Playbooks
Kickoff Deep Middle is a special teams kickoff play, not an offensive route concept or defensive scheme. The kicker boots the ball high and deep toward the middle of the field, aiming to pin the return man near the center hash and limit his ability to bounce outside for an explosive return. The read progression here is entirely on kick placement and hang time: the coverage unit is designed to sprint downfield in contain lanes, funneling the returner back to the middle of the field where help defenders can converge.
Check the return man's pre-snap alignment on the kickoff formation, if he is shaded to one side, a Deep Middle kick forces him to adjust his angle before he can build speed. Watch for a lane blocking scheme with wedge blockers stacked near the middle, since this kick plays directly into their blocking angles if hang time is short. Post-kick, track your coverage unit's outside lanes first, because a middle kick with poor coverage discipline can still get gashed if defenders crash inside too aggressively. Identify whether the return team is stacking blockers on one side for a wall return, since Deep Middle neutralizes one-sided wall schemes better than a directional kick. If the returner starts drifting toward a soft spot pre-catch, that signals the return team is set up for a designed return specifically against a middle kick, so cover lanes need to stay wide before collapsing in.
Aim your kick meter for max power with a clean release to maximize hang time, since this gives your coverage unit more time to get downfield before the returner reaches full speed.
Use Kickoff Deep Middle when you want to avoid giving the return man an angle to the sideline, especially against opponents who like to bounce returns outside for big plays.
Pair this with Kickoff Deep Left or Kickoff Deep Right earlier in the game to keep the returner guessing on directional tendencies, then switch to Deep Middle late when you need to prevent a long return in a close game.
If you are up late and want to force a fair catch or short return, this kick shape combined with disciplined lane assignments is your safest option.
Avoid using this against a returner lined up deep and centered, since a middle kick to a well-positioned returner can still result in a strong return if hang time is low.