Coach -

On special teams, the fake punt doesn’t appear as regularly as it used to.  The popularity of the shield punt which often uses lineman as the up-backs in the shield most likely discourages that as coaches not wanting the big guys handling the ball.  

The Shield Fake Punt

However, we did share Coach Plaa’s fake punt which went viral on social media.  He calls it vomit.  Here is the video again in case you missed it.

Video: Vomit

Coach put together a presentation on the key coaching points of the play with additional video.

Viral Shield Punt Fake “Vomit”

Fourth & Go Analytics

The other aspect of the game that has changed is the analytical approach for going for it on fourth down more often. The rationale that would follow is that you would rather run a play that you practice often rather than a fake punt that hasn’t been given nearly as many reps.

Because of those two things, the fake punt has taken a back seat.

The Element of Surprise

Finding a way to surprise the opponent with a fake can certainly come in handy as your get into games with playoff and championship implications.  Here is Brandon Bailey, head coach at Richland HS (PA), explaining one of his favorite fake punts. In this example he does it on his own 5-yard line (click on image for video):

Video: Fake Punt

The fake punt won’t be used often over the course of the season, but pulling it at the right time can make the difference in a game.  It’s worth having in your toolbox and installing one and getting it reps over the next several weaks can pay dividends later.

Good luck this week!

Coach Grabowski