See my Kickoff Team Checklist here.
Many high school teams simply “roll the ball out” for Special Teams. You know what I mean. They go through Special Teams on Thursday. Throw some kids out there, and “give it a go.”
The great programs do not do that. They put in a lot of effort, film work, and are dedicated to putting their kids in the right spots for success. Use this checklist to help you do that.
| KICKOFF RETURN | |
| 1 | Are we on turf or grass this week? |
| 2 | Which return should we use? |
| a | How does our return match up? |
| 3 | What kickoff formations do they have? |
| a | Strengths of their formations? |
| b | Weaknesses of their formations? |
| c | Do they favor kicking ball one way or another? |
| 4 | Do they huddle on the field? |
| a | Ever kick quick from that huddle? |
| 5 | Where do they like to kick from? |
| a | Do they always kick from the same spot? |
| 6 | Average distance of kicks? |
| a | What line yard for our returners? |
| 7 | Create a “land” chart. (Where the balls land) |
| a | What area for our returners to line up? |
| 8 | What number is their regular kicker? |
| a | Left or right footed? |
| b | Is there a backup kicker? Number? |
| 9 | Do they like to squib kick? |
| a | If so, average distance? |
| 10 | What is their onside kick like? |
| a | Do they favor an onside kick to one way? |
| b | Do they bring in another kid to onside kick? |
| 11 | Who has the most kickoff team tackles? |
| a | Where does he line up? |
| b | Does he line up in the same spot all the time? |
| 12 | Who is the weakest kickoff team member? |
| 13 | What is the path of their contain guys? |
| 14 | Coverage lanes cross? Or come straight down? |
| 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 leading kickoff coverage guys? |
| 5 | Field condition in specific place we want to return? |
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.
