Sharpen Your Kickoff Coverage: The Kickoff Lane Tackle Drill
The Kickoff Lane Tackle Drill is a cornerstone exercise for developing disciplined and effective kickoff coverage units. It emphasizes maintaining proper lane integrity, navigating blockers, and executing secure open-field tackles on returners.
Purpose
- Lane Discipline: Instills discipline in players, ensuring they stay within their designated lanes throughout kickoff coverage.
- Blocker Navigation: Teaches players proper techniques to navigate blockers efficiently, minimizing contact while maintaining their lane assignment.
- Open-Field Tackling: Refines open-field tackling skills, focusing on angles, timing, and secure tackle execution on returners.
Description
Drill Setup
- Player Positioning: Line up your tacklers on the yard lines, spaced ten yards apart, standing on the numbers of their yard line, facing into the field.
- Blocker Placement: Position one blocker with a hand shield directly behind the near hashmark (from the tackler’s perspective) on each yard line occupied by a tackler. Place a second blocker with a hand shield just before the far hashmark also on each yard line occupied by a tackler.
- Returner Starting Point: Station the returner approximately halfway between the far hashmark and the far numbers, ensuring they stay within the designated five-yard lane (between the yard lines five yards to the left and right of the hashmarks).
Drill Execution
- Tackler Approach: On the coach’s command, the tacklers sprint towards the first hashmark. They should utilize proper footwork and agility to avoid the first blocker with minimal contact while staying within their designated lane. It’s crucial to avoid crossing the five-yard boundaries on either side.
- Maintaining Lane: Once past the first blocker, the tacklers must quickly re-establish their lane positioning.
- Returner’s Movement: The returner jogs forward and to one side (left or right) of the second blocker, staying within their assigned lane.
- Blocker Engagement: As the tackler approaches the second blocker, they can no longer attempt to run around them. This simulates a congested situation on the field.
- Reading the Returner: The tackler must identify the returner’s intended direction (left or right) when attempting to bypass the second blocker. A well-timed rip move can be effective in gaining leverage, potentially with a fake move in the opposite direction to catch the returner off guard.
- Open-Field Tackle: After defeating the second blocker, the tackler closes the distance on the returner and executes a secure open-field tackle. This should focus on proper form, wrapping up the returner, and driving through the tackle to prevent forward progress.
Rotation: Rotate players through the tackler, first blocker, second blocker, and returner roles to ensure everyone gets practice in each position, but make sure the starters on the kick off coverage team get the most reps.
Coaching Points
- Blocker Avoid Technique: Emphasize proper hand placement and footwork for effective blocker avoidance with minimal contact.
- Lane Discipline: Reinforce the importance of staying within assigned lanes throughout the drill, avoiding any deviations that could create gaps in coverage.
- Reading the Returner: Stress the importance of reading the returner’s body language and cues to anticipate their intended direction when approaching the second blocker.
- Open-Field Tackling: Focus on maintaining a low athletic stance, proper angles of pursuit, and secure tackle execution with a wrap-up and drive to stop the returner’s momentum.
- Save Tackle: Emphasize the importance of a “save tackle” in this drill, aiming to stop the returner’s progress and prevent a big return, don’t tackle the returner to the ground, as this should only be a form tackle.
Equipment
- Hand Shields
- Footballs
By incorporating the Kickoff Lane Tackle Drill into your special teams practice routine, you’ll equip your players with the necessary skills to excel in kickoff coverage:
- Improved Lane Discipline: Develops disciplined players who maintain their assigned lanes, ensuring a cohesive and organized coverage unit.
- Enhanced Blocker Navigation: Teaches players efficient techniques to avoid blockers while staying within their lanes, minimizing the impact of blockers on their pursuit of the returner.
- Sharpened Open-Field Tackling: Refines open-field tackling skills, allowing players to effectively bring down returners in space and prevent big returns.
- Increased Confidence: Fosters confidence in players’ abilities to maintain lane discipline, navigate blockers, and execute secure tackles in kickoff coverage situations.
The Kickoff Lane Tackle Drill is a valuable tool for building a well-rounded special teams unit capable of executing effective kickoff coverage and preventing opposing teams from gaining momentum through long returns.
Originally contributed in 2007 by Coach Randy Hedberg, at that time Head Coach at St. Cloud State University – The St. Cloud State Huskies are playing in the NCAA II North Central Conference (NCC).
Randy Hedberg is now the Associate Head Coach at the NDSU Bisons, which play in the NCAA Div I MVFC
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