AFM RSS Feed Follow Us on Twitter       
AMERICAN FOOTBALL MONTHLY THE #1 RESOURCE FOR FOOTBALL COACHES
ABOUT |  CONTACT |  ADVERTISE |  HELP  



   User Name    Password 
      Password Help





Article Categories


AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Just for Kicks

An often overlooked part of the game, consistently good punt returns can carry teams to the winner\'s circle
by: Paul McCord
Special teams coordinator, Western Maryland College
© More from this issue

Click for Printer Friendly Version          

The punt return means big play time for us. Players at Western Maryland pay special attention to this part of the game. We have had success blocking punts and we have returned punts for touchdowns multiple times over the past four seasons. More importantly, we make things happen on every punt return and have an opportunity to score. Statistically, having a return average of 10 yards or more is important, but the goal should be to accumulate yardage consistently on each return.

Put Pressure On As Many Punts As Possible

We have won every game where we have blocked a punt and we score 100 percent of the time following a block. As Virginia Tech has shown, an effective punt block unit can be a lethal weapon and can deflate a team's morale

We apply pressure to each punt to prevent coverage from releasing. The longer we force opponents to stay in the protection mode, the more cushion our return man gains. For each tenth of a second we force the protection to block, we gain field position. Pressure forces the punter to rush the punt which gives his outside men less time to respond to the trajectory of the ball. Poor hang-time is often a result of heavy pressure as well. Most punters are taught to sacrifice everything for get-off speed against a block look.

Overall, we can gain one second or more on our returns which make open field decisions easier and result in a higher return average. The increased potential for a blocked punt, which can decide a game, makes a decision to consistently apply pressure a sure thing.

Field Every Ball From the Air

Lots of teams have beefy return averages on a few punt returns, yet many fail to return receivable punts, or call for fair catches on too many balls. There are also a lot of average punters who increase their statistics by three to four yards per punt with big rolls.

To better prepare your unit, charting your opponents' punts becomes a must. This will give your return man the information he needs to align properly with the punter. You can save an average of two first downs per punt (20-40 per season) just by effectively receiving the ball in the air. Use the fair catch if necessary, developing the terminology to aid your specialist in the decision. The hidden yards on special teams are easy to discover when you begin to take advantage of them. Most people who don't see the advantages tend to be on the short end of the stick.

Allowing a ball to hit the ground will put your team in disarray. Very seldom will a ball roll right to a return man. Usually, it will careem down the field for at least an extra 10 yards. The roll will also cost you a return that could average 10 yards because players are scrambling to react to the bounces. Each time a ball is allowed to roll, you are giving your opponents two first downs! Allow two punts to roll by and you will put your offense at a distinct disadvantage.

Develop a Solid Return Scheme and Provide Practice Time

At WMC we base all of our punt return schemes around a wall return. Walls or variations of walls exist on most of our plays and enable us to remain consistent in our practices which saves time. Practice time for special teams is always limited, so managing your time with a scheme that can be repeated often is essential. We work our punt return game a minimum of twice per week. We use some drills to help our players develop a good field sense for how and where the wall develops.

Teaching the Wall Return

At Western Maryland, our head coach allows us to use our starters on special teams - that helps put it all together. We try to mix young up and comers with veteran players. Having a good punt return requires using as many athletes as your team can provide.

First, find the right people for the return. Everyone must have good speed. We look for fast linebackers or defensive ends in the interior. Having good size prevents teams from wedge faking and is necessary for surviving potential double teams up front.

It is important that players rush hard from the middle, because often the center and personal protector can get caught up in the wash inside. Make sure to work with players on their block angles should they get set free in a blown protection. This is easily accomplished before or after practice and can be made fun. The thrill of blocking a punt and potentially ending up in the end zone is enough to make linebackers volunteer for the punt return team.

For outside personnel, look to leaner, quicker defensive backs or offensive skill players. It is important to find athletes who have innate ball hawking skills. Some players, no matter how fast or quick they are, can never seem to block punts. Some players who are not the fastest can block punts well because they know how to use their leverage skills.

Ideally, try to find players that combine great speed with instinct. Sometimes your best blocker is one of your return men as well, so it is a good idea to use those players at both spots. Players who are not going for the block are what we call the "headhunters." These are guys who line up players down field and look to bring the wall to the ball. This is instinctual to some extent, but can be taught by having players practice the brick in the wall drill. These players usually have a real mean streak and are aggressive, but they are good with angles and open field blocking. These outside players can spring a return for great yardage or potentially block the punt.

puntreturn

Diagram1
Diagram1

Diagram2
Diagram2

Diagram3
Diagram3

Diagram4
Diagram4

Diagram5
Diagram5

The drill (Diagram 1) is a simple landmark drill we call a "dot" drill. Using several markers laid out like runway lights at the angle of the wall, we try to provide our players with visual keys to setting and maintaining the wall. Our wall people are called "bricks" and each one has a key location within the wall.

We start the drill with either a six-, seven- or eight-man front vs. the spread double wing punt formation. The great thing about a wall scheme is you can use multiple fronts and still account for blocking everyone. Once you determine how many you want up front, have all of your rushers assume an aggressive punt block posture, or sprinter's stance. We want the protection to think that everyone is coming at them after the punt. This inspires a protection thought process in all punt protectors.

Have the look unit snap the ball to the punter and punt return players step through their gaps. Pressure the punter or jugs machine and allow the ball to be accurately thrown, or punted down field to a designated return area. (Diagram 2)

The pressure side, on the right, always waits for the ball to be dropped from the punter's hand before leaving to execute their responsibilities and the last man through spies for screen passes, or trickery. This person can be alternated to insure that teams won't know who your designated spy is. The return side, on the left, must come hard up field initially, making aggressive contact with the man, or men, protecting in front of them. Like dominos, each man drops consecutively out of the rush and heads to their landmark at a full sprint. Speed must be emphasized as most clips and blocks in the back occur due to poor down field positioning.

The final part of the drill involves coverage personnel, preferably holding shields, moving downfield, reading the return. Upon reaching their landmarks, return players should pivot their shoulders at 45 degree angles and shuffle to the closest danger relative to their location. The shoulders are key in preventing illegal contacts. Please note that in our drill, the further you get away from the origin of the wall, the wider the protection becomes. We want to escort our return men to the speed alley and kick the punter or safety out of bounds. Often, these players will over pursue and are susceptible to cut back lanes (Diagram 3).

The wall's spacing is very important and the drill should be run with close attention to detail. Body mechanics are essential to limiting penalties. It is nearly impossible to prevent all penalties on kicks, but using speed, proper shoulder angles and arranging the wall at an angle to the sideline, forces coverage people to square their shoulders to the wall. Note the progression of spread punt coverage and its relationship to the wall (Diagrams 4 and 5).

A disciplined wall is hard to beat. You can run modifications of the wall that are easily installed week to week and do not demand a huge amount of time. Once again, it is key to use speed throughout the return. Find players who have great field speed. They are not necessarily the same players with a blazing 40-yard dash time, but they somehow get the job done.

Remember, it is not your average return that matters, but how many yards you pick up each game. If you only field two of four punts for a 15-yard average, you were not as successful as the team that fielded all four and averaged 10 yards per return. They got one more first down per carry and better field position for the offense.

By working on a solid punt return scheme, your offense will be able to better control the field. Use your momentum to overcome opponents that may be more talented defensively and provide your offense with a jump start on every drive!






NEW BOOK!

AFM Videos Streaming Memberships Now Available Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach



















HOME
MAGAZINE
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE COLUMNISTS COACHING VIDEOS


Copyright 2024, AmericanFootballMonthly.com
All Rights Reserved