Successful Special Teams

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Successful Special Teams

• Mike Bellotti

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TEAM PLEDGE

• WIN THE DAY
•  
• We promise to
•  
• . . . play with extreme courage, confidence and
  conviction while taking responsibility for our
  actions and inactions . . . on and off the field.
•  
• . . . play with great intensity, give everything
  we have, finish every play and every game with no
  fear, no excuses and no regrets.
•  
• . . . accept and support coaches, staff and
  team-mates and treat them like family.
•  
• . . . always push our teammates and ourselves to
  be the best in athletics, in academics and in
  life, providing positive role models for our
  university and our community.
•  
• . . . respect men and women of all races, creeds
  and colors, and to be honest with ourselves and
  others.
•  
• . . . earn the trust and respect of our teammates
  and coaches while enjoying ourselves, being
  positive and making football fun for everyone.

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PUNT PROTECTION GOALS

• HAVE NO BLOCKED PUNTS
• NET PUNT 37 YARDS
• PUNTER AVERAGE 42 YARDS
• LESS THAN 6 YARDS PER RETURN
• PLAY PENALTY FREE
• AVERAGE HANG TIME 4.5
• CREATE A TURNOVER
• NO ASSIGNMENT ERRORS

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KICK OFF GOALS

• Be the fastest, meanest kickoff team
• in the world having the most fun!
• HANG TIME OF 4.0
• BALL KICKED OUTSIDE OF THE HASH
• NO ASSIGNMENT ERRORS
• CAUSE A TURNOVER
• LESS THAN 18 YARDS A RETURN
• PLAY PENALTY FREE
• DRIVE START INSIDE 23 YARDS LINE

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KICK OFF RETURN GOALS

• AVERAGE 25 YARDS PER RETURN
•  NO TURNOVERS
•  PLAY PENALTY FREE
•  START DRIVE ON OR BEYOND THE 30 YARD LINE
•  SCORE OR SET UP A SCORE 
• NO ASSIGNMENT ERRORS

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PAT AND FIELD GOAL GOALS

• 1.  NO BLOCKED KICKS
•  
• 2.  MAKE 100 OF PATS
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• 3.  MAKE 100 OF FIELD GOALS UNDER 42 YARDS
• 4.  MAKE 67 OF FIELD GOALS OVER 42 YARDS
•  
• 5.  PLAY PENALTY FREE
•  
• 6.  NO ASSIGNMENT ERRORS

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PUNT RETURN AND BLOCK GOALS

• 1.  PLAY PENALTY FREE
•  
• 2.  100 POSSESSION
•  
• 3.  BLOCK A PUNT
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• 4.  AVERAGE 10 YARDS PER RETURN
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• 5.  ALLOW NO FAKES
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• 6.  SCORE OR SET UP A SCORE
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• 7.  NO ASSIGNMENT ERRORS

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Successful Special Teams

• A special teams play could be the difference
  between winning a championship or finishing in
  the middle of the pack.

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• We cant talk scheme with players
• until we establish the importance
• of special teams to winning.

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I. Emphasis Placed on Special Teams

• Commitment level
• Emotional level
• Sense of urgency

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A. Coaching Staff

• Passion
• Sense of Urgency
• Attention to Detail

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B. Head Coaches

• Attitude and Presence
• Walk the Walk
• Commitment to Special Teams
• Communicate to Players

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B. Head Coaches

• Build their Confidence
• Make Special Teams something to be proud of
• . . . and something they WANT to be a part of

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II. Teaching Progression

• Practices
• Intensity and sense of urgency

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II. Teaching Progression

• B. Meetings
• Fundamentals and Concepts,
• not scheme
• Visual examples practice drills
• game
  examples

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III. Practice

• All coaches are involved
• KICK OFF RETURN
• PRESS BOX SIDELINE
• Off GA - T - G - Opposite our bench
  Strength Coach -
  Returners
• Def Coor - Opponent Scheme 1, 2, 3 Opp our
  bench Head Coach - Point of Attack
• Def GA - Opponent Scheme 1, 2, 3 Bench
  side RB Coach - End - Upback Bench
  Side
• Off Coor - Opponent Scheme (Cutback/Safety)
  WR Coach- Center
• Intern - Opponent Scheme Kick side
  scheme LB Coach - T.G Bench side
• Intern - Opponent Scheme 4, 5 Bench
  Side Secondary -Opptt
  scheme Bench side 5
• Intern - Opponent Scheme 4, 5 Opp our
  bench Intern - End-Upback Opp our bench

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III. Practice

• B. Pre-practice walk-thru concepts
• C. Small group or individual work
• D. Tackling drills

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III. Practice

• E. Half-line
• F. Full group
• G. Conditioning

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III. Practice

• H. Determine the amount of time per day and per
  week that you are going to devote to a specific
  special team
• 1. Practice reps and organization
• a. Punt Return 50 Wall Return
• 25 Blocks
• 25 Defense

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IN-SEASON SPECIAL TEAMS Practice and Meeting
Schedule

• Sunday Off
•  
• Monday Grass Shells Meeting (40) Show
  players video from the previous game
• Kickoff-10 minutes
• Safe Punt Return-5 minutes
• Punt Return Block- 5 minutes
• (Note the above 10 minutes can/will also be
  used for
• 
  
  fundamental work with any/all Special Teams)
• Tues Grass Pads Meeting (20) KOR
• Kickoff Return 10 minutes
• Punt 10 minutes
• Conditioning- 5 Minutes
•  
• Wed Stadium Pads/Shells Meeting (20)
  Punt (practice film from Tuesday)
• Punt Return/ PAT/FG 10 minutes
• Punt 10 minutes

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IN-SEASON SPECIAL TEAMS Practice and Meeting
Schedule

•  Thurs Grass/Mo/Aut Shells Meeting (25)
  Punt return (game plan)
• Kickoff (game plan)
• Kickoff Return 10 minutes
• Punt Return 7 1/2 minutes
• Kickoff 7 1/2 minutes
• Friday Stadium Helmets Meeting (30)-
  opponents cut-ups plus practice film
• 30 play Mock game situation script- Walk thru
• Hands Team
• Missile Kickoff
• PAT/FG Block
•  
• Saturday Captains
•  
• Total Time Allocated Punt 20 minutes of
  practice 20 minute meeting
• Punt Return 20 minutes of practice 12
  1/2 min. meeting
• Punt Block 5 minutes of practice
• Safe PR 5 minutes of practice

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IV. How Special Teams Impacts the Outcome of a
Game

• Explosive plays
• The importance of field position
• What is field position?
• Down punt inside 10 yard line
• Return KOR at end of game
• In 2007, UO returned 51 of KOR past 30 YL

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V. Players

• A. Who plays on special teams?
• B. Motivation
• 1. Player ownership
• 2. Pride and competition
• C. Depth Chart

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Punt Return Depth Chart - 2008

• LC L1 L3
  L2 L4
• Player 1 Player 1 Player 1
  Player 1 Player 1
• Player 2 Player 2
  Player 2 Player 2 Player 2
• RC R4 R3
  R2 j
• Player 1
  Player 1 Player 1 Player 1
  Player 1
• RETURNERS Player 2 Player 2
  Player 2 Player 2 Player 2
• Player 1
• Player 2
• Player 3
• Player 4
• Player 5

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Successful Special Teams

• Put the right players in the best positions
  possible to have success.

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Successful Special Teams

• Mike Bellotti