PUNT

COACH KEN CONATSER

"MOST IMPORTANT PLAY IN FOOTBALL"

1. HUDDLE

Occurs on sideline, players in the game will remain on the field. We can huddle on the field for certain situations or go directly to LOS.

2. CADENCE

A. Personal Protector (Lighthouse) will check the line, then the punter.

Personal Protector will call the number of men rushing and repeat it. Call whether or not it is an overload or an even rush. Repeat it, tell the direction of the overload if there is one, call a color (red or green); this will determine if we run a called fake, repeat the color. The Personal Protector will then quickly check the punter and then call set vary cadence).

Examples: 10 man, 10 man, overload right, overload right, red, red ... set...

8 man, 8 man, even, even, green, green ... set ...

When a fake is called, red means No Fake/green means Fake is on. LISTEN - Repeat Call.

B. Hard ball no cadence - Personal Protector calls ~when unit is ready. 4

C. Submarine - Personal Protector checks to see that punt team is set. Raise foot so snapper knows the ball can be snapped.

3. LINE

SPLITS:

18" by right guard, 24" by left guard, 30" by tackles and ends. Toes on heel of center.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SLAM PROTECTION:

Slam protection. Combination area and man blocking. Block from your nose to the nose of the man next to you. Center always blocks left unless there is an overload right call, then he blocks right.

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LINE - Cant.

4.

Ends are responsible for the end man on the LOS. If there is more than one man outside the end, the protection must fan with the end blocking the widest man, the tackle blocking the area, and the guard blocking the remaining area with the aid of the upback inside.

If, by the design of the rush there is no threat to your area, and no man to reach for, then zone step to insure your area and then immediately release into coverage.

TECHNIQUES:

2 point stance, hands on thighs, inside foot back, toe to heel relationship. Drop step with outside foot to gain depth and cover ground. Attempt to keep inside foot stationary. Slam to the hip of next lineman low and hard.

If there is more than one man in your area, you are responsible for both. Swell up, extending elbows and make your body as wide as possible. Cross body blocks are used only as a last resort.

The key coaching point is to make the rusher restart. If you can make him come to a complete stop, and then have to restart, he will never reach the spot in time.

4 inA Gaps 2 1 1 2

UPBACKS

STANCE: 0 -2 point -ALIGN: Priority

Between guard and center in A gap. Headgear out of o'line zone.

RESPONsmILITIES:

Block the A gap area. The area may enlarge with the slam protection, and more than one man may enter the area. Upback is responsible for the entire area. Outside edge takes preference.

TECHNIQUE:

Swell up and 3" step inside foot, punch up and through the man. Do Not Lunge. Stay Square.

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6 5. PERSONAL PROTECTOR (Lighthouse)

STANCE:

2 point

ALIGN:

Split right leg or right upback, heels at 7 yards off the LOS.

RESPONsmILlTIES:

Search light from middle to outside. ABC Take most dangerous man. Never back up. o

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B

COACHING POINTS pp

Take delay penalty rather than snapping the ball with 10 men on the field. Do not begin the cadence until 11 men are on the field. Always be aware of and use the 25 second clock to our advantage.

6. CENTER

Snap should be 0.7 seconds or less.

7. PUNTER

Align heels at 13-14 yards. Most punts go left.

l-+t r, .. hi-Block .t unless overload ~

Good hang times are as important as distance. Get punt off under 1.3 seconds. Total elapsed time 2.0 seconds. Touchbacks are not good for field pOSition.

8. COVERAGE

A. Line and Up Backs

1. Block first *NOTE - 10 man call from PP should alert you to a rush possibility.

2. Never get caught following your own color.

3. Keep the ball on your inside shoulder.

4. Squeeze the ball to the inside.

5. First man down force ball. Laterally - stay under control.

6. Give receiver 2 yards clearance all the way around.

COVERAGE - Cont.

B. Personal Protector

1. Call direction of the ball.

2. Sprint to the side of the return. You are a semi safety or go up the alley between sideline and wall.

Coaching Point - Cover to ball between upbacks when cleared by coach as a cover man.

C. Punter

1. Call direction of the ball .

. 2. You are the safety. Go down field and squeeze the ball to the sidelines. Look for wall and get outside the wall.

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LE

COACHING ASSIGNMENTS

LT

Coverage Lanes Klacik

LG c RG RT RE HEACOCK HEACOCK EDDY KLACIK SNYDER RUSSELL RUSSELL

UB UB EDDY SNYDER

pp TRESSEL

p SPURGEON

B

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End responsible to slam end man on LOS

30"

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PUNT

30" 24" 18" 30" 30"

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7 YARDS DEEP (HEELS) ®

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SLAM

Tackle responsible for his nose to the end

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Guard responsible for his nose to the tackle

Center will assist left

Up-back responsible for entire gap

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SLAM

If there is more than one man outside the end, the protection must fan

(LE) ,,~

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30°

(LG) CD ~'\ /

30° I primary@

If there is no threat to your area, slam check step and release into coverage.

A player may be responsible for more than one man in his area. Swell up and get a hit on both. Make them restart.

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PUNT COVERAGE

WE MUST SPREAD AND COVER THE FIELD

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THEN SQUEEZE TO THE BALL

MAKE THE TACKLE FIRST MAN GO HIGH

LE LG

Fullback is semi-safety. Fill the alley between the wall and the sideline to the return or cover to ball o

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RTORE

Punter is middle safety. Squeeze the ball to the sideline. Look for wall. Get outside.

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30

TIGHT PUNT

Field Goal Protection will be used when ball is inside 3 yardline or closer to goalline. , ' I' , • " II I '

r .. r fI'. 7' , Protect - First ppp. ~q~

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/' CIClf' {' ® 1. fI' split for linemen - step ~ .. ' - stay square.

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2. Slam hold foot. Protect spot ~

3. Protect outside gap - do not move inside. i'!!.t" 4. Cover when ball kicked.

5. Punter you will align 2' from end line. If used infield, you will align 11 yards from ball.

SELECTION OF PERSONNEL FOR ALL PUNTS

1. People who are bulky enough to block hard charging rushers.

2. People who have the speed to cover the punt, the faster the better.

3. People who are sure tacklers and have a preference for high speed contact.

ENDS:

Great speed, must contain the return; good foot coordination, may need to shuffle to block end man LOS when aligned wide (usually defensive backs).

TACKLES & GUARDS:

Bigger people with good speed and tackling ability (usually inside and outside linebacker).

CENTER: SpeCialist

UPBACKS: Bulky with speed (usually fullbacks, inside linebackers).

PERSONAL PROTECTOR: Intelligent. Good in the clutch blocker (usually fullback or inside linebacker.

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GENERAL RULES FOR PUNTING GAME

A. RULES

I. If we "Down" a punt the covering man must stay with the ball until official blows whistle. (It can be advanced until Whistle.) Pick up and hand to official.

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2. If the covering team, on a punt, touches the ball, but fails to offiCially "Down" it, the receiving team can now try to advance it at no risk to themselves. If they make a gain they can take the gain. If they fumble or lose yardage, they can elect to take the ball where it was first touched by the covering team.

3. A blocked punt can be advanced by either team behind the LOS.

4. A partially blocked punt that crosses the LOS is treated as a regular punt.

5. Punt covers must remain two yards in all directions away from a punt receiver while the ball is in its downward flight.

6. A fair catch cannot be advanced by any returner, nor may the fair catcher be bumped or tackled (unless he mishandles the ball) after he touches the ball.

7. A man signaling for a fair catch cannot block.

8. Any muffed punt which hits the ground is a free ball and belongs to the team that recovers it but cannot be advanced.

9. If the receiving team makes no attempt to field a punted ball we may catch it in the air and it becomes a dead ball.

10. Punter guilty of simulating being roughed by an opponent will be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

II. Roughing the punter is a 15 yard penalty and a first down, but running into a kicker only carries a 5 yard penalty with no first (automatic) down, unless it was fourth and five or less.

B. PUNT COVERAGE REMINDERS

1. When a fair catch is signaled for, always expect the ball to be muffed, but keep your two yards distance until the muff.

2. Never down a ball unless it is absolutely necessary. Instead, gather round and wait for the official to blow it dead.

3. Do not interfere with receiver's right to catch the ball; use two-yard rule in all directions.

4. On any fair catch, other than inside lO-yard line, the first point man to ball, will run past receiver. The second point man down will break down in front of receiver, expect muff.

5. Stay in lanes and fan out. Get depth and width at same time.

6. Personal protector, if ten men on field do not call ready, but take a penalty for delay of game. (Exception - when ball is in the Red Zone coming out, time out could possibly be called.) Look to sideline.

7. If you have contain, you must contain. (Be aware of blockers outside you.)

8. Do not overrun the ball; balance up and take a hitting pOSition.

9. Direction calls must be made on every punt.

10. If we want to take a delay of game penalty with our punt team to back us up for a pooch punt, stay in the huddle or on LOS.

11. Do not hold back - sprint to ball and cover in your lanes.

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