Offensive Line Play IHSFCA Clinic March 30, 2012 Greg King

Offensive Line Play “Blocking can be developed to a greater degree than any other phase of football because it is the most unnatural task. It requires patience and many hours of hard work because there are more things to learn.” Mike Barry - Former OL Coach

G.O.L.F. Get Off Leverage Finish

G.O.L.F. All drills and techniques are based on this acronym Don’t Clutter there head with all kinds of things If you have all 3 of these, you CAN play!

Get Off Stance –Teaching progression Feet – Elbows – Reach Weight distribution –4 point 50/50 on Hands and Feet –3 point 40/60 on hands and Feet

Get Off Stance –Feet Shoulder width apart Weight on inside of feet Once feet are set – do not move them –Knees Straight ahead Power Angles – Z in the knee –Back Flat – Eyes up

Stance

Center 1 hand on Ball – Other on ground –Need to work with 2 hands as well Rain! Small Hands –Step and then snap! (Even in warmups!) Use back up center as NG when warming up Footwork in all directions Shotgun

Get Off Take off –1st Step Will get you in position to block Quick 3-6 inches Chest over knees –2nd Step Must get on ground before contact POWERFUL

Leverage Contact –Never sacrifice contact –Pad under Pad “Low man wins” Goalline/Short Yardage - Pad on Pad –Inside Leverage Punch hands inside Should hit same time as shoulders Get shoulders on defenders chest

Leverage Knees –Playside knee - Drive to playside hip –Backside knee - Drive to crotch Coach this from behind Watch knees Watch elbows Good Blocking is nothing more than the backside knee moving forward while maintaining contact –DO NOT ALLOW SEPARATION Smell Armpits –Keep power angles

Finish Sustain block for seconds - keep balance and pressure to the end! - “smell armpits” –DO NOT TELL PLAYERS TO “ROLL THE HIPS” - this will happen naturally!!! –Stalemates - can become winners Defenders can become off balance - reaching for tackle Sustain blocks for 3-5 seconds Keep power angles

Do’s Get off the ball Strive for consistency and perfection Give 2nd effort - turn 5 yard gain into a TD Adjust to opponent’s scheme and alignment Keep in good football position - Power, Leverage, Balance Accelerate - bring knees with power - sustain

Dont’s Lunge or overextend Are you leading with hands? Too big of 1st step? Is head down? Is 1st step getting you in bad position? Lean or commit early Be slow off the ball

Different Blocks Everything is a Drive Block Different Footwork –Same techniques –Same coaching points Consistency!

Double Teams Get movement off the LOS Work toward 2 nd level defender –Always secure 1 st level defender 1 st ! –Blockers will try to leave too quick 2 Players work in a Drive-Finish combination

Double Team - Drive Regular Drive Block –All techniques the same –1 st step is vital EXPECT NO HELP!

Double Team - Finish Needs to get hip to hip with Drive man Aim for the hip of the defender Keep shoulders square –Footwork is important! “Feed” defender to Drive man If defender’s hip goes away – Get Vertical to 2 nd Level

Double Team If defender is a gap player, then both are drive man Who becomes the finish will depend on: –Movement of the LOS –Movement of the 2 nd level defender

Drive-Finish Combos TET T B TGGC T T BB Get Vertical Push

Out or Down Block Same footwork –1 st step is with near foot – do not step upfield –May just have to rotate it –Aim for inside number and near hip If hip tries to cross adjust footwork to take upfield If hip goes straight ahead –Eliminate penetration –Widen hole

Out-down Blocks TET T B TGTG T T B

Downfield Blocks Touchdown Alley (TE and T) –Angles –Hustle –Break Hips down –Get across field flat for the cutback block Scoop (T & G) –Zone block to cut DL to inside

Outside Shades (3 tech) 1 st step is important – NO Zone Step –Don’t want to get knocked back Step towards chest of DT Strike him as hard as you can to stop upfield push Bring backside knee to crotch Frontside knee to playside hip Keep working feet to get upfield push –May not happen right away

Outside Shades (3 tech)

Blocking Failures Poor Stance No Get Off –Too big of 1 st step Ignorance of Assignment No Contact Too High – No leverage Feet Not moving On Contact –Back knee gaining ground Not reading defenders alignment

Drills – Stance & 1 st Step Put their toes on line to make sure feet are straight. After perfecting stance, go right into 1 st step drill. On cadence Players will step with correct foot and stay there until instructed to return to stance.

Drills – 2 nd Step Drill Lines move up from 1 st step drill. 1 st in line executes perfect stance. Person next in line will grab rt. Ankle firmly. On cadence, offensive player Will step with lt. foot, as in 1 st step drill. (CP – Make sure 1 st step is 6 in.) The Offensive player will have to step with power to take ankle out of grip.

Drills – Happy Place Players will be in good football position (Simulating after 1 st two steps.) Make sure hips are low, back is straight, eyes are up, Z in the knees – Push them to stay in this position – Train muscles

Drills – Power Walk Players are in their happy place. They will then power walk forward (CP-Make sure 1 st step is forward!). Weight on the inside of their feet (Pound the Ground), Elbows tight, good arm movement. Can add different directions to this as well.

Power Walk w/ Pressure 5 – 10 yards 2 nd part of drill is to then put OL in a fit position and then power walk.

Switch Drill OL DL 1 OL DL 2 Important to make sure that on the switch the OL sinks hips and gets inside leverage with hands. Yell “Switch”! Do not blow whistle- only do that to stop drill.

Boards Drive defender to end of board. On whistle finish the block by exploding knees, hips and arms out. Stand behind and look for knees driving to hip and crotch, as well as elbows tight to the body. Can use variations by moving boards or lines to simulate veer Releases, down/out blocks, pulls on traps, etc.

20 Yard Drill Bring back knee to crotch Adjust playside knee when Defender moves – Keep in balance Can make this into 10 yard Drill for more explosion and to work on 3 techs and fan blocks

Cage Drill Competitive drill used to teach blocking linebackers. Divide OL into two teams. OL starts in stance on edge of cage. OL has 5 seconds to knock LB out of the cage. OL gets 1 pt for knocking out of cage, 2 pts for a knockdown. LB gets a point for winning. 5 yards Have body under control Sink Hips Leverage Good footwork

Practice Plans Summer –FUNDAMENTALS!! –Footwork –Camps –Helmets and shoulder pads Still work progression Work from fit position Last day or so will go from stance Injury vs. Benefit

Practice Plans Preseason –Prepractice Play Installation and review 30 min of Indy –Fundys! 7 on 7 period –OL Indy »Pass pro »Inside Drill

Practice Plans In-season –Everyday Zones –Get out of locker room –Hurdles – Over and Unders Prepractice – –20 minutes by position – stretch/fundys –Mondays Film – Endzone camera! Scouting Report – fronts/adjustments Indy 10 Minutes Team Pass Breakdown

Team Pass Breakdown Set up QB E TB E WB C LB S S C

Team Pass Breakdown QB E C Drill is 1 on 1 live between 2 different groups (OL/DL and E and DB) Both groups go until they hear a whistle. If E catches the ball, DB looks to tackle in open field. After their rep, the drill switches to the other side. When drill comes back to right side, it will be RB vs. LB with same rules. M2M or Zone

Practice Plans In-season –Tuesdays – Defensive Emphasis Defensive Stations Defensive Indy Offense –7 on 7 – OL - Pass Pro Indy or scheme –½ Line – Bags/Live –Team Offense –Wednesdays – Offensive Emphasis Offensive Stations – Offensive Indy Group Work – (TE/T on DT or TAG blocks on Jet/Rocket) 7 on 7 – OL inside run Team Pass vs. Sophs