Making our free kick coverage easier...ask?

[Ralph Damren]

This weekend, while our huntin' dawg was fetching a stick out of our lake, I took to pondering....What could we do to make our new free kick coverage easier ? Then I thought, what if we asked 'em??

In our pregame, we ask coaches a laundry list of questions, what would be wrong with asking:

Ref: "Coach, do you have any onside kick plays where someone other than the assumed kicker - the guy we hand the ball to - kicks?"

Coach : "Nah!"
                                    OR,
Coach : "Ayuh..."

                                     Possibly followed by,
            "What you wanta' know for??"

Ref : "So we can give you good coverage and rule correctly, may we ask your assumed kicker if he's the one???"

We've asked coaches for years if they run a reverse on kickoffs or punts and if they do, can we ask their deep man so we'll know to stay out of the road. Never has a coach said he didn't want us to. I would consider developing some sort of sign between the BJ/LJ & R to tip him off; making the sign subtle and change from game to game ( as case eagled-eyed special team coaches like AB) were scouting. Opinions, guys ?

[Rulesman]

For years we've asked inthe pre-game: "Coach, do you have any special plays or formations we need to know about so that we can have them covered?"

Usual answer: "No."

Wait for it..... wait for it.....

 

[FLAHL]

I like the idea of asking, Ralph.  I'm sure we'll run across somebody who doesn't want to tell us, but it'll make things easier for the 90% of the time that they do tell us.  And for those who don't want to tell us - isn't that really telling us anyway?

[CalhounLJ]

We actually had a coach offer the info unsolicited last week. Good thing too because he would have received a yellow hanky award if he had tried it.


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[theunofficialofficial]

I am the BJ on my crew (5-man) and I am with the kicker on all free kicks. When I go to check the ball on every free kick (to be sure he hasn't brought in a baby-butt-smooth one) I quietly ask him, "Kicking it long or short?" They almost always reply just as quietly. I never let the crew know, but now I at least have an opportunity to be looking for anything related to on-side-kicks. It's saved me at least twice in being just that little extra prepared.


Many will say what if team R hears - I'm telling you, I am standing right in the players face, and often facing away from the defense. Multiple years of doing this never had an issue.

[SCHSref]

Well, I have worked 4 and 5 man crew on this and we discuss this in our pre-game with the white hat.  The last game I had (4 man), our white hat was a brand new white hat.  He is a nice guy...just nervous.  I offered (LJ) to help with the U ensuring that the guys were not passed the 5 yd mark before the whistle.  Everyone seemed to like that idea.  I had to run a little more, but I could use a little extra exercise. It worked for us.

Of course, I understand that you are asking for much more than this