should toke ycu upfieldroiher thon iryingto runwide. Stortfon,,rord ond then breokto the sidei:ne. E. Alwoysthink in termsof breokingthot firsttockle. Thisis how mostlong returns d eveloo. F. lt is bod procedureto ccuble bock in iryingio evode coverers. Do not develop thishobit. G. Body posiiionin fielding:he boll isvery importont. Tryto be 'Nose up' ond moving into the bollinsteod cf 3:ing loterollyor bockwords.Good posiiioncon odd severolyords to eoch re:-rn. H. Fostenyour eyes on tip cr ihe boll. Lookit in. VII.KICK-OFF RETURN SAFETY M:N A Colls: l. Theright sofety will be designotedto coll "ME!',or'You!' or "SHORT!"on oll kick- off receptions. 'STAY!'when 2. Theleft sofetywill cci! o boll iskicked so deeply into the end zone thot on ottemoted returnis unwise. B. Thesofety returning the klck-offshould corry the bollusing o techniquewhich is esseniiollystroight. horc cnd fost: l. lt isimportont to be ,^novinginto the boll os you cotch ii insteodof stondingititt. It givesus thot extro I i 2 second ond thoi isvitol for o successfulreturn. 2. Thinkin termsof tryir.gio blostii stroightout to the 35 yordline. 3. Do not come under controlwoiting for on opening to develop. 'VIII.-MISEEL-IANEOUS A Men responsiblefor con'fciningthe kicker(punt or field gool) when o foke kickis feored or when we ore in o Sofe Returnshould not otlempt to block the kick.