The 2013 football season is upon us and it’s time for some pigskin! One thing I look forward too is the new and innovative schemes implemented by high school, college, and professional football teams. I have been somewhat considered a “new-age innovator” when it comes to my special team units. I have always been a huge fan of special teams and gained a great deal of insight into its importance during my early collegiate playing days.
As a head football coach, I stress all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. Since, in most cases, my teams are not physically superior to our opponents, I have looked to alternative methods to gain an upper hand or advantage. One area I continue to explore is the special team’s phase of the game. Many of you may have viewed, read, or listened to many articles/clinics/speeches I give annually about two of my special teams units: the Loco Punt Formation and the Muddle HD 2PT/XPT System. I recently have added a new twist to my PAT/FG team after an in-depth talk with a fellow football coach from Warwick High School, located in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, and home to Michael Vick. His son had a background in soccer and wanted to kick PAT/FGs for the football team so he developed a new PAT/FG formation to block and protect for his son. The “Shield PAT/FG” was born!
I was really intrigued by it not only from the success (roughly 30 for 32) of it but it also answered my desire for better protection. I lost three games this previous season due to blocked PAT/FGs and so I began to look at and evolve into the “Shield PAT/FG” formation. The other intriguing element of the formation is the multiple fakes that can be run out of its base formation thus keeping opponents on their heels rather than toes! This will also make opponents have to prepare for another element of my special forces, a.k.a special teams, and not be able to concentrate on my offense and defensive systems. The base formation of the “Shield PAT/FG” is below: (see diagram )
Diagram – Shield PAT/FG
The formation is based off the typical double TE and wings set-up for a PAT/FG attempt. However, you take the two wings (who were typically two skill players) and you replace them 2-3 yards back from the guards in a “shield protection” scheme. You can use offensive linemen, linebackers, etc. who are not afraid of contact and are better at blocking. Their job is to block the first threat off the edge inside. If there is a threat outside of them, they will be past the holder and thus unable to block the kick. The rest of the front line continues to block down on the inside gap forming a wall. You can also see the unending possibilities of fakes that can be run off this set as well! This will be my first year implementing the “Shield PAT/FG” formation and I look forward to sharing with you the results from its use!