- Jay Sawvel
It is certainly an honor to share some ideas regarding our Punt Block team. When we arrived at Southern Illinois University four years ago we felt that being aggressive on special teams served two main purposes: 1) in our early days at SIU we had to generate plays in the kicking game in order to be competitive, and 2) this style of play served as a blueprint of how we wanted our team to play. Our head coach, Jerry Kill, pushed us to coach aggressively in every phase of the kicking game. What we do is in no way unique to college football. But with the importance our coaching staff places on this phase of the game, and the commitment and effort of our players, we have achieved a high level of production.
Over the past four years our Punt Block team has been responsible for 18 blocks, 5 touchdowns, and set up our offense at our opponent’s 20 yard line or closer an additional 7 times. In all, 49 times in the last four seasons our offense has started a drive in our opponent’s territory. Our players have bought into our schemes, but more importantly, the fundamental techniques associated with them. As a coaching staff we have tried to form an identity for this unit. No coach or player in our program ever says Punt Return, it is always “Punt Block.” Our practice time allotted to the Punt Block team shows to our players just how important we feel this phase is.
Punt Block Practice Breakdown:
Sunday: Punt Block Drill - 5 minutes
Tuesday: 1/2 Line Punt Block - 3-1/2 min.
Full Team Punt Block - 3-1/2 min.
Thursday: Punt Block Drill - 5 minutes
Full Team Punt Block - 5 minutes
Friday: Walk Thru
Our base schemes in our Punt Block package have been a half-block/wall return. We call these Leopard (block left/return right - Diagrams 1 and 2) and Rhino (block right/return left - Diagrams 3 and 4). These schemes have been responsible for 7 of our 18 blocks, and numerous big returns. We utilize these calls with multiple fronts, which increases the looks we give to our opponent while keeping our learning minimal for our players.
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 Diagram 2. Load Left Leopard |
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Leopard Assignments:
1, 10 - Hold up on Gunners
2 - D-Gap rush (vertical and bend) through block spot - peel to wall
3 - C-Gap rush (vertical and bend) through block spot - peel to wall
4 - B-Gap rush (aiming point inside eye of tackle) through block spot - peel to wall
5 - A-Gap - rush through block spot -
peel to wall
6 - Middle protect checking FB to blockside wing - make sure ball is kicked and drop to protect returner
7 - Pin Hold-up on guard
8 - Pin Hold-up on tackle
9 - Controlled Pin Hold-up on Wing
The assignments are reversed when executing a Rhino call:
1, 10 - Hold up Gunners
2 - Controlled Pin Hold-up on Wing
3 - Pin Hold-up on tackle
4 - Pin Hold-up on guard
5 - Middle protect checking FB to blockside wing - make sure ball is kicked and drop
to protect returner
6 - A-Gap rush through block spot - peel to wall
7 - B-Gap rush (aiming point inside eye of tackle) through block spot - peel to wall
8 - C-gap rush (vertical and bend) through block spot - peel to wall
9 - D-Gap rush (vertical and bend) through block spot - peel to wall
Wall Teaching
Although a wall nearly always looks better on paper than it does on the field, we feel there are many variables that go into setting a good wall that need to be coached. First of all, we do not know who will set the wall (by being the first one to it). This can vary based on who is blocked when, and who gets tangled up on their rush paths. We tell the first man to the wall to gain early width. If the ball is in the middle of the field, our initial aiming point is to get to the top of the numbers at about 10 yards downfield and then continue to carry the wall to the returner trying to get a point 5 yards from the returner. We use the same initial aiming point when bringing a wall from the hash mark to the boundary. If we are taking a wall from the hash to the field we are aiming to get about 3 yards outside the hash at 10 yards downfield. (See Diagrams 5, 6, and 7)
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 Diagram 6. |
 Diagram 7. |
 Diagram 8. |
We try to take the wall to the returner – working to get within
5 yards of the return. We aim to keep 5 yards of spacing between
each man in the wall. The returner can help set up the wall, if
he has the room, by taking his first couple of steps vertical upfield,
and then bending outside to the wall. This sell by the returner
can help make the coverage converge, thus setting them up to be
walled in. (See Diagram 8)
The job of each man in the wall is to “get the returner to
you.” We teach blocking into their downfield gap. Once they
identify a man in their downfield gap, we are teaching them to be
aggressive and go get that man. This has led to some big returns,
and big hits, which fuels our players’ enthusiasm for being
on this team. (See Diagram 9)
 Diagram 9. 5,4,3,2-Must get the Returner to you--Do not block back upfield until Returner has passed you. |
Our half block/wall return schemes are a very important piece of
our overall Punt Block package, which also includes 6, 7 or 8 man
blocks, and middle hold-up returns. Having the ability to generate
pressure out of many different fronts, and still have a potentially
dangerous return concept, is the basis of this package.
In closing, recognition should be given to 3 outstanding coaches
who I work with in this phase of the game: Tom Matukewicz, Travis
Stepps, and Brian Anderson.
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