One of the most exciting plays in football comes in the form of a blitzing linebacker or defensive back creeping up to the line and then attacking the quarterback at the snap of the ball. It's almost expected, especially when a team is put in a position whereby they need a big play or long yardage in order to convert to a first down. A good football defensive system implements a solid blitzing scheme for either pass or run situations.
There's nothing that can pump fans up more in football than a quarterback sack, a forced turn-over, or a running back getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage on a called blitz.
But what are the pitfalls of blitzing and opponent?
Predictability comes to mind! For instance, if you continuously blitz eventually you're going to pay the price of being too predictable. In other words a good football offensive co-ordinator or quarterback will eventually call a play that will take advantage of your blitzing personnel and take advantage of that player vacating his normal area of responsibility. Dump the football in this area and probably get a decent gain out of it.
Now your strategy at this point will begin to change and you'll hesitate to blitz for fear of giving up another big gain. The advantage certainly swings in favour of the offence as they have more time and space to manage the football. Not good for you though!
Blitzing is a big part of any youth football system. The point is: don't be too predictable, use different looks and players when you blitz, as well as different pass coverage's whether it be man or zone. Also, don't always blitz when the offence is in a long yardage situation, mix up the downs as well. Blitzing on first down has commonly been referred to as the run blitz. Disguise your blitzes by showing blitz, but then at the snap of the ball, having your players all drop back into coverage. This can confuse any quarterback and now they will hesitate at changing the play at the line of scrimmage now giving your football defence more and time and space.
Cheers!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The NFL Combine Results
This week I had the chance to tune into the NFL combine. I was quite taken by the testing and drills that each player did individually and it became even more clear to me the importance of having good football fundamentals. Each drill and test seemed to isolate a specific fundamental. No doubt all the players looked ripped and in shape ,but in the end ,the testing certainly separated the good from the great. The players that were fundamentally stonger scored higher.
I noticed that the majority of the drills emphasized stance, step, speed with a sudden change in direction. Some players did it with ease while others struggled ,or slipped, or made a poor plant, a bad cut, all which emphasize the importance of good footwork and good form that we must do on a regular basis fundamentally as part of our youth football practices. You can be fast but if you cannot move your feet your in trouble at any level especially in the NFL!
Then there was testing that isolated explosiveness such as the standing long jump and the vertical leap. Both tests seemed to focus on hip rotation and leg explosion which is something we emphasize every practice in our blocking and tackling.
Anyway, it certainly brought home to me once again the utmost importance in teaching fundamentals to our young football players and reinforced once again that in the end good fundamentals will separate the good from the great!
Cheers!
I noticed that the majority of the drills emphasized stance, step, speed with a sudden change in direction. Some players did it with ease while others struggled ,or slipped, or made a poor plant, a bad cut, all which emphasize the importance of good footwork and good form that we must do on a regular basis fundamentally as part of our youth football practices. You can be fast but if you cannot move your feet your in trouble at any level especially in the NFL!
Then there was testing that isolated explosiveness such as the standing long jump and the vertical leap. Both tests seemed to focus on hip rotation and leg explosion which is something we emphasize every practice in our blocking and tackling.
Anyway, it certainly brought home to me once again the utmost importance in teaching fundamentals to our young football players and reinforced once again that in the end good fundamentals will separate the good from the great!
Cheers!
Play Action plays in your Football Offence
Most youth football offensive co-coordinators implement some sort of play-action passes as part of their offensive football system. Basically, a play-action pass is a passing play disguised initially as a running play, or set up with a specific running play.
Most football offensive co-coordinators will run a specific running play many times through-out the game, all the time watching your linebackers come up hard and fast and making the tackle. Then, they'll run the same play once again, the running back will charge up to the line like he had been doing all along, the linebackers will charge hard as well, the quarterback will set to hand-off the ball and it appears to all that the play will be stuffed again, but this time the quarterback has kept the ball and is now throwing a pass to wide-open receiver who has curled in behind the vacated linebackers.
A lot of youth coaches do well in a play action football system where defenders read and react hard to the ball. Most times you'll see a play action pass along the goal line in order to take advantage of aggressive linebackers and safeties. Most times it works!
Running play-action will usually keep the opposing linebackers "honest" within their football system and they'll stay home a little longer which creates a little more time and space for your running back.
Cheers!
Most football offensive co-coordinators will run a specific running play many times through-out the game, all the time watching your linebackers come up hard and fast and making the tackle. Then, they'll run the same play once again, the running back will charge up to the line like he had been doing all along, the linebackers will charge hard as well, the quarterback will set to hand-off the ball and it appears to all that the play will be stuffed again, but this time the quarterback has kept the ball and is now throwing a pass to wide-open receiver who has curled in behind the vacated linebackers.
A lot of youth coaches do well in a play action football system where defenders read and react hard to the ball. Most times you'll see a play action pass along the goal line in order to take advantage of aggressive linebackers and safeties. Most times it works!
Running play-action will usually keep the opposing linebackers "honest" within their football system and they'll stay home a little longer which creates a little more time and space for your running back.
Cheers!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Attacking the Zone and Man Football Defence
Recently I was asked what the best passing patterns to run versus a zone or man football defence.
First of all your football systems depend a large amount on your personnel that you have to run them. Based on that, you design or adopt a particular football system that your players have the means to thrive in. In other words you don't run a system that your players don't have the tools to operate.
Once you establish that system and your players thrive within it you will be able to make game adjustments within that football system that will be easy for players to adopt. One of the things that you will probably do at some point is to adjust your passing patterns based on what kind of football pass defence that you are up against whether it be man or zone defence.
One of the rules that I have adopted and it's easy to remember is: "Run away" from man and "Sit down" versus zone coverage. In other words, when adjusting football passing patterns versus a man coverage system, call crossing patterns or passing routes whereby your wide receiver is running away from the defensive back. Look for the mismatches where your wide receiver is basically a better athlete than the defender and is out running them. A lot of teams when up against a man coverage football system will isolate their best athlete versus a weaker defender and let his athletic ability get him open.
Versus zone coverage, the adjustment to make would be to get your players to "sit down" or stop and set up in the seams between the zones. Basically your wide receiver would run his route and look for the opening between zones, stop, set-up, while the quarterback would scan and find him open in the seams.
Rule of thumb: Run away from man and sit down versus zone!
Cheers!
First of all your football systems depend a large amount on your personnel that you have to run them. Based on that, you design or adopt a particular football system that your players have the means to thrive in. In other words you don't run a system that your players don't have the tools to operate.
Once you establish that system and your players thrive within it you will be able to make game adjustments within that football system that will be easy for players to adopt. One of the things that you will probably do at some point is to adjust your passing patterns based on what kind of football pass defence that you are up against whether it be man or zone defence.
One of the rules that I have adopted and it's easy to remember is: "Run away" from man and "Sit down" versus zone coverage. In other words, when adjusting football passing patterns versus a man coverage system, call crossing patterns or passing routes whereby your wide receiver is running away from the defensive back. Look for the mismatches where your wide receiver is basically a better athlete than the defender and is out running them. A lot of teams when up against a man coverage football system will isolate their best athlete versus a weaker defender and let his athletic ability get him open.
Versus zone coverage, the adjustment to make would be to get your players to "sit down" or stop and set up in the seams between the zones. Basically your wide receiver would run his route and look for the opening between zones, stop, set-up, while the quarterback would scan and find him open in the seams.
Rule of thumb: Run away from man and sit down versus zone!
Cheers!
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