Ithaca College Digital Commons @ IC Ithaca College Theses 1990 Offensive line coaches' training manual Sean N. Powers Ithaca College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ic_theses Part of the Health and Physical Education Commons Recommended Citation Powers, Sean N., "Offensive line coaches' training manual" (1990). Ithaca College Theses. Paper 218. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ IC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ithaca College Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ IC. 0「FENSIVE LDE COACHESITRAINING MANUAL A Project Presented to the Faculty of the Division of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Ithaca College In Partial Fulfillment of the , Requirements of the Degree IrGster of Science by 、 Sean N.Powers ScPtomber 199o 中mACA COLLEGE LIRpapv Ithaca College Division of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Ithaca, New york CERIFICATE OF APPROVAL MASTER OF SCIENCE PROJECT This is to certify that the Master of Science Project of Sean N..Powers submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Division of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation of Ithaca College has been Project Advisor: Candidate: Chairman, Graduate - Programs in Physical Education: Date: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The investigator would like to extend the sincerest appreciation to the following people: 1. Dr. A. Craig Fisher, project advisor, whose patience and advice made this project possible. 2. Kris Pleimann, for her expertise in the typin& layout, and design of the project, and whose ability to do an incredible amount of work in such a short period of time made the completion of this project possible. 3. Kurt KehI, for his fine photography and his expert advice on the layout of this proiect. 4. Princeton University FJead Football Coach Steve Tosches, for allowing me to use the resources of the Princeton University Football program in the photography for this project. 5. Princeton University Assistant Football Coaches Steve DiGregorio and Craig Cason, for their technical advice on offensive line play. 6. Princeton University Equipment Manager Hank Towns and his staff: Cap Crossland, Gary Mosley, Furman Witherspoon, and Mark Campbell, for outfitting the players for the photographs. 7. Princeton Uiriversity Football players: Chuck ]ones, Pete Masloski, John Melkon, Mike Schumacher, and Bob Surace, for demonstrating the techniques in the photographs. ¨ ｕ ― | DEDICATION This projectis dedicated to my family′ PatHck Powers′ the late Eileen Powers′ and the late Camette Powers. ¨ ｎ TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENЪ .… …….… ……………・…・……………………・…・………・………………………………………………・…… ii DEDICATION.… ………………………………………………………………………………………・ざ………………………………………… i五 INttODUCION.… …….… ……………………・………・………・……………。………………………………………・………… 1 TIIE PHYSICAL′ MEMAL′ AND EMO■ ONAL AttRIBL「 FES OFAN O「FENSIVE LINEMAN.… ….… ……………………………………………………………………………………・2 .… PERSOblNEL SELECrION.… … ………………………………………………………・……………i・・●…………………・7 The Center....… ………………・・…¨¨・・………¨¨…………………・・¨・・・………………………¨¨¨¨¨・メ・……・●¨…………・・…・・…・・・…¨…… 7 ThO Cuard.… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 The Tackle.… ……………………¨………¨…………………………………………………¨…・・………¨………・・・・・・………………………・・ 8 DItILL PHILOSOPIIY..`.… Ⅲ….… ……………●………………・…………………・…………………………・………………・ 10 DRⅣE BLOCKING.… …….… ……………・……………………………………………………………………………………… 13 1nitial Advantages...¨ ..¨ ¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 14 ・・・・ ・・・・・ ・ ・ ・・ ・・ ・・・・"・・"¨ ・・“・・・・・"¨ ・・ "¨ ・ Guidelines for Offensive SPlitS・ ………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 STANCE.… …….・ ………¨…………………………………………………………・・……………………………………………………:.20 Start.¨ ¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨¨¨ ・・・・ …… ""¨ "¨ ・・ …… ・・・・ …………… ¨"¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨¨¨¨¨"¨ "・ 23 Weight Shift.¨ ¨¨..¨ ¨¨¨・・¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ :・ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ざ¨ .● .・ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ 24 “ ・・・・・・ ・・"… ……………・ “ “ “・・ “ ・・・・ ・・"・ Center Stance(Quarterback Exchange)..¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・¨・・¨"¨ ¨¨・・¨¨・・・・¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨・・¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨¨"¨ 28 The Snap...¨ ¨¨¨.・ ¨¨・・¨¨・・¨・・・・¨¨¨¨¨"¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨“"""¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨………・・・・¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・ 30 DRIVE BLOCK.… ……………………………・・・・………………………・……………………………………・………・……・……・ 33 Approach..¨ ¨¨.¨ .“ ¨・ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨ ●¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨● ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 34 ・・・・……・・ ""・ =・ "¨ ………・・・・"・・・・・ "・・・ ・・・・・・・ ・・・ ・ ・・ Contact。 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………・・1・ …………… 35 Follow Through.… ………………¨…・・………¨・・………………………¨……¨・・"… ……………………¨……¨・・¨…………・・………・ 35 Against LinebackeFS..¨ ¨¨..¨ .・ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨"""・・¨¨¨¨¨・・¨¨¨¨"¨ ¨¨¨・・¨・・¨¨・・¨ 37 Conlmon Mistakes..… …¨¨・・:… …¨..… ……………………¨…………………・・¨・………¨¨¨・…………………………………………・ 37 lV Drive Block Teaching Progression 39 INDIVIDUAL BLOCKING TECHNIQUES ............ 48 Cutoff Block ......... 48 Cutoff Block Versus a Linebacker ................. 50 The Reach Block .......... 51 The Rip Block .......... 52 The Rip,/ and Roll BIock.......... 53 The Near Shoulder Block .......... 54 The Far or Cross Shoulder Block .......... 54 The Down, Gap Step, or Fill Block .......... 55 COMBINATION BLOCKING ................ 58 The Double Team or Post and Drive Block 58 The Bump, Chip, or Co-op 81ock.......... 61 The Fold Block .......... 64 The Cross Block :......... 67 The Scoop Block ......... 69 The Power Scoop ......... 70 The Slip Scoop ............... 73 The Horn 81ock.......... ........i............ 74 PULLTNG TECHMQUES ................. 78 Basic Pulling Technique 78 The Flat PuIl............ .........;........... 80 Pull and Lead ........... 80 The Counter Trey ..!....!..r.....rr.i. !..!.r.........rr...!...................: 81 The TraP Pun.… …………………………。………………………………:・ ……….… .… ……………・…・…・……………… 84 PASS PROTECTION.… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………・ 87 Conlrnon Causes of Pass Protection Breakdowns...¨ .・ "¨・・¨"¨ "¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨"¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨… 88 Ceneral Pass Protection Techniques...¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨¨・・¨¨¨………¨¨……¨¨¨・・・・¨¨“¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨¨¨¨¨ 89 Pass Protection Terrunology¨ ..… …………・・・・¨……………¨¨¨¨¨¨…………………………………¨¨¨¨¨・・¨・・¨¨・・¨¨¨¨"¨ ¨… 91 The Passing Area.¨ .・ :・ ..… .・ ¨ ¨““¨・ ¨ … ¨¨・・¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・¨・・¨¨・・¨"¨ …………………………¨¨¨・・¨¨・・・・・・..¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨・ 95 The Stance.¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨ :・ .¨ "¨ ・・ ・・ ・・・ ・・"¨ ・"¨ ……・・・¨¨・¨¨¨¨・・¨¨・¨¨¨ ¨¨・“¨¨。¨¨・ 96 Body P6sition."¨ ..¨ ..¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ・・"・・ ・・ "¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨…・・・・¨¨¨¨・・¨¨¨・・¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨………・・・・・ 96 Setting Squarely¨ ¨¨¨¨¨・・¨¨¨・・¨¨・・¨・・¨¨¨・・¨・・・・¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨¨・・¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・・¨¨・・¨・・……¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:・ .¨ . 97 ..¨ 1a―ing¨ ¨¨.¨ .¨ ¨・¨¨¨¨・¨・・¨¨¨¨¨・¨¨¨¨¨¨・¨¨¨・¨¨¨¨・¨¨"¨ ¨・¨……・・・・¨・・¨¨¨¨¨¨¨・¨・¨・ ¨・.● .¨ .・ ¨・・・・¨ 100 `・ Routes the Rusher Can Take tO the Quarterback。 …………………………………………………………… 101 Pass Rush Techniques and Counters..… …………¨…・・……¨…¨…………"… ………………………¨¨¨・・・…¨・・…・・・・ 103 Protecting Against a Defensive Twist.… ……………………………………………………………………・……。105 Pass Teaching Progression.¨ ¨.… ¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨●●¨ 108 ……… ・"¨・“・・・・・・"・ ・・・“"¨・………・ ・・ ・・・・"・ =¨ ・ CONCLUSION.… …………¨………………………¨…………………………………………………………。…………………… 110 1tEFERENCES.… ¨ 。 …………… …………………………………・………………・・`… …………………・……………………… 113 Vl INTRODUCTION The purpose ol this training manual is to provide the high school and college coach with a complete guide of the necessary fundamentals of offensive line play. A specific offensive system is not discussed here. The techniques and fundamentals in this text can be used no matter what type of offense is run. The material begins with how a coach may select players for the offensive line and continues with the basics of offensive line play, namely the stance and start. A section on teaching and drill philosophy has been included to give the coach food for thought. The manuscript progresses to the various blocks. Both individual and combination techniques have been included. Ttris manual also includes Jcomplete pass blocking section as well as a section on pulling. This manual has been illustrated with both pictures and diagrams depicting correct as well as incorrect technique. As the saying goes, "a piclure is worth a thousand words." The idea for this manual comes from the desire to create the type of resource I would have liked to have had when I was first assigned to coach the offensive line. I sincerely hope that a young coach who must coach the offensive line will find this guide helpful. I would also hope that a more expeiienced coach might find some useful information. _3 blocks that make the offense go. plays A lineman seldom finds his name in headlines. I know for I was one myself. The band seldom football. for him, but when he does his job he knows it. Blocking is the key to winning offensive that Offensive linemen seldom get the credit due them, but their personal satisfaction lies in knowing they are part of the successful whole' (Flynn, 1973,p' 6) both physi- We will now focus our attention on the attributes a good offensive lineman must possess technique than is cally and mentally. As it was pointed out earlier, offensive line play is more given to of size the defensive line play. Of course, an offensive lineman must meet the minimum requirements and strength, but there are many other factors to consider' probably the most important physical characteristic for an offensive lineman is quickness. Quickness A good off the ball is without a doubt the most important factor in controlling the line of scrimmage' linemen are offensive lineman may not be the fasfest player in the 40-yard dash, but a]l good offensive quick in their movement for the first 5 or 10 yards' they are Offensive linemen who do not totally understand the offense they are running or the defense indecision, not physi- facing often will appear to lack good quickness when in reality they are slowed