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Ingridiron football, theholder is the player who receives thesnap from thelong snapper duringfield goal orextra point attempts made by theplacekicker. The holder is set on one knee seven yards behind theline-of-scrimmage. Before the play begins, the holder places the hand which is closest to the placekicker on the ground in a location designated by the kicker's foot, with their forward hand ready to receive the snap (in high school games, the holder/kicker combo is responsible for a kicking block, which lifts the ball off the turf). After receiving the snap, the holder will place the football on the turf, or block, ideally with the laces facing the uprights and the ball accurately placed where the backhand was initially, then balancing the ball with one or two fingers until the ball is kicked.
For the kick to be successful, the holder needs to do more than just place the ball on the ground. Before the snap, the kicker will approach and will mark a certain spot, and will then take steps backward to prepare for the kick. When the ball snaps, the holder is responsible for making sure that the ball is placed directly on that spot, the laces of the football are facing outward to produce better contact with the football, and that it is leaning in the direction that the kicker has specified.[1]
The holder, like the placekicker and the long snapper, is protected from intentional contact from the opposing team. The penalty forroughing the holder is 15 yards and an automatic firstdown.
Compared to otherAmerican football positions, the holder is one of the most trivial positions, requiring precision in the receipt of a snap and placement of a ball in a short time, but requiring far less physical talent than askill position and much less bulk or strength than alineman. Each NFL team is only allowed to have 53 players on their gameday roster.[2] Because of this, it is exceptionally rare for a team to reserve a roster spot solely for a placekick holder; most teams will instead use a player who plays another position to double as the holder. One notable exception wasPatricia Palinkas, the first woman to have played American football professionally in a predominantly male league; Palinkas played holder (and no other position) during her short time as a pro player.[3]
On most teams, the holder is either the team'spunter or the backupquarterback. Some high school football teams will place awide receiver orrunning back at the holder position because of their good hands (this is not unheard of at other levels;Steve Tasker, a wide receiver andpunt gunner, also played holder at various times in his NFL career, as does his sonLuke Tasker, also a wide receiver. Others include tight endJay Novacek, and safetiesPaul Krause andKeith Lyle).
In today's NFL, most teams use their punter as a holder.New England Patriots' head coachBill Belichick explained that punters are generally holders for the reason that punters and kickers usually have more time together to game plan, watch film, and are able to have more reps during practice than a player who has to play another position. Additionally, punters are already accustomed to handling snaps from the long snapper.[4]
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The rationale for having a backup quarterback holding is that the quarterback is accustomed to receiving snaps from the center and long snaps from theshotgun formation. The quarterback also provides a threat for a fake field goal since the quarterback can throw a pass on such plays. Additionally, in the event of a bad snap and an aborted kick attempt, the holder might have to become the quarterback for the play, so having an actual quarterback helps in that regard. Before the 2010s, in the NFL, backup quarterbacks generally held for field goal kicks.[citation needed] However, such usage has remained rather common in collegiate football. Many times a quarterback who was aredshirt freshman will serve as the holder their sophomore year. It is also common in other professional leagues such as theArena Football League (where there is no punting and are thus no punters) or theCanadian Football League, where roster size restrictions generally result in one person serving as both placekicker and punter.
There are a few NFL teams that still use a quarterback as their holder.
New Orleans Saints – The Saints tend to run more fake field goals than any other team, and due to that they generally keep a backup in as their holder (this keeps opposing defenses in more of a zone coverage, and also helps to prevent blocked field goals). Their holders for a period were quarterbackLuke McCown and punterThomas Morstead. In 1970, Saints kickerTom Dempsey kicked a 63-yard field goal, which for many years thereafter was the all-time record. Dempsey's holder was a defensive back namedJoe Scarpati. There has been anurban myth going around during the intervening decades that the holder on this legendary kick was the team's colorful starting quarterback,Billy Kilmer.[5]
Dallas Cowboys – WhenTony Romo was signed by the Dallas Cowboys, he was their backup quarterback, and as the backup quarterback, part of his job was to be the team's holder. Romo was replaced by the punter in 2010, but due to many mishandled snaps, which resulted in missed field goals, Romo returned as the team's official holder. The Cowboys hired a more experienced holder,Brian Moorman, in 2012; Moorman left the team at the end of the season. Throughout the 1990s, startingtight endJay Novacek was the usual holder on kicks. During their first two Super Bowl seasons (1970 and1971), reserve running backDan Reeves, who was also an assistant coach, was the Cowboys' holder. SafetyCharlie Waters was the holder during the Cowboys' runs toSuper Bowl XII andSuper Bowl XIII in 1977 and 1978.Danny White, who was both a quarterback and a punter for many seasons in the 1970s and 1980s, also served as the holder on occasion.
Las Vegas Raiders – The Raiders'Matt Schaub was used as the holder during the 2014 season. Previously,Daryle Lamonica (1967–69) andKen Stabler (1970–75) held forGeorge Blanda; when Blanda retired in 1976, the holding duties were assumed by punterRay Guy, who continued to do so through his retirement following the 1986 season.
Denver Broncos – The Broncos used to have former starting quarterbackJake Plummer as their holder and continued to do so even after he was benched in favor ofJay Cutler. When Plummer retired, the Broncos started to use their punter as their holder.
Washington Commanders – Starting quarterbackJoe Theismann held forMark Moseley from the mid-1970s until he suffered his career-ending broken leg during a1985Monday Night Football game vs. theNew York Giants. The injury did not happen during a field goal attempt: Theismann wassacked while attempting a pass.
Seattle Seahawks –Steve Largent, a wide receiver, was the kick holder, and in 1985, he ran in a muffed snap for an extra point.[6]
Los Angeles Rams -- SafetyNolan Cromwell, awishbone quarterback atKansas, was also a holder for most of his 11-year career (1977–87). During a December 1979 game vs. theMinnesota Vikings, he scored touchdown on a fake field goal in overtime to give the Rams a 27–21 victory which clinched theNFC West championship.
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During a "fake field goal" attempt the holder may pick the ball up and either throw a forward pass or run with the ball (i.e., act as the quarterback would on a standard play). In addition, the holder may attempt a run or pass if the snap is botched and a successful kick is unlikely. However, this rarely succeeds; the holder is usually tackled promptly. One example where the botch play still lead to points was whenBrad Wing dropped the ball prior to placing it on the ground, preventing his kicker from making an attempt, creating the "fire drill" situation. Wing stood up with the ball, took a step to the left before turning around to the right, allowing him to seeMatt Spaeth. Spaeth, a tight end, was on the end of the blocking line and he took advantage of defenders having fallen over trying to make a block on the non-existent kick to release to his right into open space and he caught a short pass from Wing to complete aTwo-point conversion. This made Wing the first Australian to throw for a score in the NFL.[7]
There can also be a holder during kickoffs andfree kicks, but this is reserved for when the ball tee cannot keep the ball up by itself, usually due to wind. In such a case, the holder can be of any position and, because kickoffs involve a much higher risk of being involved in a tackling play, is usually a defensive player of some sort.
Given the trivial nature of the position, no award for holders existed until 2015 when Peter Mortell, then a senior punter and holder for theMinnesota Golden Gophers and known for his humor,[8] created atongue-in-cheek"Holder of the Year" Award for the best holder in college football, named it after himself, and made himself its first recipient.[9][10][11]ESPN recognized the award at their yearlyESPY Awards ceremony (alongside more serious, major position awards), with Mortell accepting via pre-recorded video.[12] The award subsequently continued and was awarded in 2016 to senior quarterback/holder Garrett Moores ofMichigan.[13][14] In 2017, the award was given to Connor McGinnis ofOklahoma.[15]
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