Improving Your Kickoff Coverage

High school rules in many states mandate automatic touchbacks for any ball kicked into the end zone. Automatic touchbacks eliminate the risk of a big return and eliminating risk is as desirable in football as it is in other areas of life. To exploit this rule, many high school coaches ask their kickers to get the ball into the end zone. With the popularity of soccer and the requirement that high schools’ kick off from the 40-yard line, finding a kicker who can reach the end zone is not too difficult. However, unless the kicker has college-level power, he will strike higher on the ball so as to drive it the necessary 60 yards. This technique reduces hang time in order to ensure adequate distance. This strategy works well until cold weather, sloppy fields, penalties, injuries, wind, or lack of a strong enough leg prevent your kicker from reaching the end zone. College teams, who are