Coach -

Today Coach Kaufmann breaks down the keys to one of the biggest game changing plays in football - the blocked punt. He know a little about this as he was a special teams coach for the Ashland University Eagles who were #3 in D2 football with 5 blocked punts and #1 in D2 with 10 blocked kicks.

He shares some of the ideas he has found useful from Boise State’s Stacy Collins, the Indianapolis Colts Brian Mason, and Army’s Sean Saturnio, all who have demonstrated success in this area over the course of their careers.

-Coach Grabowski

Blocking for Glory: Punt Blocks Strategies, Techniques and Tactics

Blocking a punt really is largely one of the most game altering plays. Depending on the study you can increase your likelihood of winning a game to 88% or higher. Learning to emphasize the fundamentals of blocking a kick but also telling your athletes really how much impact they can have on a game significantly changes the stigma of being a special teams player. You will also learn there are guys that do and do not have a knack for this and it provides you some opportunity in special cases to really get some young guys involved. Bring the excitement and technical side of things to this unit and you will see your team improve tremendously.

Coach Collins, the new Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator for Boise State guides us through his block overview.

Video: Block Progression Overview

There is a variety of outlooks and strategies and schemes that you can utilize on special teams. Some people try fakes, laterals etc. but, when I say to emphasize deception think of complementary schemes like an offense. Thinking of your block team specifically, your counter is a return unit or vice versa. 

But, make these look similar, make it alignment one less thing the guys have to remember and they know based on the call it is a block or return. This also increases the likelihood of the other coordinator having uncertainty. This in return increases the likelihood that the opposing team will play it safe therefore already imposing your influence on their unit before the players even touch the field. 

Progressing from the fundamentals you have to enforce and rep techniques. No one puts together a better series of block drills than Indianapolis Colts Special Teams Coordinator Brian Mason.

Video: Block Party

Defensively many coaches speak on handling the chaos. On the other end of the spectrum we view specific units of special teams very differently. Driven specifically by Brian Mason, I like the idea of “creating the chaos”. You need to be a driver of the chaos within this unit. 

Now do this while being disciplined in the techniques that drive this is some of the most important part of this. A scheme creating chaos is nothing if you cannot execute your assignment. Find the balance here and utilize it to your advantage on your block/return units.

Building into the idea of special teams drills and giving you a variety of options attached to this is Coach Sean Saturnio.

Video: Towel Drill

This drill captures something for all block units and works the angles for all your block units. Teaching the athletes to come out in a low demeanor and a position of power and balance while reducing surface area for the hold up on the punt team.

This additionally can build on your day 1 fundamentals. You take the stance and start rep those and reinforce elements of the progression while building upon new skills. Taking all of these drills has been reinforced with production as well. A combination of these three clinics produced 10 blocked kicks for our team this season.

Lastly, giving an overview of Punt Block and a course speaking to the entirety of his Special Teams unit again Brian Mason shares some thoughts.

Video: Punt Block

In the strangest of sources, DC’s the Joker gives a good line as to what you accomplish and how to be successful on this unit. Orchestrate your chaos. “Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos”. 

That's really what you are attempting to do in this unit. The scramble between block and return with the added pressure, and as you view the entirety it is orchestrated anarchy of sorts. Use the situation to your advantage and change the game.

As Always,

Compete!

Coach Kauffman

P.S. Get these clinic presentations as a bundle here within the next 72 hours and receive a 30% discount.