STARBURST
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKOFF
KICK OFF TEAM HUDDLE
L5 R5
K L2 L4 R4
L1 L3 R3
R2
R1
KICK OFF ASSIGNMENTS AND ALIGNMENTS
L1
L2
L3
K
L4
L5 R5
R4
R3
R2
R1
CONTAIN (L1 & R1): Align 5 yards from the sidelines. Will be backside safety with
return away. Contain ball carrier with the return to you
L3 & R3: Align 2 yards outside hash.
L4 & R4: Align 3 yards inside hash.
EVERYONE ELSE: Align so you are evenly spaced when the ball is kicked. (about 5yards.)
Get to the ball as fast as you can without running over a teammate. Ideal
situation is when all hit men arrive at the ball carrier at the same time.
KICKER:
Align so you have a direct line to the ball. The huddle is set on you.
Safety in the middle of the field.
GENERAL: Attempt to be at the line of the kick when the ball is kicked. Do not be
offsides. NEVER LET ONE MAN BLOCK YOU! When we kickoff from
the huddle you must get to you spacing by fifteen yds down the field.
“ENDZONE”-Called when we have faith in our kicker to kick the ball into the end zone.
Everyone should stay in their lane assignment until the ball is located &
then begin to converge to the return man in case of a short kick.
“SPECIAL K”-Called when our kicker cannot kick the ball into the end zone or there
is a strong head-wind. The ball will be kicked very high & across the field to about the
twenty yard line outside the opposite hash. This will allow our coverage men to maximize
the amount of field covered and get to the ball as soon as the return man catches the ball.
Lane assignments are on the following page.
KICK OFF FROM LEFT HASH:
L1
L2 L3 K L4 L5 R5 R4 R3 R2 R1
KICK OFF FROM RIGHT HASH:
L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 R5 R4 K R3 R2 R1
KICKOFF FROM THE HUDDLE
G
T
C
T
G
L5
R5
- K L2 L4 R4 R2 L1 L3 R3 R1 ON-SIDE KICK FROM THE HUDDLE
G
T
C
T
G
L5 R5
K L2 L4 R4 R2
L1 L3 R3 R1
5’s: Block the man over the ball
2’s:Block the first man outside the ball
3’s, 4’s & K: GET THE BALL!
1’s:
Get to hash as safety
KICK-OFF RETURN
General Points:
Lineman must retreat quickly to set up the wall properly. They must
remember to watch the man they are assigned to block while retreating
to form the wall. They must not make aggressive blocks until the wall
is set.
Backs must 1: Catch the ball. 2. Know the sequence of their movements, and 3.
make good fakes to confuse the kick-off team. If the ball is kicked to an area
that makes it impossible to have a proper timing, run up field for yardage to the
return side.
Sequence of Back Movement:
LB - If he catches the ball: 1st man through, otherwise always 3rd.
MB - If he catches the ball: 1st man through, otherwise always 2nd.
QB - If he catches the ball, same order as if kicked to RB.
RB - Can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. If kicked to him he goes first. If MB catches the
ball he is 2nd, and if LB catches it he is 3rd.
Ball Kicked to RB:
RB will go first at an angle behind QB.
MB will then go up field on the left side of the QB.
LB will go third at an angle in front of QB.
QB will sprint left.
QB
3
LB
2
1
MB
RB
Ball Kicked to MB:
MB will go first up field on the left side of the QB.
RB will go second at an angle in front of QB.
LB will go third at an angle in front of QB.
QB will Sprint left
QB
3
1
2
LB
MB
RB
Ball Kicked to LB:
LB will go first at an angle in front of QB.
MB will then go up field on the left side of the QB.
RB will go third at an angle in front of QB.
QB will sprint left.
QB
1
2
3
LB
MB
RB
Blocking Assignments
Kick off team is numbered from the outside - in from 1 to 5. the kicker is not
counted if he is a safety. Safeties are not counted as determined by scouting
reports.
Right Return (“Ranger”)
V
V
V
V
V
1
2
3
4
K
5
V
V
V
V
V
5
4
3
2
1
PP
5
2
1
3
T
G
C
G
T
Lead
4
E
E
QB
LB
RB
MB
Left Return: (“Lasso”)
3
1
2
5
PP
T
G
C
G
T
4
(Lead)
E
E
QB
Middle Return:
OPP.4
T
OPP.3
PP
OPP.3
OPP.4
G
C
G
T
4
(Lead)
E
E
QB
Short Return:
Nearly the same blocking assignments as deep returns with these
Exceptions. The End the ball is kicked to and the QB exchange assignments.
The backside End will block #6 and T will block the safety to the return.
All blocking angles must be adjusted to account for the short kick.
Short Return (Rt.):
Safety
OPP.5
T
G
K.O. 2
K.O. 1
3
C
G
T
OPP.6
Hand off
E
E
4
QB
LB
RB
MB
REGULAR PUNT
#
E
T
#
#
-
G
C
B
G
T
B
#
E
-
PP
P
#
#
Ends:
To the ball at the snap.
Tackles:
Contain on the numbers.
Guards:
5 yds inside hash.
Backs:
Hash
Center:
Snap, middle of field
Per.Pro:
Safety right hash
Punter:
Punt, safety left hash.
General:
Tackles, guards and backs step/hinge and protect outside gap.
Drive your man
with you as you release to your lane for 2 counts.
We will use the wedge technique as our punt coverage with the center forming
the point. Breakdown 10 yds from the ball, guards 5 yds outside & 5 yds behind
center, backs 5 yds outside & 5 yds behind the guards, tackles even with
guards but on the numbers. Tackles are backside safeties and do not cross the
hash.
PUNT CHANGE UP:
Backs now go to the ball as soon as they hear the punt. Ends and tackles move
one lane in.
Ends:
Contain (Numbers)
Tackles:
Hash
Guards:
5 yds inside hash
Center:
Middle of field
#
E
#
-T
-
G
C
B
G
B
PP
P
T-
#
E
#
WIDE PUNT
Same lane assignments as regular, ends are now split out.
#
E
#
#
-T
-
G
C
B
G
B
PP
P
T-
#
E
#
#
TIGHT PUNT:
We will use the extra point protection: inside gap. We will use the tight punts
only when the ball is inside our 5 yd. line.
Lane assignments are as follows:
Backs: Contain on the number.
Ends:
To the ball
Tackles: Hash
Guards: 5 yds. Inside hash
Center: Middle of field
Per.Pro: Safety right hash
Punter: Safety left hash
#
#
#
E-T G C G T E
BB
PP
P
-
#
#
#
QUICK KICK:
We will use gap protection and fan out to the same lanes as tight punt.
Formation will be On-Wing
After the QB pitches the ball he must block backside.
3B must be the personal protector on the right side and get out of the way of
the kick.
Otherwise treat as a punt and coverage on the ball and breakdown.
#
#
E T G C G T E
Q
4
- 2 3
-
-
#
#
FAKE PUNT #1 - Trap:
#
#
#
E-T
-
G
C
B
G
T
B
PP
P
E
-
#
E
-
#
#
#
FAKE PUNT #2 - SWEEP
#
#
#
E-T
-
G
C
B
G
B
PP
P
T
#
#
FAKE PUNT #3 - REVERSE OPTION PASS
#
#
#
#
E -T
-
G
C
G
T
B =
B
PP
P
E
-
#
E
-
#
#
#
#
FAKE PUNT #4 - NAKED SCREEN
#
#
#
E -T
-
G
C
B
G
B
PP
P
T
#
#
PUNT RETURN-HOLD-UP
P
P
PP
PP
O O
O O O X O O O
A
T
N
R
S
M
W
C
O O
O O O X O O O
A
T
N
R
S M
W
C
C
C
S
S
S
S
The philosophy behind the Hold-Up return is to keep return team
between the punting team and the ball.
In doing this we will use the following blocking rules:
The front line will block the man in which they are lined up on. (exception –
Either Anchor or Rover will rush – the corner to the rush end will be
responsible for his man.)
The corners are responsible fir the #1 receiver to their side in the event of a
fake. The corner away from the rush end will drop back and pick up the first
person down.
Sam and Willie will be responsible for #2 receiver to their side, but will block
the man they are lined up on.
Mike will rush through either A gap.(May also use a Rifle call to alert fake to PP)
The front Safety will block the most dangerous man coming down the field.
The Return Safety must be able to break one tackle and must field all balls in
the air.
PUNT RETURN-WALL
P
PP
O O
O O O X O O O
A
T
N
R
S
M
C
W
C
S
S
Anchor
Tank
Nuke
-
Rover
-
Mike
-
Sam
-
Left Corner Right Corner Front Safety Return Safety -
align in base defense; rush Punter; #5 in the wall.
align in base defense; go through man over; #2 in the wall.
align in base defense; go through man over, set up wall; #1 in
the wall 10 yds from the ball.
align in base defense; go through outside shoulder, check for
fake. #3 in the wall.
normal alignment; as ball is snapped be in position to go through
check for fake; block most dangerous man from the middle.
normal alignment; check for fake; responsible for #2 receiver to
his side; kick out contain man to return side. normal alignment; check for fake; responsible for #1 receiver
to your side; block most dangerous man to your side.
normal alignment; check for fake; responsible for #1 receiver to
your side; block first man down.
align 10 yds in front of return safety; lead through hole;
fair catch anything in front of you.
alignment will be determined week to week according to each
opponent’s punter. CATCH EVERY THING KICKED TO YOU.
Nuke is responsible for setting the wall. We will set the wall on or outside the
hash. The wall will start with Nuke being no more than 10 yards from the ball.
Everyone involved in the wall will turn to the inside and block the first off
colored jersey they see. We want to be equal distance apart and not bunched
up.
PUNT RETURN VS WIDE OUTS
P
PP
O
C
O
O O O X O O O
A
T
N
R
S
M
W
S
S
Corners
-Man to man. Keep receivers outside
Hold-up “Middle” is good vs wideouts or vs good coverage.
C
EXTRA POINT/FIELD GOAL
Huddle:
Strong guard sets the huddle; on the left hash when the ball is in the
middle of the field; in the middle of the field when the ball is on the
right hash; or on the numbers when the ball is on the left side.
Sling:
The
back will make the call according to the defensive adjustments
to the huddle. With an adjustment of or less defenders he will yell that
number to the center to signal the sling. Any more than defenders he
will yell “
” to signal the team to shift into regular field goal or Point
After Touchdown position.
-
____
C
E T G G T E
-B
H
K
FIELD GOAL COVERAGE
#
ETGCGTE
- B
B
#
H
K
Coverage is the same as tight punt.
Lane assignments are as follows:
Backs:
Contain on the numbers
Ends:
To the ball
Tackles:
Hash
Guards:
5 yds. inside hash
Center:
Middle of field
Holder:
Safety right hash
Kicker:
Safety left hash
-
B
#
#