Post by Coach Campbell on Apr 17, 2013 15:00:09 GMT
The Inside Zone Study
"We don't care if that first step is a bucket step, open step, etc. That's not important. Getting the helmet to the outside number is critical." Mike DeBord, Tight Ends Coach, Chicago Bears
The Covered and Uncovered Concept
By Mike Kuchar,
At X&O Labs we feel strongly about this subject. The inside zone play is taught at all levels of ball all across the country, but it's teaching differs among coaches, which is why we were curious to find a common thread among your methodology. It took us some time and a good deal of research, but we eventually found how this play can be successful at any level. But, before getting into the specifics of the scheme, it's important to first address the reasoning as to why coaches are running it.
Why the inside zone:
It's teaching progression is universal: whether you're a tight end or a center you only have two rules: covered or uncovered, it's that simple. Many of the coaches we spoke with set up three man drills where ANY two offensive lineman work against a defensive lineman and a linebacker on their zone steps.
It's injury proof: we've found that if you teach the zone scheme, it's much easier to replace a lineman if someone gets injured. In gap-oriented schemes like the Wing T, a guard's job description is nothing like a tackle. They execute totally different blocks. In the zone a guard can fill in for a tackle, a tackle can fill in for a center, etc. They all run the same steps. It's "plug-in and play" relevant.
It takes what the defense gives up: In this day and age it's fair to say that defensive lineman as a whole are much better skilled (and more sought after) than offensive lineman. Just a simple research check on recent NFL draft reports will show the disparity between selections in offensive and defensive lineman. So why bang your head against the wall asking your offensive tackle to drive block a stud defensive end into the water coolers every down? A zone scheme teaches lineman to knock defenders on the angle that they're on, making it a much more simple assignment.
It limits negative plays: if you go back and research inside zone schemes, you will find a very low percentage of plays that lost yardage. Trust us, we did the work.
It's good against zone pressures: Since you are blocking gaps instead of people in zone schemes, you are protected against that type of first level movement. We've found that the most difficult thing to teach high school players is that they are not blocking people just zones (which are why teams will man block outside zone plays — something we will delve into in an upcoming report with the outside zone). But once your kids get the concept, the play is productive.
It has tons of complementary action of it: Once you master the techniques of teaching the zone scheme, it really gets fun as a coach. Off the inside zone action, you have the zone read principle (the QB reads the C gap defender), the orbit reverse principle (slot comes in motion to get reverse or hold C gap defender), the split zone or slice principle (FB or backside motion player seals the C gap defender), the lead zone principle (two back concept, in which the FB lead blocks the front side linebacker) and the bootleg or screen off it. You end up with five plays by teaching one scheme.
But excitement overwhelms you and you begin to put a new page in your spring installation manual — there is one universal truth you must understand before going further. In order to be effective in running the scheme, you MUST COMMIT TO IT. You must major in the zone, not minor in it. Based on our studies, 75 percent of coaches feel the inside zone must be your top run in order for it to be successful. Because most coaches teach the zone by covered and uncovered techniques, that's what we will focus on for our report.
Case 1: "Covered" Lineman Technique
Before highlighting the specific techniques of the covered and uncovered linemen, it's important to note the differences between covered and uncovered. Typically speaking, the covered offensive lineman is the player that has a first level defender (or down lineman) from his nose to the nose of the adjacent offensive lineman next to him to the play side (Picture 1). This means that his adjacent gap is occupied by a down lineman, at least pre-snap. Sure, by the time the ball is snapped, this player can move into a different gap but players are blocking gaps in zones, not so much defenders.
We've found that the covered principle is universal, though the verbiage may change, most coaches disregard an inside shade to be a covered lineman. But while the assignment is understood, the technique may vary from coach to coach. Some coaches, like Mike DeBord, once the offensive coordinator at the University of Michigan and now the tight ends coach for the Chicago Bears, believes more in hat and hand placement for the covered lineman than footwork. "We want to control the front half of the defender. Once we get to the front side number, we want to run him at an angle to the sideline," says DeBord. "The blocker wants his nose on the outside number of the defender. We do not want the head down the midline, in the armpit or outside the defender. Helmet placement is more critical in zone blocking than footwork. We don't care if that first step is a bucket step, open step, etc. That's not important. Getting the helmet to the outside number is critical."
DeBord cares so deeply about the hat placement of his linemen; he doesn't stress footwork on that first step. We've found that many coaches have gone back and forth on the debate of whether use a bucket step or an up field step gaining ground when teaching zone blocking. Generally, there are two schools of thought on this topic. One of the forefathers of zone footwork, Jim McNally who has had 28 years of experience coaching in the NFL, always believed in the bucket step (a backward step) as a first step. It's a philosophy where lineman "lose ground to gain ground" in their assignment. While this may be used for offensive tackles to handle wide five techniques in the NFL, our researchers have found that 73 percent of coaches believe more in an angle or lead step to the target rather than a bucket step. We've found that it's more of psychological thing to some coaches, because the words "losing ground" can be construed for some form of blasphemy when dealing with offensive linemen.
Another zone coaching legend, Alex Gibbs, who spent 26 years in the league, was more of a lead step proponent when teaching the zone. Gibbs was synonymous for having smaller lineman, rumor has it he never coached a lineman over 300 pounds, so it was probably imperative for him to teach his guys to get off the ball with quickness. "If you're covered, your responsibility is for the outside half of down lineman if your inside team mate is uncovered," says Gibbs. "Our first step was always a lead step with the play side outside foot eyeballing outside number of down lineman on you. The second step is through the crotch of opponent." It's that second step that offensive line coaches harp on being the most imperative step. After hearing Steve Loney, another longtime NFL coaching veteran most recently with the St. Louis Rams speak at a clinic, I remember him talking about taking "any step necessary" to get to the landmark of the defender, which he taught was the middle of the play side number. He wanted to force the down defender to make a decision by reaching him. Most of our coaches felt that the second step should be more of a foot to crotch step than any form of crossover step for risk of losing strength and balance.
