Coach Tom Bass brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to USA Football. Along with answering youth coaching questions, he also receives emails from young players. You can email the coach at NFLAskTheCoach@aol.com.
Michael from Liberty Hill sent the following question:
How do you coach the center to grip the ball on a shotgun snap?
Hi Michael,
While the ball is on the ground, rotate the ball so that the laces are on the outside on the side of the snapping hand. The laces can be slightly below the center line.
Now have the center grip the ball like he would if he were a QB going to pass it to a receiver. Coach him to place his first finger to the front of the ball across the seam and off the laces. His next two fingers should cross the laces and be on the under panel of the ball. His little finger should rest just on the laces near the center of the ball. His thumb should be on the top panel and in the front of the ball.
Usually his snap will be a blind snap - he will not be looking at the QB as he snaps the ball - so keep a few things in mind. First, it is very important to have his back as level as possible. If his hips are lower than his shoulders, there is a good chance it will be a low snap. He needs to glide his hand and the ball back as he makes his snap, keep the velocity constant and the ball in the same area.
Next, the center needs to focus on making the snap with good arm follow through prior to stepping to his right or left, straight ahead or back to make a block. Allow his snapping hand to rotate to the outside as he releases the ball. Getting the ball to the QB is his number one responsibility.
Have the center get as many snaps as he can each practice with each of the quarterbacks on your team. Practice until the snap becomes an automatic part of his initial football movement.
Coach Tom Bass
Bruce sent the following question:
I'm a DE/LB that transferred to a new school in Oklahoma. I had to sit out a year and I really want to wow the coaches when I go. What do you feel are important things I should be doing, and whatare some attributes that coaches really look for in a player at my position?
Hi Bruce,
I really believe that one of the most important things you can do right now is establish an ongoing method of communication with the coaches at your new school, especially your position coaches.
Ask them to suggest a workout program for you that will prepare you for what they are going to ask you to do. They may have a program that they have developed and presently have their active players going through. This would aid you in focusing on things that they feel are most important in your off-season preparation.
Anytime you can have a face-to-face meeting with the coaches, you should try to get an understanding of the exact role and responsibility of the defensive ends and linebackers on their squad.
You want to report to camp in the very best condition, rested, ready to run, eager to compete and having seriously taken part in some type of lifting program between now and fall.
Be prepared to have to prove yourself, not only to the coaches but also to your teammates. They are only going to be impressed by how hard you work, how fast you learn and how well you perform.
I hope the move proves successful for you and that you find your new school is a place where you can compete and get a good education.
Coach Tom Bass
Dylan from Holly Springs sent the following question:
I play RT on offense and sometimes defense and I'm good at it. I'm on the kickoff and punt team, but my dad and I think I would make a good kicker. I talked to my coach about it, and he said that it'd be best if I keep playing RT and don't worry about my kicking and won't give me a shot. What do you think I can do to show him I'm a good kicker?
Hi Dylan,
The first question I have is: do you want to be just a kicker, or do you want to kick in addition to playing an offensive or defensive position? If you only want to kick I can understand your coach's reluctance in having you change since it is very difficult to find really good linemen who are on the field for a majority of the game.
If your thought is to do both, then you have this entire off-season to work on your kicking and become good enough that the coach will see the benefit in having you play a position and kick.
Kicking is one skill that you can practice on your own, plus there are a number of kicking camps during the summer you could attend that could help in the development of your kicking style.
See how you are doing by the middle of the summer. If, at that time, you still want to do it, and you feel you are kicking well, then I would approach the coach once again and ask him to watch you kick and then see if he doesn't change his mind.
Keep in mind that many times coaches shy away from having a player play too many positions because of the chance of injury and the problem it creates in having a good backup player ready to play at each position.
Coach Tom Bass
Sean from Malvern sent the following question:
Can you call a fair catch on a kickoff, and what are the rules?
Hi Sean,
This is an excellent question, especially for the variety of kickoffs that we are seeing today. Many teams will use a "pooch" style kick where the kicker tries to drop the kick in the air near the sideline right behind the front line of blockers and the next available member of the return team.
This next player is often put in a dangerous situation where he must make the catch with the members of the kickoff coverage team bearing down on him.
In this situation, the return man can move into position to make the catch, wave an extended arm back and forth over his head and have the protection of being able to make a "fair catch" exactly like a punt. He must successfully make the catch, and he can not advance the ball after the catch.
This rule is very important for the kickoff return team to know because unlike a punt, on a kickoff the ball is a free ball and after it travels the required 10 yards it can be recovered by either team with that team getting possession at that point.
This is a play that will usually help the kickoff return team gain possession of the ball in fairly good field position. Good question and an important rule for everyone to know and understand.
Coach Tom Bass
Carlton from Chicago sent the following question:
I will be playing QB in a pass-based offense next year. Will I have an order of progression? For example, look to the X receiver first, if he is not there, look to the Z receiver, and if he is not open, look for the Y receiver. Thanks a ton for your help.
Hi Carlton,
The progression you have may vary with each pass pattern in your offense. For short, quick-pass routes, it may be a pre-snap read based on the location of the defensive players prior to the beginning of the play.
On other pass patterns, you may go deep or medium to check off the receiver based on who is open, the down and distance and even the score.
Your pre-snap read of the alignment of the defensive backs (linebacker ready to blitz) can also alter your progression and guide you from one receiver to another.
Once the ball is snapped, it is not wise to go from one side of the field all the way to the other (X to Z). It is better to go from your first read (X or Z), to the next closest receiver, which is often the TE -Y, to a back on that side of the field (HB or FB).
As your coach introduces each new pass pattern play to you, make certain that you understand the pre-snap read he wants you to make and then the progression of receivers that he wants you to follow as the play develops.
Quarterback success depends a great deal on accuracy in throwing to the proper receiver based on the pass pattern being run and the defense you are facing. Make sure you take the time to study away from the field so that your reads and progressions become automatic for you when you are on the field in practice or in a game.
Coach Tom Bass
Coach Tom Bass, the technical writer and advisor for USA Football, is a 30-year NFL coach who has also authored several books, including "Play Football the NFL Way" - the first "how to" book ever authorized and published by the NFL. Coach Bass is happy to personally autograph his books to you. Book ordering information can be found on http://www.coachbass.com/.