In Praise of the Three Technique

by: Terrell Williams
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Early in my career I was influenced by three very good defensive line coaches. They are: Bob Karmelowicz of the Kansas City Chiefs, who I spent time with during the spring of 1999, John Pease of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who I had the opportunity to work with in the Jaguars Minority Fellowship Coaching Internship Program, and Cliff Yoshida, who recruited me and was my position coach while I played defensive tackle at East Carolina University. I practice a style of coaching that has been influenced by each of their coaching styles. But the common thread that they all have shared with me is to put your best defensive tackle at the Three Technique.

When a team has an effective defense, there is often a dominant player at the Three Technique. No matter your base defense, it is imperative that if the Three Technique is followed, the dominant player forces a "double team" between a guard and tackle. However, if an offensive line can run the football by single blocking the Three Technique, the defense and position coach are in for a miserable night.

Two-man Blocks

Today in college football, most offensive teams are running some variation of the option, power play, or zone play. Regardless of the type of scheme an offense is running, there are three basic two-man blocks the Three Technique will need to be able to recognize and defeat in order to for his team to be successful: the true double team, power chip and scoop block.

Diagram 1.

The first, as shown in Diagram 1, is a true double team. Most teams will give the Three Technique a true double on short yardage and goal line situations. What we tell our Three Technique to do is first concentrate on getting movement on the guard. If you can knock the guard back three yards, the double team can never develop. Our Three Techniques are taught from the first day to set their inside hand on the guard's numbers, the outside hand under the guard's armpit and throw their hips into the "B" gap.

Simultaneously while throwing their hips into the "B" gap, the Three Technique should be punching with his outside hand and pulling with his inside hand immediately. By the time he feels the double team he should have already gotten movement on the guard, punching and pulling, getting his shoulder pads turned. Now, he should throw his hips into the offensive tackle, splitting the blockers and getting to the football. Most defensive line coaches teach their Three Techniques to drop and create a pile. I do not favor teaching the drop technique because I feel it is a simple way out and an excuse for players not to play physical on the line of scrimmage.

Diagram 2.

Diagram 2 illustrates what I call a power chip block. This block illustrates a guard and tackle combination up to the inside linebacker. To a Three Technique, the mechanics of defeating a power chip is absolutely no different than the technique used to defeat a true double team. By the Three Technique throwing his hips into the "B" gap he makes it very difficult for the tackle to work up to the next level and attack our inside linebacker. In my opinion, if you teach the Three Technique to use the drop technique when he feels a double-team, he will drop to the field essentially blocking himself and making it easy on the offensive tackle. You cannot make plays on the ground and we want our defensive linemen to make plays.

Diagram 3.

Illustrated in Diagram 3, is what I call a scoop block. From day one we make it clear to all of our defensive tackles that if you get scooped, you do not play, period. As he does with the double team, the Three will attack the guard, knocking him three yards back. Inside hand on the numbers grabbing cloth, punching with the outside hand and pulling with the inside hand working his hips in between the tackle and guard holding on not allowing the guard to work up to the linebacker. I feel it is important that you let a Three Technique know that when he gets a tackle and guard trying to scoop him, the play is usually being run away from him. Although in most cases he will not make the tackle on the play, if the inside linebacker runs through freely and makes the tackle for a lose it was his play.

Change Blocks

Diagram 4.

The most common change block seen from the Three Technique is the tackle blocking back and the guard pulling outside as illustrated in Diagram 4. We will play this block three different ways. The first option is what we call a trail move. Our Three Technique should get off the football and the second he sees the guard pulling outside, he better know that the tackle is blocking him. Once the defensive lineman recognizes the change block he should work upfield dipping his outside shoulder, working to get his hands on the guard, and trailing behind his guard to the football.

The second option we use is a quick club. When clubbing, the defensive lineman should take one step upfield and then recognize a chance to block. It is then that he should violently club his outside hand across the offensive tackle's outside shoulder and find the football. The club is very effective when you get a flat release by the tackle or the Three Technique gets a pre-snap read that the block is coming. Usually if the tackle is leaning toward the Three Technique or looking in his direction, he should be aware that the possibility of a change block is great.

The third option is what I call an outside drive. When using the outside drive, the defensive lineman will know step and when he recognizes the change block will immediately throw his hands into the chest of the offensive tackle aggressively driving him outside not allowing the tackle to wash him down the line of scrimmage. Once the ball carrier commits to the line of scrimmage, the Three Technique should then violently pull across the tackle's face and find the football.

Diagram 5.

Diagram 5 illustrates a change block with the center blocking back on the Three Technique which is usually used when running the counter or power play weak. The defensive lineman will again use the three different techniques mentioned previously.

Coaches have many ways of coaching players. I am a firm believer in the old saying, "There is more than one way to skin a cat." I hope that some helpful information has been provided that will make your Three Technique a better football player.

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