[Figure 92] illustrates the fullback kicking the ball. If a player other than the fullback is the kick-off man, he and the fullback would merely exchange places in the line up.
Figure 92
It is very important that our men going down to cover the kick-off keep their proper distance from the men on each side of them. If we have two men covering the kick close together, a good block by the receiving team could eliminate both of them, and then our coverage would not be sound.
OUR KICK-OFF RETURN
I explained previously the advantages of returning the kick-off. I like to get this psychological and strategical “jump” on our opposition when we receive the kick-off; consequently, we attach much importance and significance to returning the kick-off. We work hard on our returns. We want a good return so that if we must surrender the ball by punting to the opposition, we’ll give it to them back in their 3-down zone. By this I mean they must make a first down in their first three plays or they will be forced to kick the ball back to us on the fourth down. If we get a poor return and cannot move the ball and must punt it from deep in our own territory, we might give the ball to them immediately in their 4-down zone. Now we have increased their chances of scoring by 25% merely because we did not get a good kick-off return.
Our Kick-Off Return Right
[Figure 93] illustrates our kick-off return to our right with the men on the receiving team blocking their “numbers” downfield, as indicated. Each man on the kicking team is numbered from one through seven from the outside-in, except the last four men on the opposite side of the kicking line, i.e., the men on our extreme left in [Figure 93]. If we know from scouting reports who the safety man will be, we do not give him a number. If we don’t know who the safety man is, we instruct our players—if your man turns out to be a safety, regardless of where you line up, then you will block the first man to your inside. The deep back who does not receive the ball will head upfield and block the most dangerous man threatening the ball carrier.