A PUNT RETURN FOR a touchdown can do more to fire up a team and change the momentum of a game quicker than any other score. As a result, working on punt returns should become an everyday staple of your practices.

Coaches often speak of the need to be proficient in all three areas of the game (offense, defense, special teams). A lot of our success is due to outworking our opponents by spending a lot of time practicing special teams.

The main philosophy of the return is that we want to delay and redirect the lane coverage on the return side and not allow a defender outside of the outer wall.

If properly executed, this return will greatly improved your punt return averages.

Player Assignments
Positions    Vs. Double Tight Ends    Vs. The Spread Formation
Left DE (Player 1)    Blocks TE until the whistle.    Sprints 30-yards to set outer return wall.
Left DT (Player 2)    Blocks Right OT until the whistle.    Same assignment.
Left Inside LB (Player 3)    Blocks right OG until the whistle.    Same assignment.
Nose Guard (Player 4)    Blocks the center until whistle.    Same assignment.
Right Inside LB (Player 5)    Step up and blocks the left OG for 2 counts, then releases.      Same assignment
    Sprints 20-yards downfield to help set outer wall return.
Right DT (Player 6)    Blocks the right OT for 2 counts, then releases.    Same assignment
    Sprints 10-yards downfield to help set up outer wall.
Right DE (Player 7)    Blocks the right end for 2 counts, then releases.    Same assignment
    Sprints 15-yards downfield to help set up inner wall.
Left CB (Player 8)    Lines up 5-yards off the ball and sprints 25-yards    Blocks the split end until the whistle.
    downfield to help set up outer return wall.
Right CB (Player 9)    Lines up 5-yards off the ball and sprints     Blocks the split end for 2 counts, releases and
    15-yards downfield to help set up inner return wall.    sprints 20-yards downfield to set up inner return wall.
Shallow Return Man     Lines up 25-yards downfield and head-up on the center.    Same assignment.
(Player 10)    Fields short punts. Is the lead blocker for the
    deep return man on deep punts.
Deep Return Man     Lines up 35-yards downfield and head-up on the center.     Same assignment.
(Player 11)    Lead blocker for the shallow return man on
    short punts. Fields deep punts. Must hit the
    outer wall as quickly as possible.