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

2. 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
CHAMPIONSHIPS FOOTBALL TRACK 15

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

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

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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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: (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 METERS YARDS!
GET PLAYERS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE….FAST!

10. BASE FORMATION 2017: STRONG LEFT

11. BASE SET 2017 STRONG LEFT

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. REWARD STICKERS FOR TACKLES INSIDE THE 25 YARD LINE!

17. 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.

18. VIDEO OF KICKOFF

19. MARTINSBURG SPECIAL FORCES PUNT BLOCK/RETURN UNIT

20. 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!

21. 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!

22. BASE SET

23. TITE SET EXAMPLE

24. SPREAD SET EXAMPLE

25. 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.

26. 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!

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

28. 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!

29. 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.

30. 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!

31. 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.

32. SCOUTING REPORT

33. 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.

34. VIDEO OF PUNT BLOCK

35. @MHSCOACHSHERMAN ON THE TWITTER
MARTINSBURG FOOTBALL
BRITT SHERMAN
@MHSCOACHSHERMAN ON THE TWITTER