FOOTBAL

here are four basic combinatioti blocks tliat we

cover in our daily practices. Depending on the
tyjje of offense we face each week, we determine
which ones lo put more emphasis on: double team, scoopon, scoop-olT, and pull wth a down block.
M in our battle of one key. tlie emphiisis on teaching our
players how to read each block is determined by what our
man on does."
We tise the terms vistial key and pressure key in assisting
otir guys to recogni/e wiiich combo block they are getting.
The visual key is alvva\-s tbe man on and the pres.sure key is
ibe closest liiietiian to our shade.
For example, onr mati is a 3 technique tackle and we get a
'Iniible team, our battle of 1 (gtiard) or \'isual key, will give us
.1 diive block and our pressure key, near gap lineman (tackle)
gives tLs a down block. We will concentrate on putting tbe
drive bioi k back on his heels and getting our hat into the
(lack and sitting on the near lineman {pressure key).
Yoit uill often find this combo block easier to defense if
'1 ir lineman is aggressive to tJie drive block from his man on.
.^ 1 tnentioned last monib, we will alwavs have our 3 terhtiique play with his g-ap hand down and gap foot back to help
111 defeat the double team.
liecaase his gap foot is back, his first siep will all<w him to
on the dimhle team more effectively, when it is already
inside the tackle's down block.
We separate zone blocks into sroojxjii and scoojx)!! to
fiirther assist us with our progressions in recognizing and
stopping an offensive play. Most inside zone teams will utilize

OIAG. 5, COMBINATION BLOCKS:

SCOOPON

SCOOP-OFF

c
DOUBLE TEAM

Defensive Line
Techniques and
Drills From the
Defense Part ii
By GregCrum, Defensive Coordinator
Worcester (MA) Polytechnic Institute

PULUDOWN BLOCK

DIAG. 5, COMBO BLOCKS

Scoop On; An inside zone play
Scooi>OfT: A stretch play (outside zone)
Double-Team: A hard drive block by our man-on
Pull-Down Block: Executed mostly by our interior linemen

Defensive Line Techniques and Drills From the 4 3 Defense

two offensive blockers to work against a defensive lineman
and a linebacker. \ s scoopon, our battIe-ofH)iie is going to
give iLS a cut-(jff block as he punches our inside breastplate
and look.s to find the second level player.
If we attack this with our man on keys, we can squeeze him
down the I.OS and make it difficult for him to come ofrto tlie
backer. This will force the pie.ssure key or near lineman to
attempt to come off to the hacker. It is not what ihey want to
do and it increases our success against the zone play

T
VEER

PULL

PASS

Teams who run toss or the outside zone play (.stretch) will
attempt to get up to the second level quickly. lea\ing the near
lineman to overtake otii" defensive lineman. This is easily recognizable by the flat step of our man on, similar to a veer

'

f/M
1^5

block, except tliat our pressute key is coming quickly to overtake us (veer = no pressure key),
We will attempt to grab the cloth of otir man on and aim
our sboulders in the s;inie direction, opening up our hips to
the play and giving our presstire key our back.
From here we will rip the pressure key, using our otitside
arm, and ptirsuing down tJie LOS to Uie ljall carrier, gaining
depth as we do.
The last combination block we will spend a lot of time on
\s iwo back teams is the pull with a down block. Tlie reason I
I <ler to tliis as a combination blo<k is because we are incorpo
I ating a pressure key and must work against two linemen to
simulate this block.
As mentioned before, we will always use the pulling lineman's direction to initiate our next move. 1 will use tbe 3
technique uickle most of tbe time to get him nscd lo feeling
where the down block is in relation to bis slmukler and hip.
The coaching point here Is to determine whether or not to
Slav on the pulling guard's hip (inside pull only) or cioss face
\s the centei-s down block. If we get a good get-off and ihe
(enter's weight is on our hip (liehind us) we will continue on
our path behind the puller to the ball earner.
H the center takes a good step and we feel his weight on
< nw shoulder (front), we will drop our itiside hand and cross
the center's face to nm dowii the ball carrier.
In the 43, we will ;Uwa)-s have a backside Lli to accouuL for
cutback. That is the reason I allow our players to cross face.
As witb Ibe man on blocks, we will nse a progression and a
"lil" principle to teacb our defensive linemen how to recognize and defeat the different comtxi blocks.
It is extremely importaui to use the predicted w unprwlicti d method mentioned eiulier in teaching how to defend
I limbo blocks.
For example, with scoop-on, we ml\ set up a defensive linetiian in a "fit" posititm against his man on in a cut-ofi block
sinmlation and have the piessure key (near lineman) already
III a scoop position.
On tlie whistle we will tell each oflensive lineman to
attempt to continue the block and at the same time have the
defetLsive lineman trv' to deleat what hi.s man on is gi\ing him.
In this case, it is a cut-off that will squeeze down bis man

C--K'r;c?i 1/t n V

Defensive Line Techniques and Drills From the 43 Defense

on pressure key and prevent him from climhing to the second level.
Note: This is much diOerent from a double teatn. You
should noi teach your lineman to treat it the same way
hecaiLse the man-on can climb much easier il you sit the pressure instead of squeezing tbe man-on.
We uill then nm the predicted drill at half speed vs the
scc)[>on and progress to full speed until tbe kids can properly recognize and defeat the block,
We will use this uiethod for all of the combo blocks.
Once we have covered the "fit" drill, predicted - we will
continue with the unpredicted drill and show ihem all fburcomho hlocks.
Again, you can incoi-ponite another drill al the finish,
whetlierit'san angle tiukic, fumble, or (iiiish through to a
cone (pursuit).
Repetition is Ibe key to success with tlie big men on the
flefeTisive line and it is our job as coaches lo implement and
change drills dailypreparing them for what schemes they
will cncoiintei" on game day. 1 cannot stiess enough the
importauce of playing with youi" hands and keeping your pad
level lower than yotu" opponent in order to achieve success vs
the nin.

PASS RUSH
Qnotinj^ one of niv defensive brethren, Joe Cullen
(Dek'nsi\e Line Coach, Deuoit Uons), "The greatest play in
defensive football is the sack-forced fumble!"
We use this mcntalit)- at WVl becau.st' we all know how
importani inonicntuui is to the game. Notliing can change
the tempo of a game more tban a hit on tbe playmaker and
force him to titni over the ball at the same time.
It is equally as damaging to your opponent in terms of
motiienttun, which is why we stre.ss tbis eveiA day with our
pass-nLsh drills.
hi order to achieve this, no matter whai you teat h in teniis
of pass-ntsli lechniqtie.s. you will nuiire that the great piLss
rushers somehow find an extra gear to airn ou as they burst
through to tlie QB.
No matter what the drill i-s, we will always emphasize a
great finisli such as a five-yard hursl to a pojvup bag or cone
to simulate this aspect of our pass rush.
It's easy for a gviy rushing the edge to almost back off
Iwcause of tfie separation from his man. only to find that tlie
offensive lineman has moved his feet and re-set his hands or
ihe QB feels pressure and leaves ihe pocket. Youfindyou
have a lot tiiore work to do.
JtLSt as with the nm game, our beginning in teaching pass
rush is the get-ofl. We will use two drills to warm up for our
pass nish progressions.
The first is a "Jet drill" and the second a "Rabbit drill".
In the Jet drill, we start two gii)s off with a hand down and
the same foot hack, elevated offthe ground to just above
their hips.

On movement, they will drive the up-Ieg forward and see if

they can get their foot a few inches piLst where the down haiifl
had been. This is. of course, an exaggerated lii-st step, bui ii
gets them thinking ahout getting ajump on an O-Iineman in
a passing sittuition.
The Riibbit drill involves the use of one of our four blocks
to simulate an offensive lineman in a 2-jioint stance two yards
off the LOS. Our defensive linemen are reacting to the ni<t\c-ment of tbe offensive man who is attempting to backpedal lotfive yards without tlie defensive lineman touching him. We
u-ant our lineman to lake a great first. u|) field sicp and ^et to
a half-man on the O-!ineinan wiili bntli hands to the outside
shoitlder before he gets to five yards.
Again, we're teaching the lineman to have a mucb longer
first step vs high-hat pass seLs, l-roin here, we will begin tlie lit
and progression period of our pass riLsh. We u.se several different moves v\ith counters liuilt in. and I think it is tile
coach's responsibility to find which move works best for each
indi\idua] and have him perfect i t
Our ends or edge nisliei-s will always set ttp their pass nish
off tlieir speed nish-menuiliiy, and our inside big men will set
tip their pass nish off the bull RLSII. ThisfiLsinto one of the
most important aspects of being a great rtwher - how to get
the ofTen.sive lineman out ofliis power position.
In other words, what are we going to do to get an offensive lineman off his heels, turn his shoulders, move bis
feet, and lean or lunge. I only know of two
methods...speed and power!
The speed msh we teach is tlie Tomahawk speed. We will
flex oui" ends outside the blo< ker about a yard and on the
snap, have them flrop to about 4..') - 5 vards back and drive
their inside hand down on the outside hand of the offensive
linemansimulating a "chopping" motion and dropping
theii sluMikler to the liip oi the O-lineman and ripping hard
up with their elbows high and driving into the back or side of
tbe O-Iiueman.
We will use thefitdrill to finish the last part of this IILSII b)
placing a defensive lineman inio either a man or a shield with
his inside hand down and the same shoulder on the hip, or
hip height of ;i shield.
On the whistle, tbe defensive lineman will finish ibc
remainder of the move liy tipphig his elbow high, leaning
on fiis man or shield and fiiiishiiig wilh a live yard burst
to a cone, pop-up bag, or coach holding a ball for a strip
drill nnish.
U is important to teach your playeiii to go for tlic ball uitii
their up field arm and secure the sack witli the other. Use a
po]>up bag for ihe QB and bold a ball nut (tpfjositc the bag
so that the player can nm through the bag as he knocks down
die baU,
We will some-times nm the same drill fmm ihe other side
and have the tiisher "scoop" tlie fumble, again, incoipoi-ating
more than one aspect in a drill to save time.
This is an example of how you can teach your defeu-

Defensive Line Techniques and Drills From the 4 3 Defense

sive lineman to get an fMiiieman out of his power posilion because be tiutst move his feet to accommodate for
your speed.
Tlie counter to the Tomaha^vk speed is the "Ninja" spin
and we will use the same lil drill only this time ha\ing the
defensiw lineman in a defeated position on ihe man or shield
(QB or bag is underneath our path) and finish tlirotigh the
counter witb tbe same burst drill at the end.
Coaching points: Sitting on the O-lineman's hip and
throwing the miLside hand back around and grabbing the
inside leg to ptLsh its through to the finish.
Watch for players who want to spin fiixt before getting
pressure up field. Tlie cotinter is used only if we get too far
up field or are in a bad position on our man.
If you spin too shallow, you will give the QB the outside
lane to either run or pass outside of your rtish.
The power move we teach is called ilie Club/Flipan
attempt to get to the hali-mau and take fiim oui of his power
position, Btit we are using hnite force to accomplish this.
We also use a Fit/Progression drill to teacii this move. We
Stan with tJie dcfetisi\e lineman in a right or left shade on the
O-lineman, who has liis inside hand on our shotilder (right
shade defense = left ami of offensive lineman is on tlie left
slioukiei ol the defender).
From here, we wUI knock the arm of the O-lineman off
with either a cut or swipe move of otir inside hand, (Cut is
undc-r to away and swipe is over to away) piciures.
As we do this, we will stan to flip our hips, pointing our
btilt to the bac-kfiekl and clubbing the outside shoulder of the
man until we are perpendicular lo the O-lineman and slop.
Here is where you can coach the kid.s up on particular
lethuiques. (ki twice to each side and rotate. Next, do the
same movements except to continue to eiiher shuflle our
feet or reverse carioca past the O-linenian .so our hutt is facing tbc> QB and stop. Coaching technique: Do twice to a
side and rotate.
Next, execute the finish fVotn ihe enrl of the last progression wiih a tip or punch to separate fiom the O-Uneman.
I.;tstly, we will do all three parts of ihe move at once
again finish with a btust to a bag, cone, or coach for five
yards. Use the same finishers as with the Tomahawk to
work strip, sark, or fumble.
Tfie counter we use for the Club/Flip is ihe Club Back to
the inside. Note: if your people have gotten lo the rip or
puiK h portion of the move and are either still engaged or hy
the QB, they're counter will be the Ninja spin.
We will now use another fit drill to coach the counter
whenever wr have our plavers hall-way through the rush move
with tbeir hips flipped and hand to the shoulder of the OIineman. only this time, on tlie whistle the O-lineman will
sbuffle his feet to rui off tbe move and force the defensive
lineman to use his inside hand to Club Back tlie opposite
shotilder of ihe O-lineman and flip his hips hack to the inside
and rip or punch to escape.

22

You can get pretty creative with both of these drills on bow
you want to set ttp tlic Fit/Progressions, de|)ending nn whal
aspect of the moves your players are snuggling with.
Very important: Witb any pass n.i.sh move you teach, )'ou
miisl always coacli your players to have a plan for every
down in ca.se they get a high-hat read. Since tbey must
already have a plan of attack, they need not hesitate. One
second of hesitation could mean the difference in a QB
having the neees.sai7 time to throw dowiilield and hurt you.
So emphasize this in every drill in which they are reading a
man on. This includes the team pan uf \our practice as
well as the individual |)eriods.
It is always a good idea to teach pas.s-nish moves off a hull
rush for your nose guard, as his man nn will mosi likely gel
the help of a center and you wll want the middle of your msh
lo stay on course and not get washed.
We use a hit of hand-t^^lultld c ombat drills for ilii.s as well
as a "Butt-Bull" technique. The Butl-Bull starLs out from the
bull rush, but as the O-lineman starts to take away a side of
your msh lane, you should use a .similar technique defeating a
reach fjlock.
Use your power ann technique to tum the hips of the Olineman and flip your hips at the same time, you shotild shuffle your feet to get beyond his hip and finish with a riji oi
punch to tlie QB.
Use the Fit/Progression techniques for teaching this move
as well.
Vou have now given your players a couple nf techniques
v/ith htiilt in counters to piessure the QB. Work them everyday and your people will Ixxome gieat nishers.
Remember, if yotir oppnueiil throu^ the ball 10 times a
game and you're bringing four, that's 40 opportunities to
make a big play and change the tempo of a game, increasing
your < ham c-s for success.

DAILY COACHING POINTS

EMPHASIZED BY OUR D-LINE
I.

10.
II.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Stop the run on the way to the QB,

Always be prepared to lake away a dH\c block
Always have a pass ru.sh plan if you gel a high hat.
First step is always up field unless yoti're slanting.
Man on key is referred to as "Battle-Of-One".
Play with your hajids
Eyes in the palms of your hands.
Even up your stagger when slanting.
Elongate your stance if it's a pas.sing down.
Always allow your second step to take you out of a block.
Win and look through your gap.
Never riLsh the passer with your shoulders square lo the
LOS.
Finish pvcry play.
Always go for the ball if you're the second guy in on a
tackle.
Study your opponent on fiim and look for "Tells".