Coach ,

To wrap up our special teams series for the 2022 season we share a few creative change-ups for your special teams.

Change-ups are good when your body of work for the season is available on the film exchange for your opponent to scout and break down extensively. It works in your favor as well because you certainly know how to plan these change-ups in order to be able to set up successful execution.

Finding a wrinkle that is an easy adjustment for you, but can provide a big play spark can pay off big in the postseason.

Here’s a few ideas to get you started.

#1) A change-up to your typical kick-return scheme

Kick return is an area that can provide you great field position for your offense. Hopefully, you don’t need to execute many of these in a game, but once you show a change-up from your typical return, it can slow down the coverage just enough to go back to your base return. And Merfield shows a change-up they use here:

Video: Power Across Field

#2) Use kick-off 

Indiana powerhouse Ben Davis Head Coach Jason Simmons shows how they use what they know against the opponent to take advantage of their alignments and movements on the kick. He refers to it as ball control. The idea is to limit the return and possibly get the ball back if they are not ready. He explains it with game film examples here (click on image for video):

Video: Sky Kicks and Ball Control

#3) Creativity on PAT

While at Ben Davis High School, assistant Alex Kirby and staff utilized the “swinging gate” alignment for PAT. It provides the PAT team with plenty of options if they are willing to execute from this formation. After using the typical alignment for the seasons, The Ben Davis staff came up with a variation and a new set of plays to execute from it to provide the chance for a two-point play.  Coach Kirby shows “Nitro” from a swinging gate alignment here (click on image for video):

Video: Nitro Game Film

It’s been fun to watch the season and share ideas from the great coaches we have had at our clinics. We are looking forward to another great clinic season and bringing you more ideas for your program.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski