The [tag]gunner[/tag] is the dangerous [tag]special teams[/tag] player called the gunner and is one that busts down the field to make special teams tackles. Here is a [tag]football[/tag] [tag]drill[/tag] to use when [tag]coaching football special teams[/tag].
What you need – Line up two players against each gunner on a punt cover team.
How this drill works – The gunner needs to be stopped. In order to set up a good punt return, the gunner needs to be harassed all of the way down the field. This drill is going to be a competition between your gunners and the players who cover them.
The return team will push, shove, knock down, wrestle (but not hold), block and prevent the gunner from making the way down field. The gunner must juke, jive and fight their way through the protection on the outside in order to get down the field to the ball.
The return team has 10 seconds to prevent the punt cover team from touching the pylon. When the [tag]coach[/tag] blows the whistle, the play will begin and the player will compete.
Score a point for each side that comes out succeeds in achieving their task.
Result – Both [tag]punt[/tag] cover and punt return will get some work with this drill.
