Conversion from DE to LB youth football

With out knowing what type of defense your running and the responsibilties of the OLB.

A few things that make a linebacker really good.

Stance - OLB the outside foot should be back (heel toe relationship). He should be low and play low with the knees and hips bent.

His inside foot should be pointed in the gap.

(depth varies but normally at the youth level 3 to 4 yards is the norm). Some like to have them play tighter.

(practice getting in and staying in a stance)

Read Step - LB's first priority is to stop run and their second responsibility is to stop pass. That means their first step is their inside foot stepping towards the gap. This gets them moving to the "hole" whether it is run or pass.

It is a short fast step - get it up get it down and it is actually two quick steps - inside step then the outside foot follows staying in the same heel toe relationship if possible. Staying low.

(rep it a lot) Now the reason I mention the two things above is becaus they are the basis of any good linebacker. They need to be natural.

1) The stance is key to putting the linebacker in the right spot and with leverage. He who plays low, stays low, wins.

2) The read step should be natural an it allows the LB to attack down hill in an instant. Good linebackers have quick read steps that allow them to attack their gap and through their gap.

So if a OLB is a 50 tech his gap is the C gap.

That is the first step in teaching a LB.

Next step.

Attacking the gap -

1) Have him get in a stance at proper depth and then take a quick read step and then attack gap. Right into the back field.

2) Shedding blocks - Drive block, Reach block, Pull away, Pass block, Down Block.

Have linebackers switch up with one acting as lineman so they can learn what to look for.

DRIVE (LEAD) - LB attack the blocker with the inside arm's forearm and drives through the blocker and into the back field. Ripping if he needs to. Keeps the outside arm free because he has help inside.

REACH - LB sees a reach blocker coming at him (the key is the blocker is trying to cross his face) He lifts his inside arm so that it is across his body and the finger tips are pointed outside with palm facing the LOS. The outside arm clubs a near outside joint of the blocker as the inside arm sweeps inside driving the LB past the blocker into the lane.

PASS - If rushing - he should bull rush the pass blocker fast so that he out runs the pass blocker before he sits. This allows him to BULL and JERK him to get past into the pocket.

Inside Pulling - As soons as he sees the blocker pull he fires into the gap trailing the near hip of hte blocker. This takes him right into the lane the runner is going.

Outside Pulling - As soon as he sees the blocker pull he fires into the gap trailing the near. Again putting him into the lane of the runner.

ANGLE Block - Same as a drive block but he uses the near forearm not inside forearm.

Trap - He closes, sinks, and shivers - meaning as he read steps if he sees a trapper coming he closes the distance (closing the hole) lowers his body cocks his near arm and fires into the blockers outside shoulder as he charges right off the outside hip. This allows the LB to push the trapper to the LOS at the same time he can force the play. (for a high trap)

If he crosses the LOS into the back field he handles the trap the same way but this time he tries to drive the blocker into the back field.

( I was shown this technique by a College LB coach this Summer very effective way of handling a trap block).

Double Team - IF he gets doubled he drives inside arm and hip into the gap of the blockers and attempts to split them. If not he drops grabs grass and bear crawls through the double team (not dropping on the ground). This freezes the double team.

Now here is the cool thing. If you rep these with your LB's so that they learn how to shed these blocks you have just taught your guys how to read line blocks. That means you don't have to teach backfield keys and cross keys.

DRIVE BLOCK - LEAD BLOCK = ball coming at you.

REACH = ball going outside of you.

ANGLE = ball on inside of angle block

PASS = pass or draw

PULL = going to direction of pull

DOUBLE TEAM = ball is coming at you/near you

(every block or combo block uses these.)

So for instance your kid is a 50 tech LB playing in a 53 he is responsible for the C gap. Now you simply have that OLBs read the near OT on both sides. Mike normally reads the center or strong side guard (Mike read steps at either the center or if reading strong side guard at the A gap of the strong side guard).

So why I am rambling on about this. Because this is really easy to rep and you can get this down with about 2 hours total of reps in one week. Then keep pounding it home. This will make him more confident because now he has a space that is HIS, a way to defend it, and a way to read the offense and get the jump.

Some examples of how this works -

Team is playing a power I they run a power right and the front side drive blocks and the backside reaches (jump through second level).

The PSOLB sees the OT try to drive him so right as he read steps he closes down and attack the PSOT and into the C gap after shedding him.

BSOLB sees the OT try to jump through block him (reach) he now knows the play is going strong side attacks through and into his gap. (actually the B gap now).

Just learning proper stance, footwork, technique and give a LB a lot of confidence in executing and speed him and makes him quicker. He is thinking less and using his instincts.

Jack