Coach - 

I wanted to share a very cool design of a fake punt making waves on X (formerly Twitter). A fake punt play from Downey High School in California, designed by head coach Jeremy Plaa, has gone viral—and for good reason!

When executed correctly, the play is a foolproof way for the punt team to get a first down. We will get to the execution in a minute.

You may have seen the clip of a punt team player catching an underhand from the punter. The play is over two decades old and Coach Plaa and I have discussed it on the Coach and Coordinator Podcast.

The clip of the fake punt that went viral dates back to 1999, when Plaa first used the trick play as part of an 8-7 win at Delhi High School. Since then, he’s kept it in his back pocket, only pulling it out for special occasions.

The play got its memorable name, “Vomit” because the ball is tossed high and far during the fake punt, looking like an ugly kick that makes the special teams coordinator want to vomit. 

Plaa explained in an interview that the defense’s natural reaction to a bad punt—yelling “Get away! Get away!”—opens the door for a receiver to sneak downfield while the punter delivers an accurate underhand pass. It catches the defense off-guard, and if the receiver gets hit while waiting for the ball to drop, it’s a sure-fire pass interference call.

Plaa’s latest use of “Vomit” has coaches buzzing on social media, and it’s a reminder of the innovation and creativity that continues to shape our game. As special teams coordinators turn to platforms like X and TikTok for inspiration, we might see even more creative spins on this play. 

If you haven’t seen it yet, I’d highly recommend checking it out here:

Video: Vomit

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

Viral Shield Punt Fake “Vomit”

Let me know what you think!

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. Do you have a creative version of a play? I’d love to see it and feature it in future emails. Please email me.