The Special Teams are part of the three compartments of American football. Generally, the offense and defense are the most valued squads. However, the specialists, the players of the special teams, are the unsung heroes of American football. Indeed, it is often the special teams that make the difference in a football game. The Special Teams are moments of transition where the team receiving the ball can make a big play, and the team clearing the ball needs to put the adversary far from their goal line. It is a game segment to master perfectly because an error in this area can be the difference between winning or losing. The role of special teams is crucial, they enter the field during changes of possession, at the beginning of halves, or when a team has scored a touchdown.
What are Special Teams?
Special teams in American football encompass a set of plays involving kicking the ball, typically on punts, kickoffs, and field goals. These plays involve distinct units on the field, and the players on these units are considered specialists in these kicking situations. Special Teams are used during changing possession, it means that the ball will move from one offense to the other. Special teams play a crucial role in the game strategy, impacting field position, scoring opportunities, and momentum. Teams often emphasize special teams' performance as it can swing the outcome of a game. Let's see in which situations and how each special team’s unit plays and stands out.
Kickoff Team
The kickoff team kicks the ball to the opposing team to start a game, after a score, or at the beginning of each half. It is composed of one kicker (K) and ten “hunters”, five from each side of the kicker. The ball is kicked at the 40-yard line in the IFL and from the 35-yard line in the NFL.
The Kickoff team's role is to run to the kick returner and to tackle him the farthest possible from their goal line so that the opposing offense starts to play in a bad position (far from the end zone). Preventing a long return is the main objective, the hunters need to avoid blockers from the kickoff return and build strong coverage to block off the spaces for the returner and tackle him. The ball can be recovered by the kick-off team in two situations: when the kickoff return team drops the football or makes a fumble after a tackle.
Kickoff Positions
Kicker: Kicks the ball to the opponent the farthest possible.
Coverage Team: Players who sprint down the field to tackle the kick returner and prevent a long return.
Kickoff Return Team
After an opponent scores or at the start of a half, the kickoff return team attempts to catch the kick and return it for a good field position. It is composed of two returners and nine blockers.
The Kickoff return team’s role is to return the ball the farthest possible to score a touchdown or put the offense in a good position (close to the end zone). The blockers need to create protection from the kickoff team, to prevent them from tackling the returner so that he can run the farthest possible.
Kickoff Return Positions
Kick Returner: Catches the kickoff and runs it back, reading the blocks and running full speed the farthest possible.
Kick Block Team: Tries to block the opponent's kickoff and to open spaces for the returner.
Punt Team
The punt team takes the field on fourth down when the offense decides to punt the ball to the opposing team. When the offense fails the third down conversion, for example, it’s 4th down and more than 2 yards to make to gain a 1st down, it is too dangerous to try to make this 4th down conversion and lose the possession. At this moment the punt team arrives and clears the ball so that the opposing offense starts far away from the end zone. It is composed of a punter, a long snapper, and nine players ready to protect the punter and tackle the punt returner.
The Punt team’s role is to clear the field after a failure from the offense to make 10 yards in the first 3 downs. This unit aims to punt the ball far away from their end zone so that the defense is in a good position to face the opposing offense.
Punt Team Positions
Punter: Kicks the ball as far down the field as possible.
Long Snapper: Snaps the ball to the punter who is 15 yards away from him.
Punt Coverage Team: Players who aim to protect the punter and after the punt, tackle the punt returner and limit the return yardage.
Punt Return Team
When the opponent punts the ball, the punt return team aims to catch it and return it for positive yardage.
The Punt return team’s role is to advance the ball on the field to put their offense in a good position. Great returns are usually very important in games, it is a way to make the offense’s job easier. The rules can be hard to understand, the ball is alive (can be recovered by the punt team) when a player from the punt return team touches it. Before that, the ball can’t be recovered by the punt team, which usually waits for the returner to catch it or waits that’s the ball to stop rolling on the field to make a play.
Punt Return Positions
Punt Returner: Catches the punt and evades tacklers to gain yardage. The punt returner can announce a fair catch by moving his arm before the catch. It is to avoid getting hit, and in this case, he can’t move after the catch and the punt team can’t touch him.
Punt Block Team: Tries to block the opponent's punt and block the punt team that tries to tackle the returner.
Field Goal Unit
A field goal is a scoring play where a team attempts to kick the ball through the opponent's goalposts to earn three points. It is one of the ways a team can score aside from touchdowns and extra points. When a team is unable to advance the ball into the opponent's end zone after three attempts (known as downs) and is still within a reasonable distance from the goalposts, they may choose to attempt a field goal on the fourth down. This is common when a team is in a good field position but wants to secure some points instead of risking turning over the ball to the opponent.
After a touchdown, it is the same unit that comes on the field to score an extra point (1-point conversion). The ball is placed on the 15-yard line in the NFL (the 3-yard line in the IFL), and the kicker still needs to kick the ball through the opponent’s goalposts to earn seven points in total (6 points for the touchdown, and one point for the extra point).
Field Goal Positions
Kicker: Attempts to kick the ball through the uprights for a field goal.
Holder: Holds the ball in place for the kicker.
Long Snapper: Snaps the ball to the holder with precision.
IFL SPECIAL TEAMS (WEEK 2)
Giaguari Torino, 7 vs Frogs Legnano, 36
Since the beginning of the season, the Giaguari Torino have been a team that excels offensively, their passing game is very effective thanks to their quarterback Nick Dalmaso and a dominant squad of receivers. With an average of 42 points scored in the first two games, a large victory for the Giaguari was expected. However, to everyone's surprise, the Legnano Frogs dominated this game, both defensively and offensively throughout the game, winning 36-7 on a muddy and slippery field. Thanks to a magnificent connection between Eystin Salum, Frog’s quarterback, and their new star receiver, former NFL player Sheehy Giuseppi (Week 2 MVP) the Frogs created a surprise and showed their potential to their opponents. On the Giaguari side, the only touchdown was scored on the first play of the game, on a 78-yard kick-off return, by the wide receiver Tamsir Seck.
GIAGUARI TORINO
The Giaguari struggled offensively during this match against the pressure applied by the Legnano’s defense. They thus relied on their special teams. Firstly, thanks to a magnificent return by Tamsir Seck on the first play of the match, a 78-yard return. The Giaguari's kick-off return team perfectly blocked the Frogs' kick-off team to prevent them from tackling the returner. The other returner, Andrea Serra, also perfectly served as a lead blocker for Tamsir Seck, meaning he positioned himself in front of him and opened the route to the touchdown.
Faced with the impotence of Torino's offense (only 71 passing yards and 45 rushing yards), the special teams were the only real solution for the Giaguari to make progress. This included 3 beautiful kick-off returns by Andrea Serra for a total of 74 yards and another kick-off return by Tamsir Seck for 33 yards. In total, the Giaguari gained 199 yards on kick-off returns in 6 attempts, a very impressive performance from the special teams, and the Giaguari's kick-off return team.
FROGS LEGNANO
On the other side, the Frogs Legnano shone on offense, thanks to 3 touchdowns by Sheehy Giuseppi, with 11 catches for 233 yards. This outstanding performance by the former Cleveland Browns receiver set the Frogs on the path to victory. Eystin Salum also scored a rushing touchdown and led his team with 358 passing yards. The Frogs could also rely on a dominant defense. With 4 sacks by the defensive line Tamburrino, including one that caused a touchdown fumble recovery by Elia Antonini, the Frogs' defensive line suffocated the Giaguari's offensive line.
The Frogs' special teams played a small role in this victory with an 18-yard punt return by Sheehy Giuseppi and an 11-yard kick-off return by Alii Saad. Furthermore, after the failure of the Frogs' kicker Nirta on the conversion attempt for the first touchdown, the Frogs converted their other 3 touchdowns with two-point conversions.
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