In youth football the place kick after a touchdown plays can hold significantly larger role than what it does in high school, college or pro football because it, when successful, is awarded with two points.

Many coaches tell their kids to “get in there and block the kick”, but often do not teach the skill of how to block these kicks.

I break down blocking points after touchdown and field goals into two separate drills. The first one is for the kids who you are trying to block the kick by coming around the edge of the offensive team’s blocking formation. The second is for the kids who are trying to block the kick by coming (up the middle) through the offensive team’s interior blockers. Today, we will discuss the first phase of kick blocking.

The “Around the Corner Drill” teaches the defensive player to cut the distance from his stance to the “lay out spot” as much as possible. Part of this, in the game, is accomplished with help from near by defenders, but in a drill is done by having the kick blocker run on a path that is chalked onto the field. The kick blocker must always start his actions based on watching the center snap the ball to the holder.

Turning the corner is the easy part as the player has to go as fast as possible and yet still stay on the chalked line. The second part (the “lay out”) is done while asking the kick blocker to throw his body into the air (parallel to the ground) to get at least his hands into the path of the ball (about one yard in front of the kicking tee). We place five soft blocking dummies on the field to allow for a safe and soft landing and suspend the ball about 2 feet over the fourth of the five blocking dummies. We allow every player who wants to try this drill to have a chance. They almost all will try and the coaches may “find” a kick blocker that you didn’t know you had on your team.

After getting the corner turned properly and the lay out timed correctly we take the drill to a semi-live setting where we make coaches handle the holding and kicking assignments for the offense to be sure that we do not have either our game kicker or holder get injured.

Related Blogs

• Related Blogs on football kicking

• Related Blogs on special teams

• Related Blogs on youth football defense

Related Posts:

• Youth Football Drills for the Defensive Tackle when Practicing the Blitz
• Youth Football Drills for the Blitzing Outside Linebacker
• Youth Football Drills for the Blitz- The Safety
• Youth Football Drills for the Blitz- The Cornerback’s Role
• Defensive Stunts and Blitzes