Punt coverage lanes

Setup

1. Contact level: air for the coverage, thud on the returner at the end. Full helmet and shoulder pads, and a coach watches every rep.
2. Spread punt team: long snapper, guards, tackles and wings on the line, a personal protector at 6–7 yards, the punter at 14 yards, and a gunner wide on each side.
3. One returner about 40 yards downfield. Nobody rushes the punter in this drill.
4. Put cones at midfield to mark the lanes, roughly 5 yards apart across the field.

How it runs

1. The LS snaps to the punter. The line steps and protects for a count, then releases into its lane.
2. Gunners release straight away and run to the ball, squeezing inside-out to the returner.
3. Lanes: wings are contain on the outside, the interior covers in lanes, the PP trails as the safety in the middle and the punter is the last safety.
4. Fair catch: if the returner waves, nobody touches them. Pull up and circle the ball.
5. On a return, the first player breaks down at 5 yards and fits at thud; the rest squeeze the lanes. No take-downs.
6. Reset and go again. Aim for snap-to-kick under 2.2 seconds, and time the ball in the air.

Coaching points

• Sprint the lane but keep the spacing; look at the ball and the players either side.
• Get to the returner inside-out, so they can only go to the sideline and the contain player.
• Break down with short, choppy steps 5 yards away; never fly past the returner.
• Give the returner room to catch the ball. Contact before the catch is kick-catching interference.
• Tackle with the shoulder, head up and out of contact. No hits on a player who has called a fair catch.

Common mistakes

• Everybody running straight at the ball, so the lanes bunch and the cutback opens.
• Contain players getting too far inside.
• Releasing early before the punt is protected.
• Gunners overrunning the returner.