Squib kicks have become a fading play in football, although they still occur with relative frequency.
This is a type of kick in which the kicker drives the ball low and short. Squib kicks can force a non-traditional player to throw the ball, making a high return less likely.
The creation of the squib kick is attributed to Mike Squib, who used it during a high school football game in California. In 1981, it was first used in the NFL by accident, as San Francisco 49ers kicker Ray Wersching kicked the ball wrong, and it went a couple of times off the turf, favoring the 49ers.
The Squib Kick objective
The objective of a squib kick is to prevent a good return by the opposing team.
The kicker attempts a squib kick by kicking low and short, forcing anyone other than the two return specialists to place the ball. The squib kick forces the opposing team to have the ball with better field position, but it is usually safe because a great return is very improbable.
Teams can choose to do a squib kick on any kickoff. Squib kicks are more popular in the lower ranks of football when the kickers aren't capable of kicking the ball near the end zone.
What is an Onside Kick?
On the other hand, an onside kick is a high-risk, high-reward play during a football game. NFL teams execute the onside kick when the game is close to being over and there is not much time left on the play clock.
An onside kick in American football occurs when the kicking team purposely kicks the ball a short distance (usually kicking the ball directly into the ground to bounce) via the kickoff to the receiving team.
The Onside Kick objective
The objective of the onside kick is for the kicking team to recover the ball since it's difficult for the receiving team to secure it.
When the kick works, kicking teams can give their offensive team a better initial possession of the ball on first down, which may be necessary if there is little time left in the game to tie or win the game.
However, the NFL modified the onside kick rules.
The first rule prevents the kicking team from stacking men on one side of the line through the kickoff. Now, kicking teams need to have five members on each side of the kicker through their lineup to recover the ball.
The second rule change is that the kicking team cannot start running for the ball when the kicker is about to kick the ball.
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