Arena League

Storm looks for friendly bounces

Onside kicks are a growing Arena League strategy to quickly put more points on the board.

By FRANK PASTOR
Published May 28, 2005

TAMPA - The return man is 50 yards away, but Matt George's kick travels only 10. Umar Muhammad quickly covers the distance and rams his 260-pound body into a like-minded opponent.

Lawrence Samuels tries to stay clear of the carnage long enough to pursue the ball. Coach Tim Marcum and special-teams coach Mark Stoute watch the mayhem they have ordered with pursed lips.

And more than one Storm fan wonders if they've all lost their minds.

An onside kick? In the first half? With Tampa Bay leading?

Are they crazy?

No, just catching on.

NFL teams regularly try onside kicks out of desperation to get the ball back when they are behind late in games. But in Arena football, where possessions are more important than field position, onside kicks are commonplace, particularly in the final minute of each half.

Tampa Bay and San Jose combined for five in the Storm's 63-33 win on Jan. 30.

"It's become more and more prevalent over the last couple of years and definitely this year," Stoute said. "Most teams are doing it right before the half, because if you know that you're going to get the ball when you come out in the second half, if you can finish up scoring and then get it coming out in a close game, you can stretch out 14 points pretty quickly."

When the Storm (10-6) opens postseason play Sunday at Georgia (11-5), it will try to maximize its possessions any way it can, even if it means surrendering field position at times.

There is no better time for a team to leapfrog an opponent it has been trailing or to lengthen a slim lead than the final minute of the half, when the clock stops for first downs, out of bounds and incompletions.

An onside kick allows a team to control the clock by getting the ball back or shortening the field, which forces the opponent to score more quickly or puts it in a difficult spot from which to attack the end zone.

"You want to either stop them right there or they score there and then you're the last one to score," Marcum said. "That's the strategy, to be the last one to score before half."

The onside kick has become such an effective weapon the Storm practices three or four different types, including the most popular, the high hop.

Unlike traditional onside kicks, which roll along the ground, the high hop bounces 15 yards in the air, producing a jump ball between the kicking and receiving teams. Because the kicking team cannot hit the receiving team before 10 yards, the high hop allows a team to be more physical in its pursuit of the ball.

"If you've ever been out there when that thing bounces and goes up in the air, it's kind of like the whole world slows down," Stoute said. "It gets like slow motion, and the poor guy that's going to catch that ball, he's waiting a long time and he knows somebody is coming to knock him out, so it's a lot of pressure on that guy."

When opponents position their players to stop the high hop late in games, teams often try the dribbler, which is kicked along the ground. Its success relies more heavily on the bounce of the ball. A third kick, the pooch, is a surprise onside kick to a receiver, similar to a pass, off the kicker's foot.

Because each kick requires a different approach and leg speed, George practices them three or four times a week to keep his muscle memory fresh. He later joins his teammates during pregame walk-throughs.

"It's becoming harder to get (onside kicks), because everybody knows you're going to do that," George said. "So, you have to be a little more skilled at them and practice it a lot and try not to tip it off. Even when you do tip it off, there's a 10 percent chance you'll get it back."

Some teams tip their hand by placing the ball in a spot different from the one for a normal kickoff. Others betray their intentions by changing their personnel, such as putting four fast players on one side of the kicker. A sure sign of an onside kick is a ball placed upright on the tee. The Storm leaves it to Samuels or Tramain Jones to alert their teammates when an onside kick is coming.

Besides luck, there are three keys to recovering an onside kick: a well-placed kick; fast, physical blockers to clear a path; and a big receiver with good hands to recover the ball.

George is adept at all three kicks, particularly the pooch. He hit Samuels in stride down the sideline with the Storm down by 11 late in the third quarter of a 52-40 loss to Georgia on May 8.

Muhammad, Ernest Certain or Kelvin Kinney steamroll opponents, clearing the way for receivers such as Samuels or Jones to field the ball. Samuels and Jones also act as decoys when the ball is kicked to another player, such as Lynaris Elpheage, whose recovery with 49 seconds left in the half allowed the Storm to build a 10-point lead in a 48-38 win over the Force on April 2.

"It's probably the most dangerous play in Arena football," Samuels said. "It's close, compact and you've got two forces going against each other over one oval-shaped ball. Anything can happen during that play."

Even the threat of an onside kick can alter a game.

The Storm sometimes will fake an onside kick and kick deep. This forces an opponent to bring its sure-handed players upfield, allowing the kicking team to shed blocks early and run unimpeded to the net, where the receiver is left alone.

"It's become like a cat and mouse game," Stoute said. "We've been fortunate that we've been able to pick the right time and, defensively, stop it."

If a team fails to recover an onside kick, there's little risk, because the area inside the 10 is the most difficult from which to score. Players are packed so close, there is little room for receivers to run routes.

"From that point of view, it's a win-win situation, and it's tough to score from in that close," Stoute said. "The field shortens down, the defense gets in the way and especially our team, we're a pretty good red zone, goal-line team, so for us it's minimal risk."

But not no risk.

An onside kick can backfire when an opponent expects it. Just ask George, who watched San Jose's Barry Wagner return one for a touchdown when George played for Carolina a few years ago.

"He knew it was coming," George said. "He just picked it up and pretty much walked, he was already in the end zone."

Now, that's crazy.

[Last modified May 28, 2005, 00:09:12]