We often are tasked with coaching a position or skill that we’ve never had to play or perform. “Holding” for a field goal or extra point is a skill that was completely foreign to me, yet as a new special teams coach for the Minnesota Vikings, I was expected to teach this skill. Luckily, I was blessed with a talented athlete that taught the skill to me. In 1984, Greg Coleman, the Viking punter, held for the Viking’s new kicker, Jan Stenerud. Being around two of the game’s premier players my first year in professional football was a great way to start my exposure to the technique of holding for the field goal attempt. Some of the other “holders” that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach and have added to my understanding of the skill were Jeff Rutledge (Giants), Jeff Hostetler (Giants), Scott Zolak (Patriots), Tom Tupa (Patriots and Jets) Brad Maynard (Bears) and Jeff Feagles (Giants).
When choosing a holder for your team, you must choose someone that you trust. As with any position that handles the football, you are entrusting the outcome of the play to a large extent on the holder successfully completing his assignment. In addition to the trust the coach places on the holder, the snapper and kicker must also trust that the holder will execute his part of the play.
Some of the traits that are common to successful holders are:
· Athlete – The holder must be a good athlete to be able to execute a fake or the “fire” play (bad snap).
· Good Hands – This obviously is a component of being a good athlete but the catching of the snap and placement of the ball on the “spot” is a unique skill that requires accuracy.
· Command Presence – The holder is the QB on the field and is responsible for having eleven on the field and the smooth operation of the play. The back-up QB makes an excellent holder since the fourth down field goal attempt often occurs after an incomplete pass or even a sack so the starting QB may not be the best choice.
· Additional Considerations – Pick a holder that wants to do the job and will be willing to commit the time and effort to be a good holder. This is a skill that can be learned but must be continually practiced with the snapper and kicker. The holder is part of a three-man team (snapper, holder and kicker) that must practice their skills together as a group and must be a compatible group. In the NFL, the holder is often the punter because he can spend the time needed to practice the skill and the fact that NFL punters generally have very good hands.
· Choose the Spot – The holder chooses the spot for the kick making sure that the spot is at the correct distance from the ball. This is often more difficult than it sounds in that some fields are poorly marked or become poorly marked because of rain. The spot must also have solid ground for the kicker’s plant foot.
· Mark the Spot – Once the spot is determined (in a timely fashion) the holder goes to his right knee with his left hand on the spot (if you use a block, put the block down with the left hand on the spot). The left knee should be snuggled up to the left elbow providing a brace and reference point for finding the spot after catching the football. The right hand should be on the ground in front and inside of the left hand. The left hand is on the ground pointing to the spot with one or two fingers.
· Timing the Play – After the holder sees that the line is in place and ready, he then looks to the kicker to see if he is ready. With a nod of his head, the kicker acknowledges that he is ready. Before any “set” call or the lifting of the right hand as a target for the snap, the holder’s eyes must go to the ball. Then and only then is the play ready to be executed.
I had a snapper, John Hudson with the Jets, that taught me a important lesson. With the noise of the Jet’s fans, John couldn’t hear the “set” call. He knew the holder was ready when he saw the hand come off the ground.
· The Hold – When the play is ready and the holder has his eyes on the ball, then he can raise his right hand and present a target. The target for the snapper would be the holder’s right thumb. The thumb should be a bit inside of the ball/spot line. On windy days or extreme cold the target would be even more inside. The poorest placement of the snap is out in front of the holder where he has to lean out to catch the ball and come out of his stance. The holder wants to catch the ball feeling the laces with his right hand. The left hand should be placed with fingers pointing toward and near the tip of the ball. Catching the ball in this manner facilitates a clean catch and placement of the ball on the spot putting the center of mass of the ball down with minimal additional movement. If the right hand is feeling the laces, they can be placed forward without turning the ball on the ground. If the ball is caught with the left fingers near the tip they can easily be slid on top of the ball with a three-finger hold. These left fingers can also be used for final adjustment of the laces. If the ball is caught without feeling the laces with the right hand, the laces can be adjusted with a finger or thumb spin. Remember that the kicker’s first look at the ball on the spot is the “center of mass”. Put the ball down at the angle the kicker wants and don’t move it. The pressure on the ball should be such that once the ball is kicked, the left hand should not go down. The eyes should not be in a hurry to follow the ball.
Drills are helpful in training your holder. Start with the basics of catching the ball and placement on the spot. Mark the spot with increasingly smaller spots. Start with a two- inch spot and work towards a spot the size of a dime. This is an excellent drill that can be done indoors in the off-season or even in the locker room.
An individual drill that is helpful has the holder getting into his stance with a marked spot. Place the ball within reach on the ground varying the locations. Go though the mechanics of looking at the line, the kicker, and back to the front. Make the “set” call and pick up the ball off the ground and place it on the spot.
During your pre-season drills and practices have your snapper, holder and kicker work running on to the field and getting set up in different locations on the field. This should be done with supervision so that all mechanics and fundamentals are correctly practiced. It’s not practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect.
There are many coaching points and reminders that go into the making of a good holder, not the least of which is hard work and effort by the athlete himself.
Part IV will discuss the techniques of the kicker.