Holder (American Football)
The holder is a special team player on an American football or Canadian football team. In the case of a field goal or point-after-touchdown attempt, his task is to keep the ball straight for the kicker after receiving the snap .
task
The holder normally stands 7–8 yards behind the line of scrimmage . He kneels with one leg on the floor. After the long snapper has snapped the ball, the holder has to catch the ball and place it on the ground, usually with the tip of the ball. Then he has to hold on to it so that the kicker can hit the ball as well as possible.
Position description
The most important ability of a holder is to be able to accept the snap as error-free as possible. For this reason, mainly Backup - quarterback and punter used as Holder, as they also accept Snaps in their regular position. In addition, Holders should be quick as the opposing defense rushes to block the ball. A good understanding of the kicker is also important, as the ball has to be positioned differently depending on the kick technique.
Other activities
In the case of a fake field goal, the holder has the task of passing the ball after receiving the snap or running with the ball himself. In college football , the ball can only be passed because the holder is not allowed to get off the ground with the ball after receiving the snap. In a few cases, for example in strong winds, the holder has to hold the ball during the kickoff .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Sascha Kriegl: American Football: A Monograph . 3. Edition. 2014, ISBN 978-3-8482-9723-8 , pp. 33 ( online ).
- ^ Bill Mallory, Don Nehlen: Complete Guide to Special Teams . Human Kinetics, Champaign 2005, ISBN 978-0-7360-5291-7 , pp. 205 ( online ).
- ↑ Jim Grassi: Guts, Grace, and Glory: A Football Devotional . Thomas Nelson Inc, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4003-2121-6 , pp. 50 .
- ^ The National Alliance of Youth Sports: Coaching Football For Dummies . John Wiley & Sons, 2011, ISBN 978-1-118-05293-8 , pp. 282 .
- ^ John Grasso: Historical Dictionary of Football . Scarecrow Press, 2013, ISBN 978-0-8108-7857-0 , pp. 179 .
- ↑ Bill LeMonnier: Ask the Official: Is the Notre Dame holder throwing from his knee a legal play? September 17, 2015, accessed December 23, 2015 .