The coaching points for the coverage player are relatively basic but difficult to master. The first point that must be stressed is that the coverage player must get to the point first.
One of the most difficult things in coaching special teams is teaching players to change from dropping back to moving forward to make the block. On the same note it equally difficult to teach coverage players to press the blockers and get past them. The fly zone drill is designed specifically to address these issues and work on these core skills of coverage and return.
In the fly zone drill there is one blocker and one coverage player and a gate down the field. The goal of the coverage player is to get through the gate and the goal of the blocker is to keep the coverage player from getting through the gate.
What makes this drill so effective is that each player is getting a live competition rep on a skillset that is difficult to practice.
