“Miami University Punt Return” Comes Up Big

     OUR PROGRAM PRIDES itself on having solid special teams. Last season our team finished 11th in the NCAA in punt-return average with an 18.33 yards per return.

Our punt-return units establish a philosophy of “musts” for every return. On each return, our punt return unit must execute the following:

-    Safely catch all punts with no muffs or fumbles.
-    Avoid assignment mistakes.
-    Average at least 15 yards per punt return.
-    Avoid all clipping, offsides and roughing-the-kicker penalties.
-    Create different waves or levels on the return blocking.
-    Make proper adjustments to the punt-return game plan.

The following diagrams illustrate our teams base punt return against various alignments.

DIAGRAM 1: Miami University Punt Return (Base Alignment). For the base alignment in our punt-return scheme, the left end aligns to the outside shoulder of the wing, the left DT on the inside eye of the OT, the NT “shades” the long snapper, the right DT on the inside eye of the OT, the Sam LB on the C-gap, the Mike LB stacked behind the NT and the Will LB in the C-gap. The corners play head up on the gunners and the return man sets up 40 yards from the ball.

DIAGRAM 2: Miami University Punt Return (Stack Alignment). For the stack alignment, the left DE aligns on the outside shoulder of the wing, the left DT on the inside eye of the DT, the NT shades the long snapper, the right DT sets up on the inside eye of the DT, the right DE on the inside eye of the DT, the Mike LB is stacked behind the NT, the Sam and Will LBs are stacked in each C-gap respectively. The CBs are head-on with the gunners and the return man is 40-yards from the ball.

DIAGRAM 3: Miami University Punt Return (Deuce Alignment).

The Deuce alignment is essentially the same, however, the Sam LB sets up on the inside shoulder of the gunner, the Mike LB is stacked behind the NT and the Will LB is set up on the inside shoulder of the gunner.

The corners are head-on with the gunners and the return man is 40-yards from the ball.

DIAGRAM 4: Miami University Punt Return (Double Return).

In this alignment, replace the Sam LB with another return player. The returners are aligned 40-yards from the ball and are on each hash mark.

DIAGRAM 5: Miami University Punt Return (“Daylight Right”).

DIAGRAM 6: Miami University Punt Return (“East” Return).