Rugby Style Punt

[CowboyCoach]

Does anyone teach this?  What are the coaching points for the punter and how do you protect him?

[OwnTheLine]

This is our first year for it (there was no rush allowed on punts in previous years).  We line up 2 guys outside the numbers, motion one over for an additional protector, and directional punt to the other side.  Something like this (unbalance left, kicking left) 

X-------------------------------------X-X-X-X-X-X----------------------------------------X
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We bring the right wide out over in motion, he takes anything coming off the left edge.  Our punter is left footed, takes his steps toward the sideline and kicks.  We haven't played any games yet, but it looks good in practice.

[CoachShad]

In youth ball special teams are notoriously weak and ill prepared.  Punts are a crap shoot at best. 

My best advice (so you dont get beat by a return), Punt it out of bounds and NEVER Kick Off deep.  Sounds stupid but I have lost games and come within a shoe string from losing by giving the deep backs a chance to run.   If you punt OB then your defense has a chance to stop them, same goes for a kick to the first or second row. Besides, you almost have an even chance of recovering a squib kick.

JMHO

[CowboyCoach]

We don't kick off deep and we don't really punt.  But we are always prepared to punt if we need to.

[coachphillips]

Coach,  I used this punt style last year and it worked great.  I had no long returns.  Most kids have played soccer and the rugby kick is just like how the goalie kicks down field....with a leg whip and not a vertical fundamental sound kick.  It is easier and there is less chance for the kid to shank the punt off of the side of the foot.  I instruct my kicker to try to kick it end over end and if we are kicking to the right and we are on that sideline then I walk down the sideline and stand and have him aim at ME.  I never kick up the middle and from time to time I do the same thing to the left.   Right is easier for a right footed kicker but they can do it left.

My kicker still practices the correct way to punt in practice and I will call the style of kick for him....ie..rugby...sky...left ...right.

Hope this helps.

[CowboyCoach]

Coach,  I used this punt style last year and it worked great.  I had no long returns.  Most kids have played soccer and the rugby kick is just like how the goalie kicks down field....with a leg whip and not a vertical fundamental sound kick.  It is easier and there is less chance for the kid to shank the punt off of the side of the foot.  I instruct my kicker to try to kick it end over end and if we are kicking to the right and we are on that sideline then I walk down the sideline and stand and have him aim at ME.  I never kick up the middle and from time to time I do the same thing to the left.   Right is easier for a right footed kicker but they can do it left.

My kicker still practices the correct way to punt in practice and I will call the style of kick for him....ie..rugby...sky...left ...right.

Hope this helps.

Thanks coach.

That's what I was thinking I was just looking for validation. 

My son plays goalie for a select team and I was watching their trainers work on his punts and assumed that would be the way to teach this punt in football.