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Head-on-Center
Be responsible for inside hole. Play head up on center two feet off the line of scrimmage. Use the forearm shiver technique. Do not let the center block you in either direction. Line up in a three or four-point stance. Control the head of the center. Step with the near foot in the direction of the center’s block. You must control the head of the center. Middle guard can play off either shoulder of the center-offset position. The center is your primary target.
Inside-Shoulder-of-Offensive-Guard Technique
Be responsible for inside holes. Guard lines up with inside shoulder shading the inside shoulder of the offensive guard. Step with near foot and strike a blow with the near arm and shoulder at the offensive guard. Use the three-or four point stance, with shoulders squared to the line of scrimmage. Line up with the foot nearer the offensive guard back in a heel-toe relationship. Control the block of the guard and do not let the offensive guard cave you in.
Pinch Charge Technique
Step with near foot at the head of the center. Line up in three basic positions.
Penetrating Position and Blast Technique – Crowd the ball and fire when the ball is snapped to control the guard.
Normal Position and Technique – Play on the line of scrimmage. Take your cue from the offensive guard.
Control Position and Technique – Play two feet off the ball. Take your cue from the offensive guard. When the offensive guard moves, deliver a blow with your near arm. The guard is your primary target.
Cue – Read the hand or the near foot of the guard. Destroy and whip the head of the blocker. Top part of the near hand strikes guard in the pit of the stomach. Thumb of the near hand must point at the defensive man’s chest. Step with near foot and use free far arm and hand as a wedge, too.
Head-on-Offensive-Guard Technique
Play head on the offensive guard. The guard is your primary target. Be responsible for the inside holes.
Control Approach – play two feet off the line of scrimmage. Read the same cue as in the inside gap position. Read the triangle of the offensive center, guard, and tackle. Always step up to deliver a blow with the rear foot in and control the head of the blocker with forearm shiver. Do not let the guard block you in either direction. Step with the near foot in the direction of the guard’s block. You must control the head of the guard. Whenever a lineman plays head-on technique, he plays the soft approach, is off the line of scrimmage, and uses the forearm shiver technique to control the offensive guard. The basic rule versus the double team for the man in the
head-on guard technique is to read the double team and to try to get to the lead blocker with an out charge and put your helmet in his stomach.
Cue – Guard pulls toward center at a 45 degree angle, and tries to stay squared to the line of scrimmage and control the block of the center. Guard pulls away from center, takes a short step in the direction of the pulling guard. No one blocks down on him-stop, pivot on far foot, and drive back into the inside hole area looking for trap block. Guard shows pass block-drive into guard and look for draw or late. Defensive man cannot allow the offensive guard to get to his body at any
time. Step at the guard with a near foot six to eight inches, step, and then shuffle step up to balance position with the far leg. The linebacker can move the inside men from one shade to another by calling “move.” If the linebacker calls “double move,” he is setting the defensive positions for both inside men. If he wants to move either inside man, he will call the man’s name and tell him into which technique position to move.
Outside Should of Offensive Guard Technique
Be responsible for inside and outside guard holes. Line up with the inside shoulder shading the outside shoulder of the offensive guard, shoulder squared to the line of scrimmage. Read the blocking area of the guard and the tackle. Deliver a blow with the near arm and strike a blow with arm and shoulder at the offensive guard. Line up in a three-point or four-point stance with the foot near the offensive guard back in a heel-toe relationship. Basic assignment in these techniques is to keep the offensive guard off the linebacker. Guard pulls in either direction-play regular techniques.
Cue – Play, according to call, one of the three gap techniques: blast, normal, or control. When the guard blocks down and no one blocks the man in the outside-shoulder-of-the-guard technique, read the trap. Keep your shoulders as squared as possible to the line of scrimmage and take the trap blocker. If the Eagle technique is called for the man in the outside-shoulder-of-the guard technique position, you line up in a three-point or four-point stance facing in toward the offensive guard and
close through the outside shoulder of the guard, aiming for a spot right behind the offensive guard, who is your primary target.
Head-on-Offensive-Tackle Technique
Be responsible for off tackle holes. Primary responsibilityis always to the inside holes. Play head up technique on the tackle two feet off the line of scrimmage using the forearm shiver technique. Do not let the tackle block you in either direction. Use the three-point or four-point stance. Play control or soft approach with shoulders squared to the line of scrimmage. Deliver a blow by stepping with the rear foot and control the head of the blocker with the forearm shiver. Step with near foot in the direction of the tackle’s block.
You must control the head of the tackle. In the 5-3 defense, the man in this technique position closes hard through the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle. Read the blocking triangle of the offensive guard, tackle, and end. The tackle is your primary target.
Outside-Shoulder-of-Offensive-Tackle Technique
Be responsible for off tackle holes. Line up with the inside shoulder shading the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle with the shoulders squared to the line of scrimmage. Line up in a three-point or four-point stance with the foot near the tackle back in a heel-toe relationship. Primary target is the offensive tackle. Play in one of the three positions: Normal, blast, or control. Take your cue from the offensive tackle. When the offensive tackle moves, deliver a blow with the near foot and arm.
Read the trap blocker with shoulders squared to the line of scrimmage. Read the double team blocking of the tackle as the post blocker and the end as the lead blocker. Try to keep the tackle off the near linebacker. You must never be hooked by your primary blocking target.
Inside-Shoulder-of-Offensive-End Technique
Be responsible for off tackle holes. Line up with the outside shoulder shading the inside shoulder of the offensive end. Use three-point or four-point stance with the outside foot back in a toe-instep relationship, with your shoulders squared to the line of scrimmage. Do not let the offensive end cave you in. Move on the movement of the hand or near foot and explode into the end, destroy his block, and whip his head. Top part of the near hand drives into end’s stomach with the thumb pointed
toward the defensive man’s chest. Always step with near foot into the end unless you use pinch or crash technique. Use the free arm as a wedge to drive the offensive blocker out. Do not allow end to get to your body. Your first near step is a short six to eight inch balance move with the far leg sliding into position. Play one of the three defensive techniques: normal, blast, or control. Man in this technique position is the outside leverage man versus the forward pass and also the chase man on roll out and plays away. Do not cross the line of scrimmage as the chase man until you are sure that the ball carrier has moved across the line of scrimmage and then pursue at the fastest possible angle. You must always contain the quarterback. Your primary target is the end.
Head-on-Offensive-End Technique
Be responsible for off tackle hole. Primary responsibility is always to the inside off tackle hole. Play head up technique on the end, two feet off the line of scrimmage with your shoulders squared, using the three-point and four-point stance and the forearm shiver technique. Do not let the end block you in either position. Play the control or soft approach. Deliver a blow by stepping with he near foot in the direction of the end’s block. The end is your primary target. Always contain the quarterback.
Outside-Shoulder-of-Offensive-End Technique
Be responsible for outside off tackle hole. Primary target is the end. Line up with the inside shoulder shading the outside shoulder of the offensive end with your shoulder squared to the line of scrimmage. Line up in an up two-point or down three-point stance with the foot near the end back in a heel-toe relationship. Play in one of the three technique positions: normal, blast, or control. Take your cue from the offensive end. When the offensive end moves, deliver a blow with the near foot and arm. Read the trap blocker with shoulders as squared as possible to the line of scrimmage. Read the double team blocking of the end and the wingback in a wing position. Try to keep the end off the near linebacker. You must never be hooked by your primary blocking target. Always contain the quarterback.
Wide Technique
Be responsible for wide hole areas. Line up on or off the line of scrimmage with the inside foot back in a heel-toe relationship with your shoulders squared to the line of scrimmage. You can play in one of the following positions: two yards off the line of scrimmage and teo yards outside; in a tight position, which is on the line of scrimmage outside the wingback or your teammate in the outside-shoulder-of-offensive-end-technique position, or against a wide end or flanker to your side. Play this position on the line of scrimmage with your outside shoulder shading the inside shoulder of the offensive player. On the drop back pass you can rush the passer or drop off and cover the short flat zone. Play according to the call made.
The how, when and why of line play is information each player should have. Coaches must analyze each spot in which they put a player. After we have formulated principles and rationale, we can then do a better job of presenting these to our players. When a player is put in a certain position on the defensive line, he must have complete confidence in what he will do. He will attain this assurance as he works at the various spots and gains varying degrees of success. After awhile, he knows that the techniques will work and that success or failure depends on two things-himself and his willingness to work.
About the Author of this post:
Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.