Offensive Line Play

IHSFCA ClinicMarch 30, 2012

Greg Kinggking@sterlingschools.org

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

Stance

Stance

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 3 - 5 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 2nd level defender

– Always secure 1st level defender 1st!– 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– 1st 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 2nd

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 2nd level defender

Drive-Finish Combos

TE T

T

B

T G G C

T T

B B

1

11

11 1

Get

Ver

tical

Pus

h

Out or Down Block • Same footwork

– 1st 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

TE T

TBT G T G

T T

B

1 1 11

233

4

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)

• 1st 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)

1

32

4

Blocking Failures • Poor Stance• No Get Off

– Too big of 1st 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 & 1st Step

Put their toes on line to make sure feet are straight. After perfecting stance, go right into 1st step drill. On cadencePlayers will step with correct foot and stay there until instructedto return to stance.

Drills – 2nd Step Drill

Lines move up from 1st step drill. 1st 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 1st step drill. (CP – Make sure 1st 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 1st twosteps.) 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 1st 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

2nd part of drill is to then put OL in a fit positionand then power walk.

Switch Drill

OL

DL

1OL

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 thatto stop drill.

Boards

Drive defender to end of board. On whistle finish the block byexploding 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 veerReleases, down/out blocks, pulls on traps, etc.

20 Yard Drill

Bring back knee to crotchAdjust playside knee whenDefender moves – Keep inbalanceCan make this into 10 yard Drill for more explosion andto work on 3 techs and fan blocks

Cage Drill

Competitive drill used to teach blocking linebackers. DivideOL 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 knockingout of cage, 2 pts for a knockdown. LB gets a point for winning.

5 yards

5 ya

rds

Have body under controlSink HipsLeverageGood 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

Offensive Line Metabolic Drills

PW 5 SSR 10 BPR 15 TP 10 MD 10 RPR 20 PWSP20

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5PW 5 MD TPL 10 TPL 10

BPL 15 RPL 20 PW SP 20 MDRPR 20 TPR 10 BPR 15 PW 5

MD PWSP 20 BPL 15 PWSP 20TPL 10 DR 5 PWSP 20 RPR 20

PWSP 20 SSL 10 MD SSL 10PW 5 BPL 15 PW 5 TPR 10

BPR 15 TPL 10 RPL 20 PWSP 20SSR 10 MD SSL 10 RPL 20PW 5 SSR 10 SSR 10 PW 5

Assignment Description

Power Walk DR 5/ DL 5 Power Walk – Pound Ground in Happy PlaceShuffle-Shuffle SSR 10/SSL 10 From Stance Quick Shuffle Shuffle then Sprint 10

Get downfieldBoot Pull BPR15/BPL15 Open step-cross over-gather step – rip thru sprint 10Trap Pull TPR 10/TPL 10 Turn to left to pull right 10 yards on trapMirror Dodge MD 20 Turn to Left Shuffle 5-huffle 10-Shuffle 5Rocket/Jet Pull RPR 20/RPL 20 Open up sprint 5 yards turn and sprint 15Power Walk -Spint

Power Walk Backwards 5 yards – Forward 5 yards –Sprint 10 downfield

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 QBE

TBEWB

CLB LB

S S

C

Team Pass Breakdown

QBE

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. Whendrill 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