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Missouri Protection - Teaching Pass Blocking Fundamentals to Running Backs

by: Brian Jones
Running Backs Coach • University of Missouri
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Using the right technique, four protection drills will help your running backs protect the quarterback.

When we teach protection, there are a variety of drills that I use. I start with the base of the body, which are the feet, and I work my way up to the hands and the upper body. I start with the feet because that is where everything begins. A phrase I use a lot when coaching is get the right “Body Position.” I talk to running backs about blocking the defender with their feet.

The other area of great importance is their hands. Same as the feet – the RB needs to understand the position they need to have their hands in when they make contact with the defender. They want a hand position which will give them the greatest amount of striking power. The term I use is “Strike with the heels of their palms with their palms facing in.”

The first area we develop will be the feet. You want to develop great lateral foot movement. They must be quick side-to-side. The drill I use is the Mirror Drill. To do this drill set two cones about eight yards apart. We want to give enough space for the defender to move so the RB will have to move his feet to stay in front of the defender.

To execute the drill the LB has the freedom to move side-to-side. The RB takes a good blocking position in front of the LB. But what I tell the RB is to put his hands behind his back and grab his wrist. This will get them into a good blocking position with a wide base and a straight back and eyes up looking at the defender. As the RB moves laterally to stay in front of the defender, he cannot let go of his wrist and he must keep a straight back with eyes up (See Diagram 1).

It is now time to work on the upper body. We need to work on the hip snap and hand punch. To do this we practice the Hip/Snap/Hand/Punch Drill. I have the RBs on their hands and knees. I will then have a defender in front of them with their hands on knees giving the chest as a target. They are about 2 to 3 feet from the RB.

On my command the RB strikes the LB with an upward motion. They strike from the ground up. Here the emphasis is the hip snap. The phrase I use is to “Roll Your Hips” into the defender. The hands are very important here. Once again, the RB must strike with the heels of his palm with palms facing in. His aiming point on the defender is the inner part of the LB’s chest. I give the command for three hits in succession and the contact must be physical.  We want to “See” and“Hear” the punch.

We are now going to put both the Mirror Drill and the Hip/Snap/Hand/Punch Drill together. We want to move the feet to the body in good blocking position and we want to make contact with the hips rolling and hands striking on the rise. This drill is called the Attack and Hit Drill.

How we set this up is by having three defenders as linebackers. They are lined up in a row about four yards behind each other. The RB is lined up directly in front of first LB seven yards from the first defender. On command the linebackers attack the RB. The RB is peppering his feet and he also attacks the LB. The RB strikes the three linebackers in succession. What I am looking for here is good blocking position, wide base, flat back, hip snap, striking the heels of the palm, a good aiming point for the hand strike and the shoulder pads below the defenders.

I also modify this drill by putting the linebackers side-by-side about five yards apart. I call this the Slide and Hit Drill. Here the RB is lined up five yards from the linebackers. The RB slides laterally and when in front of each other, the LB and RB attack each other. Here I am looking for the same fundamentals (See Diagrams 2 and 3).


The last drill I use is an all-encompassing drill. Primarily, I am trying to develop reaction in the RB. I call this the React and Hit Drill. The difference with this drill is the RB does not know which way the linebacker will attack. So this drill develops reaction and suddenness. I am once again looking for all the base fundamentals when they execute their blocking technique. One other phase to this drill that I incorporate is teaching the RB where the QB is located in relation to how they are blocking the defender. As part of my teaching, the RBs are taught to know where their QB is located and keep their body between the LB and the QB.

It is set up with two yellow agile bags lying flat at a 45-degree angle. I will have a linebacker on one side of the agile bags and a RB on the other side of the agile bags. I’m standing behind the RB and am looking at the linebacker. I will then give the linebacker a direction to fill at the 45-degree angle. The RB must react to the linebacker movement and get himself in a good blocking position to execute his technique (See Diagram 4).



About the Author: Brian Jones has been a member of Coach Gary Pinkel’s staff since 1992. While both coaches were at Toledo, Jones coached receivers (1992-94) and then running backs (1995-2000). He then joined Pinkel at Missouri in 2001 and has been the running backs coach for the Tigers for 15 years. Jones played in the offensive line at the University of Connecticut, graduating in 1980.






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