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Drills Report: Tight End Run Blocking – The Reach-Scoop Drill

by: Mike Barela
Tight Ends Coach Texas State University
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At Texas State, we utilize the tight end position in a pro style offense featuring multiple formations and personnel groups. We are committed to establishing our run game to open up our passing game. I believe that an effective offense must establish the run and that the tight end can be a key component in this. Due to our commitment to the run game, I am going to focus on one run blocking drill: the Reach-Scoop Drill.
 

   Our offense features three types of run blocking schemes – zone, man, and gap. In order to execute these schemes, we work religiously on our footwork (which can be used with any of the schemes), head placement, and hand placement every day at practice. Our footwork is broken down into three types of first steps followed by driving on the feet - lead step (6-inch forward step), slide step (6-inch lateral step), and zone step (bucket step gaining width and depth to open up the hips to a 45-degree angle to the LOS). The scheme of the play and the defender’s alignment will determine what first step will be used. Head placement is the point on the defender where we want the TE’s facemask. This also varies from play-to-play and I refer to it as the ‘aiming point’. This allows for optimal body placement by the blocker. Hand placement is the area inside the defenders frame that the TE’s hands will be to maintain the block by pushing or pulling the defender.
  

  Understand that regardless of the drill used to help the TE, I ask the TE for two things on every play – run or pass – (1) give effort and (2) be physical. On every play, they need to compete and strive to win the one-on-one. We compete every day in practice with this goal in mind. The TE doesn’t have to pancake the defender on every play but he does need to effectively maintain and sustain the block. As long as the TE gives effort, plays with a physical presence, and his block doesn’t happen on the offensive side of the LOS, he will have success.

DRILL DESCRIPTION

    Using a yard line to simulate the LOS, align two players head up across from each other. It is a mirrored drill where both players will act as offensive players without a player designated as the defense. On command, both players start with a zone step. One player takes a zone step left and the other takes a zone step right (allowing the drill to go in the same direction). After both execute the zone step, both players will aim for the opponent’s outside armpit for their proper head placement. Upon contact with the proper head placement, both players then strive to shoot their hands inside the framework to grab the opponent’s jersey. This allows the players to push or pull the defender to maintain the block. Now the elements of a drive block come into play. Even though both players are offensive players striving for the same techniques against one another, it will become clear that the player who utilizes the proper zone step, head and hand placements and finishes the drill is the player who won the drill. 

 COACHING POINTS

    The first point of emphasis is the footwork (first step). The player who executes the zone step gaining width and depth will usually win the drill. The player who takes a poor zone step with no width or depth now plays catch up as his angle puts him behind the opponent and thus making the aiming point hard to reach. Contact usually happens on the fourth or fifth step (emphasize width and depth with the zone step and allow for the steps to be executed before contact is made). Upon contact, watch players as they both aim for the opponent’s far armpit allowing them to get their head across. The player who puts his facemask on the aiming point first will get the majority of his body across the opponent. This will allow him to accomplish: 1) a reach block if playside or 2) a contain block if backside. If the aiming point is missed, again, the player will be playing from behind.
   

Next coaching point is the hand placement and grabbing of the jersey inside the opponents frame – defined as the opponent’s chest plate. This hand placement will allow the blocker to either push or pull the defender. If head placement is obtained, we want the blocker to pull the defender into him so the block stays engaged. If head placement is obtained but not on the aiming point – or if it is lost after contact – then we want the blocker to now push the defender past the hole and use the defender’s momentum against himself. Blockers feet need to keep driving the entire drill.
    Finally, the last coaching point is effort by both players. This drill is full contact and full speed. It stops on the coach’s whistle only when he sees that one player has demonstrated the correct foot, head and hand techniques needed to effectively win this one-on-one drill.

CONCLUSION

    The Reach-Scoop Drill works the fundamentals of the zone step, head placement, and hand placement at full speed vs. an opponent holding no hand shield and allows the players to get a feel for the proper fit I am asking. It is a mirrored drill that allows two offensive players to simulate at one time both a reach block at the point of attack as well as a contain block backside. These are blocks we routinely ask the TE to execute in a majority of our three blocking schemes. u

Mike Barela just completed his fourth season as tight ends coach and director of football operations at Texas State. A former football letterman at North Texas, he previously was the director of football operations at his alma mater.






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