FOR FIELD GOALS and extra points, the special team’s triumvirate of the snapper, holder and kicker are key to consistent accuracy and success.
Choosing your team’s place kicker is fairly obvious. Selecting long snappers and holders, however, can be a more non-traditional process. Lester Erb, who has been one of the special team’s coaches at the University of Iowa for 6 seasons, says that selecting snappers and holders isn’t a decision to be taken lightly.
“The three most important members of the FG-PAT unit are the center, holder and kicker,” says Erb. “If you can’t snap, hold and kick with accuracy, you might as well go for it.”
For holders, Erb says there three critical characteristics that your holder must possess. Your holder must:
1. Be A Skilled Athlete. He must have sure, quick hands and must have an innate ability to field all snaps cleanly. If the holder is “double-catching” or unable to handle bad snaps, the kicker will never develop timing or confidence. he should be able to pick up low balls like a baseball shortstop and handle high balls like a WR. A skilled holder can erase minor mistakes made by the center.
2. Have Quick Hands. After he catches the ball, he must put it on the spot quickly and accurately, locate the laces and spin them away from the kicker all in one fluid motion.
3. Be Able To Throw The Ball. This skill isn’t imperative, but it opens up a wide variety of opportunities for fakes. It also helps on bad snaps when the holder needs to make a fire call.
“Most importantly, the kicker must trust the holder,” says Erb. “Ideally we want the punter to be a holder. The punter and kicker usually have a good working relationship and they spend a great deal of time doing repetitions together. They develop confidence and timing.”
For more great special team’s information from Lester Erb, check out this month’s article on page 4.