Drills Report – Techniques to Prevent Blocks

When a player is blocked, it is commonly due to two things. He has concentrated solely on the ball carrier and not the individual who is coming to block him, giving him little chance of success. Or, his attack and body position taking on the block doesn’t allow him to use any power. Without enough power, you are unable to gain advantage or leverage on a blocker. When you have proper position and use power, you are able to strike and neutralize the opponents’ power to maintain your gap of responsibility or, better, to overpower the blocker.

The effectiveness of the strike delivered will be dependent on the force exerted. This starts by using all of your ground-based weight room training to your benefit. Attack the blocker with a great ‘base foot’. This is about power and timing. When attacking a blocker, you have a ‘man foot’ and ‘man hand’ just as you have a ‘gap foot’ and ‘gap hand’. The ‘gap’ hand and foot are based on which side your leverage of responsibility is on the blocker. Your ‘man foot’ is also your ‘base foot’.

You will gain the greatest force when you time the plant of your ‘base foot’ with the strike of your hands. The ability to separate with your hands is greatly improved with the power you gain through your legs and hips being driven into the ground. We repeatedly train this movement and timing. It is critical to not over-extend while trying to get a good ‘base foot’. Being over-extended reduces your power and ability to get off of the block.

Preferred Release Technique – The Rip

We strongly encourage players to perfect the rip release before attempting to do anything else. As a guide, rip nine times out of ten and then rip on the tenth time you attack a block. There are other techniques that work and may even be better at times. Indecision or lack of confidence in your rip will dramatically reduce your effectiveness.

We teach four fundamental block defeat techniques:

Hat and Hands

•  Used most often when taking on a block head-on.  

•  Most important is timing your attack of hands with planting your ‘base foot’ in the ground to maximize power in order to separate.

•  Shoot your hands from a tight position (in handcuffs) with thumbs up. Attack center of the chest and armpit to your leverage of responsibility.

•  Your strike should time with a short power step of your ‘man foot’ allowing your legs and hips to provide force for separation. Strike and extend for separation. Be violent and quick.

•  Best finish is to rip. Must keep your ‘gap hand’ extended and rip under with your ‘man hand’. Rip low (off his hip). Finish high to clear his hold.

•  Pull your hip through with your rip arm and clear his hips.

•  When facing a blocker working on an angle to intercept you when pursuing a fast-flow ball carrier, you will need to use a variation of ‘Hat and Hands.’ It is difficult to get solid contact and separation, so by timing your base foot and hands contact, you are quickly glancing off of the block, but you must still use your rip to clear his hold.

Shoulder Rip

•  Used most often when taking on a block head-on and in downhill situations with a bigger blocker.

•  Attack the center of the blocker’s body with a lower pad level, aiming your shoulder at his chest.

•  Deliver a blow by timing your ‘base foot’ with shoulder contact. This allows your legs and hips to provide more force upon contact.

•  Initiate your rip immediately on contact, ripping low (off his hip). Make sure you are driving your eyes up as you begin to clear the blocker.

•  Pull your hip through with your rip arm and finish the rip movement with your fist high to clear his hold. You are expecting a ball carrier to be very close to the blocker.

 Shoulder Forearm

•  Used most often when taking a blocker head-on and slightly ahead of the ball carrier.

•  Attack the center of the blocker’s body with a lower pad level, aiming your shoulder at his chest.

•  Deliver a blow by timing your ‘base foot’ with shoulder contact. This allows your legs and hips to impart more force upon contact.

•  Hold your ground with low pad level and gain a wide base with your ‘gap foot’.

•  Extend your forearm to maximize separation and gain vision behind and inside of the blocker. You are reducing space behind the blocker, expecting the ball carrier to continue toward you.

•  Once you locate the back, complete your rip motion to clear yourself of the blocker.
Push Give vs. a Cut Block

•  Knees bent, eyes focused on the blocker’s helmet, shoulders stay square to the line of scrimmage.

•  Hand placement on top of the helmet with your ‘man hand’ and top of the shoulder pads with your ‘gap hand’.

•  Punch blocker’s chest to the ground while giving ground with your feet.

•  Keep your feet active and light with outside leg back, not giving the blocker a good target.

•  Stay on your feet, maintaining good pad level and be prepared to accelerate out of contact.

Drills

    We teach and rep the techniques of block defeat on a daily basis. Here is a description of several of our drills:

Hit and Shed Progression vs. Hand Shields
(Diagram 1)

Diagram 1: Hit and Shed Progression vs. Hand Shields

With a teammate holding a hand shield, we will teach a progression of first getting a ‘base foot’ and strike on both sides of the shield (Diagram 1). The second illustration shows using an escape and clearing the shield. We teach the ‘rip’ in this drill. The third illustration shows coming downhill and coming to balance in order to not overextend the ‘base foot’ and then using the rip to finish. The drill is taught often with three or more shields at a time with all players doing the same thing. The diagram is meant to demonstrate the progression. We can use each method of block defeat as part of the progression – hat and hands, shoulder rip and shoulder forearm.

3 vs. 1 Hit and Shed Progression vs. Hand Shields (Diagram 2)

Diagram 2: 3 vs. 1 Hit and shed Progression vs. Hand Shields

With three teammates holding hand shields, we will teach the progression of defeating a block three different ways. We use a ball carrier to maximize our understanding of leverage and defeat. The coach will stand in view of the three teammates and the BC.  He will indicate which bag is to advance to the LB who must react and use a proper defeat.

Fundamentally, we use shoulder rip on the closest shield, shoulder forearm on the middle shield and hat and hands on the furthest shield. You can choose to vary the involvement of the back as a finisher. We also use a snap count to improve reaction.
Hit and Shed Progression
vs. 5 Man Sled
(Diagram 3)

Diagram 3: Hit and Shed Progression vs. 5 Man Sled

We start with a standard shuffle, attack and strike drill. Focus is getting a good ‘Base Foot’ and striking with thumbs up, tight elbows, telling them they are in handcuffs. We always use the final bag as a rip finisher, concentrating on keeping separation with our outside hand (gap hand), ripping low and pulling our hip through.

We also discuss the hip flip and getting skinny. Those who do it well don’t collide with the bag as they finish. A good finish will come under and outside of the bag. We then always ensure the rip is finished with fist high to clear the hold.
Hit and Shed Progression vs.
5-Man Sled: 1-3-5 (Diagram 4)

Diagram 4: Hit and Shed Progression vs. 5-Man sled: 1-3-5

This drill allows us to work on the downhill approach and come to balance, getting a good ‘base foot’ and strike. Again, we finish with a rip focusing on good technique.

On the 5-Man, we only use our hat and hands technique.

Gauntlet (Diagram 5)

Diagram 5: Gauntlet

We use two groups of three shields (only one diagramed below). Using proper hat and hands technique, weave through the gauntlet, timing a proper ‘base foot’ and strike. Then, use the rip technique to escape.
We consistently communicate to do this as slow as you need to. Focus on movement and technique. Break the movements down and do each as correctly as possible. Be methodical.

 
One-Man Sled – Drive & Rip (Diagram 6)

Diagram 6: One-Man Sled – Drive and Rip

Using the one-man sled and using proper hat and hands technique, attack the sled and concentrate on getting full separation. We ‘run our knees’ in contact and push to our leverage (designated before the drill). Focus on keeping your gap hand in solid, locked out contact with the bag while dropping to rip under and escape. The sled will only drive a couple of yards and you can use a whistle to indicate when you have seen a proper lockout for the players to initiate the rip.
    This difference in surface area between a one-man bag and hand shield can allow you to focus on tight elbows on contact.

Machine Gun Drill (Diagram 7)

Diagram 7: Machine Gun Drill

The LB aligns offset of three teammates that are aligned 1 yard, 5 yards and 10 yards. The first teammate is in a 6 point stance ready to launch out to simulate a cut. Using proper push-give technique, the tackler drives the blocker into the ground and gives a little ground with his legs, protecting his outside leg. Once he clears the cut, a second blocker comes downhill to base block. Use proper hat and hands technique and finish with a rip, then finish on the ball carrier. You can vary the cut block by having him continue to roll or launch out at an angle to provide more difficulty.

About the Author: Brad McCaslin joined the staff at Drake University as defensive coordinator in February, 2012. He previously coached at the University of Nebraska-Omaha for 14 years, including the last six as defensive coordinator. McCaslin was a standout wide receiver at Hastings College (1990-1994), setting a school record for most receptions in a game. He also coached at Benson High School in Omaha before joining the UNO staff.