Special teams affect field position and momentum. It dictates the tone of the game.

Special teams have more mental obstacles than anything else.

Tough-Aggressive-Disciplined
Kickoff
Goal: <15 or no further than .
Ball is live past 10 yards
Maintain good spacing
Know your assignment!
Tackle with explosion! Wrap-up- cause Fumble
Don’t over run ball carrier
Always have a tackling angle!

Get down the field as quickly as you can and take the best path to the ball carrier. Based on the blockers’
relationship to the ball, we are going to go around or through that obstacle. If we cross face (or go to ball
side) of blocker or if we go away from ball carrier (back door) depends. More concerned about beating
the obstacle in our path than where we are on the field

Similar to playing defense. If there is a lot of space between you and the ball carrier, you’re treating that
blocker the same way a pass rusher would treat an offensive lineman. You’re pass rushing that guy,
you’re not fitting your hands on him. The only time we fit our hands is if we’re going to knock him
vertically back which would end with a pass rush move. If you’re really far away from the ball, you’re like
a receiver chasing space. The closer you get to the ball, the fatter you need to hit the guy. The further
away from the ball, the more you want to injure the edge and the more liberties you have to how much
you’ll go outside of him to evade him.

I want them to take the best path to the ball, but never compromise having inside and in front leverage to
the ball. If the blocker forces you out of your ability to have inside and in front leverage, than you have to
go through him. You can’t take an edge. If you do you’ll lose those critical components, which you have
to do.

Mistakes:

Guys not playing fast and trying to analyze the return. Also, guys widening their feet and engaging the
blocker in a stalemate too far from the ball. Guys can’t be afraid to make mistakes. You let them know
that they have full provision from you that you’re delegating to them to use that recklessness in a game to
be fearless of making mistakes. That’s how you get the best coverage. It’s similar to boxing, if they were
afraid to throw leathe, you’re going to take a lot of hits. You’re not going to win that fight. That’s what
happens to kids, they think too much. They give their opponent too much credit. They say ‘if I do this,
than he’s going to do this, etc.’ I tell them that everyone at my level has the ability to do this, but some of
you will choose not to use it. Those that choose to use it will help us win. Really, you’re coaching an
attitude. They must be decisive on their movement to the ball. When they’re not, the ball carrier gains an
advantage to push the ball up the field and that’s where you get into trouble
Work on:

BA: Teaching players how to play in space. So much of playing in space is identifying guys that are
going to get up the field and make plays. When you watch Troy Polamalu play, there is no indecision in
his play. He sticks his foot in the ground and he’s flying. That’s what you want in your coverage
teams. The closer you are to the ball, the more technique is essential. The further you are away from the
ball, the more your natural ability or aggression is essential. Coaching kickoff coverage is more giving
them the opportunity to gain the experience of judgment than anything else. You can teach them how to
keep their elbows in and shoot their hands when they’re going to bull rush, or dropping their shoulder
below the hand level of the blocker when they’re taking an edge, dip the shoulder when they cross face,
should they surge with opposite shoulder when they rush up the field. You can and should do all of that.

Split 2 and beat 1

Always 2 Contain Players and a Safety (K), Cover 3 look
Huddle:
Set by Kicker; 5 yards from tee (35 yd line):
Front row of huddle is 5 coverage men to the Left of K
Back row is 5 coverage men to the R of K
K stands out in front of huddle with back to the ball and makes the call where he will kick. He
will make the call twice “kick off left corner, kick off left corner” and then say “ready, break”
On the command break everyone in the huddle will clap, say “break” and then exit the
huddle and jog to alignments.

Contain, Safety, Bullet, lane, lane