Phil Acton
Head Football Coach – Retired
42 years in Coaching 34 as Head Coach
9 schools in 3 states 5 schools in 3 states
Published over 30 articles on Football 237 Wins 115 Losses
Coached over 200 players who went on
to play College Football
Coached 56 players who played Football at Division I
Coached 17 players who played or had pro tryouts
Have spoke at Clinics in 9 states
Since retiring has worked as a Consultant and guest coach at or during summer programs
Special Team Accomplishments over the past 24 years
1. 20 times the All-Conference Kicker or Punter
2. 13 times the All-Area Kicker or Punter
3. 3 times the All-State Kicker or Punter
4. 6 Kickers are listed in the State Football Record Book
5. 7 Kickers received College Scholarships
6. 8 Kickers made Field Goals of 45+ yards
7. 3 Kickers made Field Goals of 50+ yards
8. We returned 3 or more Kickoffs and or Punts for Touchdowns 14 years in a row
9. Our record is 9 returns for TD’s in a season
10. Only 3 Kickoffs or Punts were returned for scores
11. 4 of our Long Snappers went on to College for that only
Things to Remember About Special Teams
1. There is NO Second Chance on Special Teams
2. Always be Positive - - WE WILL
- Return Every Kick and Punt for Big Yards or TD
- We Will Make Every PAT/FG
- We Will Make Every Punt
- We Will Prevent a Return
- We Will Block the Kick/Punt
- We Will Cause a Turnover
3. Assign 2/3 Extra Players to Every Special Team
- Have One Player Responsible For Having the Right Number on the Field
- If Not HE Takes the Position
- Have them Practice With Every Special Team Every Day
4. Assign 13/15 Players to Work Against the Special Teams
- This Saves Time
- You DO NOT Have to Wait for Players
5. Make Sure Your Players Know WHO to Block Against Any/All Defenses on
Punt/FG/PAT Teams
6. Be Creative – What is Right For Others May Not be Right For Your Team
7. PRACTICE SPECIAL TEAMS - - EVERY DAY!
Drills That We Use For Improving Special Teams
1. Quickest Players to the Ball
2. 4 Man Cover
3. 4 Man Fight Through Cover
4. Cover and Tackle
5. Kickoff Cover
6. 15 Point Punt Cover
7. Open Field Tackle for Kicker/Punter/Safety
8. Open Field Blocking
9. Kicker/Holder/Punter Concentration
10. Returner Concentration
11. PAT/FG Accuracy
12. Pressure Kick/Punt
13. Hands Team
14. Kick and Punt Return (Talk It – Walk It – Job It – Do It)
- Use Hand Shields
- Can’t See Shield DON’T BLOCK
15. Punter Drills
16. Kicker Drills
17. Sprint On and Execute All Special Teams
Selection of Personnel For the Kickoff and Punt Teams
1. Look for Aggressive Players Who Can and Will - - HIT!
2. Look for Players Who Will Deliver the Big Second Hit!
3. Look for Speed - - Speed - - Speed!
4. Look for the Player Who Wants to Play on the Special Teams!
5. Look for Players Who Will Maintain Proper Position on Coverage!
- Keep the Ball in Front of You
- Keep the Ball Inside of You
- Do Not Overrun the Ball Carrier
Goals For Kickoff and Punt Coverage
1. Deny the Return
- Kick to the Corners of the Field
- This Eliminates the Return Options
- Kick/Punt Away From the Best Returner
2. Pooch Kick on Kickoff into any Strong Wind
- Stress That You Can Recover Every Pooch Kick
- Put Speed at the Point of Attack
3. Allow NO Kickoff Return Beyond the 30 Yard Line
- Every Tackle Will Be a Gang Tackle
- Cause 1 Turnover per Game
4. Allow NO Punt Return of More than 5 yards
- Every Tackle Will Be a Gang Taclke
- Cause 1 Turnover per Game
Goals For Kickoff and Punt Returns
1. Return Every Kick and/or Punt
- MOTTO – We Shall Return!
- There is NO Fair Catch
2. Return Every Kickoff Beyond the 35 Yard Line
3. Return Every Punt for 10+ Yards
4. Have 1 or More Returns for Big Yards or a TD
5. NO TURNOVERS!
Rules for PAT/FG
1. Believe That EVERY Kick Will Be GOOD!
2. Have the Proper Alignment/Spacing/Stance on the LOS
3. Protect the Inside Gap
4. Be Focused - - Every Kick is Important and Could Be the Difference I
Between Winning and Losing
5. PRACTICE – PRACTICE – PRACTICE!
- We Finish Every Practice With 10 Kicks
- Every Miss is Pushup/Laps/Sprints/Etc. For the Whole TEAM!
- The Last Kick is the Game Winner and is DOUBLE!
Drills for Punters
Technique Drills
1. Ball Drop 1. Fielding Bad Snaps
2. Form w/o Ball 2. Punting OB Inside the 20
3. Form Eyes Shut 3. Punting on the Run
4. Punt Eyes Shut 4. Punting with Wet or Slick Ball
5. Low Drop into Wind
6. High Drop for Pooch
Drills for Kickers
Technique Drills
1. Form w/o Ball 1. Goal Line
2. One Step - Get the Ball Up
3. One Step Eyes Shut - Move In One Yard at a Time
2. Always Kick at Angles
Make Your Special Teams SPECIAL and Your Players Will Want to Be a Special Team Player