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C.W. Post Defensive Line Play

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Defensive line play at C.W. Post has been an integral part of our team’s success over the past eight seasons. We have led the country in rushing defense four out of the last five years. Despite losing players to graduation we have been able to stay on top of most conference defensive categories such as sacks, tackles for loss and rushing defense.

Our defensive line teaching progression has been consistent throughout our years at Post. The progression is basic and allows our players to be aggressive and play with attack mentality. We run the eight man front G package and we want our defensive linemen to be very active in producing big plays for our defense.

Our teaching progression is taught as one single play. Each step takes the player from the pre-snap plan all the way to a finished tackle. The progression has nine parts along with basic Visual and Pressure key reads that allow us to use the same jargon when describing the offensive blocking schemes.

Before we get to the progression we must talk about the three man blocks that your players must be able to defend. They are the Drive, Reach and Double Team Blocks. These blocks must be drilled every day for two reasons: they are the most common and they are the most difficult to play against. Before we get into all different blocking schemes we must teach our players to defend against an offensive lineman who is attempting to shed one of these blocks.

When training defensive linemen you must break lifetime habits. For example, when young athletes run sprints their first reaction on the get-off is to bring their arms back. This habit needs to be broken immediately. Defensive linemen MUST shoot their hand from ground to target. They also must begin to step with the same hand and same foot. This is something they have never done in their lives. We call it walking like puppets. This same foot progression will help them in every facet of defensive line play.

We start our progressions from our knees and then we marry our upper body and lower body movements to ensure excellent technique.

Defending the Drive Block

Knee Progressions: Place two players facing one another on their knees. Shade them so their knees split the crotch. Have the offensive man put hands behind his back and stick his chest out. The defensive lineman will be in a six-point stance. On the movement key the defensive lineman will shoot his hands from ground to target. Make sure the inside hand is on the V of neck and the outside hand is on the triceps. Also make sure the defensive linemen are NOT bringing their arms back. GROUND TO TARGET! Work both sides. The defensive lineman’s arms should have “steel rods” in them.

Part II of Knee Progressions: Stand the offensive lineman up one yard facing defensive lineman. On the movement key the defensive lineman (from six-point stance) will explode from ground to target. This will marry the hand placement and the hip explosion. The defensive lineman will fall on his chest after the explosion.

Part III of Knee Progressions: Take the offensive player and back him up five yards. On the movement key the offensive player will sprint at the defensive player in a six-point stance. When the offensive player gets close the defensive player will explode and work all three parts (ground to target, hip explosion and now moving feet). This part of the drill is the hardest to master and may be awkward at first but your players will get it. Note the defensive player should spring from knees to balls of feet to drive the offensive player back. The defensive players will want to stand immediately. Make sure they are patient and they explode and drive. These three progressions marry the hands, hips and feet.

Drill vs. Sled: Now that the player understands hand placement and explosion we can put him in a stance vs. the sled. (The stance progression is explained later in the article). Shoot hands from ground to target, roll hips and keep your feet moving. Remember your hands should hit target immediately. Your face will eventually make contact. We call it the three-point fit (two hands and face). When we get out of our stance our back foot replaces our down hand. We roll the weight over the toe and get our second foot in the ground. We simply keep our feet moving and stay low.

Defensive Line vs. Defensive Line: Now it is time for full contact vs. a live person. We place two linemen facing one another in a three-point stance. We then split their inside foot down the crotch. They should both be crowding the ball. On the movement key they should both have get-off hand placement, hips rolling and feet moving. They should both have three-point fit with flat backs. This drill is a great teaching tool because the one with poor technique usually fails. We usually ask the players who lose what happened and they always know why they were defeated. It is also a very competitive drill and we usually do it before inside run. Always declare a winner and explain why that person won.

Defeating the reach block

With all the teams running the zone schemes in college, we must teach how to defeat this block immediately. The first aspect of defeating the zone is that the players must understand that getting off the ball is imperative. If we do not get off the football we will not be able to defend the zone schemes. We also drill the reach block every day.

Reach Drill: Place defensive lineman in a form fit position. Place right hand on V of the neck. Place left hand on the triceps. Put the lineman’s face in the fit position and make sure his back is flat. Place a cone two yards outside and behind the OL. The defensive lineman is on the outside shade. When the OL begins to reach the defensive lineman they should execute four moves. Points to remember:

1. With outside hand (long arm) we lock it out.
2. With inside hand (short arm) we pull it towards us (open the gate).
3. Our head stays underneath the armpit of the OL.
4. Our inside foot must work up field.
5. We escape with a rip move and we get to the cone.

Face to Face Drill: If your lineman does not get a great get-off he must prepare to defeat this block as well. Place the defensive lineman exactly down the mid-line of the OL. The hands should be placed inside the breastplate of the OL. Place two cones two yards outside and behind the OL. The OL reaches right or left. The DL locks out his arm so that he feels immediate pressure. That arm becomes the long arm and his opposite arm becomes the short arm. He probably will not have the perfect technique as stated above. But he must understand to never go around the block and to penetrate to the cone. If he feels he is getting washed he should drop his hips (Anchor Technique) and simply drive forward. The Anchor Technique should be applied when the defensive lineman is staying flat at three yards.

Once you establish the teaching progression of the reach block you can begin to execute the block from a three-point stance on a normal movement key.

Defeating the Double Team: Once again it is important to teach the meaning to young players. All of these players have seen double teams in high school but now they should understand that most double teams will eventually try to work to the next level. This being said we never want our players to go to the ground. That technique takes away from our attack, play making mentality and it will allow two offensive linemen to climb to our linebackers.

Defeating the double team will start with the exact same technique as defeating the drive block. You must constantly tell the player to grab the cloth of the drive block. Make sure he puts the second foot on the ground. Once he feels pressure from adjacent linemen he will turn hips and sink them as low as possible. His back must be turned to the second lineman. He continues to grab cloth of the original drive block and works his body in the gap. This will prevent both linemen from climbing to the next level. Remember that linebackers make tackles but defensive linemen make tackles for loss!

Drilling the double team

Two-on-one drill: Teach the double team with a whistle or cadence call. On the first movement, key the defensive lineman and the man on execute a drive block. On the second movement, key the adjacent lineman attempting to climb to the next level. Two-on-one drills can now drill drive, reach, with double teams and power scoops. Along with these blocks our players are taught the run block teaching progression that I mentioned before. Coaching points to remember:

1. Pre Snap Plan – What the DL is thinking before snap: score, down and distance, huddle call, offensive line splits, stance and levels.

2. Alignment – Numbering system your defense uses. Crowd the football. (Swipe a credit card between ball and fingertips).

3. Stance –
A. Feet must face man on (slight pigeon toe)
B. Screw feet in ground
C. Back foot should be aligned with front heel
D. Sit on stool
E. Throw hand in front of eye (stretched out)
F. Pinky should be aligned with big toe once on the ground
G. Pressure on fingertips (they should change color)
H. Should be able to fit egg in the palm of down hand (don’t break it)
I. Raise butt slightly above head (roll ball down the back)
J. Bull neck; look through eyebrows
K. Opposite hand should be two inches off ground to square shoulders
L. We put our hand down to the man we shade

4. Get off – must be drilled every day with every drill

5. Hands – Shoot from ground to target

6. Squeeze and separate – Grab cloth and lock out

7. Escape – Getting off block to make play

8. Pursuit – Drill as defense: Great way to start practice

9. Tackle – Finish every possible drill and also circuit train as defense

Each defensive lineman has a Visual Key and Pressure Key. They are the basic reads once we get into full line block recognition:

Visual Key Pressure Evil OT Fullback Nose Guard Center Tackle Guard Tackle Sam Tackle Tight End*
*Note – Sam is the only DL who reads adjacent lineman and not man on.

Once these are established you simply throw every possible blocking scheme you will face. Our visual and pressure key reads are invaluable and are also a major part of the teaching progression at C.W. Post. These are taught as man on, near back, ball inside.

Sam/Evil Visual and Pressure Key Progression 1. Drive Block (See Diagram l)
• Drive Block Progression


Diagram 1

2. Reach Block (See Diagram 2)
• Reach Block Progression


Diagram 2

3. Double Team-Sam (See Diagram 3)
• Double Team Progression
• Turn hips to tackle


Diagram 3

4. Cut-off (Sam) Zone Away (Diagram 4)
• Read hip of tackle
• Hip goes down; bend
• Secure C Gap


Diagram 4

5. Kick – Evil (See Diagram 5)
• Claw Tackle
• Bend
• Blow up pressure key (FB)
• Deep and Thick


Diagram 5

6. Counter To (See Diagram 6)
• Claw Tackle
• Bend
• Pressure key away
• Blow up ball inside (Guard)
• Deep and Thick


Diagram 6

7. Counter Away (See Diagram 7)
• Read hip of tackle
• Bend
• Blow up pressure key inside V of neck (FB)
• Deep and Thick


Diagram 7






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