Pass Rush Techniques

Couldn't pull up the article.

Here are a few I have found:

Hand-to-Hand Combat in the Trenches: The Art of Pass Rushing
(AUTHOR NOT LISTED)

Have you ever wondered what a football scouting report meant when it said that a pass rusher doesn't use his hands well? This article discusses the hand techniques that pass rushers, such as defensive linemen (DL), use to defeat blockers, such as offensive linemen (OL).

Before we get to that, let's review pass rush moves you're probably familiar with. As a generalization, these involve the legs instead of the hands:

* Run around the blocker (this is primarily for a DE trying to beat an OT around the edge)
This is not a ticket to success, unless you have an exceptionally explosive first step and freakish speed, like the Packers' KGB, the Colts' Dwight Freeney, or the Eagles' Javon Kearse. This is the move that athletic defensive ends (DEs) rely on in college that just doesn't cut it in the pros
* Bull rush
This tends to work better for defensive tackles (DTs) trying to collapse the pocket and force the QB to move than for DEs, who are farther from the QB at the snap. This move will not work against a disciplined OL who plays with good leverage and has the size and strength to matchup
* Spin move
Another move that only works if you are exceptionally quick. It's a move that is frowned upon by NFL coaches. Turning your back to the football is not a good thing. Former Raiders' DE Regan Upshaw tried this move a lot, but it didn't consistently work

So what does a pass rusher use his hands for? Two purposes:

1. To keep the hands of the blocker off his body
If the blocker gets his hands locked onto the pass rusher, the result is usually a successful block. NFL referees almost never call holding on a blocker so long as his hands are between the shoulder pads of the defender. Also, an OL may hand punch the pass rusher in the chest to slow him down and maintain separation. So the pass rusher must protect his body with his hands. Raiders DE / OLB Tyler Brayton demonstrated good hand technique when knocking away RT Steussie's arms in the 2004 TB@OAK game.
2. To attack the blocker to get past him
A pass rusher can leverage his hands/arms in a variety of moves, including:
* Club move
For this move, the pass rusher swings an arm like a club and strikes the side of the blocker. It's purpose is to shove the blocker aside
* Rip move
For this move, the pass rusher makes an uppercut from a crouched position, except that the target of the uppercut is underneath an arm/shoulder of the blocker instead of his chin. If successful, the pass rusher lifts the blocker, gets underneath him, and wins the critical battle of leverage. At that point the blocker is toast. Former Raiders' DT Rod Coleman is a master at using this move to rip under the shoulder of an OG and then blow past him
* Swim move
For this move, the pass rusher raises an arm over his head (the arm closest to the blocker) and spins it in a windmill forward motion. This looks like a freestyle swimming stroke. As the pass rusher's arm comes down, it knocks aside the blocker's arm. WRs also utilize the swim move to break the press at the line of scrimmage

These moves are often combined. Hall-of-Fame (HOF) DE Reggie White often setup an offensive tackle (OT) by faking as if he was going around him, waiting for the OT to begin sliding to the outside to mirror him, then suddenly clubbing the OT with his inside arm and beating the OT to the inside. This "hump move" worked so well for White because he was a legitimate edge rush threat, he had tremendous strength, and he timed his club perfectly, right as the OT was shifting his weight to his outside foot. As a Raiders fan, it's interesting to note that White picked up the hump move from Raiders' HOF DL Howie Long. Dwight Freeney uses misdirection by starting with an outside pass rush, but instead of using the club move, he spins back inside to beat the OT. This double-move is effective for Freeney because he has incredible quickness and balance.

The master at using his hands was Howie Long. Long developed phenomenal hand-eye coordination and quick hands from boxing (he was a collegiate champion), and those skills served him well as a pass rush threat in the NFL. Some of his team mates said it was almost impossible to get a glove on him, because he would knock away any arm that came near him.

Defenders also use their hands when playing the run, to prevent blockers from holding them, to protect their legs from low blocks, and to stack and shed blockers.

Effective pass rushing at the NFL level is all about using the hands. Check out the following quote from Cardinals defensive end Chike Okeafor on his beating Raiders right offensive tackle Gallery twice in a preseason game:

He's definitely a strong guy. It was just moves I made. If you get the proper technique and the right hands, it doesn't matter how strong you are.


BY TOM BASS (EX NFL COACH):

Rushing the Passer
For a defensive lineman, rushing the passer usually is the high point of playing the game. Against the running game, the offensive play selection dictates the style and type of reaction a defensive lineman must make. The defensive lineman's response to certain types of blocks or blocking schemes is predetermined. This all changes when the offense elects to pass the ball. Then, it is the defensive lineman who has the options, and it is the offensive player who must do the reacting.

Rushing the passer is a learned skill, one that can be assimilated in a systematic fashion. It also is a skill that allows for individuality, with the defensive lineman able to work on and adapt the pass rush techniques best suited for his body structure and physical ability.

Before going onto the practice field, defensive linemen need to know some basic principles of rushing the passer. These are areas of mental rather than physical concentration. Once learned, they will increase the effectiveness of the pass rush greatly.

The defensive lineman first must understand the importance of "getting off the ball" if he is to have success. He should pay close attention to the down and distance for the offense, realizing that the longer the distance the offense needs to go, the greater the possibility there is for a pass. As the probability of a pass increases, the defensive lineman adjusts his stance. He decreases the width of his feet, adds a greater stagger in his stance, and places his front foot directly under his hip, closer to the line of scrimmage. His hips should be raised to a position slightly higher than his shoulder pads, and he should put more weight on the hand that is on the ground. When anticipating a pass by the offense, the defensive lineman should have his head up with his eyes focused on the ball, his body weight well forward. This style of stance allows him to move across the line of scrimmage the instant he sees the center snap the ball.

A defensive lineman's basic job against a pass play is to pressure the quarterback. He may not always be able to tackle the quarterback before he throws the ball, but he may be in position to force the quarterback to hurry his throw or to obstruct the pass. If a defensive lineman rushing directly at a quarterback sees the quarterback is about to throw, he should be prepared to stand tall, raise his arms into the air, and obstruct the quarterback's vision and passing lane. By thinking and acting in this manner, if the pass is thrown in his direction, the defensive lineman often will be in position to cause an incompletion, tipping the ball into the air or knocking it to the ground.

The entire defensive team, and the defensive line in particular, must realize that an incomplete pass is the same as a running play that gains nothing. Often it is the hurrying of the pass or the tipping of the ball in flight that causes the pass to be incomplete or intercepted. Although the sacking of the opposing quarterback is an exciting and an important play for a defensive lineman, these two other types of play may be equally important to the outcome of a game.

Just as a defensive lineman understands the different types of blocks he may face on running plays, he also must have an insight into the different ways the offense blocks on the various types of pass plays: drop-back, sprint-out, play-action, dash, roll-out, and screen. These pass plays used by the offense should be introduced and explained in the classroom and then practiced, one at a time, on the field.

Regardless of the type of offensive pass play being executed, a defensive lineman first must defeat the offensive player assigned to block him. Defeating this player must be his number one priority after he has determined that a pass play is coming. Once the blocker is defeated, the defensive lineman is in position to obstruct the pass or pressure the quarterback. A young defensive lineman, in particular, usually looks for the quarterback immediately, never realizing that the quarterback probably is not in a position to throw the ball so quickly. It is during these first few moments of each pass play that a defensive lineman must concentrate on defeating the offensive blocker and not on the man with the ball.

Above all, the defensive lineman must develop an intensity and purpose in his pass rush. He must understand that he has to keep his feet moving and not be stopped, steadily boring in, collapsing the pocket, exerting more and more pressure on the quarterback. No matter how tempting it seems, this is not the time to push and shove the blockers around. The defensive lineman's goal always is to shed the blocker and get to the quarterback as quickly as possible.

There are seven basic individual pass rush techniques that can be learned by a defensive lineman. No one defensive lineman will be able to become proficient at all of them. What each player needs to do, after he has been introduced to and practiced all seven techniques, is select the one or two that are best suited to him.

A defensive lineman who is short in stature will waste valuable practice time trying to master an "arm over" pass-rush technique, and a defensive lineman who lacks upper-body strength may become frustrated if he is asked to "bull" rush time and time again. It is up to the player and the coach to find the correct rush techniques for each player. The defen-sive lineman should constantly practice these individually selected and specific pass-rush techniques until he becomes a master at executing each of them.

In all the following drills, defensive players are used for both the offense and defense. A defensive lineman's ability to rush the passer is greatly increased if he understands the techniques used against him by the offensive player. The best way to learn offensive techniques is to be forced to play the position in practice. Many times the starting defensive linemen are not asked to take their turn on offense. But instead of helping them by allowing them to rest, the coach actually is hurting their development by taking away a valuable learning experience.

Before a defensive lineman can learn individual pass-rush techniques, he must understand where he is trying to go with his pass rush. He needs a feel for where the target, i.e., the quarterback, will be located. The sprint drill is designed to give the defensive lineman a definite point at which to direct his rush.

It also serves to emphasize, above all else, that a defensive lineman must keep his feet moving toward the target.

**************

Play Football The NFL Way is the ultimate football manual for coaches and beginning players who want to learn the basics of football correctly. Author Tom Bass is a former NFL coach with more than 20 years of experience with the Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, and Tampa Bay Buccaners.