Holder (American football)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

In American football the holder is the player who receives the snap during field goal and extra point attempts. The holder is usually positioned between seven and eight yards behind the line of scrimmage. The holder kneels down and places the hand farthest from the line of scrimmage on the ground with the other hand held out waiting for the ball to be snapped to him. After receiving the ball, the holder places it on the ground as quickly as possible, so that one end is touching the ground and the other end is supported by one finger. The holder also rotates the ball so that the laces are facing towards the goal posts. On particularly windy days, a holder is used to help steady the ball on kick-offs, though that player is usually a special team specialist rather than a punter or quarterback. Mitch Berger is one of the NFL's best holders^{[citation needed]}.

The holder is usually a player who plays another position, but doubles as a holder. Often, the holder will be a punter, wide receiver or a quarterback (often a backup), as the position calls for good hands and concentration, the quarterback may naturally be the best holder on the team. Additionally, in the event of a bad snap, and an aborted kick attempt, the holder may have to become the quarterback for the play, so having an actual quarterback helps in that regard. Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys is the most recent example of a starting quarterback also serving as a holder. Romo held as a back up and remained the holder after he became the starter midway through the 2006 season until the end of the season. His most infamous play came in the playoffs that season when he botched the hold on a chip shot go ahead field goal in the games closing moments. He served as the NFC holder that February in the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl.

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, if the snap is so bad that the kick obviously won't succeed, the holder may attempt to run or pass. However, this rarely succeeds; the holder is usually tackled promptly.

There can also be a holder during kickoffs and free kicks, but this is reserved for when the ball tee cannot keep the ball up by itself, usually due to wind.

This American football-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e