Playbooks
Field Goal
At a Glance
In 110 playbooks
Overview
Field Goal is the special teams set inside the Special formation, and it operates on completely different rules than any offensive set in your book. The alignment is a nine man line with the kicker and holder in the backfield, meaning every "receiver" in the fake plays is either a wing, a tight end split off the line, or the kicker himself. There are no true offensive personnel matchups here in the traditional sense. Instead, the leverage comes from the defense committing to a field goal block front where linebackers and defensive backs are aligned to rush edges or jump the line, not to cover routes. That single fact is what makes the twelve play list dangerous.
Strengths
- Fake Fg Sprintout Pass and Fake Fg Rollout Pass get the holder outside the block front where field goal block units have zero edge discipline, and the wing routes work against defenders who are not in coverage assignments at the snap.
- Fake Fg Holder Blast and Fake Fg Holder Power attack directly into the interior gaps the block unit vacates when it jumps the snap, and it only takes one blocked man for a free release into the second level.
- Fake Fg Kicker Toss, Fake Fg Kicker Flip, and Fake Fg K Direct Snap put the ball in the kicker's hands with the defense flowing to a nonexistent kick, and the pursuit angles on a block unit are terrible against lateral movement.
- Fake Fg H Shovel and Fake Fg Y Shovel are near unblockable when the defense sends max block pressure because the shovel pass beats penetration by throwing behind it.
- Field Goal 2 is your actual kick formation, so you can motion into the same look every time and force your opponent to guess between three points and a fake without giving away a pre-snap tell.
Weaknesses
- Every fake in the set is a one shot gimmick, and once you show it your opponent will hold his block unit and read the holder on every field goal attempt for the rest of the game.
- Fake Fg K Toss Pass and Fake Fg K Flip Pass ask a kicker to throw, which means terrible throw power and accuracy ratings and a high chance of a pick or a wobbler that gets swatted.
- A user-controlled defender on the edge shuts down Fake Fg Sprintout Pass and Fake Fg Rollout Pass immediately because there is no real pass protection scheme, just kick protection that is not built to sustain blocks.
- Failing a fake inside your own territory hands your opponent the ball in scoring position and costs you the points you already had lined up.
- The block unit's speed advantage over your offensive line personnel means Fake Fg Holder Blast and Fake Fg Holder Power get run down from the backside if you do not hit the crease in the first two seconds.
Usage Tips
Save the fakes for fourth and short between the 30 and the 45, where a made kick is a coin flip anyway and a converted fake is worth more than the field position you risk.
Read the block unit pre-snap: if your opponent has bodies wide on both edges trying to loop, run Fake Fg Holder Blast or Fake Fg Holder Power into the empty interior instead of throwing.
If the defense is stacked tight on the ball and jumping the snap, Fake Fg H Shovel or Fake Fg Y Shovel gets the ball past the penetration before the rush ever arrives.
Prefer Fake Fg Holder Power over the kicker run plays unless your kicker has real speed, because holder plays keep the ball with a quarterback who can at least throw it away.
Call Field Goal 2 on a genuine attempt after you have already burned a fake in the game, and let your opponent's hesitation buy you a cleaner protection.
