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PATs and Youth Football
Written by Dave Cisar- WininngYouthFootball.com
In many youth football leagues, the Point After Try (PAT) kick is worth 2 points and a run or pass is worth just 1 point. That is the case with both Pop Warner and AYF leagues as well as many independent leagues throughout the country.
Many youth coaches feel they are wasting time developing a place kicker and spending time on PAT kicks. They either feel the kids can't do it or that they are just better off going for the 1 point attempt since in many cases scoring from about 3 yards out may be easier than a team making a PAT kick. The PAT kick does require some pretty good execution; a good snap, good catch and hold, protection and a good kick. While that may seem daunting to some, it makes good sense to develop a solid PAT team.
Let's take a look at the math, say you score 50 touchdowns this season and run your extra point in, making 80% of them. That's 40 points you've scored on your PAT runs. Now let's say on those same 50 touchdowns you made 20 PAT kicks, just 40% conversion rate for 40 points. So even by scoring an incredibly high percentage of your run plays, to match that scoring you would need to convert just 40% of your PAT kicks.
While some of you are saying, 40% is tough to do, it doesn't have to be. I found attending the last two Pop Warner and AYF National Championships and other big tournaments, the teams that make it this far, they all kick. Even down at the Jr Pee Wee level I see these young kids on well coached teams making 60-70-even 80% of their kicks. Jeff Miret's Pop Warner teams from Port St Lucie Florida have made over 90% of their kicks in the last two National Tournaments.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6260362
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