Defending the Pass

Disruptions & Hand-to-Hand Combat
by: Todd Howard
Defensive Line Coach, UCLA
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In today’s brand of college football, teams tend to throw more than they run. In light of this trend, the coaching staff at UCLA has tried to be more creative with regard to how we coach and prepare our players to play against the pass.

Also, because of his experience in the NFL, UCLA Defensive Coordinator Dewayne Walker, then with the Washington Redskins, brought information from studies done on 'Ball Disruptions.' It is well known that combining pressure on the passer with the jamming of the receivers to disrupt the timing of their patterns is an effective means for creating sacks and incomplete passes. However, an area that we give attention to is a statistic that we call “Ball Disruptions.” We define “Ball Disruptions” as an attempt by the defense to adversely affect the normal flow of an offensive pass by applying direct pressure to the football on every pass play.

Five Types of Ball Disruption

1. Altered Pass
This occurs when a defender changes the QB’s normal throwing motion, causing him to throw an incomplete pass. Examples include: when the QB is unable to follow through properly, when the QB releases the ball quicker than he wanted to and finally when he is sacked.

2. Batted Balls
This occurs when a ball is deflected in a way in which it will become an incompletion or an interception (this occurs behind the line of scrimmage).

3. Forced Fumble
This occurs when a defender dislodges the ball from the QB (“QB Strip”).

4. Ball Defended
This occurs when a ball is deflected in a way in which it will not be completed (this occurs by a defender in coverage).

5. Interception
This occurs when a defender catches a pass intended for an offensive player.

The essence of ball disruption is acute “Ball Awareness.” We want our defenders to be aware of where the football is and the manner in which the QB is holding or throwing it. By stressing this point, we feel that our players will understand the opportunities for ball disruptions. A quarterback is vulnerable on two occasions: 1. when he is in the pocket because he doesn’t see the tackler coming or 2. when he is running with the football on a scramble and is carrying the ball away from his body. This vulnerability increases our chances for turnovers. Studies have shown that when you win the turnover ratio, your chances of winning games are enhanced (last year the D-Line caused 11 fumbles and recovered 10 by stripping the ball from quarterbacks).

Since this is an article about defensive line play, I will include coaching techniques and drills as they relate to the perspective of a defensive lineman. First of all when you are talking about altered passes, batted ball or sacks, our group should come to mind. Obviously, we coach our guys to get their hands up, but we have rules about which hand to get up as well as ways to attack the QB.

Rules for Altering or Batting a Pass:

1. Always raise the opposite hand up when trying to deflect a pass.

2. When fitted up on blocker, don’t jump because the offensive lineman is taught to either pull you down or throw you down causing you to be ineffective in your attempt to alter the pass.

3. If there is a blocker in between you and the QB and you are not fitted up, then you are allowed to jump and use whichever hand needed to deflect the ball.

4. If there is a clear path to the QB, continue to converge without jumping while using the opposite hand up to deflect the pass. You must be able to tackle the QB with the other arm if he decides to pull the ball down. NOTE: The drills that we do are centered on these rules:

Altered/Batted Pass Drill: The ends are on the outside and the tackles are inside. They will come off both sides during the drill. Each player will take a turn as a blocker by rotating through.

1. I start with a defender coming out of his stance on ball key. As he makes contact with a blocker, I raise either my left or right hand in a throwing motion. The defender makes himself (or stands) tall without jumping and raises the opposite hand to deflect the pass. NOTE: This situation happens most often against a 3-Step Passing Game (See Diagram 1).

Diagram 1: Altered/Batte Pass Drill 1

2. Next, the defender comes out of his stance on ball key but the blocker is two yards in front of him. I quickly raise either my left or right hand in a throwing motion. The defender jumps while raising the appropriate hand to deflect the pass. NOTE: This situation happens when a defensive lineman has beaten the first man, sees the ball leaving the QB’s hand, but has a blocker in front – usually a running back (See Diagram 2).

Diagram 2: ALtered/Batted Pass Drill 2

3. Lastly, the defender comes out of his stance on ball key but there is no blocker in front. The defender converges quickly to the QB (me) who is set at 5-Step Drop depth without jumping. I raise either my left or right hand. The defender raises the opposite hand to deflect and taps me across the belly with the other hand to show that he could make the tackle in case the ball was pulled down. NOTE: This situation happens when a defensive lineman has beaten the first man and has a clear path to the QB (See Diagram 3).

Diagram 3: Altered/Batted Pass Drill 3

Stripping the Ball:

QB in the Pocket: Our pass rushers have a great opportunity to strip the ball from the QB by “Tomahawk Chopping” with the outside free arm. They understand that the ball will either be up by the chest area before he starts his delivery or near his shoulder as he starts his throwing motion. The defender must be able to make the tackle with his downfield arm. NOTE: “Tomahawk Chop” Drill is centered on this technique (See Diagram 4).

Diagram 4: Tomahawk Chop Drill

QB on a Scramble: If the ball is being carried loosely, away from the body, we want the D-Lineman to employ the same techniques as when he is tackling the QB in the pocket (“Tomahawk Chop” the ball). If the QB has been hit and is on his way down we want the next man involved to tackle the ball, by taking it away or popping the ball out.

Tomahawk Chop Drill: The ends are on the outside and the tackles are inside. They will come off both sides during the drill. Each player will take a turn as a QB by rotating through. QB is set at 5-Step drop depth.

I start with a defender coming out of his stance on ball key and as he pushes up field towards the QB, he “Tomahawk Chops” the arm of the QB while securing the tackle with his downfield arm. NOTE: During team and group segments of practice we give the lineman credit for sacks when they “Tomahawk Chop” an area close to the QB without tackling or touching him.

Finally, I want to explain a “Hand to Hand Combat Drill” that we do. Everyone knows the traits of a good pass rush. You need to have a plan and be prepared to counter if the first move is stopped, get off the ball and come out low while keeping pass-rush lane integrity. Work to defeat half a man if you aren’t attempting a “Bull-Rush” and finish with a fast close to the upfield shoulder of the QB. The “Hand to Hand Combat” Drill is a conditioned response drill that we use to develop certain techniques to either get hands off as well as ways to beat a blocker. This drill takes about five minutes and we do it in all but Friday’s practice (See Diagram 5).

Diagram 5: Hand to Hand Combat Drill

The players will pair up in a straight line. The guys facing me are servicing the guys with their backs to me. The “starting position” has both players in a 2-point stance and in a good football position with knees bent and head up. In succession, we go through 12 different techniques (always in the same order). When I blow my whistle the blocker facilitates the technique being practiced. NOTE: Each time the defender “Rips & Rubs” to clear himself and attacks the hip of the blocker to make it harder for him to recover, cut the blocker off. Following each repetition, both players come back to the starting position to practice the next technique.

A. Defender works upfield simulating a speed rush and as he makes contact, shoots inside hand to the outside half of the chest of blocker.

B. Blocker tries to balance up by shooting his outside hand to the breast plate.

C. Defender flips hips while collapsing the elbow of the blocker with outside hand.

D. Defender “Rips & Rub” to clear himself.

E. Defender cuts the blocker off.

In conclusion, I hope this article gives you a couple of ideas that might improve the play of your defensive line against the pass. The techniques and coaching points that I have covered impacted the productivity of our defensive line last season. In 2006, both of our defensive ends led the Pac-10 in sacks and both were selected first team All-Americans.

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