NCAA Football 10 Special Teams

Field goals feature the kicker trying to boot the ball between the uprights that lay against the end line of the end zone.

Before I go any further, I offer a quick explanation on how field goal distances are calculated. The kicker is 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and the uprights are 10 yards from the goal line (due to the end zone). So, whenever field goal distances are calculated, take the yardage from the line of scrimmage to the goal line and add 17. For example, if a team is on the 30 yard line and attempts a kick, the kick is a 47-yard field goal attempt.

Field goal range is from around the enemy's 30 yard line to the goal line, although 47 yards is stretching it. The safe distance is from the 20 yard line. Despite the range, you can command your team to kick a field goal from anywhere on the field if you so desire. Good luck trying to boot one 100 yards downfield though...

If the kick is made, the scoring team gets 3 points and kicks off to the opponent. If the kick misses, the defense gets the ball where it was KICKED (that is, 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage).

Punting is the way to launch the ball downfield when it's fourth down and you have no hope of getting a first. You should only punt when you're too far away from the end zone to attempt a field goal. Resist the urge to just go for it on 4th if it's early on in the match: not punting when it's 4th and long is simply a sign that you don't trust your defense.

Punts are done by the punter (obviously), who stands 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Unlike field goals, punt distances are determined by the line of scrimmage, not the punter's location. So, if the line of scrimmage is on my own 30, and I punted the ball to your 40, it would only be a 30-yard punt.

Because the punter stands 15 yards behind the line, he cannot give full power to his punts if he's standing any closer. That means that if you're on offense, and you haven't even gotten past your own 5-yard line, your punter will not be at full strength (he can't stand out of bounds to punt). Of course, if you can't get past your own 5, you have more problems than a weak punt.

If a punt goes out of bounds, then the receiving team gets the ball from where it went out of bounds. This can work in favor of the kicking team; if you manage to kick the ball out of bounds at the enemy's 1-yard line, then that's where they have to start their drive.

Punts are subject to touchback rules if one is kicked into the end zone.

You can call fake field goals and fake punts whenever you wish. The AI is not stupid, but it doesn't cheat either. If it's conceivable that you would make a play from a certain distance, they will set up to defend it, whether you're faking or not. For example, if you select a fake field goal when you're on your enemy's 20-yard line and it's 4th down, they will probably defend against a field goal, not knowing it's a fake. Of course, if you call a fake field goal from YOUR OWN 20-yard line, they'll know something is up.

Faking isn't that important, and it's certainly not needed if you're in the lead. Also, if you're more than just a few yards away from getting a first down, it's too risky to try it. I never call fakes if I'm more than 5 yards out, and I seldom call fakes unless it's less than 2 to go.

You'll want to take your field position into consideration when you decide to call a fake. If you're nearer to your own line than the enemy's, you shouldn't fake. Screwing up would just put the enemy that much closer to getting a score.

Also, remember that your special teams are not supposed to be used on offense. Your punters and kickers are worthless when it comes to passing, and you probably won't have your best WRs there either. An effective fake field goal is the Fake FG-Run, in which the holder (the guy who's kneeling) will take the ball and run to the right immediately. It's not perfect, and will in fact fail most of the time, but it's straight-forward enough that, as a fake, it's one of the most effective options.

Punters are even worse at trying to pass, although an RB Direct Snap may be the solution. In that play, the C simply snaps the ball to the running back, and he runs immediately at the opposition. The man there is normally the FB though, and he may not have the speed to get far enough for a first.

If you're far behind, don't bother faking, just run a normal play on fourth down. You'll lose any element of surprise that you may have had, but at least your normal offense is out there making the play instead of crappy kickers and punters.

I'd say that the best time to fake would be if you're near the opponent's 40-yard line. That's a little too close to punt, and a little too far to kick a field goal, so a fake punt may actually be a better option.