I love Special Teams. I’m a big believer that they can be a key to winning football games. I call it “stealing yards.” We want to steal yards on every Special Teams unit! Hopefully, at the end of the day, our yards are more than their yards, and we have put our team in a better position for success through Special Teams.
I’m entering my 16th season coaching high school football, and my 14th as a Special Teams Coordinator! (I did it all 8 years that I was a Head Coach.)
Good luck! What am I missing? Send me an email at chris (at symbol) EightLaces.org.
| 1 | Are we on turf or grass this week? |
| 2 | Which formation should we use? |
| a | How does our formation match up? |
| 3 | What formations do they have? |
| a | Strengths of their formations? |
| b | Weaknesses of their formations? |
| c | Do they favor return one way or another? |
| d | How do they block? Man, zone? |
| 4 | Their returners – Best guy? |
| a | What is his speed like? |
| b | Does he favor one direction over another? |
| c | What type of runner is he? |
| d | What position does he play? |
| e | Anyone we want to avoid kicking it to? |
| 5 | Deep kick |
| a | Left, Middle or Right? |
| 6 | Squib Kick |
| a | Best target area? |
| b | Their personnel – who do we target? |
| 7 | Onside Kick |
| a | Best target area? |
| b | Their personnel – who do we target? |
| c | Their formation lend way to onside kick? |
| Game Day Considerations | |
| 1 | Field Conditions? Dry? Wet? Mud? |
| 2 | Wind? Behind us, coming at us, cross? |
| 3 | Moisture in air? |
| 4 | Injuries to their returners? |
| 5 | Field condition in specific place to kick from? |
Read more Special Teams articles from Coach Fore here.
Coach Fore is a consults teams on their Special Teams through his Eight Laces consulting business. You can find a Kick/Punt Returns and Blocks Manual, his Shield Punt Manual and more at EightLaces.org. He has a Shield Punt E Clinic here.
