Zone Blocking for Youth?

eaglecoach,

Although I've tried to use some zone concepts in the past, I'm going to teach my kids three of the four zone zone schemes this season using Coach Campbell's zone rules. We will teach our kids to always look for a combo based on the three zone blocking schemes below on all running plays.

1) Push (Inside runs) - No rotation on combos. Push down defenders straight up the field to the next level. We will double (combo) all down defenders using the near ear rule before sliding off to block a linebacker. Doubling is something we've always tried to do at the point of attack in our running game anyway, so it makes sense to extend that to all playside down defenders without the need to call for a combo block.

2) Part the Sea (ISO, Power and Inside veer) - Slow rotating zone meaning that we'll teach the kids the move their feet and backsides towards the hole. Again we will track back to second level defenders rather than chase a playside lb as we would have in the past.

3) Circle the Wagons (Toss/Sweep, Load, Keep, Rollouts) - Using playside ear rule we will teach the use of a dropstep to allow our blocker to have a better angle to reach the defender. The combo rotations must be faster to track linebackers reading fast flow to an outside running play.

We will not be using a full rotating zone since we don't run a stretch play. With the limited front recognition that 10-12 year old kids can handle and with the "creativity" displayed by some non-traditional youth defenses, I think teaching zone concepts make a lot of sense. One of my rules for our o-line is that if they block someone on each play we at least have a chance for it to be successful. When they're confused and simply stand up with that priceless bewildered look on their face, we all know our offense is usually in for a long day! Zone blocking by temporarily doubling then tracking lbs rather than chasing them should help a great deal I think in minimizing the number of times I get that look on the sidelines!

Coach Cella,

I think anyone who has tried to coach an offensive line at the youth level definitely agrees with you that kids 12 and under do not have the upper body strength necessary to perform zone blocks (or any other blocks) in the same manner as their high school counterparts. That being said, I always stress the need of all my players to begin learning how to use their hands and that the sooner they learn how to use them effectively the better players they will eventually be when they develop the strength necessary to really utilize those skills. I teach my linemen to use their shoulders first and to follow with their hands inside. Our pass sets must be similarly modified as they don't have the upper body strength necessary to pass block yet. The simple zone concepts of doubling down defenders and tracking linebackers rather than chasing them does make sense to them and is teachable though. Like anything, it just requires a lot of time and repitions to make it work. Herein lies one of the challenges of coaching youth football - teaching fundamentals which benefit the players at later levels balanced against the need to field a functioning (if not successful) offense and defense.

Thanks for your input here on the Youth Football forum Coach Cella! Please visit again soon!

Coaches,

I used the zone concepts with great success in a Jr. (ages big 11s to small 15s) league. We started with traditional front numbering and we were in trouble due mostly to inexperienced lineman. I latched onto Coach Campbell's concepts from Coaching the Offensive Line (Thanks a ton, Coach, all your stuff is great and highly recommmended) and we were off and literally running. As far as I can tell no one else in our league has a clue about it yet.

Coach Campbell is spot on, it does require patience. We drilled the steps for the inside zone for about 3-4 weeks before they really caught on, and I'm not sure they ever really perfected the bucket step or stretch play, but it worked, probably because we had backs that could read a cutback and hit it fast and the D's at this level have no concept of a collapse defender. Against blitzing defenses (which most were) it was killer. Against non-blitzing Ds it wasn't quite as successful as the kids didn't understand when to go after the LB because I didn't understand enough about zone running to teach them yet. What I had told them was get the combo with four hands on, fours eyes on the LB, wait for the LB to come and never chase them. The problem was we'd get great holes at the line, but run into 2-3 linebackers who didn't blitz and where just waiting. This year the rule will be If uncovered, bucket step and overtake any color you see or move up to L2.

I've been studying the heck out of it this off-season (Coach Campbell's stuff, Stan Zweifel's stuff is good, and George DeLeone has a new DVD out that includes all of his teaching sequences for zone, drive, and pass blocking - Coach DeLeone's explanation of taking color or working to L2 is great). Zone is going to be our base running game next season because it greatly simplifies blocking against multiple fronts for the kids. All they have to know (a wee bit oversimplified here) is how to where to make the first step, get on their angle of departure, take on whoever they see by slinging their guns to punch the heck out of 'em by the second step or work to L2. Work the dickens out of the steps and combos and I think it'll work.

Yes, Coach, I would enjoy that challange, though I think I should probably get another season of it under my belt to really be sure I understand it. Youth fronts that I've seen tend to be 4-4 or 5-3 eight in box and I'm still kinda ironin' out the kinks. I'm planning to throw some quick game, bubble screen, smash and gun stuff from Valdosta State (assuming we get a kid who can execute it like the one we had last year) to see if we can chase 'em out of it. I also expect ISO vs. the 5-3 eight man fronts to be successful. I'd love to be able to do some midline to the 3's or veer, but we'll have to wait and see about that after we get the inside, stretch, maybe bounce and some counter actions off of those base plays.

One thing in terms of zone running I'm achin' to try against that 5-3 is a Twins (or two flankers) wide with a guard, tackle, and extra tackle or TE to the wide side and an H back winged off the boundary side. Most teams move their inside backer to cover the slot, so when they do they'll be outmanned on that wide corner, stretch or even the inside should be there (work a Trey on the 5 and base the 3 tech, maybe pull the backside guard or have him Ace Lion, backside tackle bucket-step & rip to cover the 3 tech, hold the DE with the boot threat). If they bring the boundary corner over (probably what I'd do) the H is set for a wheel up the side off the backer, especially since nobody covers the backs. Hold the safety with a Skinny Post and a vertical combo by the wideouts to the wide side. Looks great on paper. And I wish I had a dime for everytime I've thought that......

Zone blocking is not based upon strength as much as it is pushing defenders where they want to go. Coach Campbell

Thanks for the words of encouragement Coach Easton. Although I do get that "deer caught in the headlights" look with some regularity, I do enjoy trying to push the envelope some when coaching my kids. Some kids never quite catch on, but I've found that most can pick up on a lot more than some youth coaches think they can. Thanks for all of the insights found in your posts throughout the board.

Dave Hartman
CYFL Coach

Wiith zone blocking schemes the approach to blocking linebackers is directly related to how the ball is being delivered. Coach CAmpbell