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AFM Magazine


Fundamental Offensive Line Leverage Drills

by: Jeff Quinn
University of Cincinnati, Offensive Coordinator & Offensive Line Coach
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I want to thank all the tremendous coaches who I have had the pleasure of learning from over the course of my 25 years of coaching. The following fundamental drills are still my favorite for developing offensive lineman. I take great pride in getting my players better every day. I impose the philosophy of never taking a day off or a play off. All my drills are executed to create positive blocking habits. The three things I demand each and every snap are for my OL to learn how to get into their fits, sustain the fit and finish their fit. The five ways we finish a play: cut‘em, shove‘em, knockdown, pancake and lock up/control. We are committed to competing to the echo of the whistle.

My teaching progression starts with their STANCE (two, three, or four point), STEPS (tight footwork), SUDDENESS into their FIT (blow delivery and how the perfect fit should feel), and complete the work with a SUPERIOR FINISH (full progression).

The following drills have helped our OL win a lot of games and championships over the years. I love challenging my players because they will never get better unless there is an objective or a goal for them to achieve. So I love keeping score and grading my players so they can see their progress and development.

Strain Drill: This drill forces the OL to stay very low on contact in short yardage and goal line situations. I love the name of this drill because when executed correctly your players have to “STRAIN” to keep the proper fit and good leverage. I utilize our Rogers Trap Chute with three rubber boards, six hand shields, six defenders paired up and three OL. Each pod has two defenders with hand shields shoulder-to-shoulder with a rubber board. The OL is off-set right or left using a two-point, three-point, or four-point stance with their toe in the middle of the board. They will take either a lateral open toe step or a bucket step and make sudden contact on their second step. They will strike with both shoulders into the hand shields utilizing the double under, elbows down and tight on their rib cage, back arched, keeping their chest over their knees, knees over their toes. Don’t allow them to lock out their knees. Focus on keeping the perfect fit between five and ten seconds.







Switch Drill: This drill is a fit progression drill. It develops an offensive lineman’s ability to regain leverage when a defender has inside hand control. Place two rubber boards together to make one long board. One lineman starts with the perfect full frontal fit, back arched, good flexion in their ankles, knees and hips. Utilize the double under hand placement. On command, the lineman will “Power Walk” his man, who is applying resistance, forward to the end of the board and on the whistle they change position. The defender quickly dips his hips and repositions his hands and “Power Walks” his man back down the boards. The drill finishes with a double whistle, after each player has executed two or three switches. Each partner must give firm pressure throughout the drill for it to be effective. It also has become an excellent conditioning drill.







Head-to-Head Drill: This is an awesome live leverage drill requiring great suddenness into their fits. Place two boards stacked to make one long board. Both players start down in a three-point stance with their eyes up and foreheads touching. On command both men work to gain perfect leverage with their upper and lower body and “Power Drive” the man off the board. Do not allow them to twist or torque each other. This is another excellent conditioning drill.







Jerk Drill: This drill forces the OL to maintain perfect fit control and balance when a defender tries to get off a block. I have two versions of this drill. First version is when a lineman is blocking his man forward/vertically and the second version is when he is scoop/reach blocking a man horizontally. In both versions, the key is to emphasize to the lineman to keep his back arched, his head up, his arms extended out and his feet wide, so he rises up and doesn’t get overextended. The lineman must anticipate that split second moment when the defender tries to snap him off his fit. He must brace and balance when that happens.







Push/Pull Drill: This pass fundamental drill forces the lineman to utilize his core muscles when getting a bull rush and the bull jerk. The offensive lineman places his hands behind his back and puts himself in a perfect pass position. The defender places his hands on lineman’s chest plate and on command the defender drives into the lineman. When the whistle blows, he pulls him forward. This will continue for approximately five to ten seconds, ending on a double whistle. It is important to stress that they must keep a solid staggered base bracing against the bull rush and when they pull you forward sit your hips down.







A 24-year veteran as a collegiate coach, Jeff Quinn has spent the last 17 alongside Brian Kelly. Quinn joined the Cincinnati staff after earning a 31-14 win as interim head coach for Central Michigan in the 2006 Motor City Bowl.





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