Post by Coach Campbell on Nov 27, 2011 15:12:47 GMT
8 Tips for Using the "Shooter" Nose Guard in your Defense
By Joe
I thought I would have some fun with a running joke that we've had around the office. Sometimes when we're trying to grade out an offensive lineman (particularly a center), it can be tough when you get some film of a submarining nose guard. You know the one — the undersized kid, probably wrestles, and they stick him down at nose guard to just destroy your line's knees and make piles.
Well the funny thing about it is that I was that guy in High School. Not a wrestler, but everything else fits. And I loved it. First of all, how can you screw it up? On an average play, one guy was falling on top of me (and I'm holding on), and on a great play two or three of them went down. I had games where I graded out at 95% and had 1 tackle. By the way, I always argued that if they fell into the pile, I deserved a portion of the tackle. But I didn't usually get that credit.
So just for fun, here are some tips that I learned playing the position. I don't know if this'll actually help anyone, its just something that I did that seems fun to talk about.
The Basics
1. Stance & Alignment: Head-up to the Center, in a four-point stance, gives you the ability to move in either direction. Your eyes are focused on the center's feet and the ball. Really shouldn't be any reason to jump off sides!
2. Read the Center's Step: When the center steps one way or the other, shoot that direction. The objective really isn't to take the center out — probably the biggest mistake. Anyone can get down there and just crab the center. But again, you want to make a pile that will stop the play, not just a random pile. The real objective is to get to the Guard.
3. Refuse to be flat: Sort of like in wrestling, you always want to keep your base. You want to work from a bear crawl, and ultimately be able to get up and make a tackle. If you beat the center off the ball and shoot the gap, you'll be running into all sorts of pullers, backs and everything else. Just keep moving and take out whatever you see. Its a sacrifice position, not a stat position.
4. Recognize Situations: Know the down & distance. On third & long, work to beat the center with speed. There's nothing dumber than submarining a center while he's pass setting.
5. Vary the Fronts & Stunts: Have a couple of different fronts that will utilize the fact that you've got more speed than size on the line. In addition, use some slants and blitzes working with the backers. Most of the time, the position is a sort of 2-gap player, but change it up.
6. Grab Legs: Lets say the Center steps to your right. You fire out to the right sweeping his play side leg with your left arm. Your right arm is seeking the Guard or whatever else it can find. The goal now is to take out the Guard.
7. Learn to Read different Offenses: The kid needs to study the film. The steps of the center will be different for a zone team than a gap team. Study that guy, because he'll be over him all night long.
8. Fight Dirty: I'm not saying to do anything illegal. But at the bottom of that pile a lot happens, so be prepared to take it as well as dish it out.
Most of what I learned playing this position in high school was learned as a sort of survival tactic, not taught to me. I learned pretty quick that when I was about waist level, I got driven. The down side was that I didn't do a good job of recognizing pass situations and didn't make many sacks (maybe one or two?). I had a couple of kids who played down on the line that were smaller, but never in the same way. They were in a 3-5-3 defense, and we were slanting. In High School I played in more of a 3-4 Defense, where the defensive line was 2-gapping. I also have watched kids who were just flat out quick, and ran around the blocks with speed. I like those cats better, too.
By Joe
I thought I would have some fun with a running joke that we've had around the office. Sometimes when we're trying to grade out an offensive lineman (particularly a center), it can be tough when you get some film of a submarining nose guard. You know the one — the undersized kid, probably wrestles, and they stick him down at nose guard to just destroy your line's knees and make piles.
Well the funny thing about it is that I was that guy in High School. Not a wrestler, but everything else fits. And I loved it. First of all, how can you screw it up? On an average play, one guy was falling on top of me (and I'm holding on), and on a great play two or three of them went down. I had games where I graded out at 95% and had 1 tackle. By the way, I always argued that if they fell into the pile, I deserved a portion of the tackle. But I didn't usually get that credit.
So just for fun, here are some tips that I learned playing the position. I don't know if this'll actually help anyone, its just something that I did that seems fun to talk about.
The Basics
1. Stance & Alignment: Head-up to the Center, in a four-point stance, gives you the ability to move in either direction. Your eyes are focused on the center's feet and the ball. Really shouldn't be any reason to jump off sides!
2. Read the Center's Step: When the center steps one way or the other, shoot that direction. The objective really isn't to take the center out — probably the biggest mistake. Anyone can get down there and just crab the center. But again, you want to make a pile that will stop the play, not just a random pile. The real objective is to get to the Guard.
3. Refuse to be flat: Sort of like in wrestling, you always want to keep your base. You want to work from a bear crawl, and ultimately be able to get up and make a tackle. If you beat the center off the ball and shoot the gap, you'll be running into all sorts of pullers, backs and everything else. Just keep moving and take out whatever you see. Its a sacrifice position, not a stat position.
4. Recognize Situations: Know the down & distance. On third & long, work to beat the center with speed. There's nothing dumber than submarining a center while he's pass setting.
5. Vary the Fronts & Stunts: Have a couple of different fronts that will utilize the fact that you've got more speed than size on the line. In addition, use some slants and blitzes working with the backers. Most of the time, the position is a sort of 2-gap player, but change it up.
6. Grab Legs: Lets say the Center steps to your right. You fire out to the right sweeping his play side leg with your left arm. Your right arm is seeking the Guard or whatever else it can find. The goal now is to take out the Guard.
7. Learn to Read different Offenses: The kid needs to study the film. The steps of the center will be different for a zone team than a gap team. Study that guy, because he'll be over him all night long.
8. Fight Dirty: I'm not saying to do anything illegal. But at the bottom of that pile a lot happens, so be prepared to take it as well as dish it out.
Most of what I learned playing this position in high school was learned as a sort of survival tactic, not taught to me. I learned pretty quick that when I was about waist level, I got driven. The down side was that I didn't do a good job of recognizing pass situations and didn't make many sacks (maybe one or two?). I had a couple of kids who played down on the line that were smaller, but never in the same way. They were in a 3-5-3 defense, and we were slanting. In High School I played in more of a 3-4 Defense, where the defensive line was 2-gapping. I also have watched kids who were just flat out quick, and ran around the blocks with speed. I like those cats better, too.