Why Zone and Gap schemes?

Korey Mangum

American Football is one of the most popular sports throughout the United states and beyond. This sport requires multiple positions on offense, defense, and special teams along with constant repetition of the proper fundamentals and technique expected from those who participate in the game. One of the most important fundamentals that will ensure how successful a team’s offense will be in football is the ability to block. In order to properly block someone, a person must be able to generate force from driving their feet into the ground which should result in movement. Even though this sounds simple, it can be extremely hard to execute if a person’s technique and fundamentals are lacking. The key to movement is making sure you always have your hands placed inside of on the chest with the thumbs pointing towards the sky and the constant movement of the feet. Although this technique is effective for a one on one block, its not the most beneficial way to block multiple defenders.

​When it comes to the building of an offense, zone blocking is more beneficial than man blocking. Zone blocking allows the offensive linemen to work together in what is often referred to as a combination block. Typically, a combination block is with two offensive linemen versus one defensive lineman to a linebacker or second level defender. When executed properly, a combination block creates an advantage for the offensive line simply because of the difference in weight in comparison to the one defensive lineman. On the other hand, man blocking creates a disadvantage for the offensive linemen by not allowing them to work together while blocking a defensive lineman who’s probably the more superior athlete of the two. A man blocking scheme is totally reliant on each person winning their one-on-one battle which is highly unlikely. The implementation of the zone blocking scheme will provide favorable match-ups for the offense while being able to become more efficient in the run game.