Option Skills

E.C,

DRILLS MUST CORRESPOND TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING ON FILM! If you are down blocking 20 percent of the time in a game, 20 percent of your indy time must be dedicated to full-speed down blocking. If you are combo blocking 30 percent of the time in a game, 30 percent of your indy time must be dedicated to full-speed combo blocking. The only way to execute at maximum efficiency in a game is to drill what you are going to do in a game at full speed! Don't drill for the sake of drilling! Drill to improve specific skills that correspond to what you are doing in a game.

I made the same mistake as a very young coach by trying to get my kids tough by putting them in the chutes and having them drive block and reach block each other to death while I was "Mr. Tough Guy" by getting in their face. Then the first game came and our opponent run blitzed us to death. We lost 26-0. This happened when I was coaching in New Jersey 10 years ago. I did not realize the true value of coaching until I started teaching in the classroom, because that's when I started to see the power a teacher truly has. If you are drilling for the sake of drilling, YOU ARE CHEATING YOUR PLAYERS OUT OF THE BEST COACHING POSSIBLE! Specificity training is a concept used by most NFL teams and major colleges. Train with a specific purpose in mind!

Always remember--Your job is to win the game--NOT prove your philosophy. I wish you well.

As a high school coach I ran the triple option and will again when I go back to coaching high school. I coach at the college level and I am a linebackers coach/special teams coordinator/recruiting coordinator.

You must practice the following blocks:

Drive
Reach
Down
Veer
Pull
Trap
Scoop
Combo
Slide (Zone pass pro)
Kickstep (Man pass pro)


I am a big advocate of fundamentals; however if your players do not know how to align and if they do not know what their job is, the best fundamentals in the world are worthless. I went through four practices standing right next to Jim McNally as he taught the Buffalo Bills Offensive Linemen. What he does is that he teaches fundamentals for every play that they run. He would run a play, and focus on his linemen's 1. splits and depth level; 2. assignment; 3. footwork, angles, and punch. Fundamentals can vary from play to play. That's why at the high school level the best coaches never sacrifice DISGUISE for EXECUTION!
Coach Mountjoy told me about a study that Steelers' OL Coach Larry Zierlein did a few years ago. He charted every running play by every team in the NFL in 2005. Did you know that a running play is only effective if it is used at least six times in a game? The point is, if your head coach is using a play once or twice a game, he is wasting his time as statistically it is ineffective. If your head coach is like this, I would focus on what he actually runs during a game and practice that in order of priority. This provides YOUR offensive linemen with the best coaching possible.

If you speak to the best offensive line coaches in the world, they will tell you that you as an OL better know how to align and you better know what your job is before you do anything else. Fundamentals are worthless when you're blocking the wrong person. Keep that in mind as well. Jerry Easton taught me that years ago and it was reinforced to me by Jim McNally (Bills' OL Coach), Larry Zierlein (Steelers OL Coach), and Larry Beightol (Lions OL Coach). Your players better know how to line up and who to block before all else!!!!!

I hope this helped and look forward to further discussion.

CHEWBAKKA,

I ws taught early in my coaching career that there is a difference between a double team block and a combo block. Running the option successfully, in my opinion, a coach must know and teach the difference. This may seem like a small point in view of all the excellent post listed above, but have always believed that IT IS ATTENTION TO THE SMALLEST DETAILS IN PRACTICE THAT HELPS YOU TO BUILD A WINNER.

Double Team Block = two OL's stepping hip to hip and drive blocking the DL straight backward!!!
Combo Block = two OL's attacking the DL, one hitting him at shoulder height and the other at ribcage and lower as an aiming point. IN THE PSL THE OL'S MUST DECIDE BY THE ALIGNMENT OF THE 2ND LEVEL DEFENDER (LB) WHO HITS HIGH AND WHO HITS LOW AS THE ONE WHO HITS HIGH WILL BE THE OL COMING OFF THE BLOCK TO SLIDE TO THE LB.

I know it is the vogue for most high school level coaches to use the term COMBO BLOCK for both. But, now you know the difference. The combo block, unlike conventional zone blocking where we do not chase LB's but rather wait for them to come to us determines which OL releases and takes him, is specifically designed for one or the other to BE PREPARED TO ATTACK THE SECOND LEVEL DEFENDER AS
EARLY ON AS IN THE PSL, based on the defenders alignment.

Hope this will add to your store house of football knowledge.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

Thankyou coaches! The above posts are helping me. It's one reason that I love this Forum is because of coaches like you that will help newcomers like us! My father told me along time ago when I was little & asking lots of questions to go to the library. When I asked him why he said that Every problem in the world had already been solved a number of times...all I had to do was to go and look up those solutions.

A couple of questions based on the entries above:

1: What is a VEER block? I feel like I should know but don't so hey, I'll ask.

2: On the COMBO block, as you were pointing out Coach EASTON, do you (and other coaches too) coach the linemen to stay on and keep moving the DT/DE until the LB comes to them? So don't come off the block early?


I definately think that we need time each week to go over assignments & firing out full speed against our scouts to get to those assignments. It's something we didn't do alot of last year and I believe as you have all stated that it is the key to EXECUTION, which is #1 in successfully running a play.

Chew, a veer block is a down block on a linebacker.

NEVER SACRIFICE DISGUISE FOR EXECUTION!

We have an offensive lineman who played for us at Lackawanna is now with the Bears. The Bears constantly have the offensive linemen focus on the first two steps. That determines the overall footwork and angle... not just the first step. Offensive line blocking is about three things: FOOTWORK, ANGLES, PUNCH. That theory comes from Larry Beightol who has been an NFL offensive line coach for over 20 years, most recently with the Detroit Lions. I would have a hard time finding anyone who would disagree with that.

What should the 1st step be for the Olineman that is doing the chip block on a combo? Im specifically concerned about this against a stack defense. For example, if we are running to the right against a 44 defense with a DT in the backside A gap and a stacked backer. It seems to me that if the Center steps toward the DT at all, he will have very little chance of getting to the BSLB in time.

Coach,

If you have a backside T in the A gap and a stacked backer , the paramount question then becomes EXACTLY HOW IS THE BACKER STACKED??? IS HE SHADED TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER AND HOW CLOSE IS HE STACKED TO THE DL??? THIS IS WHAT IS GOING TO DETERMINE HOW TO BLOCK HIM.

For example, if the LB is stacked real tight and shaded to the playside just a tad, then your center in stepping to the BSDT MUST HAVE QUICK FEET TO CHUCK AND HINGE TO THE LB WHO WILL BE SCRAPING HARD. YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE