SPRINT OUT PART ONE: PROTECTION

I must apologize for the delay...3 days without the internet makes it hard to complete any research. Then a short family vacation. Plus I felt the urge to be creative and make diagrams with MORE then "xs and Os".

So here is the first part...PROTECTION.

Adding a sprintout package to your offense is one way to change the launch point for the Quarterback. Protection is a little bit different then your standard BOB or SLIDE protection. There are two important factors in sprintout protection. You must be able to secure both edges with drastically different schemes. The frontside concern is to seal the edge so the QB can get outside. The backside concern is to stop any pressure from the backside rush. You don’t want a free rusher chasing down your QB like a cheetah chases down its prey.

The frontside protection can be related to your players an acronym…COW (Thanks to Coach Lew Johnston). COW stands for Capture Outside Wing. This can be accomplished in varieties of ways.

•  Playside Tackle reaches the DE 
• Runningback seals the edge from the backfield
•  Align a Wing to block the edge

Using the playside tackle seems like the most logic choice. However some of us are not blessed with tackles that are agile enough to seal the edge. If you are that lucky then the tackle should be able to secure the edge with a simple HOOK block. I do mean hook as opposed to reach block. The objective is to make sure the defender’s outside pursuit is cut off. Inside penetration can be countered by “washing” the defender into the line. But with today Odd Front and Stack defenses, you can’t always say that the DE will be the man that the playside tackle will end up blocking. Add this simple term to all of you pass protection schemes “Slide to Air, Be Aware!” (See STACK picture below).

When using the tackle to seal the edge means the playside guard is securing the playside gap. He will use a reach block to secure the 3 technique. He needs to remember to protect the playside gap, if the defender slants inside then he will need to “wash” him down.

The center’s assignment remains the same regardless of the outside protection scheme. He steps playside, pivots then blocks any defender that comes to his gap. This is commonly known as turn back protection.

The backside guard’s blocking assignment is the same as the center. He will step, pivot then block any defender that comes to his gap. One key coaching point is for the lineman not to pivot so fast that a defender could blow right him. (FIGURE 2).

 The backside protection is drastically different. The backside tackle must prevent the edge rusher from an easy path to the QB. If there is a defender lined up head up or inside of him he must be aware of the possible edge rusher. The tackle should take a short inside step followed by stepping at a forty five angle toward the outside gap. If the rusher goes inside then give the backside guard a “helping hand” without fully committing…keeping in mind a linebacker may be coming on a blitz.

Note the different angles by each blocker...

 Your tackle can’t make that reach block? Then securing the edge can come from a wing or a running back from the backfield.  The playside tackle and guard’s blocking assignment changes to the step and pivot technique when using either protection. This makes it easier to teach to the entire unit as four of the five linemen are using the same blocking technique (Step and Pivot). Make sure the angle of the pivot is relation to the defender’s rush path.
The only concern is when the defense starts scraping the LB over the top (FIGURE 4 and 5). Then you will need to have the playside tackle and runningback or wing double the DE and the LB (FIGURE 6).

SCRAPING LB could be a problem...

Play side Tackle and WING/RB double the edge rushers.

RB/WING must keep and eye on the LB.

Kudos to Blogger for the improving/adding the edit box for pictures. It now makes changing the sizes and adding captions made the pictures a snap...no pun intended!

Coming soon. QB techniques and route combinations.

Next Article...

Sprint Out Pass Game?

or

Screen Game?

Great Webiniar

Once again, Andrew Coverdale provides awesome information!

Basic Checks out of Empty Sets

THE SCARECROW

I found an alternative to lugging around trash cans all the time. At one of the clinics I attended, I heard Head Coach Shawn Jackson from Obion County Central High School (TN). He showed some clips of routes on air. The thing that struck me were these dummies he was using for drop awareness. He calls them “scarecrows”. They are made of PVC pipes and weighted down with a 10 pound plate. I decided to make my own version of it. They are taller than a trash can, so the QB can’t throw over it that easy!

There are not many materials needed.

PVC CROSS $2.53

PVC 10' pipe $4.18

2x4x10 $2.78

Hacksaw to cut pipe

Screws for base

Drill for screws

I measured and cut a 6 foot section. I set the extra 4 foot section aside. I took the 6 foot section and stood it up to get basic idea where the shoulder cut should be. This ended up at 18 inches. Take the 4 foot section and cut in half for the “arms”. Now take the “head-shoulder” piece and put it in the CROSS joint. I used 2x4 for the base. Have the hardware store cut them for you, saves a TON of time. The cuts should be 14-16 inches.  Next is the tricky part, set the pieces upright and place CROSS piece with the pipe side down into the center. Secure the 2x4 pieces together. Below are some pictures.

Links and Websites

Has anyone seen a good blog article or website that they would like to share??


Brophy's  Quick Game intro

Coach Hoover's Levels

Otown's 3P Grading System3P grading system

Adding an "avalanche" to your offense

With the clinic season now finished, two topics have sparked this article. The first is going fast…Oregon fast. Some coaches may find it hard to grasp that their team can go that fast. It is already being done at the high school level.  The second is combining two plays in one COMBO concept. This was first introduced to me by Coach Emendorfer at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. He combined Inside Zone with Bubble. The decision to run or pass was a presnap read by the quarterback. Some teams have made it into a postsnap read by the Quarterback.

There a few ways to go fast. The coach calls the plays from the sideline in rapid fire 2 minute offense style. Or the coach develops a set number of plays that the offense runs in a specific order.

As you start the process, there are a few suggestions
1. Keep the formation the same or simple. This helps the players from running all over the place and worried getting set before the snap. More than two players moving will slow pace. If you want to move players then keep the movement from the backfield to #3 WR spot.
2. Use quick plays. 3 step passes and zone runs will cut down on the amount of thinking by the QB and Oline. If you choose to include a 5 or 7 step pass concept or a counter run, make sure the play is later in the set…when the defense is winded.

      3. Have a BOXER or KNUTE ROCKNE thought process. Boxers will use a combination of different punches to keep his opponent off balance, then when the opponent is fatigued…the knockout punch delivers the final blow.  Knute Rockne delivered a classic speech that can be applied. We’re going hit em INSIDE, OUTSIDE, when we get em on the run we gonna KEEP them on the run…

You should attack the defense in different areas.

The offense becomes unstoppable force that AKA an “avalanche”. Avalanche can be the term that signals the start of set of plays or the start of the INDY tempo. Be creative with the terms…

“STAMPEDE” “SNOWBALL” “KA-BOOM” “HURRY, HURRY”

A few years ago, I coached a sophomore team and used “ATTACK, ATTACK” to start the INDY tempo. I only used four plays: VEER, SPRINT OUT FLOOD, QB SNEAK and FREEZE/NO PLAY. This past year, I used one pass concept (CURL FLAT) with some minor tweaks to score quickly at the end of a JV game. These two examples show that this tempo can be run at lower levels with limited practice time. This means that it can easily be used at any varsity program.

When you start developing your play groups, be aware of the most important factor: your offensive line. You want to make sure to keep them both physically and mentally fresh. Of course extra conditioning is the answer!  WRONG! Make sure to have the TEMPO built into practice. Emphasize parts of practice that will allow quick tempo. One clinic nugget is to tell the lineman, during a long gain, to jog to the ball. We may have the mindset to tell the big boys to SPRINT to the BALL, GET THERE! But by telling them to jog to the ball, it converses energy and adds a mental edge. As the defense is sprinting and pursuing, the Oline are jogging to the ball and thinking, “look at those stupid defensive lineman, wasting all their energy…I got something for them on the next play!” Make sure to remember, as the defense gets tired, some plays will be less effective. Avoid interior screens and draw plays. When the defense gets fatigued then the rush will slow down. Thai will make those plays infective at that time.

A couple of ideas for play sets.
1. Best quick pass (outside pass)
2. Draw (inside run)
3.  Zone Boot pass (movement pass)
4.    FREEZE/ NO PLAY NOTE: why do some teams still use ALASKA as the code for FREEZE?
Be creative!

1. Bubble (perimeter screen)
2.  RB Slip Screen (slow screen)
3.  Tunnel Screen (perimeter screen)
4.  FREEZE/NO PLAY

1. SPEED OPTION (perimeter run)
2. COUNTER (inside run)
3. POWER (inside run)
4. FREEZE/NO PLAY

Okay, so power and counter involve pulling lineman…use this early when your big boys are ready. Or run your best run play that may involve pulling or trapping. If you don’t score after three plays then when running the ball go to a simple scheme like zone or iso.

Next, you can experiment with a COMBO play. The two that I will begin with are meshing Inside Zone and Bubble Screen then Outside Zone/Stretch with Quick Screen.  The quickness of Inside Zone compliments the quickness of Bubble Screen. The QB’s presnap read should be the Outside Linebacker and the Free Safety. Can they make the play on the Bubble? The QB read during the play is the Defensive End. Can he tackle the RB? The QB has the option to run, but really is looking more to GIVE or THROW.

The Gun Stretch play can be a good compliment to the Quick Screen. The Lateral movement of the Runningback gets the defense moving laterally, which creates more space for the WR running the Quick Screen. The QB’s presnap read will be the leverage of the secondary and the backside Linebacker. The QB’s read during the play is the Linebackers in the box. If they Flow…I Throw.

The final combo play is pairing JET sweep with Jailbreak screen. A Team in California runs this concept with great results. The QB’s presnap read would be if the defense has rolled to the field or runs with the jet motion. 

And If even lower levels can run at a FAST pace...Here is clips of my old team running fast pace from 2006.


Bloom vs Crete Monee 2006 from John Maurek on Vimeo.

End zone camera.com

just got out new end zone camera and it is awesome!. It has a remote that allows you to pan and zoom. Jamie Hill the company's owner was a pleasure to deal with and answered all of my questions in a timely manner. I am looking forward to using it this season during practice and games.

http://www.endzonecamera.com/
Jamie Hill
(901)219•5606

PRACTICE SEGMENT TIMER

I was using my editing program today and created a one hour long "sound clip". I found an air horn sound bit and inserted it every five minutes. I burned it to CD. I plan to use it during practice. Not Manager to keep time and blow and air horn...Of course, they will still have to yell what period it is!!

R4 BOOK is here

I just got the R4 book in the mail yesterday...The question is how fast will I read it!!


It is notebook size and has great items to copy for your QBs !!

330 CHECK

Last year, I wrote an article about the quick game. Some concepts worked well others were scraped.

SCRAPED...Did anyone try these?

I will be trying this concept. We play a few teams that run Cover 2. And my co-author is currently running this with great results.

# 1 WR He aligns outside of the numbers.No upfield steps, he steps inside at less then a 45 degree angle. He then slowly gains ground.
#2 WR  runs a seam or corner depending upon coverage. This is presnap adjustment.