SPECIAL FORCES: KICK-OFF AND PUNT BLOCK/RETURN MARTINSBURG FOOTBALL SPECIAL FORCES: KICK-OFF AND PUNT BLOCK/RETURN

ASSISTANT FOOTBALL/ HEAD STRENGTH COACH MARTINSBURG 04-PRESENT BRITT SHERMAN MARTINSBURG 99 CLEMSON UNIVERSITY 03 ASSISTANT FOOTBALL/ HEAD STRENGTH COACH MARTINSBURG 04-PRESENT SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR 08-PRESENT HEAD TRACK 2011-15 CHAMPIONSHIPS FOOTBALL 10-13 16-17 TRACK 15

DEVOTE QUALITY PRACTICE TIME TO IT! SPECIAL “FORCES!” 25 PLAYS A GAME! DEVOTE QUALITY PRACTICE TIME TO IT! QUALITY OVER QUANTITY!

WEEKLY SCHEDULE MONDAY-FILM/WALK THRU/JV GAME* TUESDAY-20 MIN WEDNESDAY-20 MIN THURSDAY-40 MIN AGAINST AIR

MOTIVATE YOUR PLAYERS MAKE BEING A PART OF THESE UNITS SPECIAL! THE P.O.W. EACH WEEK RECEIVES A T-SHIRT.

MARTINSBURG KICKOFF UNIT “THE BOMB SQUAD” PERSONNEL KICKER HAS TO BE ABLE TO PLACE THE BALL ACCURATELY ON THE FIELD. THE BEST 10 MOBILE TACKLERS HAVE TO BE ON THE FIELD. DEFENSIVE STARTERS HAVE TO BE PART OF THE UNIT! QUALITY SUBSTITUTES HAVE TO BE READY TO GO FOR STARTERS.

MARTINSBURG KICKOFF UNIT “THE BOMB SQUAD” ALIGNMENT IDENTIFY WHICH SIDE YOUR KICKER KICKS DEEP TO THE BEST USE THE ENTIRE HIGH SCHOOL HASH MARKS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE SET A STRONG AND A WEAK SIDE SO EVERYONE IS CLEAR OF THEIR JOB! WE LIKE TO PUT PLAYERS IN MOTION BEFORE THE KICK TO GET A FAST START DOWN THE FIELD.

WHY I PUT PLAYERS IN MOTION. AVERAGE MALE SPRINTER 0-10m: 1.93 seconds (51% of top speed) 10-20m: 1.15 (86%) 20-30m: 1.07 (92%) 30-40m: 1.03 (96.1%) 40-50m: 0.99 (100%) 50-60m: 1.00 (99%) 60-70m: 1.02 (97%) 70-80m: 1.05 (94%) 80-90m: 1.09 (90%) 90-100m: 1.11 (89.1%) PHYSICS OF ACCELERATION! MOST MALES DO NOT REACH TOP SPEED UNTIL 40-50 METERS. 50-60 YARDS! GET PLAYERS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE….FAST!

BASE FORMATION 2017: STRONG LEFT

BASE SET 2017 STRONG LEFT

MARTINSBURG KICKOFF UNIT “THE BOMB SQUAD” ASSIGNMENTS WEAK SIDE STRONG SIDE C X X X K L X X X X X C X-ARE ALL HIT MEN-GET TO THE BALL AND MAKE THE PLAY C-CORNERS FORCE AND DON’T LET ANYTHING UP THE SIDELINE L-LOOP GUY IS YOUR LION. YOUR FASTEST MOST VIOLENT PLAYER PATROLS THE MIDDLE. K- KICKER IS ALSO YOUR SAFETY. DOESN’T HAVE TO MAKE THE TACKLE BUT HAS TO SLOW RETURNER SO PURSUIT CAN CATCH UP.

MARTINSBURG KICKOFF UNIT “THE BOMB SQUAD” EXECUTE DIFFERENT KICKS: OPPONENTS MUST COVER THE WHOLE FIELD DEEP KICK (ACROSS) SQUIB KICK (ACROSS) HIGH ACROSS BLOOP ACROSS ONSIDE

MARTINSBURG KICKOFF UNIT “THE BOMB SQUAD” ATTACKING THE BALL SPEED! GET THERE FAST. AVOID BLOCKERS (BUTT SIDE) OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE (12-15 YARDS FROM BALL) RUN THROUGH BLOCKERS TO YOUR SHOULDER SIDE INSIDE BUBBLE SQUEEZE TO THE FOOTBALL NEVER RUN PAST THE FOOTBALL

MARTINSBURG KICKOFF UNIT “THE BOMB SQUAD” DRILLS LINE AVOID DRILL: START PLAYERS ON THE SIDELINE, BLOCKER IS ON THE NUMBERS. RUN AT THE BLOCKER WHO WILL TURN TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, HIT MAN WILL BEAT HIM TO HIS BUTT SIDE THEN GET BACK ON THE LINE. SQUEEZE DRILL. LONG SNAPPER AND PUNTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. HIT MEN OUT ON NUMBERS. PUNTER KICKS THE BALL, BLOW WHISTLE AT THE TOP OF THE ARC OF THE BALL TO RELEASE HIT MEN, RETURNER CATCHES BALL AND ADVANCES IT UP FIELD. HIT MEN MUST SQUEEZE TO RETURNER AND NOT LET HIM OUTSIDE, OBJECT IS TO TWO HAND TOUCH RETURNER.

REWARD STICKERS FOR TACKLES INSIDE THE 25 YARD LINE!

BATTLING NEW KICKOFF RULES PUTTING GUYS IN MOTION HELPS WITH THE 4 TO ONE SIDE RULE WHEN THE BALL IS KICKED. A SPLIT SECOND LATER HE CAN BE ON THE OTHER SIDE. YOU CAN STILL OUTNUMBER THE RETURN SIGNIFICANTLY. NO POP KICKS, CAN’T DRIVE THE BALL INTO THE GROUND. WE HAD TROUBLE EVEN ON SQUIBS THIS YEAR………SOLUTION: PUT THE BALL ON THE GROUND. CAN’T DRIVE IT INTO GROUND IF IT’S ALREADY THERE.

VIDEO OF KICKOFF

MARTINSBURG SPECIAL FORCES PUNT BLOCK/RETURN UNIT

MARTINSBURG SPECIAL FORCES PUNT BLOCK/RETURN PHILOSOPHY MAKE PEOPLE PUNT AND PUT PRESSURE ON THEM BY COMING AFTER KICKS AND SETTING UP RETURNS THAT SET UP YOUR OFFENSE. WE SHOULD BLOCK OR RETURN EVERY KICK FOR A TD!

MARTINSBURG SPECIAL FORCES PUNT BLOCK/RETURN PERSONNEL MAKE SURE THIS IS A SEPARATE UNIT. DO NOT JUST LEAVE YOUR DEFENSE ON THE FIELD UNLESS ITS AN OBVIOUS FAKE SITUATION. PLAYERS ON THIS UNIT VARY DEPENDING ON PUNT SETS. OUR BASE SET INCLUDES BIG SKILL GUYS INSIDE AND SKILL GUYS OUTSIDE. REGARDLESS THEY HAVE TO BE FAST ENOUGH TO RUN 15 YARDS IN 2 SECONDS!

BASE SET

TITE SET EXAMPLE

SPREAD SET EXAMPLE

RESPONSIBILITIES R=RETURNERS- CATCH THE FOOTBALL IF POSSIBLE! THE AVERAGE PUNT ROLLS 12 YARDS AND EVEN FURTHER ON TURF! COMMUNICATE WITH THE OTHER RETURNER IF THERE ARE 2 AND THE REST OF THE TEAM IF IT IS A SHORT PUNT WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM. BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR COMMANDS! B=BANDITS –RESPONSIBILITIES VARY DEPENDING ON ALIGNMENT. MIDDLE BANDIT USUALLY IS UNIT COMMANDER. RELAYS CALLS AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CALLING OUT FAKES. BLOCKS LONG SNAPPER OR MDM DEPENDING ON SCHEME. OUTSIDE ARE YOUR 2 BEST PUNT BLOCKERS. X=DOWN PLAYERS- INSIDE GUYS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING OFF THE BALL QUICKLY AND EITHER RUSHING PUNT OR BLOCKING THEIR MAN. OUTSIDE GUYS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RUSHING KICK AS WIDE AS WIDEST PLAYER AND BEING FORCE GUY OR BLOCKING MAN AND BEING FORCE GUY. USUALLY MY OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS. C-MAN BLOCK GUNNERS TO THE SIDELINE UNTIL THE WHISTLE. CAT BLITZES ON CERTAIN BLOCKS.

TYPES OF RETURN SCHEMES MAN WALL MAN/WALL* BLOCK SAFE D-STAY SCOUT YOUR WEEKLY OPPONENT AND DESIGN YOUR UNIT WEEK BY WEEK ON WHAT YOU NEED TO DO!

TYPES OF BLOCK SCHEMES OVERLOAD INSIDE TWIST OUTSIDE TWIST GAP OPENING SHORT SIDE CAT 14 BLOCKS FOR TD’S SINCE 2010

BLOCK RULES SPRINTER STANCE, KEY FOOTBALL AND CHASE THE BALL TO THE PUNTER. RIP LOW AND GET SHOULDERS SMALL THRU LINE! GET TO TOE! NOT PUNTER! STAY OFF THE PUNTER! SCOOP AND SCORE! DON’T FALL ON A BLOCKED PUNT, EVEN IF THEY RECOVER WE STILL GET THE BALL!

KEYS AND GUIDELINES ON SCHEMES MAN UP SPREAD OUT TEAMS WALL TITE PUNT TEAMS MAN/WALL TEAMS THAT ARE PRO STYLE SPREAD SET UP A BLOCK EVERY WEEK AND USE IT AT LEAST ONCE! DECIDE WHETHER TO USE 1 OR 2 RETURNERS BASED OFF SCOUT. NO POINT IN PLACING 2 RETURNERS DEEP TO A TEAM THAT KICKS OUT OF BOUNDS.

DRILLS FOR PUNT BLOCK UNIT RIP/ATTACK OFF LINE- USE HAND SHIELDS OR SOFT DUMMY’S TO MAKE A SMALL GAP, HAVE DOWN GUYS IN SPRINTER STANCES AND RIP LOW AND FAST THRU GAP. CORNER SHIELD-INSIDE LEVERAGE HANDS UP IN FIGHTING STANCE, WORKING GUNNER TO SIDELINE. HAVE TO BLOCK HIM AS BEST AS POSSIBLE TO WHISTLE-DON’T GIVE UP!

DRILLS FOR PUNT BLOCK UNIT 3. BANDIT BLOCK-LONGSNAPPER BLOCKING DRILL-RETREAT AND ABSORB OR ATTACK WHEN THE HEAD POPS UP. 4. TAKE IT OFF THE TOE-BLOCK DRILL FROM RESPECTIVE POSITIONS-DO IT EVERY WEEK FROM WHERE THEY WILL BE LINING UP AND WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO TO GET THE BLOCK. DO IT A FEW TIMES DURING YEAR WITH HIGH JUMP PAD SO THEY CAN PRACTICE DIVING.

SCOUTING REPORT

MAKE YOUR OPPONENT PREPARE! “Those that do few things have to prepare for the enemy. Those that do many things, the enemy must prepare for you.” SUN TZU-ART OF WAR.

VIDEO OF PUNT BLOCK

@MHSCOACHSHERMAN ON THE TWITTER MARTINSBURG FOOTBALL BRITT SHERMAN MHSCOACHSHERMAN@GMAIL.COM @MHSCOACHSHERMAN ON THE TWITTER