Onsides Everytime?!

I know this isn't exactly no huddle information, but it is about putting a new form of pressure of the opposition.  Here is an article I just finished that I thought you guys might find interesting.

Onsides Every Time?! – Creating Opportunities for Momentum Every Kickoff

I think my team is like most high school teams. Once 

every 10 years, we are fortunate enough to have a kid that can drive the endzone on a regular basis for our kickoff team. But what about those other 9 years? What do we do in those situations to get the most out of our kickoff team? This decision will effect not only the opponents starting position, but also the scoring opportunities for both teams. This article will address one way to turn around the kick-off play giving the advantage back to the kicking team.

Before looking at what and the how, we need to first address the why. To many coaches across the country, kick-off is commonly seen as a:
1. Concession of possession to the receiving team.
2. Containment play with safety players.
3. Victory if the receiving team is kept inside the 35 yard line.  

Not only that but many coaches make the mistake of:
1. Under-practicing / scheming this team.2. Using subs and extras on the coverage team.
3. Kicking for the goalline every single time without any chance of reaching it.

So with that as our mindset (no doubt a very pessimistic view), my staff and I set to change the dynamics of these situations in order to give us an advantage on Friday night. We sought to answer the following questions:
1. How can we gain momentum with our kick-off team?
2. How can we take away the chance of a large return (momentum) from our opposition?
3. How can we keep the hands out of their play-makers hands?
4. Is there a simple change that we can make will force our opponents to spend precious practice time preparing for our schemes?

The result of this brain storming session was a unique and versatile kick-off system that adapts to return strategies and answered each of our questions. Here is the process and the plans that we used to turn the Kick-off back in our favor.

Step #1: Change the Team Mindset
We have renamed this team the Kickoff Recovery team. This sets an expectation for the players and turns their focus to attacking the ball and getting it back in the hands of the offense. This simple change will allow the players to understand their roles within this scheme and will change the way they play.

Step #2: Adjust the Personnel
Since high schools can’t recruit, team must play with who shows up. We decided that we could fit our position descriptions to the type of players that play our different defensive positions. (Below) This keeps us from worrying about subbing players for injuries. We will put as close to our 1st defense on the field as possible. Instead of putting as many head hunters as possible with a few subs sprinkled in, we will now use the different positions strengths to help us get the ball back / contain the fielded kick.

Step #3: Develop the Schemes
Once the players are in place, we turned our mind to the scheme(s). We decided that there were 6 different kicks we wanted to be able to kick each time we stepped up to the 40 yd line. Each of them can be considered an onsides to a certain extent and gives our players a chance to make a play. Below is a diagram of the 6 different onside zones that we attack out of this formation.

#1 – Standard Onsides Kick

The alignment we use looks like a potential onsides kick to the left and the returning team will likely adjust to that to some extent. If they do not, we will kick to standard onsides kick to that side with a numbers advantage. The key players in the diagram below are the End and Sam backer. Notice that they are supposed to attack / block the nearest opposing players as the other recovery team players seek to find and fall on the ball. Also notice that the left corner is the shortstop that keeps the ball from going out of bounds and the Bill backer bends back behind the play as a safety valve. The kick itself should be the hopping kick that jumps high on the third bounce when done correctly. The kicker is instructed to kick the top off of the ball to achieve this affect.

#2 – Take it if you got it kicker.
If the return team leaves a gap in front of the kicker, we will run #2. This is a rare but fun onsides that will give us a great advantage in numbers when it is run. Again, notice that 3 players are told to attack / block the nearest opponents while the others come in to clean up the ball. The kick is just a tap in the middle of the ball to get it to roll 10 yards. The kicker will need to practice this daily to know how much contact to make and how to run through the kick to have a chance to field it.

#3 – Shortside Onside
Once the opposition rotates to the wide side of the field, we will kick to the short side. This usually means only one front line player to the right of the kicker and once again gives us a numbers advantage. The scheme is quite similar to #1 but the kick itself is much different. It is a cross between the #1 and the #2 kick since a right footed kicker must completely open his hips and spank the ball into the opening. We want it to “bounce ugly.”

#4 – Pouch Kick
The fourth kick in our progression give us a versatile way to kick the ball deeper with a new way to recover the ball. The goal is to kick the ball as high as possible to the other 40. If the kicker gets under it, we can get our players down there in time to make a play on the ball. Remember, the kickoff team has the chance to call for a fair catch if the ball hasn’t hit the ground, but the second it makes contact with the playing surface all bets are off. The corner has a crucial role to get down the sideline and keep the ball inbounds.

#5 – The Nasty Nuckelball
We have already explained 4 short kicks that will likely force the teams we play to move around to prevent our success. When that happens, we want to counter that with our #5 or #6 kicks. #5 is meant to be a line drive kick that hits the ground and bounces wildly into the right third of the field. We want anyone who is fielding this ball to have to bend down and take his eyes off the pursuit. We hope to hit him as he makes contact with the ball and take possession. As the kicker prepares to make this kick, we ask him to aim at a player that is in the path of the ball and try to bounce the ball off his chest. This ensures the proper trajectory, but also gives us one more way to get the ball back in our hands. The kicker can toe kick this ball right in the middle of the ball to achieve the desired effect and to maintain accuracy.

#6 – Coffin Corner
Lastly, when team leave one guy back or rotate toward our left, we will kick our six kick. This is a more standard kick into the right third of the field. Now the fact that our kicker can only kick to the 10 is exactly what we want. We have him punch it to the corner while our recovery unit attacks the ball in lanes. I know what you are saying, that is not an onside kick at all, but the attitude that the players take makes it still a chance to meet our goals that were stated before. The ball is being kicked to an empty part of the field where our players have a high probability of containing the ball, making a big play, and creating momentum. If we get the ball on this kick it is just gravy. We are just trying to make them pay for over-adjusting. It keeps them honest and in turn forces them to create gaps up front to cover for this weakness.


I am sure that there are other ways to accomplish the goals that we had, but I have a hard time imagining a situation where you have more opportunity to create positive momentum for your team while decreasing those opportunities for your opposition. Now imagine it is Thursday night and you are walking off the practice field. All your preparation is complete and your Kick Recovery team is ready to make some plays. 35 miles away your opponent is still on that practice field. He is trying to make all the necessary adjustments with his kids to adapt to different kicks he has seen you employ in the 3 games he has on film. He is trying to make last minute changes and is taking time out of his offense and defense prep to try and ensure that you don’t “steal a possession.” You are the one that sleeps well tonight. You are the one that is prepared. You are in control before either team even steps on the field. The same cannot be said for your opponent.
I hope that this information helps you in some way. Enjoy these concepts and adapt them to the way you play football. If you have any questions regarding these schemes or concepts, please feel free to contact me at any time.