SPECIAL TEAMS

Special teams play on kick offs, punts, field goal and extra point attempts. Special teams are a very important part of winning football games.

Football player positions on the special teams:

Punter: The player who stands behind the line of scrimmage, catches the long snap from the center, and then kicks the ball after dropping it toward his foot. The punter generally comes in on fourth down to punt the ball to the other team with the idea of driving the other team as far back as possible before they take possession of the ball. A good punt will be long and high to allow for the tacklers to get down field. A good punter will also be able to control his distance and to stop the ball inside the 20 yard line.

Long Snapper: A player in the center position on offense, but this player specializes in making long snaps for punts and field goal attempts. A long-snapper generally has to snap the ball seven to eight yards behind him for field goal attempts and 13 to 15 yards for punts with the accuracy that allows the holder or punter to handle the ball cleanly. This is a special skill and is often not the same player as the center.

Place Holder: The player who catches the snap from the center and places it down for the place kicker to attempt to kick it through the uprights of the goalpost. On an attempted field goal, the holder must catch the ball and put it into a good kicking position, ideally with the laces facing away from the kicker.

Place Kicker: The player who kicks the ball on kickoffs, extra point attempts, and field goal attempts. A place kicker either kicks the ball while it’s being held by a teammate or kicks it off a tee. Accuracy is key here, and for kickoffs distance is the main goal.

Kick Returner: A kick returner is the player that catches kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. He is usually one of the faster players on the team, often a reserve wide receiver. The job of a punt returner is to catch the ball after it has been punted and run it back toward the punting team’s end zone.

Gunner: The members of the special teams who specialize in racing down field to tackle the kick or punt returner. The gunners usually line up on the outside of the offensive line and are often double teamed by blockers.