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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


The Drills Report: Special Teams Techniques and Drills - Drill What You Coach

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There is more movement of the ball and yardage involved in the special teams game than any other phase of football. It controls field position, creates opportunities for the offense and defense and has the ability to score points. At C.W. Post, we believe special teams are the outcome changer, the difference maker that will lead to success. Bryan Collins, the head coach at C.W. Post, preaches to the players that “special teams are the foundation that great programs are built on.”

Before the explanation of the two primary drills, you must first understand the rules and techniques our special teams units use.

Kickoff Rules
1. 5 yard Rule (2 parts):

A. While covering a kick or punt, if you engage a blocker and the ball carrier is within five yards, you will jam the blocker and create a two-way go.

B. While covering a kick or punt, if you engage a blocker and the ball carrier is further than five yards from the blocker, you will rip through contact (ball side), bend and make a play. If the ball is directly behind the blocker you can rip either shoulder and bend.

2. Full Speed: Stay at full speed from the kick (punt) until you get within five yards of the ball and make a decision.

3. Sure Tackle: The first two players on the ball come under control keeping feet hot, and then making a sure tackle. All others blow up and strip.

Kickoff Techniques

1. Jam Technique (engage a blocker and the returner if within five yards).

As you approach the blocker, you gather your feet and square up to the blocker. With good knee and elbow bend, you will deliver a punch with the heels of both hands to the breastplate of the blocker and lockout your arms. It is very important that you time the punch with an up field step of one of your legs and always have one foot in contact with the ground. Once you get a direction from the returner you will play off with your hands and make the tackle.

2. Rip-through Contact (engage a blocker if the returner is further than five yards).

At full speed you will rip through the tip of the shoulder pad of the blocker to the ball side, bend and make the tackle. If the returner is directly behind the blocker, you can rip either shoulder. We never use the word AVOID. To avoid is to go around.

Kickoff Return Rules

1. People on People: We do not need blow-up blocks. We need blockers running with cover personnel. We do not want a free runner hitting our returners (front five blockers).

2. Aggressive blocks: The closer you are to the ball the more aggressive the block (second level blockers, back four).

3. Speed: Use speed to get deeper drops and get on blocks late. You do not have to hold blocks as long.

4. Attack: When blocking, never stay flat-footed. You must attack and supply force against force.

Kickoff Return Techniques

1. First-level Blockers (Front Five)

Sprint back and get depth (15 yards). Find cover personnel in your lane and focus on the bottom of his numbers; this is the best indication of direction. Attack the cover under control with bent knees and deliver a punch with the heels of both hands. After contact, open hips, turn and run with cover, punching the sidelines’ shoulder while staying on the inside hip.

2. Second-level Blockers (Back Four)

Sprint back towards the ball to a depth of 10 yards from the returner. With your head on a swivel, find a cover personnel in your lane and focus on the bottom of his numbers. Attack the cover downhill, punching the heels of both hands into the breastplate and burying your facemask into the middle of the cover’s chest (see what you hit). The blocker wants to take on the cover personnel square and accelerate their legs on contact.

Punt Rules

1. Priority: Protection is always the priority and coverage is secondary.

2. Alignment: Always align as deep as possible. We want to create a gap and keep the gap.

3. Steps: On ball movement drop five steps. If the ball is within your own five-yard line, drop three steps.

4. Coverage: Cover the ball, not the field.

Punt Techniques

1. Blocking and Release


Punt personnel will have their outside foot back with a toe-to-heel stance. They bend at the waist and place their hands below their thigh pads. On ball movement, they push off with their inside foot and drop either three or five steps with square shoulders, depending on the situation. They will punch the rusher with the heels of both hands and count 1001-1000 and go once contact is made.

2. Coverage: All rules and techniques are the same as kickoff coverage rules that were explained earlier in the article.

Punt Block Return Rules

1. Aggressive: Set hand first, three-point track stance and crowd the ball.

2. Deception: Always give the intention you are trying to block the punt.

3. Check Ball Call: Last player on each end of the line of scrimmage looks inside for offside. If a check ball call is given, everyone checks themselves and resets.

4. Poison: Anyone can make a poison call and all else will echo call. Find the ball and get away.

Punt Block Return Techniques

1. Victor
This is an aggressive technique that we use in our return game that attacks the blockers outside half. The rusher will line up on the outside shoulder pad (tip of pad to tip of pad) in a good three-point stance. On the snap they will shoot their hands to the armpit and the breastplate of the blocker and grab cloth. The helmets’ aiming point is the V of the neck (Victor) and they accelerate their feet. They will run the blocker until he leaves the framework of the body. At this moment the blocker is trying to release.

2. Larry
This is a less aggressive holdup technique we use at Post that covers the blocker up. The rusher aligns on the outside shoulder of the blocker and takes a lateral step (Larry) with the inside foot on the ball movement. The rusher attacks the blocker under control and delivers a blow to the breastplate with the heels of both hands. The rusher will mirror the blocker, trying to keep the blocker on the line of scrimmage as long as possible.

Drill #1 GUTS
This is an efficient drill that works techniques for both kickoff and kickoff return personnel.

Alignment - (Diagram 1)
Align one kickoff player (A) on the goal line standing with either foot up. Align one kickoff return blocker (B), head up (A), with his body at a 45-degree angle with his front foot on the ten-yard line (this is a first-level blocker). Align a second kickoff return blocker (C) directly behind (B) at the 25 yard line with a hand shield (this is a second level blocker). Align a returner (R) at the 30-yard line.

Diagram 1. Alignment

Guts - (Diagram 2)
On the whistle, (A) will cover the ball at full speed and (B) will sideways run straight back to the 15 yard line. When (B)'s upfield foot hits the 15 yard line, he will attack (A) and execute a good open field block (first level blocker). Before contact is made (A) will rip through contact (five yard rule) and defeat the block of (B). Once (A) defeats the block of (B), he will continue to cover and attack (C), holding the hand shield and using the proper jam technique (five-yard rule). When contact is made, the returner will cut in either direction and (A) will play off with his hands and execute a proper form tackle (stay on feet). We use three groups and rotate from back to front with (A), the kickoff cover, becoming the returner.

Diagram 2. Guts Drill

Drill #2 POST
This is another efficient drill that works techniques for both punt and punt block return personnel.

Alignment - (Diagram 3)
Align one punt blocker (A) in a right-side punt stance on the 10-yard line. Align a defensive rusher (B) on the 11-yard line (neutral zone) in a three-point track stance off the right shoulder of the blocker (A). Have player (C) stand with his toes on the 11-yard line to the left of blocker (A) facing in the same direction. Place a cone at the 20-yard line directly in line with the blocker (A). The returner (R) aligns at the 30-yard line, also in line with the cone.

Diagram 3. Alignment

Post - (Diagram 4)
Player (C), who is standing, lifts his leg to simulate the punt snap. Player (A) will push off and execute a five-step punt drop. Player (B), using a great get off, will attack the player using his Larry or Victor Technique. Once contact is made, player (A) will count 1,001, 1,000, go and club rip to the right and release. Player (C), after simulating the snap, will turn and jump player (A) at the 10-yard line. Player (C) will work on his hold-up and blocking technique while player (A) is working on escaping and covering. Both players will battle for 10 yards (20 yard line cone) and player (C) will release (A) at this point. Player (A) will continue to cover and come under control, keeping his feet hot at the 25-yard line. The returner (R) will cut and player (A) will execute a form tackle (stay on feet).

Diagram 4. Post Drill

We use three groups and rotate from back to front with player (A) punt blocker becoming the returner (R) and the returner moving to (C) hold up technique. We also flip the drill and have the punt blocker (A) in a left side punt stance.






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