Special Teams Punt Coverage Drills

Purpose

The purpose of these Special Teams Punt Coverage Drills is to teach and practice the Punt Coverage Team Players getting into the correct coverage lanes when covering punts.

Additional when run with holdup-players: By the introduction of the holdup-players the players of the Punt Coverage Team learn to stay on their path even vs. blockers.

Description

Punter will throw the ball to the return man into the end zone.

The Punt Coverage Team will get into their coverage lanes and breakdown.

The return man will move right to left and then up field.

All Players of the Punt Coverage Team will tag the hip of the return man.

Variation:

Run with holdup-players:

Same as above, but on each Punt Coverage Team Player is a holdup-player (eventually with a shield) trying to hold up the Punt Coverage Player and he has to get off the block and get back into their coverage lanes.

Holdup intensity can be varied from just lining up in front of the Punt Coverage Player all the way through to running with him and trying to drive him off his running lane.

Note:

Can be run out of any Punt Formation!

Coaching Points

  • Stress importance of correct paths into the coverage lanes
  • Just tagging the return man gives the coach the chance to check if everybody is in his correct position.
  • Tagging at the hip conditions the players on to aim for the right spot for tackling
  • When run with holdup-players also check for correct release technique.

Equipment

  • Footballs
  • eventually shields

These Punt Coverage Drills are contributed by ©2007 Randy Hedberg, at that time Head Coach at St. Cloud State University – The St. Cloud State Huskies are playing in the NCAA II North Central Conference (NCC).
Randy Hedberg is now the Associate Head Coach at the NDSU Bisons, which play in the NCAA Div I MVFC