2007 2007 SUPERBOWLSUPERBOWL1st Quarter

14:46 Remaining14 seconds into

gameBears 6Colts 0

KICKING GAME !!

2007 2007 SUPERBOWLSUPERBOWL1st Quarter

14:46 Remaining14 seconds into

gameBears 6Colts 0

KICKING GAME !!

1-6-4 PUNT -4 PUNT COVERAGECOVERAGE1-6-4 PUNT -4 PUNT COVERAGECOVERAGE

Three Levels of Coverage

Malcolm B. Robinson, Jr. • March 2007

1-6-4 Punt Cover1-6-4 Punt Cover1-6-4 Punt Cover1-6-4 Punt CoverGreat Youth Kicking Game Scheme

1-6-4 Punt Cover1-6-4 Punt Cover1-6-4 Punt Cover1-6-4 Punt Cover Simple concept Easy to teach Easy to learn Provides steady, reliable

coverage Requires just a few

minutes per week to maintain skills

• OL splits - 1 foot• Up Backs - A Gap protectors - 1 Yard behind OGs• Personal Protector - 5 Yards behind football

BASIC PUNT BASIC PUNT FORMATIONFORMATIONBASIC PUNT BASIC PUNT FORMATIONFORMATION

SCHEME IS NOT SCHEME IS NOT ALIGNMENT SPECIFICALIGNMENT SPECIFIC

SCHEME IS NOT SCHEME IS NOT ALIGNMENT SPECIFICALIGNMENT SPECIFICMany alignments may be used

SPREAD PUNT

Deep Set Spread Deep Set Spread PuntPunt

Deep Set Spread Deep Set Spread PuntPunt

Narrow Set Spread Punt

1-6-4 Punt CoverageThree Waves or Levels of

Coverage

1-6-4 Punt CoverageThree Waves or Levels of

Coverage

• Clean Snap - snapper releases & becomes ‘Gunner’

• Gunner - no rules, other thanattack & tackle the football in the open field

First Level -Deep Snapper:

Second Level of CoverageThe 6 Offensive LinemenThe 6 Offensive Linemen

Second Level of CoverageThe 6 Offensive LinemenThe 6 Offensive Linemen

• Release upfield, locate angle of punt and work to be outside the ball to your side

• Goal is to have 3 defenders to each side of ball

• As Second Wave gets to about 5 yards from return man they ‘break-down’ and chop feet, staying squared-up to end zone.

• Expect returner to try to beat you outside (wide)

5 Yds 5 Yds

5 Yds

• Have each End work to align in a 5x5 relationship with ball

• As return man moves laterally, Ends, Tackles & Guards also move laterally to keep ball between Guards

Third Level - Safeties:Two Up Backs Fan out & Become Wide Safeties

SafetiesAlign

8 YardsDeeperThan 2nd

Level

Third Level - Safeties:Personal Protector & Punter Fan Out

& Become Inside Safeties

SafetiesAlign

8 YardsDeeperThan 2nd

Level

• Remaining 4 defenders of the coverage team (backs) become the third wave.

• Release and sprint upfield to a 4 across alignment behind the 6 defenders in Second Level - 8 yards deeper then Level Two.

Third Level - Safeties:

Now, entire scheme looks like so...

First Level - Snapper

First Level - Snapper

Second Level - 6 Offensive Linemen

First Level - Snapper

Second Level - 6 Offensive Linemen

Third Level - 4 Backs - The Safeties

• has no rules;

Snapper/GunnerSnapper/GunnerSnapper/GunnerSnapper/Gunner

• has no rules;

• is encouraged to tackle the return man in open field;

Snapper/GunnerSnapper/GunnerSnapper/GunnerSnapper/Gunner

• has no rules;

• is encouraged to tackle the return man in open field;

• If that happens, the play is over and the next two levels of coverage have no job to do. But... assume he misses.

Snapper/GunnerSnapper/GunnerSnapper/GunnerSnapper/Gunner

Punt Returner

• Coverage is effected by lateral movement as a UNIT

Punt Returner

• Coverage is effected by lateral movement as a UNIT

• 6 Second Level defenders move laterally as one, keeping 3 defenders to each side of football.

Punt Returner

• Coverage is effected by lateral movement as a UNIT

• 6 Second Level defenders move laterally as one, keeping 3 defenders to each side of football.

• Third Level -(Safeties) sprint down field behind second wave and align 8 yards deeper

• Third Level -(Safeties) sprint down field behind second wave and align 8 yards deeper

• Safeties move laterally just as Second Level does, striving to keep 2 safeties to each side of the ball.

Punt Returner

• Eventually Return Man will give up going wide and attack inside.

• Second Level then breaks down and attacks the ball and makes the tackle.

COACHING POINTS:

SNAPPER• Deep snapper - be sure snap is clean before releasing;

• Sprint down field and make an open field tackle.

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTS

Offensive Linemen Offensive Linemen Second LevelSecond Level::

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTS

Offensive Linemen Offensive Linemen Second LevelSecond Level::

• Secure inside gap, deny penetration; listen for ball punted and “GO” call from punter;

• Release and sprint upfield, widening as you go; locate ball and bend release to accommodate angle of punt;

• Work to advance upfield in time and space with your Second Level teammates; don’t run away from them;

• As you get to return man break down at 5 yards from him; chop feet and come under control;

• Stay square to end zone, don’t turn shoulders/hips to sideline;

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTS

Offensive Linemen • Second Offensive Linemen • Second Level:Level:

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTS

Offensive Linemen • Second Offensive Linemen • Second Level:Level:

• Whether you are Guard, Tackle or End, fight to gain and keep outside leverage on the football;

• We want 3 defenders evenly spaced on each side of the return man;

• Ends on either side of the ball should never allow the returner to get anywhere close to a head-up position, keep fighting for contain leverage, even if you have to lose ground somewhat;

• Ends assume a 5 yard by 5 yard relationship with the return man - 5 yards deeper & 5 yards wider.

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTS

Offensive Linemen • Second Level:Offensive Linemen • Second Level:COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTS

Offensive Linemen • Second Level:Offensive Linemen • Second Level:

• Tackles and Guards -work hard to keep the return man between the OGs and to deny returner the chance to outflank your position;

• VIP to move laterally w/o turning hips and shoulders to sideline;

• Let ball come upfield to you; don’t break second level and create a hole in unified front to get to ball.

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTS

Offensive Linemen • Second Offensive Linemen • Second LevelLevel::

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTS

Offensive Linemen • Second Offensive Linemen • Second LevelLevel::

Ideally, the alignment would appear Ideally, the alignment would appear like so:like so:

Ideally, the alignment would appear Ideally, the alignment would appear like so:like so:

5 Yards

5 yards

8 Yards

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTSSafeties- Third Level - the Safeties:Safeties- Third Level - the Safeties:

COACHING POINTSCOACHING POINTSSafeties- Third Level - the Safeties:Safeties- Third Level - the Safeties:

• Release when football is punted;

• Up backs fan out wide and become outside Safeties

• Punter & Personal Protector slide upfield inside and align as inside safeties

• Safeties align 8 yards deeper than second level coverage.

Key Points For Success with Key Points For Success with 1-6-4 Punt Cover1-6-4 Punt Cover

Key Points For Success with Key Points For Success with 1-6-4 Punt Cover1-6-4 Punt Cover

• Deep Snapper must first be a reliable punt snapper; if he can play in open spaces, too - this is a big bonus;

• Second Level - try and match abilities here - use kids that can run and have the Ends be the better runners; - no ‘Fat Freddies’;

• Make sure Second Level adjusts their paths to accommodate wide punts;

• Rep the lateral movement of the 6 OL in Second Level.

• Breakdowns happen on change of direction by return man; rep this and have second level plant & change direction w/o losing their alignment.

• the kicking game may prove to be more

important than either of the other two phases

of football.

•Rep it every practice !

REMEMBER…REMEMBER…REMEMBER…REMEMBER…

PRACTICE AT LEAST ONE PHASE OF THE KICKING GAME

EACH PRACTICE

In theory this is 1/3 of the game,

but many times it turns into a great deal more...

The End …The End …The End …The End …