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Thunder Storm – Trine University’s tackling and turnover circuit covers all the essentials of effective defense.

by: Trine University Football Defensive Staff
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There is little doubt that great tackling and creating turnovers are the two most important things a defense can do to help its team win. We have employed a tackle and turnover circuit that we believe not only teaches our players to tackle with great technique, but also teaches an understanding of how to create turnovers when given the opportunity. As a result, we have been at or very near the top of the turnover margin statistics for our conference over the past few years. We led all of Division III in turnover margin in 2010 at plus 1.92 per game while collecting a school record 38 turnovers in twelve games. 

During our pre-season camp, we use this circuit for 18 minutes (six, 3-minute segments) every practice. During the season, we will spend 15 minutes (6, 2.5 minute segments) a week completing the same circuit. We believe that this time is well spent as it allows us to focus on the fundamentals of defensive football. This is an emotional and enthusiastic period. We want our players and coaches talking, having fun, and getting after it.

From an organizational standpoint, we assign our coaches one aspect of creating turnovers or tackling, and they become the resident experts on that phase of the game (Diagram 1). For example, the defensive coordinator teaches a station focusing on the edge rush and correctly stripping a quarterback in the throwing position. Our defensive ends coach teaches a ‘defeat the cut and tackle drill.’ Our inside linebackers coach focuses his efforts on a drill that teaches proper pursuit leverage while our interior line coach and linebackers coaches teach an open field tackle drill. Our corners coach teaches an angle tackle drill and our safety coach leads a stripping station. We will switch our drills from time to time to teach the rules of the game and also to keep things fresh. However, we must hold true to our assigned goal of tackling and creating turnovers.

Diagram 1.


The Great Eight: 8 ingredients for proper tackling technique

Our inside linebackers coach, Maury Waugh, is a veteran college coach.  We have adopted his philosophy of tackling.  Here are the key points of proper tackling technique:

1. “Settle” into a bent knee position as the approach to the ball carrier is made.

2. Take the extra step and get as close to the ball carrier as possible – step on his toes!
3. Do not raise or lower yourself from a good hitting position.

4. Keep the elbows close to the body and do not wind up. “Winding Up” is a common reason that players drop their heads and get caught in dangerous situations.

5. Make chest-to-chest contact with the head up, the back arched, the neck bulled, and the eyes open.

6. Wrap up with violence. Shoot a “double uppercut” for the nameplate on the back of the ball carrier’s jersey and grab cloth.

7. Move the feet on contact and run through the tackle until the ball carrier is on the ground.

8. Do not trade a solid tackle for a big hit!

Angle Tackle Station: Corner Coach
(Diagram 2)

Diagram 2.

In our angle tackle portion of the curcuit, we will have the ball carrier and defender five yards away from each other and cones set up in a diamond shape. The ball carrier runs directly to the outside edge of the cone of his choice.  The key coaching points on the angle tackle drill mirror those of the “Great Eight” already mentioned.  We want to add a few coaching points to this drill.

First, we believe that we will have better leverage and power on an angle tackle if we make pad contact with our near foot to the ball carrier in the ground.  This allows us to drive the far foot “around” after contact and force the ball carrier back perpendicular to the line of scrimmage.  We also believe that this same shoulder/same foot contact also limits yards after contact.  For this reason, we will finish this drill once the tackler has driven the ball carrier backwards approximately two and a half yards.


Inside
and In Front Drill:
Inside Linebackers Coach
(Diagram 3)


Diagam 3.

In this drill, we are teaching our players how to establish and maintain proper body positioning while in pursuit to the ball.  Here is how the drill is run:

1.  On ‘go’ call by coach, the ball carrier will run to a side.

2.  The defender to  the side of the ball carrier will work to keep the ball inside and in front of him until making contact with the inside shoulder. The defender is working to establish and maintain leverage or contain position.

3.  The backside defender will move toward the ball carrier while working to be in cut back position, never allowing the ball to cut back.

4.  Once the contact is made with the leverage player, the ball carrier will cut back, forcing the cut back player to make contact with his outside shoulder in good tackling position.

5.  As a variation, we sometimes add a third player to the outside and put the cut back player head up to the ball. The third player becomes the “fold” player. When using a fold player, we have the ball bounce all the way back to the opposite side of the initial flow once the cut back player has properly fit and released the ball carrier.

Strip Station: Safeties Coach

This is a standard ball strip drill with a ball carrier and a defensive player attacking him from behind. On the coach’s signal, the ball carrier will run at half speed. As the defender approaches him from behind, he is looking at the elbow of the ball carrier and determining if it is wide or tight. If the elbow is wide, he will punch inside the elbow of the ball carrier while simultaneously securing the tackle with the opposite arm by grabbing cloth on the shoulder of the ball carrier.

If the elbow is tight, he will work for the same simultaneous contact, clubbing down on the football.  If he is unsuccessful getting the ball out of the running back’s hands, he tries to pull the tip of the football away from the back’s body, loosening his grip and therefore giving the next hit a chance to force the fumble. The key teaching points to this drill are the simultaneous contact of the fist and tackle hand and the execution of a stripping technique based on the positioning of the back’s elbow on the football. Many coaches teach to secure the tackle first and then attempt the strip. However, most running backs will be quick to secure that ball when they feel contact from behind. Therefore, in order to create a greater chance of getting the ball on the ground, we emphasize the simultaneous contact.

As a variation of this drill, we will also use the pin and pry technique from more of a side angle and usually with two defenders or, a two-on-one situation. In this drill, defender A will execute an angle tackle while, soon after contact, defender B approaches the ball carrier. Upon player B’s approach, he will pin the back’s elbow to his body by pushing it into his ribs, then grabbing the tip of the ball with his other hand prying the ball away from the back’s body.

In yet another variation of this drill, we will have all rushers lock up with a blocker and work toward the ball carrier. After a quick one-thousand-one count, the rest of the players will yell “draw” and the running back will take off at half speed. Upon hearing the draw call, the rusher will retrace his steps and attack the ball carrier from behind, executing a strip or punch technique. We teach our players that any time a player with the ball can’t see you, it’s a great opportunity to create a turnover.

Open Field Tackling Drill: Outside
Linebackers Coach/Interior Line Coach
(Diagram 4)

Diagram 4.

In setting up for our open field tackling drill, the defensive player and ball carrier will stand twelve yards apart, facing each other. Place cones at each of the players starting points and a third cone five yards in front of the ball carrier. The tackler starts in his position stance and on the coach’s whistle, sprints downhill toward the ball carrier. Make sure the tackler plays at one level and his eyes are focused on the belt buckle of the ball carrier.

Once the tackler reaches the cone five yards away from ball carrier, the ball carrier goes to the right or left at a forty-five degree angle. The tackler will “come to balance” upon the ball carrier’s movement. The tackler should have his feet underneath his body and accelerate his feet. He must not stop his feet before changing direction. The tackler must continually cut down the distance between himself and the ball carrier. The tackler wants to change direction by taking a lateral step and not crossing over. After changing direction properly, the tackler wants to attack downhill on the trail hip of the ball carrier. Emphasize stepping on the ball carrier’s toes when making the tackle. The tackler can always take “one more step”. Make sure the tackler’s head is across the ball carrier and he shoots his hands up and through instead of around the ball carrier. The tackler must grab cloth on the ball carrier’s jersey, accelerate his feet upon contact, and drive the ball carrier straight back toward the line of scrimmage.

Cut Block Tackle: Defensive Ends Coach
(Diagram 5)

Diagram 5.

In this drill, the main focus is for the players to defend the cut block and then raise up to an athletic tackling position without standing up and getting out of balance.  Additionally, we want to make sure the tackler gets his eyes on the blocker and defeats the cut block first. We want to attack the cut block with both hands, punching down at a forty five degree angle with our gap side or playside hand punching the front/back edge of the shoulder pads and the other hand punching down on the back of the helmet of the cut blocker.

Too often our skill players and linemen will make the mistake of punching straight down. When this happens, often the blocker is able to get into the defender’s legs.  Therefore, it is common to hear coach hollering “45” throughout this drill. After the punch blow is delivered, the defender should kick his feet back six inches to “give ground to gain ground.” Once the cut destruction is complete, we want the defender to perform a good angle tackle and then push the ball carrier back five yards perpendicular to the line of scrimmage.
   
Edge Blitz and Reaction/QB Strip-Scoop and Score: Defensive Coordinator
(Diagram 6)

Diagram 6.

To teach this drill, we will first break it down into simple teaching points. We start with a simple get off and quarterback strip by tackling a stand up dummy. We will then have a partner standing with a football, tossing the ball on the ground to allow for a scoop and score or fumble recovery. When we do this portion of the drill, the defender will execute a simple punch over or rip on the coach and then attack the quarterback. When we get to the quarterback, we want to hit the quarterback high and make simultaneous contact with our hands, striking down on the quarterback’s throwing arm and around his body. We want the defender to grab cloth on our follow through and take the bag to the ground.

Once on the ground, we want the defender to get to his feet immediately and find the football. If the football has been fumbled forward, we want the defender to execute a proper fumble recovery by getting to the ball with urgency, covering the tips of the football and surrounding it in a “fetal” position. If the football is behind the quarterback, we want the tackler to execute a scoop and score. On the scoop and score, we emphasize bending at the knees rather than the waist and scooping up a stationary football by getting both hands underneath the football and bringing it to the player’s chest. If the ball is moving, we teach the players to put their thumbs together and actually push the ball into the ground while surrounding the football with both hands. This stops the movement of the ball. We then want to see our players properly carrying the football and sprinting ten yards to a designated cone. We typically run this drill from the defensive right side, due to the fact that most hits on the quarterback happen from his blind side.

As a variation of this drill, we will have the coach simulate a team’s offensive tackle and imitate protection schemes or down/zone blocking schemes. In this addition to the drill, the partner holding the ball will stand next to the dummy and will also read the coach. If the coach pass sets, the ball holder will simply step up simulating big on big or half slide protection and allow the defender to execute the quarterback strip, then tossing the ball out for the fumble recovery or scoop and score. If the coach shows a run block, the ball holder will simulate a ball carrier cutting back to the C gap. The defender, reading the zone steps of the offensive tackle, will square his shoulders to the line of scrimmage and shuffle, then execute a proper tackle with his inside shoulder from an outside leverage position. Because we use edge blitzes with all of our linebackers, corners and safeties, this is an important drill for us and allows the position coaches more time during individual periods to focus on other drill areas.

The Trine University defensive staff contributing to this article -
Troy Abbs, Defensive Coordinator
Maury Waugh, Middle Linebackers Coach
Mark Scott, Outside Linebackers Coach (Now Defensive GA at West Virginia)
Austin Thrana, Cornerbacks Coach
Toney Bergman, Safeties Coach
Michael Lazusky, Interior Defensive Line Coach
Derek Prather, Defensive Ends Coach






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