Football: Special Team
The special team is often the most overlooked in a football game because in the entire 60 minute of the game, they can also be seen at least 2 minutes in the field. However, special teams play a major role in the success of the team.
The reason why they are called special team is not because they are neither offensive nor defensive and there are no other names to be given, but because they possess unique skills. They can play good offense as they are the ones who receive the ball from the punt and rush the ball as far as possible so that the offensive team will start on a good distance from the opponent’s end zone. They are a good defensive team as they are responsible in keeping the punt return team from advancing in the field and prevent the field goal team from scoring.
The special team’s tasks are to punt the ball, kick the ball off, return the ball from a kick, block the punt return team, take the field goal and block the field goal team.
Here are the specialized positions in the special team:
- Long snapper - is the player who snaps the ball for field goal attempts or punts. The counterpart of the long snapper in the offensive team is the center. Long snappers must throw the ball accurately as the punter or holder must handle the ball cleanly to execute the play.
- Holder - the player who catches the snap from the long snapper (center) and puts it down for the placekicker. A holder is used during a field goal attempt.
- Placekicker – the player who kicks the ball for field goal attempts, extra point attempts and kickoffs. The placekickers can kick the ball off the tee or while it is being handled by a holder.
- Punter – the player who catches the ball behind the line of scrimmage from the center. After catching the snap, the punter drops the ball towards his foot and kicks it as far back as possible. The punter is commonly seen during the fourth down.
- Punt returner - the one that is positioned farthest down the field who catches the ball from punt. Sometimes the punt returner is also the kick returner.
- Kick returner - similar to punt returner. The only difference is that he returns the ball from a kick.
- Gunner – a specialized position in the punting and kickoff team that is responsible in running quickly down the field to block or tackle the punt returner (or returner).
