Special Teams Techniques Kicking Off
 

Coaching this skill can be developed over time, but you may want to let any player give it a try during pre-season workouts. Once you have identified three or four players who have a strong leg and natural ability to kickoff, you can have them begin to work on improving this skill

LINING UP - Lining up to make the kick is one of the first things that you will need to teach your kickers. They need to establish set steps and procedures to get lined up to make the kick. Have the kicker:

• Place the tee on the ground at the intersection of the hash marks and a yard-line if possible, so that he has a good point of reference.
• Face the coach with his kicking foot behind the tee and his non-kicking foot at the side of the tee.

From this position have the kicker:

• Turn around and take 8 steps away from the tee in a straight line.
• Then turn to the side of his non-kicking foot and take five more steps.
• Then turn and face the tee and the coach.

MAKING THE KICK - KICKOFF PRACTICE DRILL
TAKING A PRE-KICK STANCE - Once the kicker is in this position, he can then prepare to get into his stance. Facing the tee, the kicker should:

• Take a 1/2 step forward with his kicking foot toward the tee.
• Assume a comfortable stance.
• Position his hips over his feet.
• Have his shoulders leaning slightly forward of his hips.
• Allow his arms to hang down in a comfortable manner.
• Have his head up and his eyes focused on the tee and the ball.

MOVING TO MAKE THE KICK - The coach can blow a whistle or call out "GO' to alert the kicker that he should start forward toward the tee to make the kick. Have the kicker begin his movement toward the kicking tee by taking:

• A short 1/2 step with the non-kicking foot.
• Slow steps for the next four yards and then attacking the tee for the remainder of the distance.

Often in order to emphasize the kicking motion and not the actual kick, it is good to have the kicker go through the correct kicking motion, first without the ball and then with the ball added to the drill. The coach should observe the kickers lineup, stance, and movement to the ball and make corrections as the kicker goes through his sequence of movements.

STRIKING THE BALL - On the kicker's final step check, he places his non-kicking foot [plant foot] three inches behind and six inches outside of the tee. If the plant foot is even with the ball, the kicker will usually make contact with the bottom of the ball resulting in a high kick with little distance. When the plant foot is too far away from the tee and the ball, the kicker will usually strike the top of the ball and drive it into the ground.

The toe of his plant foot needs to be pointing straight down the field. The kicker should have his head down, eyes focused on the tee, and his shoulders in front of his hips. The kicking motion should start with his hips coming forward to lead the kick.

Check that:

• His kicking leg is moving forward in a high arc.
• His knee is ahead of his kicking foot.
• He has the toe of the kicking foot pointed down.
• He moves forward so that the inside of the instep hits the ball just below the center of the ball.

Ultimately the kicker may learn to generate enough forward momentum and power that he will actually be lifted off the ground at the moment of the kick.

Make certain that the kicker is not leaning back with his head up or stopping his forward momentum at the moment of the kick.

PRACTICING THE KICKOFF - In setting up the drill, it is good to have each kicker go through the kicking motion a couple of times without the ball and then have each kicker kick three or four actual kicks downfield with the ball. The first few actual kicks should be for form, and then the last one can be for distance if you want to have them really attack the ball. Remember in the beginning, the techniques of a young kicker may suffer anytime the ball is added to the drill. In your drill, you may want to have your kickoff return people back catching the kicks so that they can benefit from the practice session.