Football: Punter Concentration Drill

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com

Punting is a pressure skill. Punters must be able to focus on correct technique in spite of the distractions of crowd noise, team expectations, scowling coaches and the thundering hooves of onrushing defensive linemen.

Here's a drill that will teach your punters to focus on the incoming snap and the punt even though they're being distracted. It will also allow two centers to simultaneously practice their long-snap technique.

Setup
Line up two centers, side-by-side. Each gets a ball. Your punter stands behind them at his/her normal distance. A coach stands behind the punter.

Object of the Drill
The object of the drill is for the punter to catch the snap from one of the centers and make a good punt. The other center also snaps the ball, but directs it to the coach, who is standing slightly behind and to one side of the punter.

Execution
Before each punt, the coach, positioned behind the punter, silently moves to the left or right, then uses signals to indicate which center will direct the snap to the center and which center will snap first. The punter cannot see the coach's signals.

The punter uses a standard snap count, the first ball is snapped, and the second center delays slightly (or not), then also snaps.

The punter will have to tune out the distraction of the second ball zipping past his/her head in order to make a good punt.

References:
1. George Allen & Joseph Pacelli, “George Allen's Guide to Special Teams,” Human Kinetics Publishers, 1990.
2. Ray Guy, Rick Sang, “Football Kicking and Punting,” Human Kinetics, 2009.
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