FB Blocking Technique/Drills - ISO

Coach on the ISo plays I teach the fullbacks to attack the outside jersey number because most linebackers want to tack the ISO block on with their inside arm and leg so that they can keep their outside free, by attacking the outside portion of the LBer it gives the Tailback more of a 2 way go and usually a cutback lane and this usually stretches the Lber if playing soft. . I have the fullback attack from a low to high position allowing his base to explode on contact thus, more weight spread over a wider area so the back can't play of the bloc. I tell the fullback take your jersey number up through the LBers which gets the hips to roll and his legs underneath him as his hips roll forward. Coach CAmpbell

Coach,

As an OC and a backfield coach for several years, I've found the toughest thing to teach backs to do is the Isolation block. It's not a natural athletic thing, and it's so much about technique and toughness that I feel it's something that has to be gone over constantly.

We start off in camp and we have drills very similar to the offensive linemen. We really break it down into fundamentals and steps:

1. We teach and show the perfect "fit" position, or what a finished block should look and feel like. I demonstrate this on a hapless bystander first, then we have each back "fit" into his partner who is a LB. We make sure that the hips are low, causing the thighs to be almost parallel to the ground. The feet should be under the framework of the body. The neck is bulled and the chin is up. We tell him to "look up into his nose" to make sure his pad level is down. Our elbows are in tight and our hands are punched into the base of the outside jersey number. We are driving up THROUGH the man at a 45 degree angle, fitting and sticking to the man.

2. Next, we do "form blocking" just like you would do "form tackling". We break it down by the numbers, with the back starting in a stance and taking his first step on the first whistle and holding it, second step on the next whistle and holding it, etc. As the RB approaches his LB partner the whistle command becomes a verbal "widen!" command for the last 2 approach steps, telling the RB to gather himself for the block. He is now sinking his hips, bulling his neck, widening and shortening his stride, getting his elbows tight and hands in an inside striking position. He is settling to a pad level where he can see up the LB's nose (football guys love that gross stuff). The next command, as the RB's are nearly stepping on the LB's is "strike!". Here, we look for the backs to establish a perfect fit position and to drive up through the defender at 45 degrees, shocking him back and STICKING ON HIM. We always tell the kids, you can't just HIT him, you have to BLOCK him. The final command is "drive!" and it's given within a second of the strike command. Now, we are climbing our feet, STAYING in the fit position, and maintaining leverage as we drive him back.

3. We repeat this drill several times, going at a variety of different angles (kick out etc.). We are always going step-by step, and we are correcting any imperfections in the form or approach.

4. We now run the same drill but we do it on one whistle, and we have the kids do the approach, fit, and drive all at about half speed. You will inevitably find a RB who will stop his feet, strike the LB, then start his feet and try to drive. We have to jump all over this immediately, again telling the RB to BLOCK him, not HIT him. We tell the kids it's a very unnatural thing to do, but you have to focus in your head on keeping your body in contact with his and on "struggling to get that NEXT foot on the ground." We tell them to actually say in their head "next foot. Next foot. Next foot..." so they remember to churn their legs and maintain contact.

5. Once we've sufficently covered this, we will go live against LB's holding shields, full speed with the LB's attacking. Again, you have to be focused as a coach and be certain that your kids are not losing their fundamentals now that they are going full speed.

6. Finally, we run a number of live drills with a FB, ballcarrier, and LB. Sometimes we put the non-participating RB's that are waiting for their reps in offensive line positions and have them walk through the blocks that would take place on the OL, as the backs run through. This simulates the FB having to run through the line and FIND the LB (which sometimes for HS kids is tough to do in the heat of battle).

7. Finally, when you run a Lead in your team offense period, you have to force yourself to watch the FB, not the ballcarrier. Make corrections and coach it up on the fly.

This is essentially what we do. It may take several sessions to get those drills down the way you want them. It's well worth it. You can have the toughest strongest FB in the state, but it won't matter if he can't make that block for your TB.

If you have any questions, let me know! Hope this helps!!!

Coach, we work the same fit/step drills, but our school is small where most LB's are backup FB's and vice versa, and sometimes have a problem with the FB's holding, ala LB's wrapping up. Do you have any special verbal/visual cues that you use to help the FB's with thier hands when blocking?

H2O,

I'm not sure what you are looking for here, or if what I have to offer will be of much help, but we command "strike" to our backs which indicates a technique of driving the hands into the base of the defender's jersey numbers in a violent punch up through the torso with the "meaty part" of the palms nearly together, thumbs up, and elbows in tight to the body.

We say "show the hawk!" to cue our guys to get their hands inside and nearly together. Our O-Line coach came up with this because when your palms are nearly together and the thumbs are up, it kind of looks like a bird (silly, but it works). We stress elbows in tight to the framework of the body as well. Many lead blockers have their elbows out wide like a double flipper block. We want to empahsize a violent shock at the onset of the block, and this is simply not possible with the elbows out wide. So we REALLY emphasize the elbows tight in our teaching drills. We simply yell "elbows!" to remind the blockers to keep them in.

Coach I hope this helps you. We did not have a very big FB this past season (very good runner, and a tough kid though), and we went with the adjustment of running a "Lead Draw" instead of just a "Lead" (VERY effective in HS by the way! Wow, this was our first year running this, and it was nearly unstoppable). The "Lead Draw" helped us get the LB we were ISOing off balance. Instead of attacking the "Lead" like the defense would prefer, the LB's would either be dropping back or flat-footed. At the very worst, he was pass blitzing, and our FB was able to catch him and ride him out. I'd highly recommend this adjustment if your FB is not very good at making that play.

Coach, hopefully I read your question correctly and this information is of some value to you!!

Good luck.