Holder (American football)
Encyclopedia
In American football
the holder is the player who receives the snap
during field goal
and extra point
attempts made by place kick
. 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.
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 backup and remained the holder after he became the starter midway through the 2006 season. He stopped holding after botching a hold for a game winning field goal versus Seattle
in the playoffs that year (though he did serve as the NFC holder that February in the Pro Bowl
). He took up holding duties again in 2009 in response to several missed kicks due to bad holds. Increasingly, it is becoming rarer to see starting quarterbacks as holders.
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.
Compared to other American 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 short time, but requiring far less physical talent than a skill position
and much less bulk or strength than a lineman. Patricia Palinkas
, the first female professional football player, played holder during her short time as a pro player.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
the holder is the player who receives the snap
Snap (football)
A snap starts each American football and Canadian football play from scrimmage.-Action:...
during field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
and extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
attempts made by place kick
Place kick
The place kick is a kicking style commonly used in rugby league and rugby union. It is also seen in Association football, American football and Canadian football.-American and Canadian football:...
. The holder is usually positioned between seven and eight yards behind the line of scrimmage
Line of scrimmage
In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...
. 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
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
, though that player is usually a special team specialist rather than a punter or quarterback.
The holder is usually a player who plays another position, but doubles as a holder. Often, the holder will be a punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
, wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
or a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
(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
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
is the most recent example of a starting quarterback also serving as a holder. Romo held as a backup and remained the holder after he became the starter midway through the 2006 season. He stopped holding after botching a hold for a game winning field goal versus Seattle
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the playoffs that year (though he did serve as the NFC holder that February in the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
). He took up holding duties again in 2009 in response to several missed kicks due to bad holds. Increasingly, it is becoming rarer to see starting quarterbacks as holders.
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.
Compared to other American football positions
American football positions
In American football, each team has eleven players on the field at one time. Because the rules allow unlimited substitution between plays, the types of players on the field for each team differ depending on the situation...
, the holder is one of the most trivial positions, requiring precision in the receipt of a snap and placement of a ball in short time, but requiring far less physical talent than a skill position
Skill position
Skill positions in football are the positions that are most responsible for causing or preventing points from being scored. The skill positions are:*Quarterback*Running back, particularly halfback*Wide receiver*Cornerback*Safety*Return specialist...
and much less bulk or strength than a lineman. Patricia Palinkas
Patricia Palinkas
Patricia "Pat" Palinkas is credited as the first and, until Katie Hnida signed with the Fort Wayne Firehawks in 2010, only woman to play American football professionally. She was a placekick holder for her husband Steven Palinkas for the minor league Orlando Panthers in the Atlantic Coast...
, the first female professional football player, played holder during her short time as a pro player.