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The Situation

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You’re on special teams where your opponent faces a fourth and four at their own 25 yard line. Your opponent leads 20-17 with just over a minute remaining in the game. They’re in punt formation with gunners spread on both sides and a personal protector lined up in front of the punter. There are also two blocking backs over each guard as signals are called. How would you align your defense and what strategy would you use to do everything to block this punt and get possession in your opponent's territory? What play do you call?

Steve Humphries, Assistant Coach and Director of Football Operations, Piedmont High School (CA). AFM subscriber since 2007.

With just over a minute left in the game we want to put maximum pressure on the punter to force a block or bad kick, giving us good field position for a final shot at a winning field goal. With a team tightening up their punt formation, we are going to give the appearance of setting up the return with two backs. Then we'll attack the weakside by creeping our weak corner and rotating one of our return men to cover the gunner.

In the example, our Will takes an inside track turning the tackle, leaving the weakside up-back against our left force and left corner. Our left force runs on a tight track to the outside shoulder of the up back, leaving our left corner a free shot at the punter. On the strong side of the punt formation, our right force uses his speed to pressure the protector and keep his attention away from the weakside stunt.

If the punter gets the ball away it is really important to make sure the return man minimizes net punt yardage by catching the ball before it hits the ground (fair catch or return) and preventing an unfavorable bounce. Here are the specific assignments:

LC -Creep and crash outside to punter.
LF - Crash outside shoulder (E).
W - Crash B Gap on left side.
LT - Crash A Gap on left side.
N - Crash A Gap on right side.
RT - Crash B Gap on right side.
S - Crash inside (B).
RF - Crash outside (B).
RC - Stalk Block (X).
LR - Shift to Z as LC crashes.
RR - Catch punt if it gets off.
N - Count # on our team.

Punt Block-Laser or Rocket
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Nick Inbody, Defensive Backs and Receivers Coach, Arlington High School (OH). AFM subscriber since 2006.

The scheme all starts with the responsibility of our down linemen. Using our base 5-2 personnel, we would position the TNT’s on the left tackle and two guards. Their job is to occupy those blockers and allow the other players to rush free. The defensive end would align stacked behind the tackle making it hard for the offense to identify which gap he will be rushing. At the snap the end will shoot into the B gap, as will the linebacker to that side. If the defensive linemen do their jobs, these two should come through untouched and put the blocking back in a bind as to whom he should block. The other linebacker will rush the A gap while the free safety rushes the opposite A gap. The center, having to concentrate on the snap, will likely not be quick enough to block either, putting the personal protector in a bind about whom to block. We also have the strong safety and the other end rushing hard off each edge. By overloading one side we expect to confuse the offense and have at least one defender come free to block the punt.

Arlington High School's (OH) Punt Block






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