Punters and special teams (and head) coaches, learn from this play. < WATCH PLAY > Often it's done with your punter when you expect a big rush to force a blocked punt by a desperate defense. When the clock, and not the score is your biggest enemy, having your punter catch the snap and run to the corner of the end zone to take as much time off the clock as possible. The punter in normally in the end zone - it's a very safe play. NOTE: unlike this video, the player should never allow himself to be touched. When pressure comes, just step out the back of the end zone. Take the 2 point safety and if there is any time left on the clock, you punt or kick off from your own 20 and give your opponent the ball with time for one play from long distance. OF NOTE: This play, was done by the QB — 45 yards away from the end zone — there's a very real danger of him tripping or falling on the way to the end zone, which would be disastrous (notice how close he comes to his tailback's foot). Get that guy away from him! And, his teammates can "effectively" hold the defense to buy more time. If they call a penalty, you back up and do it again. 😮 Understand the rules, prepare your team for curious opportunities and smartly win the game!

Oliver traded select soccer for football kicking and has already made his mark on both the Freshman (#15) and Varsity (#90) teams. I’m so proud of his calm under pressure and can’t wait to watch him keep growing his skills. 🏈❤️ Huge thx to Mike for all you have and will continue to teach him!

Coaches, it's always good to have a couple of "special" plays up your sleeve. Here's one that looks tricky, but actually is pretty simple (and very effective) to execute. If you have a reasonably athletic kicker and a capable holder, this one's for you! Your holder and kicker need to practice this exchange often in practice to get to where they are both confident that they can execute it. The key is for the kicker to get "flat" with a soft inside shoulder to catch the ball (don't crowd the holder). He should expect that the flip might be off a little. The holder needs to put the ball down for a split second just like a kick, then casually flip it over his shoulder to the kicker without looking. That seems hard, but actually isn't. Once they know that their soft flip is easy to catch, they'll be ready to execute for you. No one should touch your kicker. He should head straight for the goalie pylon and NOT slow down until he's in the end zone. You may need to teach him how to run (and carry) a football. 😄 🏈 BONUS: One key benefit of running a FG fake is that it often has the effect of slowing down strong rushes. If you are worried about your line's blocking capability, getting a fake on film early in the season (even if it fails) can really help your linemen out... to keep the defense honest — and get your opponent to lose 15 minutes of practice time prepping for a play that's unlikely to happen.

Hopefully, my message about K-Zone is having an effect on you, your coach and your team. Ultimately, it's just about trying to win games. I believe in getting points on every possession. Who doesn't? In our first game of the year, Wisconsin Lutheran College was desperate to keep the game tight, losing 20-7 just a few minutes before the half. This video shows the end of an offensive drive with a 4th and 6 on the 15 yard line. It's a K-Zone kick (32 yard FG, but with a fairly strong crosswind). Our kicker is 1-1 on PATs thus far, but we got some strong penetration on that PAT and a wing who missed part of his assignment. Our coach takes a timeout to consider. You can see we use a bunch of that timeout on making a decision. The Head Coach, the D-Coordinator and me, the Special Teams coach. The DC is aggressive and thinks we should go for the score. I'm telling him to kick it. In the end, it's up to the head coach to decide. Notice that our kicker, holder and snapper are right there, we have one of our assistants gathering the FG unit, while spare backs and receivers are nearby no matter the call. Coaches, prep for just this situation to make your hard job just a bit less stressful. It's all a good dilemma to have, but you have less than 60 seconds to decide, because if you ARE going to GO FOR IT, you still need a play call.🤔 Or do you call for a FG fake? What's your call? What will our coach do? _ _ _ _ _ Watch and find out how well Coach Treske's decision actually was...

Got sent a link from the WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association) on football kicking rules. This video does a good job of explaining something that seems so simple, yet gets so confusing in the heat of battle on a Friday night. At 1:37 he asks, "When does a kick actually end?" Do you know?