Rugby-Style Punting: Approach and Fundamentals

with JJ Aller,
Lee's Summit West High School (MO) Special Teams Coordinator;
over 12 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional levels;
former Special Teams/Strength & Conditioning Intern with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars

"Coach Aller's Rugby Punting Series gives a detailed explanation of the advantages of the rugby punt. It is a comprehensive series that covers the techniques used by the punter as well as all aspects of coverage and protection. The teaching progression from the board to his video give a thorough understanding on how to use the rugby punt. If you are using or considering the rugby punt it is definitely worth your time." - Willie Fritz, Tulane University Head Coach

Rugby punting is becoming an increasingly popular scheme for college and high school teams. The technique is easy to teach, and the scheme gives you the possibility of a fake with every punt. The roll out of the punter allows for tremendous coverage of the punt and can take an elite return specialist out of the game by getting defenders several yards down field before the ball is punted.

JJ Aller, who has spent over a decade learning the ins and outs of special teams at numerous levels, gives you his best methods to implementing a rugby-style punt unit in this video.

Characteristics, Stance & Alignment

In order to rugby punt, your punter must first possess a few particular qualities. On top of having a strong leg, your punter must have some athleticism and possess a high football IQ, must be able to run and throw, and must be able to take a hit without fumbling. These characteristics make it so your team is always a threat to fake a punt.

Once you've identified the ideal punter, you can begin to teach them the stance and alignment associated with rugby punting. Coach Aller shows how to maintain a balanced square alignment 12-14 yards behind the line of scrimmage so the punter is able to slide either direction to receive the snap.

Grips & Footwork

Next, Aller details the overhand Aussie punt drop which will result in greater hang time and a backward bounce. You'll also learn the underhand Aussie punt grip for punters with smaller hands or for use with a wet football. Traditional grip and drop to feature a booming spiral punt are also covered. 2-step, 4-step, and speed rollout footwork are points that Coach Aller hits on so that your punter is sure to get the punt off no matter the amount of pressure applied.

Finally, Coach Aller discusses when to use advanced techniques such as cross body punts when there is a lone returner on the ball side hash mark. You will also learn how to punt the ball into a strong headwind as well as punting the ball from your own end zone.

If you are looking at implementing the rugby-style punt into your special teams, Coach Aller provides everything you need and more!

68 minutes. 2019.