Special teams
Special teams are units in American football and Canadian football that are on the field during kickoffs, free kicks, punts, and field goal attempts. Most special teams players are back up and third string players from other positions.
Special teams include a kickoff team, a kick return team, a punting team, a punt return team, a field goal team and a field goal block team.
There are also specialized players on these teams, including:
- Placekicker - handles kickoffs and field goal attempts.
- Holder - Usually positioned 7-8 yards from the line of scrimmage, he holds the ball for the placekicker to kick. The holder is often a backup quarterback.
- Long snapper - A specialized center who snaps the ball directly to the holder. Is often a backup tight end.
- Kick returner - returns kickoffs.
- Punter - handles punts
- Punt returner - returns punts
Because these aspects of the game can be so different from general offensive and defensive play, a specific group of players is drilled in executing them. Though fewer points are scored on special teams than on offense, special teams play determines where the offense will begin each drive, and thus it has a dramatic impact on how easy or difficult it is for the offense to score.
Because they take the field sometimes fewer than ten times a game, most special teams players are exceptionally intense during play, making kick and punt returns home to some of the most exciting (and hardest hitting) action in a game of football. Though this makes for good spectating, it also leads to a fairly high rate of injury among special teams players, and as a result, many starters are hesitant to take up a special teams role.