Kick Return Strategy - The Wedge vs. Straight Up Man Blocking?

All right, as a guy who's watched football for all my years and horsed around with the buddies, but never played organized ball, I may be a little behind on the nuances of certain plays and strategies, I'll admit that one right off the top.

My question is this: what are the benefits of using the wedge as opposed to just having your guys go hat-on-hat blocking and relying on your returner to make cuts in and around the blocks? In last night's game, I saw Devin Hester score on both methods, although you really never see the straight up blocking method, it's always the wedge. I realize that the second KR involved the hands team, who probably never practices the wedge, so they had to block "regularly" because they really didn't know how (for lack of a better term). Could "regular" blocking work?

Thanks everybody.

Date

Tue 12/12/06, 5:53 pm EST

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Bball3345Draft Pick

1111 days ago

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Wait a second! Devin Hester needs blockers!

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JeevesJV Squad

1111 days ago

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haha, classic

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

1111 days ago

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The problem with "regular" blocking on a kick return is actually matching every person on the opposing team, and then setting up a solid scheme of blocks that have the ability to hold up during the return without turning into a holding penalty.

With a wedge, a return team is able to recreate a mock line of scrimmage with everyone in 1 place and it becomes much easier to find and set up the blocks. It also sucks in the defenders and if a returner can break through the wedge then he is going through the open field.

With man on man blocking you have people all over the field facing and pointing in different directions, a wedge gives the returned a way to go and a way to follow their blocks.

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