Every game starts with what appears to be a simple maneuver, the kickoff. Yet, there are very few players who are really skillful in kicking the ball from the kickoff tee, or when it is held by a teammate.

You may have the talent to develop into a kickoff expert. See how well you can do with these instructions. (Our instructions are for a right-footed kicker. "Lefties" should switch the words "right" and "left" wherever they appear.)

1. Most kickoffs are made with the ball placed on a tee. The kicker approaches the ball at a slow run. Generally, this run will cover seven or eight yards before contact is made with the ball. The length of the run depends on the individual kicker. Some boys prefer a longer run, some a shorter run. Whatever the distance, your steps must be well timed. Your run should end with your left foot immediately to the left and slightly behind the ball just as your right foot is beginning to swing forward into the ball.

2. The toe of your right foot makes contact with the ball just below the mid-point of the ball. At this precise second, both the knee and the ankle of your right leg should "lock." Your leg should swing forward in a normal "pendulum swing." This will cause the ball to make an upward flight with the familiar "end-over-end" action. This action is the sign of a good kickoff.

3. Proper placement of the ball on the tee is extremely important. Different kickers may have different "favorite" positions for the ball. However, the best position and the one most commonly used is where the ball has a slight backward lean. This causes any contact with the ball by the toe to be under the mid-point of the ball. This almost automatically gives it the necessary upward flight and end-over-end action.

4. Power and strength do not make an expert kicker. Just because a boy is big and has muscular legs does not mean he is the best potential kicker on the team. The best kickoff prospect is the boy who has good co-ordination and a fine sense of timing. Usually, this is the smaller player.

5. The distance the kickoff travels is not of first importance. You must concentrate in the beginning on sending the ball straight and true on its flight into the other team's territory. Your accuracy is developed through learning how to meet the ball with your toe so as to get the desired end-over-end action through the air.

6. Since the kickoff point is your forty-yard line and the other team's goal line is sixty yards away, the ideal kick should travel a minimum of sixty yards. A topnotch kickoff man is one who can consistently kick the ball into the other team's end zone. If they decide to run the ball out, they have
a long and dangerous way to come. If they take the ball on the twenty-yard line, you have eliminated the threat of a long runback. However, at your age few boys will be able to kickoff more than thirty-five yards. And this distance will be achieved only after long and thorough practice.

7. As a beginner who is determined to become a top-notch kickoff man, you must follow a set procedure. First, start your forward movement about one yard behind the ball. Take a short step with your left foot in a "hopping" motion. Plant your left foot solidly on the ground to the left of the ball and slightly behind it. As your left foot hits the ground, your right leg is already in its swinging motion, the right toe contacting the ball just under the mid-section. Repeat this many times until you are getting the ball to go straight downfield with the end-over-end action.

8. After you become good at the above action, back up approximately two yards so that it will take two or three steps to bring your right foot into kicking position. You gradually back up a yard at a time until you reach the desired average distance of seven or eight yards away from the ball.

Generally speaking, you do not get any more power by using a longer run.

9. Don't worry if your kickoffs do not travel very far. Developing your timing and accuracy is the most important thing at your age. As stated in Paragraph 6, a thirty-five-yard kickoff is a healthy one for any teen-age boy. This should be your personal goal. You will discover that the more kicking you do, the stronger your kicking leg will become. Of course, as you grow, your kicking leg will become stronger.

It is safe to say, without fear of much argument, that the punt is the most important part of the kicking game. It can also be a devastating weapon for the offensive team. If a team has an excellent punter, who can punt accurately and for distance, tremendous yardage gains can result. He can punt your team out of a hole and he can punt your opponents into a hole. He can turn the tide of a game with a well-placed out-of-bounds punt deep in opposition territory.

THE PUNTER (above) swings his leg forward as he drops the ball, nose slightly higher than the rear point, straight down with both hands. He then met the ball (below) with the upper part of his right ankle.

We have a shortage of really fine punters in football. Why don't you help fill this need by developing your punting ability, starting right now ... in the right way!

1. The most common position for a punter is to stand with his right foot slightly in advance of his left foot. (This is for a right-hander.) There should be a slight forward bend in both the knees and the hips. You receive the ball directly from your center. His snap of the ball usually travels between ten and thirteen yards.

2. Hold your hands out in front of you to give the center a target. Palms face upward and slightly inward. The fingers point forward and slightly downward. Keep your hands and fingers relaxed. A good snap of the ball should bring it to you chest-high. Keep your eyes on the ball until you have it in your hands. After you receive the ball, turn it in your hands so that the laces are "topside." You do not want the laces to make contact with your foot in the kicking motion. Hold the ball, as you prepare to drop it to your foot, with your hands on opposite sides of the ball. Have your right hand toward the rear point of the ball and your left hand toward the nose of the ball. Have a firm grip, using both palms and fingers.

3. You take a short step with your right foot. Then, a considerably longer step with your left foot. As you step with your left foot, swing your right leg forward and drop the ball straight down. Position the ball so that when you drop it, the nose is slightly higher than the rear point. The upper part of your right ankle should meet the belly of the ball, and your right toe should point straight ahead, not upward. If these movements are made properly, you will give the ball a spiraling action in its flight. Some punters prefer to take long steps with both feet before kicking the ball. Actually, doing this slows you down in getting the kick away and does not necessarily result in a more powerful or longer punt.

4. You must get the ball to spiral properly in its flight through the air if you are to achieve maximum distance and accuracy. The two most important points are the timing of the swing of your leg and the dropping of the ball from your hands. Constant practice helps you develop this timing skill. For your age, it is more important for you to learn to punt quickly and accurately. This is what you should strive for in your practice sessions. You want to keep the punt from being blocked by charging defensive linemen. You want to be able to place the ball in various and certain areas downfield. It is difficult, if not impossible, to set a maximum distance that you should be able to punt. As you develop your actions properly for timing and accuracy, and as you develop physically, your punts will go farther and farther. Let's say that, to start with, you should get a minimum distance of fifteen to twenty yards.

5. In your punting practice, you should always receive the ball on a proper snap from the center to start your maneuver.

Having discussed the difficult art of punting, we should now take up the easiest kick of all! It is the try for the extra point, the point after touchdown.

THE HOLDER AND THE KICKER are in the correct positions for both the extra-point attempt and the field-goal attempt. The holder holds the ball firmly with one finger, laces away from the kicker.

1. "Splitting the goal posts," which means putting the ball accurately and consistently between the goal posts and over the crossbar, depends mostly on your ability to concentrate. You must concentrate your eyes on the spot where the holder will put the ball down. Then, you must concentrate your eyes on the ball when it is moved into that position. Finally, you must concentrate on contacting the ball properly with your kicking foot.

2. The holder, and sometimes this may be you, places the ball down so that the laces are facing away from the kicker. The one point goes to the ground and the holder places a finger on the other point of the ball, holding it firmly in an upright position. The ball should be kept very straight with no tilt forward, backward, or to either side. There are some kickers who seem to prefer a slight backward tilt to the ball, but there is no real advantage to be gained. A holder needs good hands so that when he receives the snap from center, he can quickly maneuver the ball into its proper kicking position. There must be no wasted motion in getting the ball down, or the defense will have time to come in and block the kick. The ball is put down about six and a half yards behind the line of scrimmage. It should be lined up directly between the goal posts.

3. Now, we return to you, as the kicker. You take a position about one and a half yards directly behind the spot where the ball goes down. You should be aiming for the exact center of the crossbar. When the ball is placed down, you make a slight skipping action. Your left foot is planted to the immediate left of the ball and slightly behind it. As in the kickoff, your right leg swings forward in the manner of a pendulum. The ball travels about twenty yards for the extra point. In your beginning practice, you may have to move closer to the goal posts until you fully develop the proper actions. The main thing in your leg swing is not force, but rather that it is well-timed and done in a normal swinging motion. Your right toe must contact the ball slightly below its mid-point. You have your head down, eyes on the holding spot and then on the ball. You keep your head down throughout the kicking motion and also thereafter! You do not look up to see if your kick is good!

4. On occasions when there is a severe crosswind, it will be necessary for you to adjust your starting position and the position of the ball. If there is a stiff wind from the left, aim your kick to the left of the center of the crossbar. How much to the left, or how much to the right, if the wind is coming from the right, depends on how hard the wind is blowing. You will learn this through practice and experience.

In recent years, the field goal has become an important part of offensive football. As in the passing game, the professional football teams have sparked the increase in the popularity of this three-point play. However, the field goal has not returned to the exact form in which it was first popular in college ranks in the late 1800's and the early 1900's. In those days, "drop kicks" were made from such remarkable distances as fifty, sixty, and seventy yards. (And they counted for four points.)

Now, the ball is placed down by a holder in exactly the same manner as for the extra-point try. In the professional leagues, field goals are attempted, and are frequently successful, from as far away as sixty yards from the goal posts and are accurately made at angles to the right and to the left of the crossbar. It is best to keep your attempts within a range of twenty to twenty-five yards. You will probably have to start from a position ten to fifteen yards away from the goal posts.

1. The farther the ball has to travel, the greater will be its tendency to drift to one side or the other. Therefore, great care must be taken to line the ball up properly with the exact center of the crossbar.

2. You, as the kicker, have much the same action in your movements as when kicking for the extra point. The only difference is that as the distance the kick must travel becomes greater, you put more pep into your skipping step with your left foot. You also put a little more force into the swing of your right leg. As you grow stronger physically, you will be able to kick longer field goals. For the time being, work only from a distance where you can achieve accuracy.

3. If you are to become an expert field-goal kicker, you must have steady nerves. You must be able to concentrate your entire attention on the act of kicking the ball. You must not be "rattled" by the pressure of opposition attempts to block your kicks. Finally, you must certainly have a great desire to become an expert. It requires much daily practice. However, you must guard against practicing too much. Too much kicking in one session can overtire your leg muscles and bring on an injury. You should practice with the teammate who will be holding the ball for you during the regular game.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...