Dropback Protection Using Big-On-Big Principles
Center and Guards Control The Depth Of The Pocket
You want to keep separation between the center and guards so that the quarterback has more room for stepping up and into the pocket.
Make sure to always work to maintain the Half-Man-Advatage
With pocket protection make sure your linemen are working from an inside out position on their defender.
Your center and guards should always work to keep as much seperation between themselves and the quarterback. This is called never compromising the depth of the pocket.
Your guards want to work as near and close to the line of scrimmage as possible. If one of your guards is uncovered he should help his center with a hand check while working his double read.
Tackles Push The Width Of The Pocket
Tackles while using their half-man-advantage will always work from an inside out position trying to widen the pocket.
Must be able to teach them how to kick slide since they will be trying to widen their defenders.
Must push the outside rush past the quarterback. Tackles read the “V” of the neck of their defender to determine the angle of kick.
Whenever your offensive tackle kick-slides, he wants to keep his shoulder lean inside, this is what we call shoulder in the hole.
By keeping the inside shoulder in the hole, will keep the tackles defender from making the inside move that potentially could compromise the pocket.
Tackles are working to push the outside rush past the quarterback.
How To Set The 1/2 Man Advantage Rule
Offensive Tackles will read the “V” of the neck of their defender in order to determine their proper
footwork for any wide rusher.
If the “V” of the neck of the defender is pointed upfield the tackle will kick to the 1/2 man, from an
inside out position.
No matter what offensive line position, each offensive lineman will use the 1/2 man advantage to determine his inside out position on his potential rush defender.
Whenever covered by an outside shaded defender the general rule for your offensive linemen should be “Set The Anchor To The 1/2 Man”. The 1/2 man advantage rule with straight dropback protection is worked from an inside out position. The correct terminology with a defender aligned as a 1/2 defender is to “Pick It Up and Put It Down” By picking up the outside foot and setting the anchor, this will help in bracing vs any potential bull rush.
Since the 1/2 man exists then all that is required by your offensive lineman is a pick-up put down.
1/2 man – set the anchor
Whenever faced with a head-up defender your offensive line will step inside with their inside foot and then replace with the outside foot (Step Replace). Thus, the procedure for a head up defender is step inside, replace and set the anchor with the outside foot.
Whenever steping inside your lineman should keep a good shoulder lean inside. The inside shoulder should be kept over the inside knee, this is called “Shoulder In The Hole”.
Head-up Defender – Step Inside and Replace
With any defender aligned on the inside shade of an offensive lineman it will require a “Hard” technique while working to their inside 1/2 man position. The Hard technique is a pass set to the inside 1/2 man advantage which puts the offensive lineman working hard across the face of the defender.
Because your offensive line is working hard to their inside 1/2 man it usually will put them washing their defender down and to the outside.
Inside Shaded Defender –
Step Hard To The Inside To The 1/2 Man
Mollie / Collie: Teaching The Double Read Off B.O.B Concepts
“Mollie” talks to a uncovered guard to the backside of the right and left call. Uncovered will always listen for the tuff and soft call made by the tackle. The tackle on the backside becomes the eyes for the uncovered lineman, he will use a tuff, soft call to alert him to how fast or slow he can react to any
outside threat. As you set your protections in a straight drop back scheme make sure you can keep your linemen in an inside out position on the down defender nd any possible blitz by a linebacker or outside invert.
The fullback when you set your protection scheme will be responsible for the playside to outside invert. On the snap of the ball the fullback will first check the playside linebacker, if he drops he then will check for possible outside invert off the edge on a blitz. Fullback will also have to listen for possible “Nasty” alert in the event a linebacker walks up into the line of scrimmage
“Collie” talks to the center. A “Collie” alert usualy comes off an under front, split six, and 40 Stack schemes in which he will be responsible for the double read. he double read for the center is just like that for the guard. The center on “Collie” will listen for his soft, tuff call from his offensive tackle.
The kick slide is used by any uncovered lineman when checking for any outside pressure. With a straight dropback scheme make sure your fullback and uncovered lineman backside attack their responsibility from an inside out position.
Understanding The 1/2 Man Advantage
Straight Dropback Protection Using Big-On-Big Principles
B.O.B. protection is used vs straight dropback, what this means is that if any of your offensive lineman have a down defender aligned on them then that offensive line has that defender to block. Something I always tell my line if covered; your man-is your man-is your man!!! Any uncovered lineman will have a double read backside and the “3” Back call side will double read his callside linebacker to outside invert.
With the center and guard working the combo together vs an under front with a backside 1 to a 3 technique would put the center on a Collie because he has the closest angle to any potential pressure off the edge.
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.