You've seen NFL coaches with laminated sheets filled to the brim with color coded entries of plays, formations, options and more — so that they're ready for anything. That's too much for me. And especially for Specials... and especially for high school. Just getting your KO kids to stay in their lanes is hard enough. 🤣 For 17 years, I was a varsity high school special teams coach. To prep for the next game, here's what I would do: SUNDAY — HUDL film available to view. Go through our Friday night game and review what worked, what didn't with attention on what to fix and personnel that should be switched out. MONDAY AM — Go through next opponent's film, expressly watching each KO, KOR, P, PR, FG, FGBlock. Take a single piece of paper and basically divide it into 6 parts for each of these. Watch the film enough to see how they diagram their plays — offensively and defensively. Look for the areas where they were successful (so that you can counter or protect) and the places where they are vulnerable (so you can exploit). Mark your sheet with the key aspects of their play and the #'s of the players who are difference makers. MONDAY, TUESDAY PRACTICE— Take that paper from your back pocket and use it on-field in-practice to refresh yourself on what you're looking to do and to alert your players on how they can take advantage of a weakness, or know how to prevent a problem from occurring. Monday was typically kick and kick return. Tuesday punt and punt return. WEDNESDAY — No specials, other than a few FGs at the start of practice to continue giving the FG operation live snaps to work with (and some pressure from full team). THURSDAY — Situational. Map out about 20 plays in a game. Easiest way is to just treat it like a game. Have everyone on the sidelines and call out what's happening on the field. "OPENING KICK OFF". Team comes out against air (but two return guys to catch the ball), team does their assignments and reacts to the play. Immediately, "PUNT TEAM!" and run that. "Nope, he dropped the FC, we got the ball and now we have FG from the 30". And so on. Call out, "Need a right guard for Olson on PAT!" #2 better be running on to the field to do the job. Keeps everyone on their toes. Don't be afraid to replace key players. "Punter is down, Gunner is down, Snapper is down..." Are we ready? Which kids show the most enthusiasm to simply PLAY for your TEAM.

Back-to-back titles for Coach Jim with 21 LIKES! In December he tied for the top spot, but decided that 2026 was going to his year! Way to go, Jim! Glad for your participation. All of our members are better because of it. ...and what does Jim win? This month Jim gets a say in which color our hats will be at Mike Farley's Kickers Camp this summer (and soon available to any K-Skool members, too) — only Jim gets a FREE cap for his winning posts and comments! 😅 Get on the February Leaderboard right now!!!

I know, the pickings are slim in this category... if you really want to make an impact in the kicking world, you just might want to become a Hollywood film director or screenwriter and make a great film featuring a kicker or punter. Here's what you're up against... The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon (1998) An ABC TV movie starring Tony Danza as a sanitation worker who becomes a star kicker for the Philadelphia Eagles as a publicity stunt. Gus (1976) Classic 70's Disney comedy about a mule named Gus who can kick 100-yard field goals with perfect accuracy, leading a struggling NFL team to success. The Replacements (2000) Features Rhys Ifans as Nigel "The Leg" Gruff, a chain-smoking Welsh soccer player turned replacement kicker for the fictional Washington Sentinels.

Many of you have heard of the "Puntrooskie", but have never seen it or had it diagrammed. Watch the YT video from when it was used to great effect by Florida State in 1988. Bobby Bowden seems to get the credit for originating the play... but that's not true. I know, because my father installed the play my senior year at UW-River Falls in 1984, and it worked like a charm. Except, he didn't invent it either... it was actually invented at the high school level by then Coach Bum Phillips back in the 50's... called the "Bummerooski". Bum would later go on to coach in the pros. Maybe your coaching career will follow the same path!!! 🏈 THE DYNAMIC DUO: At Cedarburg High School, we used it a bunch - didn't work EVERY time, just MOST every time.😅 We called these two companion plays, "Felix" and "Oscar". FELIX (top diagram) was a normal short snap punt fake to the personal protector with everyone blocking and running right (punter jumps up in the air like a bad snap to help hold backers for a second). We'd use it when it was 4th and short (3-5 yards). The short snap was enough to fake the other team out where we thought we could get at least 5 yards. Tell your back to run for the first down marker. Awesome to do early in the game somewhere near midfield. Doesn't even matter if you make it or not. (Most likely, you WILL make the first down).BUT, you're really setting up Oscar.* OSCAR (the Puntrooskie, the bottom diagram) looks just the same, except the personal protector catches the snap and immediately places the ball in the waiting hands of the upback (between his legs)! The upback stays put. "Oscar" because he needs to be a great actor by doing NOTHING. Just hold your ground for a 2 count. THEN GO!!! To the LEFT when everyone else is running right. The punter jumps up in the air (just like before) and then runs right. Your upback might get bumped. He needs to be strong and keep the ball protected — a nice wide base. No one will know he has it. It'll be crowded and scary, but green grass will open up and he should run like the devil 👹 to daylight — AWAY FROM EVERYONE!

I bring you all of this NIL stuff (when kickers and punters are at the bottom of the food chain) because it IS THE NEW REALITY of college sports. EVERY level is affected by the choices (or lack thereof) that the NCAA is making simply to save their own skins. If they are in it for the athletes, then they have the power to alter the NEW RULES to become GOOD RULES. This rant by John Calipari, the Arkansas BASKETBALL coach, should be law. It's basically what I believe. We are NOT there yet, but I think, smarter minds will eventually get there. I need high school players who think they want to play in college, active college players and all of their parents to begin to see how this GAME works... and how it most likely WILL WORK.