SPECIAL TEAMS(Lou Tepper, IUP)

A. BASE CONCEPTS:

1.ST make up 15% of plays, but 50% of yardage.

2.To win consistently, we must out-perform our opponent in two phases of the game. One must always be ST.

3.Every starter is challenged to be on at least two ST. If a starter is tired, he comes off O or D, never ST!

4.Entire staff must buy into it stressing ST to position players.

5.We have 6 different “Head Coaches” for our six ST. I am the ST Coordinator.

• Each Head Coach must involve me.• Each chooses the rest of his staff.• Each chooses his depth chart initially.• Each is expected to have his group perform well in the PSAC.• Each has lesson plans completed before spring practice and fall camp for the entire period. All

drills are listed, meeting agendas, teaching progressions, etc.

6.We have a Specialist Coach who teaches the kickers, punters and snappers ALL DAY, every day. He also is in charge of game day ST substitutions.

7.All schemes are planned by the ST Head Coach with my approval. Fakes are not called without my consent.

B. EMPHASIS:

1.We produce an introductory tape for August camp that states the high priority of ST in team victory.

2.If you ask our players what part of the game Lou Tepper emphasizes the most, I am confident that they will answer, “Special Teams”.

3.I ALWAYS speak post-game to the media about ST first.

4.I ALWAYS speak at the team meetings on Mondays about ST first, then O and finally D.

5.On Monday, we present 4 awards post-game. Three go to the ST, O and D prep squad players. Only one award is a game performance award and that is the ST player of the game. Why?

6.We call Punt “the most important play in football” and you can join this elite unit by invitation only. Bernie McQuown actually slips sealed envelopes under the doors of the invited players the night before their first meeting!

7.We meet ST first before position meetings each day.

8.We practice ST first in practice, NEVER last.

9.We have a “Launch Pad” at the 50 yd line to send out our Punt, PR, KO and KOR units. The purpose?

• It is a place of honor. No one can step on it except ST players.

• It greatly aids with substitutions and communications.

• Gene Bicego controls the Launch Pad.

10. Our specialists get incredible coaching attention, but our “Worker Bees” routinely get individual periods. If your Special Teams’ players only get TEAM work in-season your production will suffer. Would you eliminate individual teaching from O or D? Of course not!

C. PUNT:

1.No play can upset your day more than a blocked punt! You must dedicate staff, time and quality personnel.

2.We use the spread punt and need dependable people at G, T and Slot.

3.The Gunners must be your best open field runners and usually 3 or 4 will rotate for us.

4.We scholarship long snappers and work to have two!

5.Punters are charted daily and are chosen for operation time (2.0 goal) and hang time (4.2+ goal) over distance.

6.In camp, we work all punt variations and review them twice each game week:

• Back-up punt • Fake for the week • Poocher punt (options, traps, QB•Take a safety Sneak, passes, screens).

7.Sunday, Bernie McQuown grades each player and each punt. He gives his final grades to Gene Bicego who totals all 6 ST grades for the week, plus a cumulative total for the season to date!

8.Gene’s grades include the total # of plays and total “GAs” for each unit. Gene also times our operation and hang times from film.

Name Punt PR KO KOR PAT BLOCK TOTAL Smith, J. 4/5 6/7 4/7 ---- --- 2/2 16/21

9.Gene also totals the productivity of each player.

Name Tackles Assists Pressure KD Blocked Kick Return Smith, J. 2 0 1 0 1 0

10. Monday’s practice is in shells for 45 minutes.

• Punt has a 10 minute meeting to review Saturday’s game tape.

• Punters and snapper work 10 minutes of specialty with Gene Bicego.

• Punt has a 5 minute individual period to teach ABCs (kick slides, FB/C blocks, etc.) with 4 coaches.

11. Tuesday’s practice is in shells for 2 hours.

• Specialists are charted for 10 minutes. Punters and snappers are timed for operation times. Punters are timed for hang.

• Make sure punters punt against the wind.

• The punt team works 10 minutes against our PR unit, rarely scouts. We want to see speed! We can work team or half line.

• We can get 12 punts in 10 minutes. (2L-2M-2R).• Usually we will work one fake.

• Gene is with the punters and snappers all day.

12. Wednesday’s practice is in shells 2 hours.

• Punt team meets to show practice or opponent film. We film both EZone and wide each practice.

• Specialists are charted 10 minutes and we usually Pooch punt for 5 of those minutes.

• The Punt team will work 10 minutes again versus our PR unit. We will punt backed up and poocher plus work our fake.

• Gene is with the punters and snappers all day. This will include film sessions.

13. Thursday’s practice is in shells for 90 minutes.

• Specialists are charted for 10 minutes.

• Gene works non-kicking drills including catching, fielding, bad snaps, working fakes, throwing, taking safeties with ball in or out of the End Zone.

14. Friday’s practice is 50 minutes in sweats.

• Punt unit meets prior to practice for film study.

• Specialists do not kick.

• We run a 20-25 minute full team kicking script with substitutions from the Launch Pad from O or D.

• Hopefully every situation is rehearsed (i.e. pooch, fakes, backed up, take a safety) one last time.

• All calls are rehearsed with a fast tempo.

• Punt Safe is reviewed by our defense with a punt returner substitution.

15. Saturday’s pre-game “practice” ends with a punt from our End Zone with the team gathered around the punter in the EZ.

D. PR:

1.Our goal is to threaten the opposing punter to get the ball off quickly. We have blocked as many as 7 punts in one year. We blocked punts in 3 consecutive games with two TDs in 2005.

2.We send at least two rushers every time in the event of a bad snap or bubble.

3.We are usually 1 deep, but can go to 2 deep returners with bad weather.

4.All rushers spend individual time blocking punts every week.

• hand in front of head in stance• hand close to the ball• key ball, not sound• turn shoulders away from blockers• “catch ball” off punter’s foot, never jump!• must develop confidence in blockers

5.Catching punts is the most difficult skill in football. We will not put a returner deep unless he catches

95% in practice. Once out of fall camp, only 95% guys (3) get work.

6.Never field the punt when the game is won with a close lead (Delaware).

7.Hold up technique, stances and starts must look identical to pressure.

8.We time opponent operation and hang times on Saturday.

9.Sunday, Jim Smith grades each player and PR.

10. Monday

• PR unit has a 10 minute meeting to review Saturday’s performance.

• PR work 10 minutes catching punts in specialty period

11. Tuesday

• Returners work 10 minutes catching live punts and from the “Jugs”.

• PR works 10 minutes versus our Punt team usually pressuring.

• PR works 5 minutes in individual blocking punts.

• PR works 5 minutes holding up our Punt team in returns.

12. Wednesday

• PR unit meets to review tape and game plan.

• Returners catch 10 minutes with 5 minutes spent on the minus 10 yard line decisions.

• PR works 10 minutes versus our Punt for each of our calls.

13. Thursday

• Returners catch 10 minutes in specialty only.

• Will run “Punt Safe” in defensive team period if facing an unusual set.

14. Friday

• PR unit meets for tape review and game plan.

• Run a 20-25 minute kicking script with full substitutions from the Launch Pad from O or D.

• All PR calls are rehearsed.

• Punt Safe is reviewed.

E. KO:

1.The rule change of 2007 has put a real burden on college kickers. The choices appear to be:

Recruit or develop a 3.8 + hang time kicker with 60+ yd distance.

Be creative! Squib, mortar, line drive the end zone, etc.

At IUP, we still prefer the former.

2.KO concepts include:

Take offs with all coverage 1yd or less behind

the kicker.

Speed zone with all coverage personnel within 2 yds of the leader at 20 yds.

Placement of kick

Avoidance “key”

Avoidance technique is the same as PR

technique.

Stop feet only in close proximity of the ball.

Strip at high speed.

3.Specialty kicks must be worked weekly. Gene Bicego works our kickers with:

•Mortars •Onside •Directional•Squibs •Bunts •Wind Aided

4.Sunday, DK McDonald grades each player.

5.Monday, KO has a 10 min. meeting to review Saturday game tape and show overheads of the next opponents return with our “keys”

In practice, KO works on Take offs, Speed Zone and keys.

KO works against a Prep Squad walk-through then jogs through returns. It is all filmed.

6.Thursday

KO meets to review practice tape and opponent game tape.

In practice, KO unit goes “live and high” against a prep KOR. Onside kick is practiced.

7.Friday

Run 20-25 min kicking script with substitutions from the launch pad.

All KO calls are rehearsed including a Punt after a safety.

F. KOR

1.The rule change of 2007 has given the KOR unit a chance to change the game!

2.Our average LOS after the KOR was the -43 yd line. Our offense averaged 38 pts, largely due to the short field after K. Offs.

3.Charting our opponent’s kicker and philosophy is key. Knowing individual coverage landmarks is taught to each player.

4.Know how to “contact” LBs versus WRs.

5.We have two base returns, but added a third called “Speed” for kickers with “Short legs”. On Speed calls:

We go to 3 returners rather than 2. We emphasize that no one fields squibs, but

those three men. (Play off lateral). Our blockers shorten their drops.

6.The staff emphasized we had not had a TD return since 1991. We had two this year.

7.Sunday, Nick Sirianni grades each player.8.Monday, KOR has a meeting to review Saturday’s

game tape and opponent game tape.

In practice, KOR works in segments (Front line, wedge and then team).

KOR works against the opponents normal kicks.

9.Thursday

KOR meets to review practice tape and our opponent.

In practice, KOR works a variety of kicks we may not have seen.

10. Friday at the 20-25 min kicking script we practice substitutions from the Launch Pad plus:

All KOR are rehearsed

KOR after a safety must have 95% PReturners

substituted.

The “Hands Team” practices a variety of kicks.

G. PAT/BLOCK units share time except for the early practices in the spring and fall which teach the ABCs and assignments.

1.Important PAT/FG unit concepts include:

No inside penetration on kicks.

An operation time of 1.2 or less is stressed. We have two watches on nearly every team kick and times are announced.

Gene Bicego works daily with the snappers, holders and kickers after specialty to improve operation times.

In 2006 IUP converted 11/13 FGs

In 2007 IUP converted 15/17 FGs(Two year total 26/30 with three kickers!)

Chart kickers from each hash daily in camp and spring.

Bill Waryck teaches our snappers in specialty, while Mike Campolo handles all meetings and designs all fakes.

H. BLOCK UNIT is the most difficult unit to motivate. Usually, the defense has given up a score and is “down”. PATs are converted nearly 95% of the time and perfect execution by the PAT unit cannot be blocked.

So what do we do?

Cite IUP history of blocked placements winning games.

Sell them on giving effort every snap and that you may penetrate only 1/20 attempts, but need effort in all twenty to block that one.

Remind them “Don’t be the one!”

Teach the technique of turning your shoulders “to the ball” with your outside pad under the opponents inside pad and drive the feet.

Once taught, work fewer reps with more intensity.

Work the edge rushers separate from the team regularly to get quality “lay-outs”

Coach coverage versus fakes constantly.

I evaluate our film for technique and effort on Tuesdays and Wednesdays practices

I. PAT/FG- BLOCK PRACTICES

1.Sunday Mike Campolo (PAT) and Paul Tortorella (Block) grade their players.

2.Monday both units meet at the same time to review game tapes.

3.Tuesday and Wednesday both units go against each other for 7 intense snaps.

We call it “Iron Sharpening iron” (Prov 27:17)

1 versus 1 for three kicks

2 versus 2 for three kicks

The seventh play is a fake mix in.

All kicks are time and charted.

4.Thursday we only place kick if we have had poor effort or performance the previous 2 days. This might occur twice a season to get their attention.

At the end of practice is our 2 Minute Drill and one drive is always 50 seconds, no time outs, need a FG to win.

Often it is a “Hurry Up” to FG and adds game-like pressure to perform.

5.Friday at the 20-25 minute kicking script, we practice substitution plus:

PAT after an offensive or defensive TD for substitutions.

FG attempt

FG Poocher and coverage.

“Giants” FG on 3rd down with a bad snap (usually 10 seconds on clock).

Block unit subs are made from our field defense and our Goal Line package.

J.SPECIAL TEAMS performance takes an unusual commitment of staff, players, meeting and practice time.

The results will motivate your team.

The performance will win games!