By Keith Grabowski
Are you teaching your players penalty beaters? Top special team coordinators have been teaching the technique and drills to avoid the 15 yarders that back your offense up and cost you valuable field position. More on those later, first let’s talk about field position.
The biggest play in football statistically is the punt. It allows the offense to flip the field and ultimately can be a difference maker in the field position battle unless the opposing team can create big plays against it with the return game or punt block.
Army Special Teams Coordinator Sean Saturnio, a Broyles Award nominee, treats the punt block team as the first offensive play in a series. They focus on using techniques and execution that will put the offense in a position to score by winning the field position battle and shortening the field. He explains all of their objectives in this video:
The Army Punt Block Team accomplishes their objectives through very detailed work on the field. They were #1 in the country in blocked punts in 2020. Coach Saturnio illustrates the attention to detail in a fundamental drill for “get off” which he called the towel drill:
Nevada Special Teams Coordinator Thomas Sheffield creates a better starting position for the Wolf Pack with their Punt Return team. Like Saturnio, he preaches to his players the belief they have in how their return team can help change the game.
Sheffield explains their hold up technique that they teach to their players in this video.
Sheffield studied the techniques that lead to penalties and implemented techniques which he calls penalty beaters. Not only are they effective in making the blocks needed for the returner, they avoid the flags that put the offense back further from the goal line.
Saturnio and Sheffield give all the details for this important unit that can set your offense up for success in their courses.
If you are interested in learning more from these two coaches you can Get both courses for $24 (40% off) here.