This article was originally posted on the Glazier Coaching Blog.
You need defensive pursuit, but you don’t want to have to use it. Outstanding pursuit will save explosive plays from happening throughout the course of a game. Great pursuit can be the difference in giving up six, and in forcing the offense to snap the ball another time.
Jason Thier, Defensive Coordinator at Dickinson State University (North Dakota), shows us some practice and game footage application of two of their pursuit drills.
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DSU definition of RELENTLESS: “Refusual to give up; going as hard as you can when you don’t know when you can stop.”
They believe that the way they play defense ie more important than any scheme they will ever run.
RUN = Are You In?
They grade pursuit effort (RUN Percentage) in practice for each player on every play. The team standard is 95%, If the RUN Percentage is below 95% for a practice, they will start their next practice with one of their 5 pursuit drills.
They do one of their pursuit drills during the season every Tuesday.
A defensive player’s commitment to his teammates can be measured by his distance from the football at the end of each play.