Defensive Line Play Coleman High School Coach Jones

Philosophy Every Rep, Every Drill, and Every Down Great Effort- We must work to the ball at full speed. Have your motor running to the whistle. Great pursuit will led to great Defensive play. Toughness- We must be tough both physically and mentally. We always FINISH strong and punish the ball carrier. Responsibility- We must be responsible for our job first. Execute. If we fail in our job, everyone else’s job gets much more difficult. Pride- We have the toughest job in football, defensive success starts with the trenches. We are one unit that will be solid in our play. Winning- We must win every battle, every play, every game. We must demand this of ourselves. Eager- We will always be ready to take the fight to the opponent

Basic Rules On movement, we will step to split the legs of the man we are lined up on. Our first step is under control, not a long step. Our second step will get us to the line of scrimmage. Third to the heel line. We engage with our facemask and hands, then we press. All this must be done with our backs flat. Low pad level wins! Hand Placement- Inside hand on middle of chest, outside hand on shoulder Thumbs are always up and elbows are in. This gives us the leverage and control to win our assignment. We are looking to work to the heel line while SQUEEZING our man into the next gap. After snap, get eyes in the backfield looking for the ball and working to it. Do not cross face unless your in pursuit. If the ball carrier is running toward you, keep squeezing. Keep your shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, this allows us to move either direction. Read hats, reading hats will tell you what the offense is doing and what you need to do to disrupt the play. Finish

Words to Live By WE MUST ALWAYS ENGAGE THE MAN. If you do not the O- Line will have a free shot on the Linebackers. We cannot afford to play that way. STAY FLAT!!! Do not round off your pursuit, use great angles to your advantage. Pursuit is always DOWN THE LINE. Don’t make the mistake of getting up field. You have taken yourself out of the play. Ballinger 2013 #22 Get off the block and get to the ball VIOLENTLY! When rushing the passer, attack the up field shoulder. Do not let him outside. If you get left alone, it isn’t by accident. You look for the screen, pulling guard, or the QB read. Taking plays off, is never an option. We are good Every Rep, Every Drill, and Every Down

Alignment i N i Alignment is key. We will line up eye to eye with our hand behind the ball and our hat behind our hand slightly coiled up Each alignment is assigned as a technique. DT’s will usually play a 3 or a 1 Technique depending on the call with DE’s playing at a 5 or a 7 Technique depending on the formation.

Stance Our Stance will have our man side hand down and foot back. Our butt is up and our back is flat with our weight on our hand. Our forward foot is up underneath the body and our back foot is just behind the heel of the forward foot.

Assignment We control the gap we are lined up in. A, B, C, or D. In our defense, everyone has a gap to control. Others are counting on you to have your gap, count on them to have theirs D C B A A B C D

1 Technique Alignment: Eye to Eye, Man side hand down and foot back Key: Follow the Guards hat. Responsibility: A Gap. Always Engage the Guard. Work inside shoulder of guard if double teamed. Follow the guard if he goes outside. If he crosses the center look for the center blocking back. We always have the dive. If QB is reading you freeze, then react to his decision.

3 Technique Alignment: Eye to Eye, Man side hand down and foot back Key: Follow the Guards hat. Always Engage the Guard. Responsibility: B Gap. Two way go on pass rush. Always engage the Guard Work outside shoulder of guard if double teamed. Put your hip in your gap. If Guard pulls, look for a block back from the center or tackle. If Guard slips to the linebackers, look for trap. If double teamed put your hip in the hole or make a pile. We always have the dive. If QB is reading you freeze, then react to his decision.

5 Technique Alignment: Eye to Eye, Man side hand down and foot back Key: Follow the Tackles hat Responsibility: C Gap. Contain, Contain, Contain, Stay flat down the line, don’t get up field. If the Tackle pulls, check the QB then follow. If your being read, freeze. Most plays away give the QB the option to pull it and come back at you. Do not let the Tackle reach your outside shoulder. If Tackle slips to the line backers, squeeze and look for the puller. Backside Defensive End is ALWAYS looking for something coming back their way. Being overly aggressive on the backside leaves us open to the Zone read and the Reverse. On option, Defensive end will have the QB

7 Technique Alignment: Inside of the Tight End Key: Read the TE’s Hat, always engage. Responsibility: C Gap. Always attack the Tight End. If the Tight End influences out then look for an out block by the tackle. Only follow through your first 2 quick steps. If Double Teamed, put your hip in the hole or make a pile.

Karate Technique to get hands of O-line off. Inside hand pressures outside of the O-line wrist Outside hand contacts and forces the arm of the O-line just above the elbow Wipe-Inside hand is looking to move over the force past the O-line shoulder. Then pursue to the ball. See Karate Video

Flipping the Hips This is a whole body movement where we flip our hips to get a full 90 degree turn. This is the quickest way to change direction and get down the line on pursuit or pass rush. See Flipping the Hips Video

Club Wipe Pass rushing technique to get past the O-lineman. Push off outside leg and bringing your club to his shoulder. Your contact will be with the base of your palm. This is a whole body movement bringing your shoulders and your hips with the club. Wipe through on path to the ball. See Club Wipe Video

Long Arm Long Arm technique is where your are driving the O-lineman back to the QB On contact, we will lock our inside arm on the chest of the O-lineman grab cloth and leverage up then run him to the QB. You should be firing your feet with your hips low. Club-Wipe to the QB, Aim at his up field shoulder See Long Arm Video

Dip and Rip The Rip is used to get through the arms of an O-lineman. Get your far shoulder and hips low and bring your far arm underneath the arms to the side you want to go. Always Rip high, starting low and Ripping high will bring your hips with your Rip

Bag Drills Lateral movement - both directions over the tops of the bags, staying low and square, finishing through the cone. (can do all in one direction or go to groups of three bags and they go both directions before finishing. Shuffling through, staying low and square with the bags, finishing through the cone. Shuffling through, staying low over the bags punching the tops to simulate cut block, finishing through the cone. Attack and Retreat- forward backward motion through the bags, staying low and square Can use the big ball at the beginning Can add club-wipe to end

Down the Line Working our first three steps. Coaches direction, flip the hips and get down the line. Start versus on air then working against a blocker Versus blocker work Karate, Club-Wipe, and Dip and Rip

Explosion Drills Versus blocker or sled- start out in six point stance. On signal, explode out firing the hips and getting extension through the chest of the blocker. Versus blocker the D-line should land on their stomachs Versus sled we are going to explode and lock up with our pads low and hold our drive position. Repeat this from the three point stance from the sled working the first three steps.

Tackling Form Tackling- low and explode up through the chest engaging with the screws, wrapping up arms and firing the feet. Angle Tackling - 5 yds. apart, walking the line and exploding through the tackle firing the feet. Shedding the blocker- one on two, after reaching the heel line, shed blocker towards one side using Karate, Club Wipe, or Dip and Rip then Angle Tackling the ball carrier.

Taking on the Pulling Guard Your O-lineman slips to the second level You still must give him a shot to knock him off his path, then start your squeeze. When this happens you should squeeze down the line with your shoulders square and staying low looking for the pulling guard. You want to meet the pulling guard in the next gap over to blow up the play. Doing this will allow you an opportunity to make the play and free up linebackers as well. Vs. Coahoma 2013 #55

Sled Drills Explosion Drill from both six point and three point stance. Seat roll down the 5 man sled exploding to your drive position on each dummy. Karate and wipe through at the end. Do both directions. Basic defensive line gap control vs sled. Down the Line- 4 man alignment, drive to heel line and down the line based on direction

Gap Control drill One on one- Dline vs Oline to control gap Double team- 2 on 1 drill to beat the double team. You have to get that initial explosion on the O-line and feel the pressure coming from the double. If you have good leverage your can put your hip between the double team to hold ground. If your unable to do so, make a pile. Vs blocking scheme- working against live blocking schemes. We will work this with two on one and with whole line. Recognizing these basic schemes will tell you what the offense is running.

Basic Blocking Schemes Study the next few slides to get familiar with basic blocking schemes that will tell you what the offense is trying to run. There will be instructions on how each should be played

Base Everyone will Engage, Drive and Squeeze one hole over, collapse the inside, Split the double or make a pile TGCGT

Zone Zone- All linemen are working at an angle to your outside on the play side. DO NOT GET HOOKED. Outside hand free. Engage and work to the heel line then stay flat to the ball. PS End is key here. Back side End- Squeeze and look for something coming back your way. STAY AT HOME!!!! Zone Read and Reverse will hurt the back side The zone is designed to go into any hole that opens up. You must maintain gap control on this play. TGCGT

B Gap Lead Lead is a B gap Play to isolate the linebacker on a lead block. PS End will get kicked out. Combo the one, BS End will slip. PS End must squeeze to one hole down, the 1 must hold ground or make pile, the 3 must squeeze on hole down. BS End stays at home looking for a boot action. TGCGT

H Play Lead block on the end. Combo both the 3 and the 1 to the linebackers. PS End needs to squeeze and tack on the lead blocker in the hole, outside hand free. 3 and 1 must beat the combo and maintain gap control. BS End must look for something coming back, if nothing follow the ball looking for the cutback. TGCGT

Trap Trap has a guard slip to the backers, the other guard will trap the 3 and the center will block back on the 1. Tackles could block out or slip to the next level Squeezing will shut this play down. We will wrong shoulder cut the pulling guard. TGCGT

Counter Trap to the 1 PS Tackle will slip, PS Guard will block down on the 1, Center will block back on the 3, BS Guard will pull and kick the End, BS Tackle will pull and seal/lead block the Inside linebacker. PS End must squeeze and take on the kick with the wrong shoulder and cut him at the knee. The 1 must hold gap control. The three must squeeze on hole over. The BS End must look for something coming back then follow. TGCGT

Counter Trap to the 3 PS Tackle and Guard will combo the 3 to the middle linebacker, Center will block back on the 1, BS Guard will pull and kick the End, BS Tackle will pull and seal/lead block the Inside linebacker. PS End must squeeze and take on the kick with the wrong shoulder and cut him at the knee. The 3 must hold the combo. The one must squeeze on hole over. The BS End must look for something coming back then follow. TGCGT

Buck Sweep Down blocks from the TE and PS Tackle, Center will block back, both guards will pull with the PS Guard pulling to hook the end with the BS Guard pulling wide on the outside backer Normal rules apply TGCGT 5317 E

Read Play If the Defensive End is slipped by the Tackle, then his first steps to make contact and the contact made will squeeze him to B gap. The DE must look at the QB, if he sees the QB’s eyes or numbers then it’s a read play and we need to slow play. If you don’t see these then we can follow the ball down the line. Always be wary of the reverse or screen.

Veer and Option We will defeat the Veer and the Option in the simplest manner. You will take the first threat to your gap. Do not be left in Limbo. If the dive comes to you, take it. On an option, the End will take the QB and LB’s will take the pitch man, We can change the responsibilities depending on the opponent.