Making the Most of 3 and Outs

Three unique drills for mastering punt return coverage
by: Mike Kuchar
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Sure, some coaches like to preach about how vital special teams are, giving the cliché about it being one-third of a complete game. Yet it usually gets filtered down into pure lip service, with coaches dedicating the majority of their time to what is perceived as more important issues like stopping the spread offense or figuring out how to get their best offensive players in space – special teams becomes an afterthought.

But for Lousiana Tech’s new head coach Derek Dooley, he’s sticking to his word of putting special teams on a special pedestal. And why wouldn’t he? He’s lived it. A self made success story, Dooley enrolled at Virginia as a walk-on wide receiver and parlayed his roles on the special teams unit into a full scholarship his sophomore year. As an assistant coach at LSU, Dooley coordinated the special teams during their national championship run in 2003. So when he speaks about how “special” special teams are, his players listen.

“Some coaches say that they are committed, but their actions do not truly reflect that,” says Dooley. “It starts with a commitment from the head coach. I was fortunate at LSU to work for a head coach who was committed to special teams, and it was reflected in our play. If the team sees that the head coach is committed, they will take on the same attitude.” Apparently it is so important that while most teams utilize their entire staff to coach a specific unit, Dooley has one special teams coordinator. That coordinator is Eric Russell, who has the dubious task of transforming the Bulldogs punt coverage unit into respectability – the group finished 74th in the nation last season.

In order to do that, Dooley will focus on three vital drills – the Leverage Drill, Lanes Drill, and Cover and Lag Drill – to improve the punt coverage unit. These are the same drills he implemented when he coordinated special teams at LSU when the Tigers finished first in the SEC in net punting in 2003.

While preparing for spring ball, Dooley shared his insights with American Football Monthly.

Leverage Drill

Every good coach knows that the most effective way to teach is by using progressions, and Dooley is no different. So he started this spring off by teaching the Punt Coverage Leverage Drill (Diagram 1). Four players line up shoulder to shoulder at midfield, facing a punt returner approximately forty yards away. A Jugs machine is used to simulate the punt 15 yards behind them. The inside two players line up ten yards apart from one another, while five yards separate the outside players from the inside. This simulates the width they will get after they release from the line of scrimmage. It doesn’t matter who these players are to start. “From day one we want to figure out who can run down the field and leverage a returner,” says Dooley. “This is a good way to evaluate the instincts, speed, change of direction and athleticism of your team.”

Diagram 1: Leverage Drill

Five coaches line the field instructing the drill, another tribute to Dooley’s commitment to special teams. On the ‘go’ command, all four players kick back using their punt protection technique and do an up-down (to simulate the time it takes to block at the line of scrimmage and release). They will then sprint down the field with their eyes on the returner.

Dooley coaches the inside players to press the ball from outside in. The outside players should apply lead/trail principles and play off the inside player. If the returner comes to you, widen and keep the returner on the inside shoulder. If the returner goes away, the outside man should stack the inside man and be ready to fold over the top. This prevents the returner from breaking a few tackles and having a clear shot to the end zone – a common sight in most punt coverage breakdowns. All four players tag off on the returner to end the drill.

Probably the most unique method that Dooley uses when covering a punt is teaching his players not to break down before making a tackle. “That’s my biggest pet peeve in coaching, and I learned this from being with Coach (Nick) Saban for seven years,” says Dooley. “When you break down and stop your feet, the athletes we have today will run right by you.” Instead, Dooley teaches when the coverage unit gets within ten yards of the returner, they begin to ‘scallop’ – lead with the inside foot and close space on the returner without crossing your feet.

Coaching Points for Punt Coverage Leverage Drill

• Do an up-down before taking off down the field.

• Cover straight and squeeze to the returner but maintain outside leverage (keep him on your inside shoulder).

• Inside players should press the ball, while outside players should fold over or ‘stack’ inside when they can’t see the returner – if the returner runs away.

• Coverage players should stay in their scallop and not break down when within 10 yards of the returner.

• Everyone tags off on the runner by touching his hip.

Lanes Drill

The next teaching progression in coverage is having each member of the punt team understand the leverage on the returner relative to his position. This is taught utilizing the Lanes Drill (Diagram 2). The drill begins by lining up team A in a spread punt formation. A Jugs machine is used to simulate the punt and the returner is aligned 40 yards down the field. For terminology purposes, Louisiana Tech uses a long snapper, two guards, two tackles, two slots, two gunners, a personal protector and a punter that comprise the punt coverage unit.

Diagram 2: Lanes Drill

It is a two snap drill. On the first snap, the gunners, slots and personal protector are live. The gunners beat the corners and cover aiming for the near jugular of the returner. Unlike some other common methods, Dooley instructs his gunners to attack the ball inside out. “We need those guys to get down there in a hurry, make the play, or spill the ball outside,” says Dooley. “Their most important rule is to never get split down the middle.” At the same time on the snap, the slots will kick back, the personal protector will shuffle to the A Gap, and all three will do an up-down to simulate the timing of a block. Like the gunners, the personal protector is required to nose up the ball, while the slots are required to fan 15 yards outside the returner and squeeze to contain the ball. The slots should cover to the depth of the ball and maintain that horizontal leverage while squeezing or rolling to the returner.

On the second snap, the guards, tackles and long snapper kick back, do an up-down and cover. The key for the inside personnel is to fan to their landmarks ten yards down the field, then squeeze to the returner. “The immediate fan prevents you from being outflanked,” says Dooley. “After they get 10 yards down the field, they squeeze to the ball applying lead/trail principles.” Although Dooley says landmarks will change depending obviously on the direction of the kick, traditionally guards should stay five yards outside the returner while the tackles get ten. The principle is the same – leverage the ball carrier on your inside shoulder.

Coaching Points:
• Gunners, slots and personal protectors are the first down the field. Gunners should never let the returner split them.

• Gunners should begin to scallop within ten yards of the returner. But if his hands go up to catch the ball before you reach 10 yards, take a shot.

• Guards and tackles should widen for ten yards, then leverage the ball.

• Everyone tags off on the runner by touching his hip.

Cover and Lag Drill

The final progression that Dooley uses to teach the punt coverage unit is the Cover and Lag Drill (Diagram 3). This is a competitive combination punt/punt return drill and should not be done until the punt return technique is taught as well. While similar in structure to the leverage drill, four defenders will align opposite the four coverage players prior to the snap of the ball. All eight players will lie down on their stomachs facing each other. On the snap, both sets of players pop up . The coverage team works the fundamentals they learned on the leverage drill by shouldering the returner, keeping him on their inside shoulder, but now they must learn to do it with a defender trying to block him down the field.

Diagram 3: COver and Lag Drill

The returner also learns to stem after the catch to set up the blocks of the return unit. The punt coverage unit must make quick decisions on how to avoid or attack the block and maintain leverage on the returner.

Coaching Points:
• Make sure both teams are lying down facing each other before the snap.

• As the coverage teams start to run downfield, the return unit must stab and knock their opponent off course.

• The return unit must leverage the returner on their inside shoulder while closing in on the ball.

• Inside players should press the ball, while outside players should fold over or “stack” inside when they can’t see the returner.

• Coverage players should stay in their scallop and not break down when within 10 yards of the returner.

• Everyone tags off on the runner by touching his hip.

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