Saturday, August 29, 2009

Some Special Teams Tips

Special teams, often overlooked, is a huge part of any football game and will win or lose you a close game. Proper special teams play allows you to win the field position battle to set up your offense or defense for success.
Punt:
When punting choose the max cover punt to get as many defenders running down field as possible. Be conservative when punting, the goal is to make your opponent call a fair catch. Put the punt arrow as vertical as possible to ensure a long hang time, do not move the punting arrow to the left of right. This long hang time will give your defenders enough time to make your opponent call for a fair catch. Sometimes your opponent will not call for the fair catch, hit stick the snot out of him and force the fumble.
Punt Return:
Put your fastest man at returner, preferably an offensive player or someone with good carry and break tackle ability. If your are on the right hash call return right, left hash return left. If you are not worrying about a fake take your nose tackle (should be a LB) and run him back near your return man. Keep in control of him and look to block the most dangerous threat to your returner.
Kickoff:
Run middle return, look to kick the ball right down the center. Click off your kicker, and look to get down field. The goal on kickoff is to not get blocked while crossing the face of multiple blockers to confuse their assignments.
Kickoff Return:
Put your fastest men at returners. When the ball is kicked look to control the return man that is not catching the kickoff. Take this man and run him at a 65 degree angle towards the near sideline. When the kick is caught look to run up the near sideline and look for an open seam.
Field Goal:
If your kicker is halfway decent you should be able to make a 60+ yard field goal. To ensure the maximum distance on the kick, angle the kicking arrow as low as possible. I like to "aim small miss small" on field goals. Do not just look to get the ball between the uprights, aim the kick in the very center of the uprights so if you miss by a little you still will make the kick.
Field Goal Block:
Never run field goal block, I have played 1300 games of NCAA and I have never blocked a field goal. There are ways to glitch and block the field goal, but even then it is just not worth it. People run fakes way too often to call the field goal block. Get in the habit of calling a base, preferably zone defense to ensure the proper defense of a fake.
Onside Kicks:
Place the cursor in the middle of the upper left hand quarter of the football. Release your kick at about 66 to 75 percent on the power gauge. Your kick, done properly should go directly towards the the TE on the front row of the return team. 95% of the time the ball will knock right off his hands and then it is free game.

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