Coaches, it's always good to have a couple of "special" plays up your sleeve. Here's one that looks tricky, but actually is pretty simple (and very effective) to execute. If you have a reasonably athletic kicker and a capable holder, this one's for you! Your holder and kicker need to practice this exchange often in practice to get to where they are both confident that they can execute it. The key is for the kicker to get "flat" with a soft inside shoulder to catch the ball (don't crowd the holder). He should expect that the flip might be off a little. The holder needs to put the ball down for a split second just like a kick, then casually flip it over his shoulder to the kicker without looking. That seems hard, but actually isn't. Once they know that their soft flip is easy to catch, they'll be ready to execute for you. No one should touch your kicker. He should head straight for the goalie pylon and NOT slow down until he's in the end zone. You may need to teach him how to run (and carry) a football. 😄 🏈 BONUS: One key benefit of running a FG fake is that it often has the effect of slowing down strong rushes. If you are worried about your line's blocking capability, getting a fake on film early in the season (even if it fails) can really help your linemen out... to keep the defense honest — and get your opponent to lose 15 minutes of practice time prepping for a play that's unlikely to happen.

Hopefully, my message about K-Zone is having an effect on you, your coach and your team. Ultimately, it's just about trying to win games. I believe in getting points on every possession. Who doesn't? In our first game of the year, Wisconsin Lutheran College was desperate to keep the game tight, losing 20-7 just a few minutes before the half. This video shows the end of an offensive drive with a 4th and 6 on the 15 yard line. It's a K-Zone kick (32 yard FG, but with a fairly strong crosswind). Our kicker is 1-1 on PATs thus far, but we got some strong penetration on that PAT and a wing who missed part of his assignment. Our coach takes a timeout to consider. You can see we use a bunch of that timeout on making a decision. The Head Coach, the D-Coordinator and me, the Special Teams coach. The DC is aggressive and thinks we should go for the score. I'm telling him to kick it. In the end, it's up to the head coach to decide. Notice that our kicker, holder and snapper are right there, we have one of our assistants gathering the FG unit, while spare backs and receivers are nearby no matter the call. Coaches, prep for just this situation to make your hard job just a bit less stressful. It's all a good dilemma to have, but you have less than 60 seconds to decide, because if you ARE going to GO FOR IT, you still need a play call.🤔 Or do you call for a FG fake? What's your call? What will our coach do? _ _ _ _ _ Watch and find out how well Coach Treske's decision actually was...

Got sent a link from the WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association) on football kicking rules. This video does a good job of explaining something that seems so simple, yet gets so confusing in the heat of battle on a Friday night. At 1:37 he asks, "When does a kick actually end?" Do you know?

I gave a talk to the Minnesota Football Coaches Association a couple of years ago that I included a short video segment on fake field goal plays that was a hit. The message is simple, if you have a great play, DON'T SAVE IT!* Why? • You might turn 3 points into 6 (or a 1 pt. conversion into 2)! • You get it on film now... • Your next three opponents will see that fake and will prep for it. • Prepping for it means lost practice time preparing for your "real" playbook. • Other opponents will be on-guard and less likely to go "all out" for the block... • Which gives more time for your kicking unit to get the FG/PAT off. *Remember, to pull off fake FG's, you actually have to show that you can kick FGs. — Want to learn how to do that with purpose? Check out my talk on the K-ZONE, found in the CLASSROOM. Ideally, Coach, have a couple up your sleeve. Prep for the first game on a "throw-away", but if the moment is even close to right, USE IT! Not sure how to create a new fake FG? DM me. I've only got about 3 dozen to offer you! (Check out Coach Farley's talks)

As part of my K-zone Speech to coaches, they learn that it's just a case of simple math to determine that answer. The chart below shows you exactly when you should "go for it" or "just kick it". Know your percentages for both attempting a 2-pt. conversion and by kicking for 1-pt. Whichever produces more points (on average) in 20 tries is your answer. The NFL's success rate for 2-pt. conversions is 45%. The NFL's success rate for 1-pt. conversions is 95%. It's a close call, but kicking "beats" going-for-it by a single point. What would your success rate in high school be on your team? That's how good you'll need to be to get the chance to kick it.