Offensive Linemen: Blocking the Run

St. Norbert College Staff

I. GENERAL BLOCKING PRINCIPLES. A. Concept: Blocking is a matter of Position, Leverage, and Force. Any player can become a good blocker if he has: 1. Courage 2. Determination 3. Intelligence 4. Willingness to give maximum effort for six seconds The good blocker is an indispensable man to any good football team. If you will apply dogged determination, hustle, and drive for six seconds, we will be an outstanding football team. B. Pre-Snap Look: Always take a pre-snap look to locate your probably blocking assignment. Visualize the contact point and your first step. Do not give away your intentions by staring or leaning to one direction. Scan the defense from left to right to straight ahead. C. At the Snap: Step with the proper foot, locate your target, maintain approach toward the proper contact point. Keep your eyes open and LOOK YOUR EYES into the target. D. Quickness: Always work for quickness. Everything we do will be based on our ability to beat our opponent to the PUNCH. Never hesitate, read, or feel your way. Make your opponent react to you. We are on OFFENSE! E. Body Position: Do not bend at the waist. Use the principle of leverage by lowering your center of gravity by bending your knees and striking pad under pad. F. Base: Maintain a wide base with the feet. Use the Waddle technique to maximize balance and power. G. Contact: Be a hitter. Block through the man, not to the man. Keep your head up and eyes on the target. Hit on the rise. A good pop will momentarily stop or stun your opponent and enable you to control his charge. Hit in the coiled position, avoid overextending. Keep your feet moving upon contact. H. Finish: Finish your block by exploding through the man. Maintain the contact by keeping your knees bent, head up, back at the proper angle, and your feet digging for the full six seconds. Step on his toes and take the ground that he stands on. Maintain maximum body contact. Do not allow the defender to disengage. FEET - FEET - FEET, KEEP THEM MOVING!

II. PROGRESSION OF THE BLOCK. It is important that the following progression be used in exactly the order that is presented. HIT - DRIVE - CLIMB SUSTAIN A. Hit: Hit with a quick, controlled body extension at the moment of contact. Hit is a matter of quickness, timing, and leverage.

B. Drive: It is vital that you get movement and force your man away from the ball carrier. We want the ground that he stands on. C. Climb: Once movement has been started, climb up and through your man. Arch your back, extend your arms, and bring your feet under you to insure your ability to control your man and not allow him to disengage from your block. D. Sustain: After the proper Hit-Drive-Climb has your opponent under control, you must stay on your man. Keep your feet moving until the whistle blows. Always position yourself between your man and the ball carrier. Make your opponent go the long way around you. Your opponent will turn himself as he tries to disengage - at that moment . . . accelerate your feet and bury him!

III. LINE CALLS. Line calls are used on the LOS to confirm basic blocking assignments. Generally, line calls involve two offensive linemen being responsible for two defensive players. Both offensive lineman must be aware of: A. The nature of the play versus the defensive alignment. B. The ability level between the offensive and defensive players. C. The techniques and assignments of the defensive scheme. How will they react? D. The uncovered lineman will make most calls. It is more important to secure the line of scrimmage first. Dummy (fake) calls should be used to disguise the intent of the play against defenses that are familiar with the meaning of the basic line calls. All linemen can use dummy calls. The best strategy is to use meaningless terms. Stay away from calls which cause confusion.

IV. SINGLE BLOCK FUNDAMENTALS. There are two key elements necessary in develoing proper run blocking fundamentals. The starting point of any block is the First Step taken by the offensive lineman. The proper first step puts the lineman on course to attack the defender with quickness and proper blocking angles. The second element necessary for an effective block is the Contact Point. The contact point involves the proper placement of the shoulders, hands, and feet of the lineman, in relation to the ball location, upon the moment of contact with the defender. Good fundamentals allow the blocker to strike on the Second Step. The first step aligns the blocker to his target, allowing for a weight transfer to occur on the second step, the moment of contact. Definitions of steps by offensive lineman: Settle : A pick it up, put it down step. Upfield: A straight-ahead step. Lead: An angle step towards the defender. Slide: A parallel step towards the defender. Drop: A straight-back step.

Bucket: A short angle step that loses ground. Open: A deep angle step that loses ground. Under: A 90-degree pull step. A. Base Block: A basic run block used at the point of attack. The objective is to cover the defender up and move him off the line of scrimmage. STEPWORK: (Near Foot Stepping) 1. First Step: -Head-up Defender - Settle Step with Inside Foot. - Inside Shade - Slide Step - Outside Shade - Bucket Step (*Drive Technique) * Drive Technique vs. Outside Shade: POA - Far number. This should widen defenders charge. 2. Second Step: Outside of defender's body to widen the base. 3. POA: Sternum (Between numbers) 4. Contact Point: Three-point fit. Hands lead to the chest. Flat back through the hit. "Step on the defender's toes."

B. Reach Block: A run block used to seal the defender away from the point of attack. Used by the front-side blocker. A heavy shoulder block. STEPWORK: (Playside Foot Stepping) 1. First Step: - Backside Shade - Upfield Step - Head-up - Lead Step - Front-side Shade - Bucket Step - Wide Alignment - Open Step (*Trail Technique) *Trail Technique: A lose-ground-to-gain-position technique. Blocker must delay hit until he can successfully fit into the contact point. Emphasis is on swinging the blockers hips until he regains front-side position. Used on double-team lead zone blocks. 2. Second Step: Down the middle of defender's body. 3. Third Step: Outside of defender's body to widen the base. 4. POA: Front-side armpit. 5. Contact Point: Backside shoulder is square to defender's body. Backside hand punches the body and settles on the

inside breast-plate. The front-side arm settles on the outside breast plate.

C. Rip Block: A variation of the Reach Block. Used by the lead blocker in Zone Blocks. The basic fundamentals are the same. The variation is the action of the backside arm. Using a forearm rip, the blocker intent is to turn the defender shoulders and lead through to the linebacker level.

D. Opposite Rip Block: Same fundamentals as the RIP Block. Is used by the inside blocker on Double-team gap blocks. The blocker works the same techniques opposite of the hole called.

E. Read Block: A variation of the Reach Block. Pure zone blocking where the blockers first responsibility is the onside gap. Use a reach block fit on assignments. STEPWORK: 1. First Step - Open Step 2. Second Step - To Onside Gap 3. Key - Next Playside Down Defender - If he veers - reach block him - If no veer - work the gap to the linebacker level

F. Cut-Off Block: A backside reach block where position is more important than fit. The blocker works to get his

feet and body past the defender. Used on a Reach call on the LOS. STEPWORK: 1. First Step - Open Step (Pull Technique) 2. POA - The Space Past the Defender 3. Technique - Use a forearm rip to gain position. If over-reach use box-out technique. If cannot get position - use cut block.

G. Gap Block: A variation of the Reach Block. Generally used versus an inside gap defender. STEPWORK: 1. First Step - Slide Step with inside foot. 2. Second Step - Keyed to defenders charge. - Read Charge - Upfield Step - Penetrates - Pivot and Push 3. POA - Same as Reach Block

H. Down Block: A block used to seal an inside defender from penetrating into the backfield. STEPWORK: 1. First Step - Bucket Step with inside foot. 2. POA - Near armpit. Be prepared to slide in front of a hard penetrator. 3. Contact Point - Inside hand across chest outside hand on hip. Keep wide base.

I. Chip Block: A "body presence" block used to help partner control his man. Primary objective is to zone the gap on the way to a linebacker assignment. Help on overhang defenders. STEPWORK: 1. Outside Chip - Outside Slide Step 2. Inside Chip - Outside Settle Step

3. Center - Near Foot Settle Step

J. Pulls: Blocks where a lineman leaves his position to block a man in another area. 1. Pull-Trap: A kick-out block on the LOS. - First Step - Open Step - POA - Inside Armpit, make defender adjust to you. 2. Pull-Lead: Long pull to a linebacker assignment - First Step - Under Step. Clear LOS. - Course - First open area at or past point of attack. - POA - Base Block LB's inside-out. 3. If-Pull: Short Pull to a LB assignment. Responsible for inside blitz. - First Step - Drop Step - POA - Base Block LB 4. Pivot-Pull: Influence Pull - First Step - Slide Step opposite intended direction. Gather and punch near defender. Reverse pivot to pull. - POA - Outside Leg of EMLOS. 5. Set-Pull: Can be a Trap or Lead block. - First Two Steps - Drop steps with both feet. - Pause and release to trap or lead fundamentals. 6. Me-You: Used by BST to determine who pulls (BST or BSG). "YOU" call indicates BSG pulls and center blocks back. K. Blocking Linebackers: The key to blocking LB's is balance and timing. The blocker waddles through the line of scrimmage with enough force to clear the down linemen. Anticipating flow, he approaches his target under control. The hit occurs only when the blocker is close enough to "Step on his toes." 1. At the Point of Attack: Execute a Base block. 2. Away from the Point of Attack: Execute a Reach Block. Emphasize playside position. 3. Cut Technique: Used as a change-up or as a last resort. Is best away from the point of attack and on fast flow defenders. The same fundamental of the reach block apply. The POA is the hip/thigh area. The blocker must explode through the man, often finishing the block with a Bear Crawl.