AFM RSS Feed Follow Us on Twitter       
AMERICAN FOOTBALL MONTHLY THE #1 RESOURCE FOR FOOTBALL COACHES
ABOUT |  CONTACT |  ADVERTISE |  HELP  



   User Name    Password 
      Password Help





Article Categories


AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Quarterbacking the Quarterback

by: Doug Martin
Offensive coordinator/QB coach, East Carolina University
© More from this issue

Click for Printer Friendly Version          

The fundamentals of any position are important, and perhaps they are most crucial at the quarterback position. Quarterback fundamentals are both physical and mental. We have a list of beliefs in training a QB and they are:

1. Never take a sack. Know when to take a chance and when not to by considering down, distance and field position.

2. Throw against blitzes every time. Every play is a blitz until proven otherwise. This teaches the QB to be prepared, play under control and not to hurry against the blitz.

3. Protect the QB from tackle to tackle. We can throw hot off of a 5 technique rusher, but we must be solid inside.

4. Know where your package is. No sight adjustments for hot routes are built in.

5. Stress natural look offs. They help the QB learn to move his eyes.

6. QB must coach wide receivers so the quarterback sets the tempo.

7. Progression read in order and backwards. This helps teach him where the third and fourth receivers are. Do not let QB throw to first look and pass skell.

8. Study great players on film - your players or other players. Players can teach a coach if you are willing to check your ego.

9. Separate from center. The pass drop should always be evaluated. He must be able to step up.

10. Confidence is the key for any QB and it is the coaches' job to give it to him. Him throws are simple and a good way to get a QB started.

DRILLS

The most important thing about a QB drill is that it should apply to the game itself. That sounds very simple, but it is disregarded all the time. I see QB drills that have no use in a game. A good example is making a quarterback practice throwing from one or both knees. As far as I know, it's not legal to throw from this position and so it is a complete waste of time. If arm strength is a concern, go to the weight room, not to your knees. I think you get more out of drills if they involve the game itself.

All of our drills for a QB are designed to be very specific and teach both the physical and mental part of the game. In any drill we do, the QB is on the clock to get the ball thrown. If the buzzer goes off before the throw then it's a sack. This teaches tempo not only to the QB, but also the receivers. The following drills we feel have purpose are:

1. Dallas Drill - This is a pass skell drill where only the underneath coverage personnel are present. It is all zone coverages and is used to teach the QB how to stretch underneath zone coverage. For example, if you want to work on Cover 2, then the two deep safeties are not present. The five underneath coverage people drop to their zone and the QB must throw the underneath routes. This drill is effective in teaching both offense and defense. Remember all throws are on the clock (Diagram 1).


Diagram 1

2. Pirate Drill - This is a pass skell against blitz-man coverage. Everyone knows it is man-to-man, so you can really teach fundamentals of routes, coverages, etc., without having to worry about zone reads. It also gives you a great opportunity to teach Hot Packages.

3. Half line pass skell - The worst thing about pass skell is that it can hamper the QB from learning the most important fundamental that's moving in the pocket and finding passing lanes. Half Line Pass Skell involves half the offensive and defensive lines to provide a rush for the QB to negotiate. Twist stunts, slants, etc., can be involved and half line can be used in Dallas Drill and Pirate Drill, also.

4. Vertical Skell - This is my favorite way to practice pass skell because it makes players and coaches think about down, distance and field position. In a vertical skell, the offense has three downs to get a first down and the ball moves down the field just like a game. Down-markers are used and now the receivers and QB have to throw completions. If no first down is made, the drill starts over wherever you want it to start. Coaches' judgment is used to blow each player down after the catch. In the drill, there is a reward for a catch (first down) and punishment for drops or incompletions (drill starts over). Different field positions come into play (Red Zone, Goal Line, Coming Out) and down and distance is vital to the play-calling. Again, all throws are on the clock.

5. 2-Minute Pass Skell - The two-minute drill is very important to us and we embrace the opportunity to execute it in games and practice. Most players and coaches spend their time hoping to avoid this situation, but we want to win on the last play of the game and we make our players willing to win on the last play. Two-minute Pas Skell is a way to practice this drill with only the most skilled players on both sides of the ball. This way you can get more repetition at the drill without having the sacks, etc., to stop the drill. More situations can be covered and it is a very productive drill.

6. Coming Out Pass Skell - What is your offensive plan for your QB when you're on your own 2-yard line? Could your QB tell you what plays you will call? If not, then you need to put a lot more thought into it. In 1999, we had 12 coming out situations and made at least one first down in 11 of those situations. This is a great area to throw the ball if you are prepared and put some thought into it.

By using these different drills, our practice time is efficient and productive. The most important aspect of coaching a QB is exposing him to as many different situations in practice as you can and having a very specific plan for those situations.

THROWING HOT

Teaching a quarterback to throw hot against against the blitz, be it zone or man-blitz, is key. There are basically two schools of thought. One is sight adjusted by a receiver. The other is to build a hot package into the route for the QB. We never sight adjust against the blitz, so there is always a hot package built for the QB to use that never changes. There are several advantages to this, such as:

1. You only have to teach the QB. This means less confusion. To ask a receiver to recognize blitzes and know whether it makes him hot or not is asking a lot.

2. It creates natural look offs. The QB's eyes will be forced to move as he goes from the hot side to the zone side of the route.

3. It increases the ability to move and shift. A receiver that is a sight adjust must be set to have a chance to see Blitz. Our receivers can be moved which helps expose coverage and helps them get open versus man-to-man coverage.

4. It increases flexibility. We can build hot packages into the three-receiver side or a two-receiver side. This helps force some pick routes to help receivers get open quickly. It also gives you a chance to get first down yardage on third down, 4-6, instead of a receiver running a sight adjust and being tackled short of the first down.

Here are two hot packages we use.

The first hot package is to flood side (three-receiver). This package would be built for the QB to use against blitz while the other side of the route is his zone beater. This package can be formated several different ways and motion can be used. The No. 1 receiver has a swing out route which is run about 6 yards deep over the ball and then swings back to the outside if you do not get the ball. He will release behind the TE who forces an outside release and runs a flag route. The third receiver runs a flat route and he releases behind the swing out. There are several opportunities to pick a defender here in man coverage, especially with receivers in motion. (Diagram 2, 3 & 4)


Diagram 2


Diagram 3


Diagram 4

The next hot package is a combination or two-receiver hot. Again, motion and formation changes can be made to keep this package alive during the game. In this case, our zone beater would be to the three-receiver side and the blitz puts the QB to the two-receiver side. In this package, the No. 1 receiver runs a 10-yard option route and the No. 2 receiver runs a flat route. Again, motion is used here many times to create space and picks. (Diagram 5, 6 & 7)


Diagram 5


Diagram 6


Diagram 7

Again, the advantage is that if you are facing a zone blitz team, you can build hot throws to defeat that coverage and if it is man coverage, design packages for that.






NEW BOOK!

AFM Videos Streaming Memberships Now Available Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach



















HOME
MAGAZINE
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE COLUMNISTS COACHING VIDEOS


Copyright 2024, AmericanFootballMonthly.com
All Rights Reserved