PSU Special Teams

Playbook
Punt Drill / Play Book
 Stance and Start
Players Involved – Guards – Tackles – Wings.
Coaches Involved – Coach responsible for Guards – Tackles -
Wings.
Drill – Align Guards – Tackles – Wings in proper stance with 6
inch split, all players with post foot on a line. On ball
movement players will kick back through 5 yards.

Emphasis: Getting in a correct stance, post foot forward, kick foot

at a 5 or 7 o’clock position depending on which side of the ball
we are on. Weight should be on the post foot, keeping the kick
foot light. Knees bent and over the toes, numbers over the
knees, eyes up.
On balls movement entire line should kick straight back,
pressing off post foot, gaining ground with kick foot. Pads
should stay down, eyes should stay up. Through 5 yards.
As players progress through this drill, we will drop to only three
kick sets, and focus on finishing low and under control.
Players should be square, and in the same stance as we
began in.

Progression: This drill will be continued in our proper alignment

with wing off the ball in our groups of 3, Guard – Tackle –
Wing.
Each group should have similar speed and ability to get depth.
We should appear at the exact alignment we began in only
with depth off of the line of scrimmage.
 Slide the Line
Players Involved – Guards – Tackles – Wings.
Coaches Involved – Coach responsible for Guards – Tackles -
Wings.
Drill – Align Guards- Tackles – Wings on yard line in proper stance
with post foot on yard line at hash mark. On ball movement all
players will kick back from hash mark to the numbers. The
post foot on the yard line should not come off that line.

Emphasis : Players should start in a good position as noted in the

Stance and Start drill. Pads can’t come up as the player kicks
back, eyes should remain up and shoulders should remain
square.

Progression: This drill as well as the Stance and Start drill can be
done in the chutes.
 Step to Contact
Players Involved – Guards – Tackles – Wings.
Coaches Involved – Coach responsible for Guards – Tackles -
Wings.
Drill – Align Guards- Tackles – Wings in proper stance and
alignment, on ball all take three kick slides, straight back.
Coach can take 1 to 3 rushers and send them through gaps at
75% speed. Punt unit will get good depth in slides and be fast
off of the L.O.S. When the rush man has entered 6-12 inch
strike zone, punt unit will strike and extend.

Emphasis : Punt Unit needs to be able to get great depth, while

being fast off of the L.O.S. Coaches are looking for square
shoulders, not opening up to the rusher before the strike.
On the punch hips should sink, and feet should plant while
engaging the strike, and accelerate through. Punch should be
inside, thumbs up, elbows in, and into the chest of the rusher.

Progression: Coach can send 1 to 3 rushers at a time. Tempo can

vary from slow to the fit, to up tempo, strike, extend and
release.
 1 on 1 - 4 on 3
Half Line
Players Involved – Guards – Tackles – Wings.
Coaches Involved – Coach responsible for Guards – Tackles -
Wings.
Drill – From base to variations of looks, rush 4 men vs. full speed
set by the punt team. Punt team should be in proper stance
and alignment.

Emphasis: The Punt team should be communicating who they are

working to, pointing out their man and communicating to each
other to watch the ball. Depth off the line of scrimmage and the
ability to take fundamentally sound kick steps while staying
square vs. a “live” rush are the key. After 3 kick sets the punt
team should drop their hips and strike the core of the rusher.
Hands inside, thumbs up, elbows in, we want to see a solid
strike and extension.

Progression: Work this drill with variations of fronts and twists,

emphasizing on communication and picking different looks,
and twists.
We can also work this drill vs. a hold-up team working release
drills. When working releases we run this same drill, but finish
with a 10-yard escape into proper lanes.
We will do this teaching variations of releases; chop/rip,
club/rip, push/pull, ect.
 On the Clock
Players Involved – Long Snappers - Punters.
Coaches Involved – Coach responsible for Long Snappers.
Drill – Every day we want a clock on different phases of the punt.
As punters warm up we will time snap to kick, or catch to kick
to emphasize the fact we are tracking this stat, we also want to
develop consistency with the Coach with the clock. During the
individual section of the punt period the coach will time and
record the focus of the days work.

Emphasis: The snap to catch needs to be at or below .08.

The Catch to kick needs to be at or below 1.2.
The entire exchange needs to be at or below 2.0 seconds.
Coach will also track snaps that are outside the frame of the
body of the punter, as accuracy is crucial to each snap.
 2 on 2
Players Involved – Long Snappers – Personal Protectors -
Punters.
Coaches Involved – Coach responsible for Long Snappers –
Personal Protectors and Punters
Drill – From base to variations of looks, rush 2 men vs. full speed
set by the Long Snapper and Personal Protector. The Punter
should treat this as a live look, catch the ball moving forward
and get it off at 1.2 or less.
In this drill a coach will show the Long Snapper and Personal
Protector a card with the entire Punt Rush team aligned, they
will also show the card to 2 rushers that the Long Snapper and
Personal Protector are responsible for. The Personal Protector
will call the protection as he sees on the card and each man
should then be able to work to the correct man or gap.
 Hand fight Releases
Players Involved – Gunners
Coaches Involved – Coach responsible for Gunners
Drill – Form 2 lines 10 yards apart from each other. A Coach
will give different alignments based on looks we want to
practice or plan on seeing. Working from a squared up, inside
pressed or outside pressed look the Coach will work a jam and
grab on the gunner attempting to release. Fitted arm pads are
best for the coach, who is attempting to give the gunners a
good punch and grab the jersey. Gunners will work a variation
of hand swats, and clubs to knock the coaches hands off, and
get a clean release.

Progression – We do this drill as a warm up and jog. Gunner will

fight off the line of scrimmage, burst and jog to the back of the
line heading back toward the original starting point.
 Cover vs. Air
Players Involved – Entire Punt Team
Coaches Involved –All Punt Coaches

Drill – From rotating sites on the field, Rt. Hash, Middle, Lt. Hash
entire punt team aligns, works through cadence, takes their
proper steps, and strikes vs. air, then release to cover the
punt.
Cones are placed for proper spacing: tackles working to
contain alignment, guards to force alignment, wings to fill
alignment.

Emphasis: As the ball is moved on the field from hash, middle,

hash -the spacing will change as well, and the
landmarks/cones need to move with the drill.
Coaches want to see proper spacing, to individual landmark.
Gunners – Personal Protector – and long snapper take their fit
on cones as well, to where the ball is supposed to be kicked.
All Punt Unit will hit their cone, break down, stay square and
chop their feet until the whistle in blown.

Progression: We will work this drill with cones to teach landmarks

and spacing, not fitting on the kick but, on each individual
landmark.
We will progress to take the cones out of the drill and work to
where the ball is supposed to be kicked based on field position
and call.
We will end the progression by fitting to where the ball is
actually punted, the landmarks we should have initially, to
where we depart and eventually converge on the ball carrier,
based on a live punt.
Punt Return Drill Book
 Stance and Start
Players Involved – All down linemen of punt return
team.
Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with front line
play.

Drill – Align into proper gaps in a proper stance.

Sprinters stance with front hand in front of your
helmet, shoulders square, back flat. Crowd the
ball, get as tight to L.O.S. as possible. Keep
stance consistent with all schemes. Weight
should be on front of the up field foot ready to
drive off.

Emphasis: The illusion is pressure at all times,

stances should be consistent with all schemes.
We must be balanced and explosive. Inside 5
calls “watch the ball” both directions once to his
left and once to his right. The 2 on each side is
responsible for aligning on our side of the L.O.S.

Progression: We work a 1-2-3 step progression from

the ground up. Work getting off quickly and fluidly
and getting into a comfortable stance. This can be
done in chutes to ensure pad level throughout the
get-off.
 Get to Fit
Players Involved – All down linemen of punt return team,
any 2nd row players that will work as part off the hold-up
scheme.
Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with front line play
and those involved with 2nd row players.

Drill – Align into proper gaps in a proper stance. Work a full

speed get-off, driving into the opponents body frame.
Take proper steps to insure body positioning and head
placement, shoot hands inside and strike the “steering
wheel”, extend and drive until momentum off blocker
stops, then tug and sit, while chopping a wide base.

Emphasis: As we get off the ball we are attacking, giving

the impression of being on a block side. We need to be
low and strike on the rise. We need to win the hands
battle by getting our hands inside the frame of the body.
The strike and extension is violent and physical. As the
blockers backward momentum stops, the hold-up
begins. Dropping your rear and tugging down, gets you
under control, and slows the release of the blocker. We
chop our feet to maintain a wide base and prepare to
post and run whichever direction we are taking our
man.

Progression: We work a 1-2-3 step progression from the

ground up. The get-off up to the strike, the get-off up to
the drive, up to the tug and sit, to the post and run.
Work each phase of the hold up individually until all
skills have been executed.
 Post and Run
Players Involved – All down linemen of punt return
team, any 2nd row players that will work as part off
the hold-up scheme.
Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with front line
play and those involved with 2nd row players.

Drill – Work from proper stance and alignment as

taught in the previous drills, use techniques of get
to fit drill to get-off, strike, drive, tug and sit. As
blocker release from tug and sit position, post on
inside breast plate the direction we are taking our
man, and flip our hips to open with his. Keeping
contact on the breast plate we are going to widen
and run on cover man’s hip.

Emphasis: All the proper techniques to get to this

point of the hold-up. Use strong hands and a
violent punch to maintain contact with cover man.
Keep head up field and in front of the cover man.

Progression: This part of the hold can be taught from

a slow tempo, get the feel and footwork down, to
high tempo, full-speed capture the flag.
 Flip the Hips
Players Involved – All down linemen of punt return
team, any 2nd row players that will work as part off
the hold-up scheme.
Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with front line
play and those involved with 2nd row players.

Drill – Work from proper stance and alignment as

taught in the previous drills, use techniques of get
to fit drill to get-off, strike, drive, tug and sit, then
post and run. Scout cover man will knock off hand
contact and cross the face of the hold-up. We
want to drop our hips, and open back-up to rejoin
contact. Aim to strike again in the breast plate,
ride the hip and keep our heads up field.

Emphasis: All the proper techniques to get to this

point of the hold-up. Changing directions quickly
and fluidly, get back to our aiming point. Stay on
and in front.

Progression: This part of the hold can be taught from

a slow tempo, get the feel and footwork down, to
high tempo, full-speed capture the flag. The
longer field we have to work the more often the
scout player can cross the hold-up.
 Retrace
Players Involved – All down linemen of punt return
team, any 2nd row players that will work as part off
the hold-up scheme.
Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with front line
play and those involved with 2nd row players.

Drill – Work a full speed get-off and hold-up, post

and run, flip the hips, if scout player cross the
hold-up. Get back into the post and run position,
hand on breast plate, ride the hip, head in front.
Work a punt returner past the block and down
field. Hold-up now retraces back to post and run
position.

Emphasis: The block doesn’t stop until the play is

over. Re-tracing the path off the hold-up, gets us
back into the post and run position. We must get
our heads back in front. Best block may be no
block if it will cost penalty yards. Effort is key!

Progression: This drill can be done at a slow pace up

until ball carrier crosses the hold-up. Work a good
tempo through the progression, then full-speed
once the ball passes the hold-up and the retrace
begins.
 Wall Side Landmarks
Players Involved – All down linemen of punt return
team, any 2nd row players that will work as part off
the wall scheme.
Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with front line
play and those involved with 2nd row players.

Drill – Work a full speed get-off with emphasis on

attack angles, and gap assignments. Pressure
punt based on the design of the attack. Depart
after ball is kicked for wall side landmark.

Emphasis: Get-off and attack, pressure the kick, and

be prepared to execute a block. After ball is
kicked, accelerate to best path of landmark. Great
effort is needed to finish the play.

Progression: Work the angles to landmarks on air,

then with a scout team, we need to see the traffic
that we will be working through. Place bag with
scout player at landmark to execute the block,
drop hips, widen base and strike up and through
the bag. Work shield block, with hands up and
head fighting across the body, no block may be
the best block! Work re-trace from the wall
landmark back down the field as ball carrier cross
the initial landmark.
Kickoff Drill Book
Kick-off Cover Reaction Zones.

Zone 1 - Acceleration Zone - Full speed sprint, staying in our lanes. Reading our keys and identifying the return.
Bewtween the 35 yard line when the ball is kicked and the opponent's 40 we must have awareness of the return,
where the defender is coming from to block us, and a plan to defeat the block, while maintaining full speed.

Zone 2 - Execution Zone - Defeat the man assigned to block you - we must be lane concious, if we fight over a
block and leave our lane we must get back into our proper assignment. Have a plan and execute to defeat the
block.

Zone 3 - Attack Zone - By the opponent's 25 - 20 yard line we must be in a position to depart to our fit. Hit your
assigned gap full speed, continue to track the returner with your inside eye, breakdown and make the play.

R5 L5 L4
R4 K
R2 R3 L3
R1 L2
L1

Acceleration
Zone

Execution Zone

Attack Zone
 Stance and Start
Players Involved – Entire Kickoff Team.
Coaches Involved – Entire Kickoff Coaching Staff.
Drill – Align properly based on installed kickoff
scheme, have kicker take his game day routine,
and approach, one coach with a whistle give the
kicker the clock start, depart for kick, and send
the kickoff team off to a full speed, departure for
10 yards.

Emphasis: The kickoff team should all be properly

aligned, eyes inside in a proper stance. Focus on
departing when the man in front of you crosses
your alignment, hit the line full speed, and
accelerate through 10 yards. This is part of the
acceleration zone of the Kickoff Team, make sure
eyes are up.

Progression: Get-off and read keys, have kickoff

team accelerate 15-20 yards as a scout KOR
team set-up their return. KO team should be
recognizing return that is coming at them.
 Get to Fit
Players Involved – Entire Kickoff Team

Coaches Involved – Coaches responsible for Kickoff team.

Drill – From a full line get off, and game day approach, send
kickoff team down field full speed to fit on a four man
wedge. Align a scout wedge to fit and angle either on the
Right Hash, Middle, or Left Hash. Kickoff team should hit
their fit, break down and shuffle their feet in their proper
gaps. 1’s and 2’s should fit in proper spacing to a four
man wedge, and be square and broken down as well.

Emphasis – We should look like a gap controlled cover 2

defense, all Gaps of the wedge should be filled,
shoulders square, feet buzzing, the 2’s should be 5X5
off the last man on the wedge, shoulders square feet
buzzing, the 1’s 10X2, squeezing shoulders square feet
buzzing. The kickoff team must depart correctly every
opportunity, full speed through the acceleration zone,
and departing as the enter the execution zone.
 One Hand – Two Hand
Players Involved – The 3,4,5’s on either side.

Coaches Involved – Coaches of 3,4,5’s, a coach to

organize the scout wedge and returners.

Drill – Align 3 bags five yards apart over the top of the each
position, the 3, 4 and 5’s on the 50, 45, and 40 yards
lines. The cover team runs full speed down the field as
the scout wedge forms on the 20 on the hash. We are
simulating the 3,4,5’s seeing the wedge form, while
working over the top of the frontline block. We work a
progression of hand strikes through each rep. We must
get through the last bag and depart to our fit.
Hit our fit and buzz our feet.

Emphasis – The cover man must be violent to strike the

bag and continue to run, weaving between the bags.
Each punch should turn the shoulders of the bag man.
We want to see guys get back into their lanes, get
vertical and weave between the bags while running full
speed.

Progression – Work 1 hand strike and weave, 2 hand

strike, club rip and club swim. Work the wedge forming
to the cover men, and work the wedge forming away,
look for depart angles and proper fits on the wedge.
 Read the Triangle
Players Involved – Inside 3,4, and 5’s are the players most likely
to use this drill vs. most Kickoff Returns – the 1’s and 2’s can
also gain skills with this drill by making reads full speed, and
learning to defeat blocks.

Coaches Involved – All Kickoff Team Coaches – 1 coach send the

cover man off and direct the blockers, 1 coach send the
returner off to a cone as the cover man gets within 5 yards.

Drill – From 1 line cover men have 15 yards to get full speed, at
20 yards cover man will read a triangle of 3 men working to the
right, the left or straight ahead. If the man directly over the top
works to the Right, the cover man should expect a blocker
from his Left, if the point man works to the left, the cover man
should expect a man to block him from his right. We defeat
these blocks over the top, get to our lanes, breakdown and
finish the play. If the point man comes straight ahead then he
becomes the man to defeat, using either side to win.
Cover-men get to a cone on his initial stem placed another 15
yards further – as he hits the cone a returner is sent off in
either direction to a spot five yards ahead, we want to beat him
to the spot and wrap him up.

Emphasis – We want to see recognition of the direction the

triangle works, cover man should use strike techniques we
teach, 1 hand, 2 hand, club rip ect. We want to see the cover
man get back into his lane, breakdown and finish the play by
forming up on the returner.
Kickoff Return Drill
Book
 Stance Start
Players Involved – Entire KOR team.

Coaches Involved – Entire KOR coaching

staff each at their designated positions

Drill – Everybody properly aligned, quick

review of landmarks, bad ball rules, eyes
and landmarks, keys to read prior to the
kick.

Emphasis – Each coach should have a

checklist of situations to run through, from
the basics up to week to week
adjustments. This is a quick review of
why align where we do, and what we may
have to adjust to.
 Drop to the Landmark
Players Involved – Frontline Players

Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with frontline

play. (usually 2 coaches)

Drill – Full speed drop to cone representing the

landmark of each position, whip the hips around,
buzz feet, square up and loose a little ground.

Emphasis – We are preparing for a 12 – 15 yard

sprint that gets us in a position to square up and
align our bodies with leverage to the man we are
blocking. These landmarks can change based on
the angle of the kick, and the scheme called, but
a general rule is over the top of the man outside
of your blocking responsibility.
 Maintain Leverage – Hand Strike
Players Involved – Frontline Players

Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with

frontline play. (usually 2 coaches)

Drill – 3-5 yard head start by the frontline,

sprint to landmark, cover man 75-100%
speed sprint to cone behind and offset of
landmark, frontline keep leverage of
cover man with hands behind the back.

Emphasis – Get squared up and feet

moving as we get over the top of our
landmark and begin loosing ground. We
should be shuffling feet and sliding to
maintain leverage on the outside breast
plate of the man we are blocking.
 Beat to the Point
Players Involved – Frontline Players

Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with

frontline play. (usually 2 coaches)

Drill – 3-5 yard head start by the frontline,

sprint to landmark, cover man 100% to
spot parallel to landmark cone, give
stutter and burst, frontline man take angle
to edge of wedge, drop hips and strike
bag.

Emphasis – Frontline sprint back and

square up, lose ground before turning
and running. Take cut-off angle to the
point, drop hips, widen base and strike on
the rise.
 Capture the Flag
Players Involved – Frontline Players

Coaches Involved – Coaches involved with frontline

play. (usually 2 coaches)

Drill – 3-5 yard head start by the frontline, sprint to

landmark, cover man 75-100% speed to a cone
10 yards behind and inside of the frontline player.
Frontline has leverage on the cone, cover man
has 3 ways to get there: beat him with speed, run
through him, or cross his face. Frontline protect
the cone.

Emphasis – Work a progression up to this point so

that all 3 paths to defeat the block have been
covered and practiced. Do not actually attempt to
pick up the cone, or touch it with your hand, stay
up.