Offensive Line Play and Drills

Philosophy to Coaching Offensive Line 1. Developing Players Individually Breeds Success Instead of Failure. 1. Give the Individual Ownership 1. Make being a Lineman Special

How to Develop Players Individually Ask a 100 O-Line Coaches what a perfect stance consist of, or what is the most important part of a block and you will most likely get about 100 different answers. So if this is true, doesn’t stand to reason there is no one correct way to coach these techniques, but that it is going to vary from player to player depending on individual strengths and weaknesses.

How to Develop Players Individually We do not develop our Offensive Linemen in a cookie cutter manner.  We do not all have the same stance.  We do not expect all to be able to do the same things.  The way we block plays can differ from side to side depending on player’s abilities. Our technique is a guide discovery way of coaching.

What does this mean for you as a coach?  That you have to be a little more patient especially with your younger players.  That you as a coach is going to have to become well versed in coaching different styles and techniques.  That you will have to develop your offense to suit your individual player’s abilities instead of trying to develop players to suit your offense.

Coaching Techniques Individual Examples Let’s start with a player’s Stance: This is what we tell our guys. 1. You have to be able to fire out in three directions from your stance. 1. You have to be able to deliver a blow immediately out of your stance. 1. You have to be able to pass set. 1. You have to be able to see the defense in front of you in your stance.

Coaching Techniques Individually Examples Hand Blocking or Shoulder Blocking:  I prefer hand blocking but we do have a couple of our smaller players who struggle hand blocking especially with down blocks so we give them the option to shoulder block. Parallel Pulling and Square Pulling:  I teach both techniques to our linemen who pull. They try both and whatever one works better they use.

Coaching Techniques Individually We still follow good sound fundamentals when coaching our players. We don’t just let them pick how they are going to do everything but we look to give them options where possible to make them a better player. The more tools you can give your linemen, the better players they are going to be.

Utilizing Different Blocking Schemes What can I do to put my linemen in the best position to be successful utilizing blocking schemes? 1. Look at how you set up your line. 2. Look at what plays are best to run for your line. 3. Look at different ways to block plays from one side to the other.

Giving Ownership to The Players  I truly believe that giving ownership has helped develop our linemen better than anything else.  Simple to do and makes them feel like what they say or want matters.  A player who feels like they have ownership in every aspect possible will be less likely to give up in a game, the off season, or on you.

How do we give or Linemen Ownership? The first and probably the most important way to give your linemen ownership it to just listen to what they have to say.  Run plays they ask for  Listen to them and take suggestions when they have them on game plans.  Take input on practice schedule (individual drills)

How do we give or Linemen Ownership? The other big way we give our linemen ownership is by giving them a choice in how something's are done.  Pregame warm up  Let them come up with their own line calls.  Let them run and coach pre-practice drills.  Blocking schemes

Make it Special to be a Linemen  First to water  Lift together as a unit  Their own area on the practice field  T shirt for them  Make sure a linemen is a captain  Make sure skill guys are always given them credit.

Make it special to be a linemen  Sit in front during meetings  Bring them with to 7 on 7’s  Make sure they get attention during contact days  If you do individual helmet awards make sure there are ways that they earn them as a unit.  Give them a segment off during practice.

Our Five Top Drills

Proper Fit  Start in a good fit position.  Hands on breast plate  Bent at hips, knees, ankles  Head up  Elbows in and side of body  Flat back  On Cadence  Feet start chopping  Hips roll into block  Hands extend up and out  On Whistle Re-set into Proper Fit Position

Finish The Block  Run the drill just like Proper Fit but change the ending.  On Whistle Defender gets to try and disengage either to the right or left.  When Defender lets up pressure to come off the block O-Linemen Needs to extend arm to that side and run feet in that direction.  This lift will cause defender to stay engaged and makes that great pancake block.  This also tells your linemen where the back is running.

Out of Position Drill  We start with the O-linemen in a horrible blocking position. Standing straight up and down with hands on the defenders shoulder pads.  The defender is in perfect blocking position. Just like Proper Fit Drill.  On Whistle the Defender tries to push the O-linemen straight back, like a good drive block.  O-linemen must work back into a proper fit position and try to fight back to at least a stalemate.  You might have to adjust the intensity of the defender to give the o-linemen a chance.

Second Level Blocking  Linemen starts in a good three point stance.  On cadence linemen will either pull or release up to second level. If linebacker he will release around a defender if pull around a cone.  We teach our linemen to attack the defender near hip.  We want to be as close to full speed as possible only slowing to ¾ speed as we get close to defender.  We tell them to not dance with the defender just attack the hip if he jumps outside. Our backs will stay inside.  If he tries to cross to the inside, you should be set perfect position to bury him.

Two on Two Drill  This drill is set up as a linemen okie drill.  We have two o-linemen going against a down linemen and linebacker or two down linemen.  As the O-linemen will break like a huddle with a cadence and call out their blocking scheme as the approach the line.  This gives them that ownership we where talking about earlier while working a number of different blocking schemes.  Coach can call the scheme for them when working with younger less experienced linemen.  Really encourage them to try all the different schemes they can use to hopefully increase their tool box. (fold, cross, double, base)  Lastly, you can do this with a group of three as well to work pull schemes.