Blocking Rules Free For All

Clark, Jack, et al:

Nice discussion.
Everyone is searching for the Holy Grail, the Fountain of Youth, the magic bullet - the blocking scheme that covers it all. No one has discovered it yet - but keep looking and email me when you get it.

To expand a bit on the pass protection, though, our 1, 2 & 3 step pass pro is a very simple wedge-like scheme where the five interior OL simply step to the middle and "build a wall". The scheme simply squeezes out penetration. The blocks should be as low as possible without being "cut style" blocks. We would like to keep the defensive front's hands as low as possible - hence the low contact point.

The backs block the edge. Sometmes, however, a back is called into the pattern scheme and in this instance the backside TE fills for that back, or he gives us an edge blocker.

In any respect the ball is gone very quickly and we should be able to protect long enough to allow that.

I have toyed with slide protection for the 3 step game, but find the "wall" technique more than adequate and very simple.

Our sprint protection used to be a "step/hinge" technique. In that we had all OL step to playside and attack anything that came to that playside gap. A playside linmeman engaging someone in the playside gap would drive that defender toward the outside. allowing the QB time to set up and throw.

If no one showed playside, the OL would then hinge backside and pick up anything that showed in his immediate backside gap. If nothing came there, he could assist backside on anything between him and the backside DE.

We now simply use a "worm" technique where all OL worm step their butts to the playside and effectively face the sideline opposite to where the QB is headed. Their butts face the sideline where the QB is going. Each of those OL is responsible for the gap nearest him on the backside of the play. IOW, when I worm I invite the nearest defender to me to take the gap in the direction I am facing - the gap away from the direction is headed. When the defender does this, the OL has an easy contact on that defender and an easy push/drive/redierct away from the playside.

We use a back (usually the FB) to block the playside DE.

The FB's technique to block the frontside DE is a bit unusual and is something I played with for a while and settled on. Since we cannot cut block this defender (DE), and we really don't want to drive him toward where the QB is going, we had to devise something somewhat different. We ask our QB on sprint pass to attack the LOS and if there is no open receiver, to utilize his momentum and tuck and run.

With that in mind, we have the FB use an option blocking technique used in leading the pitch back to the edge. The FB takes an "arc-like" path to the DE.

Instead of taking an inside-out ppath to that DE, the FB takes his initial steps flat to the sideline (parallel to the LOS) and on about the 3rd step he arcs up to the LOS and smacks the DE in a squared-up fashion, base blocking him straight up field. We don't care if this is a dead stalemate as long as the FB squarely engages the DE and keeps him occupied for a couple of seconds. This allows the QB to continue on his path toward the LOS and gives him time to do his job.

If the FB finds that the DE slants inside to try to attack the QB, the FB very easily steps inside and seals him there. We wish the DE would take this path everytime as he cannot be successful this way. The DE sometimes fights across the face of the FB and puts pressure on the QB. We may have a mis-match now and then, but not very often.

Teaching the FB to take 3 flat steps to the sideline before he arcs up into the DE can take some doing - depending on the FB. But once he does it correctly and understands the concept, he's got it and he will execute it well.

We don't run very may different pass plays from our sprintout scheme, but the few we do use have been very successful. The worm technique and the FB arc path are all part of the success.

And, yes, I love play action passes, too.