Playbooks
Landingzone Safety Kick Middle is a special teams kickoff play out of the Safety Kickoff formation, designed after a safety to boot the ball high and deep toward the middle of the field. There is no route concept or blocking scheme to read since this is a kickoff, not an offensive or defensive snap play. The kicking team lanes release straight downfield with the primary assignment being to force a fair catch or limit the return by converging on the ball at the landing zone in the middle of the field.
Watch the returner depth pre-snap to gauge whether they are set up for a running start or hanging back for a fair catch read. Identify whether the return team is stacking blockers to one side, which signals a designed return lane away from the middle landing zone. Post-kick, key on your gunners releasing off the line first since they set the edge and funnel the returner back toward the middle where help is waiting. If the return team shows a wedge or middle return blocking setup, expect the returner to try to split the coverage lanes, so maintain lane discipline rather than crashing too early. Look for personal protectors or extra blockers lined up near the landing zone, which indicates the return team is loading up the middle to break a big play back through your kick.
Use this play after conceding a safety when you want to pin the return team deep and control field position without giving up big return yardage.
Kicking to the middle of the field forces the returner to make an early decision and prevents them from setting up an outside return lane, which is valuable if your coverage team lacks elite gunners.
Pair this with Landingzone Safety Kick Left or Landingzone Safety Kick Right in your play-calling sequence so opposing return teams cannot predict landing spot based on tendency.
If you are protecting a slim lead late in the half, prioritize hang time over distance on the middle kick to let your coverage unit get downfield before the returner catches it.
Against explosive return teams, consider mixing in Landingzone Heavy Safety Kick Middle for extra coverage personnel if your default kick coverage is getting exploited.