Hammer Force Defensive Technique

Defensive Coordinator and Secondary Coach
LB Coach and Special Teams Coordinator
Azusa Pacific University
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“The new scheme, combined with our players’ great attitude, paid giant dividends for us in stopping the run last fall.”
- Santa Cruz & Willmer

In the spring of 2004 we made the switch from an even front to an odd for its recruiting advantages (since it is difficult to recruit four solid defensive linemen at our level) and for its aggressive nature. The new scheme, combined with our players’ great attitude, paid giant dividends for us in stopping the run last fall. Schematically, how we fit-up our outside force was one of the ways we were able to help our run defense.

With offenses today becoming more and more creative in finding ways to run power schemes, we have found it beneficial to have the ability to change the force angle of our end man on the line of scrimmage (EMLOS). From the traditional outside shoulder free force support he changes to a wrong arm approach that we call “hammer force.” Changing-up our force angle throughout a game puts hesitation into the offensive point of attack blocking, thus buying time for our pursuit to get there. Whether you are a two or three shell team, changing your force approach can keep your opponents guessing.

We begin teaching our “hammer force” technique with alignment. It is important to the technique to align with an initial vector to contact of 45 degrees. When lining up on a TE we believe that 5 yards x 5 yards (Diagram l) gives our player the aggressive angle and depth necessary to be the “hammer and not the nail.” If we are rotating from a two to three shell (Diagrams 2 and 3), it is imperative that our safety “dropping in” understands the 5 x 5 angle in relation to the TE. If he drops in too narrow or shallow, he will lose the aggressive vector we want. Our EMLOS to an open side aligns at 2 x 2 (Diagram 4). Being 2 x 2 provides enough distance for our guy to run at the point of contact while still close enough to the tackle if we are running an over front scheme.

Diagram 1.	Diagram 2.
Diagram 3.	Diagram 4.

The next coaching point is the player’s feet. We line our EMLOS with his outside foot back, and outside toe at the heel of the inside foot while keeping their shoulders square. Once the player is properly aligned with the correct positioning of his feet, we teach them the “Inch” technique. The hammer force player has his inside foot forward and slowly inches towards the end man on the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball while dragging his outside foot. The angle of the defender should be on the 45-degree angle we previously mentioned.

The “Inch” technique accomplishes two things. First, if it happens to be a play away from our player. The staggered foot placement of the technique will enable him to secure the cut-back, or boot much more effectively as he moves closer toward the LOS. Too many times a player is in position to make the play, but his outside foot happens to be up, forcing him to cross over and thus prohibit him from making the play. This is evident today with so many offenses running shotgun read schemes. Secondly, if the play is to him, the technique has prepared him to make the aggressive hammer force attack at the lead blocker as he commits to his forward progress.

Furthermore, if a linebacker is inching at the snap, it gives him the ability to squeeze a TE in man coverage or turn and drop in zone coverage. Ironically, we’ve also found this forward moving technique to help in preventing the over-play verses play action. Due to the controlled forward movement at the snap, the defender’s aggressive run attacking instinct is satisfied without getting his feet crossed up. Dragging the outside foot keeps the hips open to freely drop to their curl or flat, depending on the coverage.

When hammering the block, we aim for the inside thigh of the lead blocker looking to drive through him to the second man. Our hammer force player is coached to make it bounce and disrupt as much of the play as possible. In a perfect defensive minded world the hammer force player will take out two blockers and disrupt the play to the point of causing the ball carrier to redirect his path to the outside for over the top run support. An important component of the hammer force is drilling how to take on the block so that your hammer force player is not too high up the field or too tight attacking down the line.

Diagram 5.	Diagram 6.
Diagram 7.	Diagram 8.

A great hammer force player has to be aggressive and understand the importance of angles. We drill this technique through attacking lead blocks from different angles. (See Diagrams 5-9) In order to get the reps without inflicting a lot of punishment on ourselves, we ask our blockers to bail out high at the last split second while the defender rips through if we are in shorts, and jump over the diving defender when we are in pads. This teaches our defenders to attack through contact and not to contact. We remind our blockers at the beginning of the drill that it is their responsibility to get out of the way. If the defender is a D-lineman we take out the TE and instruct him to execute the 2 x 2 alignment while all others execute the 5 x 5 alignment on a TE. Lastly, the coach stands behind the defender to instruct the offensive scout whether you want the guard or FB to lead. We only send one blocker at a time. We will determine each day if we need work on I-back, Split-back, and King or Queen alignments.

Diagram 9.

Being able to change our force direction is a wrinkle that has allowed us to stay on the move in hope of keeping the offense out of a running game rhythm.

In closing, we’d like to thank Head Coach Peter Shinnick for his leadership, and the entire APU football staff for their spirit of excellence and service.

About the author Victor Santa Cruz Brian Willmer Victor Santa Cruz is entering his second year as the Defensive Coordinator and Secondary Coach at Azusa Pacific University. Brian Willmer begins his sixth season as Linebackers Coach and Special Teams Coordinator. APU's defense was the #1 rushing defense among all NAIA colleges last fall, holding opponents to a total of 6 touchdowns and an average of 1.9 yards per rush. Questions? If you have any questions you can email the author at: vsantacruz@apu.edu bwillmer@apu.edu

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