Special Teams

• Kicking off and returning kickoffs
• Punting and returning punts
• Attempting field goals and extra points after touchdowns

The Role of Special Teams

• Points: Field goals and points-after touchdowns are important sources of points. Because it’s generally easier to kick a field goal than to score a touchdown, many close games are won (or lost) when a team makes or misses a field goal in the last few minutes or even seconds of a game.
• Field position: Field position refers to the location on a field where a team begins an offensive series. The closer a team is to its target end zone at the start of an offensive series, the more likely it is to score. Teams with better special teams usually get better field position than their opponents do.

Important Rules Regarding Special Teams

• Fakes: Occasionally, a coach sends his punt or field goal unit onto the team, but then the unit executes a running or passing play. The goal is to surprise the other team and get a first down or touchdown.
• Touchbacks: If a kickoff is kicked all the way into the end zone, the kick returner may return it. Alternatively, after catching the ball and without leaving the end zone, he can touch his knee to the ground to register a touchback. When a touchback occurs, the play is dead, and the ensuing offensive series begins on the 20-yard line. When a punt lands in the end zone, it’s an automatic touchback.
• On-side kicks: Once a kickoff has gone 10 yards and touched the ground, the kicking team mayrecover it as though it were a fumble, whether or not the receiving team has touched it. Teams tend to try for on-side kicks only when they’re losing at the end of games, because these kicks seldom work. Moreover, when they fail, they give the opposing team good field position.
• Blocks: Field goals and punts may be blocked when a player on the opposing team gets his hands or body in front of the ball as it’s kicked. Blocked field goals may be recovered and returned by the defense. If a punt is blocked but crosses the line of scrimmage, it’s treated just like a normal punt. If a punt is blocked but doesn’t cross the line of scrimmage, it’s a live ball. Either side may recover and return it.
• Fair catches: When the defensive special team is so close that a punt returner thinks a return attempt won’t be productive, he may signal to the referee for a fair catch while the punt is in the air. Provided that the returner does in fact catch the ball, the play is dead, and the next offensive series starts from that spot. Ina fair catch, the other team may not tackle or touch the punt returner.
• Recovering punts: Once any member of the receiving team has touched a punted ball, the punting team may recover the ball as though it were a fumble. When the receiving team has not yet touched the ball, and a member of the punting team touches the ball, it’s down at the point of contact. The next offensive series starts at that spot.

Special Teams Positions

• Kicker: Also called a placekicker, a kicker is used for kickoffs, field goals, and points-after touchdowns. Some teams have two kickers—one for kickoffs and long field goals, and another for short field goals and points-after.
• Punter: When a team is forced to punt when close to the end zone it’s defending, a punter must punt the ball as far as possible. If a team must punt when close to midfield, a good punter should be able to place the punt as close to the end zone as possible without actually kicking the ball into the end zone. In this case, the punter’s goal is to avoid a touchback and to pin the opposing team as close to the goal line as possible.
• Holder: On field goals and point-after tries, the holder catches the snap and sets the ball on the ground so that the kicker can strike the correct part of the ball with his foot. On fakes, the holder acts as quarterback.
• Long snapper: Many teams have a long snapper, or player whose sole job is to snap the ball to the punter on punts and to the holder on field goals and point-after attempts.
• Returner: The returner is a fast, elusive player who can return punts and kickoffs as far as possible.Most teams use the same player to return both punts and kickoffs.