Football Book Review – Complete Guide to Special Teams

Last night, I read American Football Coaches Association’s Complete Guide to Special Teams.  This is an excellent 250 page book on Special Teams tactics, drills and techniques written by some of the best Special Teams coaches in football and edited by Coach Bill Mallory and Coach Don Nehlen.  Some of the tactics outlined in the book are too sophisticated for youth football but the fundamental strategies lay an excellent special teams’ foundation for any youth tackle football team and the position technique chapters apply to all football players that want to play skill positions on Special Teams.  I could not put the book down and read all 250 pages in one sitting.  I rate the book 4.5 /5.0. 

The book is divided into two parts; tactics and techniques.  The Tactics sections includes chapters on; Punting, Kickoffs, Punt Returns, Kickoff Returns, Extra Points and Field Goals, Two-Point Conversions, Punt and Field Goal Blocks, and Developing Special Team Units.  The Techniques section includes chapters on; Punting, Kicking Off, Kicking Extra Points and Field Goals, Long Snapping, Holding for Kicks, Returning Punts and Kickoffs, and Developing Special Team Players.

There is so much good information in this book.  I made highlight marks on just about every page and I normally do not make hand written notes inside my books, but I did in this book.  It is that good.  I especially like the technique chapters on Punting, Long Snapping and Kicking.  You can buy the Complete Guide to Special Teams book at my Amazon Football book store here. 

Good luck this season.  Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!