Wall Punt Return

Wall Punt Return

by American Sport Education Program
chapter from the Human Kinetics book Coaching Football - Technical and Tactical Skills

A wall return is a punt return in which some of the players on the return unit peel off while the ball is in the air and position themselves a few yards apart near one sideline. Facing inside, they create a wall of blockers between the coverage players and the sideline. If the return man can catch the punt and get to the wall, he should have a clear path to the end zone. The challenge for the players executing a wall return is that they don't have a particular opponent to block; they simply establish their positions and then block any opponent who comes into their area. The wall return also requires a punt that stays in the air long enough for the return team to set up the wall. Finally, the wall return requires a good punt return man–one who catches the ball well and has enough speed to get to the wall. Although the wall return is a difficult tactical skill in the realm of special teams, practicing it may be worth the effort because it can be an exciting, game-changing play.

WATCH OUT!
The following circumstances may distract your players:

1. Being too eager to block. The players setting up the wall have to be patient and poised, hustling to their general area and then evaluating the deployment of the coverage unit's players to see which of them is most likely to run toward their area.
2. Setting up the wall too far from the punt return man. The players will not set up the wall in the same place, relative to the sideline, on every punt, so they cannot look for field landmarks to tell them where to set up. Players have to find the ball while it is in the air and adjust the location of the wall accordingly.

ACQUIRING THE APPROPRIATE KNOWLEDGE
When using the wall return, you and your players should understand the following:

Rules
You and your athletes need to know several main rules when using the wall return:

1. 1. All blocks on kicking plays in football have to be above the waist, so players in the wall must stay high when they put on their blocks.

1. Players must initiate all blocks with the contact on the front part of the blocked man's body. On the wall return, coverage players are often turning and changing directions to chase the punt return man when they approach the wall. The blockers in the wall must wait until the coverage player turns toward them so that their block legally starts on the front of the coverage player's body.
2. Holding, of course, is not permitted when blocking on any play. On special teams plays such as the wall return, with the players spread out all over the field, the blockers have to concentrate on using good speed and footwork to get in position for a legal block instead of reaching out to push or hold the opponent.

Physical Playing Conditions
The physical playing conditions significantly affect the game. Thus, you and your players must pay attention to the following physical conditions when using the wall return:

1. 1. In wet or slippery field conditions, the wall return blockers must use shorter steps and more cautious footwork to be sure that they don't slip and fall when setting up the wall.

1. 1. If the punter has a strong wind at his back, the wall return might have a better chance to be successful, because a high, deep punt gives the punt return unit more time to set up the wall. The wall might have to be set up deeper down the field, however, because the wind will carry the punt deeper.

1. If the punter is punting into a strong wind, the wall return is probably not a good call. The punt return unit will have little time to set up the wall, and the return man will probably be surrounded by coverage players when he catches the short punt, so he is unlikely to get to the wall.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Opponents
You and your players must account for your opponent's strengths and weaknesses to know how to use the wall return properly Consider the following about your opponents:

1. 1. How good is the punter? If the opposing punter is strong and consistent, the wall return may be a good strategy to counter his talents. His long, high punts will give the punt return unit more time to set up the wall and give the punt return man a chance to catch the ball, make a move or two to beat the bullets and get to the wall. On the other hand, if the punter is inconsistent or short with his punts, the wall return is probably not a good call because the punt return unit won't have time to set up the wall before the coverage players catch the return man.

1. 1. How fast are the opponent's coverage players? If the bullets are fast, assign another player or two to getting them blocked. If the coverage unit players are also fast, the wall return may be difficult to execute because the coverage players may get to the return man before he can reach the wall. If the opponent's bullets or coverage players are not fast, the wall return has a much better chance to be successful.

1. How well do the opponent's coverage players adjust to blocking schemes on returns? Some coverage units have learned to recognize wall returns, and these units teach players to peel off and get outside the wall, making it tough to execute the return. Other opponents do not look for blocking schemes and do not change the path of their coverage players regardless of the type of return that their opponent is running. These opponents are vulnerable to the wall return because they may not see it coming.

Self-Knowledge
Besides being aware of your opponent's strengths and weaknesses, you and your players need to know about your own team's ability. Teach your players to be aware of the following when using the wall return:

1. 1. How talented is your punt return man? A shifty, fast return man who catches punts consistently is a great candidate to run a wall return. If he has the ability to make someone miss, he can sidestep that first bullet or fast coverage player and then have a chance to get to the wall. Conversely, if the return man can catch consistently but does not possess great speed or moves, the wall return is not as good an option.

1. 1. How do you match up against the bullets? If the punt return unit can put two players on the field who can cover the bullets and significantly slow them down, the wall return, or any punt return for that matter, can be successful. If the bullets are too good to handle one-on-one, then you have to steal blockers from the return scheme to double up on the bullets, reducing the chances for a big play. (You may get a few yards after the catch by double-teaming the bullets, but you won't be able to block as many of the remaining defenders.)

1. How disciplined are the players who are setting up the wall? Overaggressive, impatient players do not execute the wall return as well as heady, patient players do. All players in the wall have to hustle and be physical blockers, but they also need to be in the right spot on the field and be able to pick out the correct defender to block.

Decision-Making Guidelines
When deciding how to gain the best advantage when using the wall return, you and your players should consider the previous information as well as the following guidelines:

1. 1. At the beginning of the play, the punt return unit has to line up against the punt team and be sure that they are sound against a possible fake. They can keep the punt team unaware that a wall return is coming if they show a punt block look before the snap.

1. 1. When the ball is snapped, at least one player from the return unit has to rush the punter to be sure that he punts the ball on time so that the ball will get to the return man before the coverage players do.

1. 1. Players who will be setting up the wall should not start peeling off toward the side of the field to set up the wall until the coverage player nearest them leaves to go down the field and cover the punt. The coverage player is less likely to see the wall player heading to a sideline if the wall player is behind him!

1. 1. After taking their positions in the wall, the blockers should shuffle laterally toward the punt return man until he catches the ball. They then shuffle the other way, in the direction of the return, until a coverage man shows up to be blocked.

1. In choosing which defender to block, the wall players always choose a man who is farther down the field as opposed to one who is not as far down the field. The idea is to prevent penetration by defenders at the beginning, or top, of the wall. If a coverage player penetrates the wall at the top and makes the tackle, the blocks farther down the wall are wasted.