ZOne Blocking rules

We run 4 zone plays, Inside Zone Left, Inside Zone Right, Outside Zone Left, Outside Zone right. We run these four plays mainly out of a 2 TE, double slot, single back formation.

Our blocking rules are as follows:

*If covered, block head up.

*If uncovered, block down to next man on the line of scrimmage to the playside. This will usually end up being a combo block or double team.

*If there is a man to the backside gap, punch and get to second level. For example, if we run Inside Zone Left at a DT in a 1 technique, the LG will "punch" that man. If the DT shoots to the B gap or tries to fight across, the LG will take him and the C will go 2nd level to LB. While he is punching the DT, the LG needs to find the LB. If the LB comes over the top, the LG has to peel off of the combo block and pick up the LB. The C then has to take the DT by himself. If the LB does not show at all, we teach the C and the G to just bury the DT.

We also don't block the backside DE. The backside TE is instructed to cross the DE's face and get 2nd level to OLB or DB. I know that some coaches believe the backside tackle needs to be blocked, otherwise he can just sqeeze down the line and make the tackle. I agree with this in principle, however, in 4 years of running this play, we have only encountered a handful of DEs with the speed and quickness to run the play down frrom behind. In almost all of those instances, we were able to burn those speedy DEs by coming back with a naked bootleg off of the zone action and getting our QB outside of the DEs contain.

Mike Barry from Tennessee has a couple of really good zone blocking videos if you can find them. He breaks down the zone plays on a chalkboard and even goes into minute detail about footwork and how the point of aim for the combo blocks change depending on whether the inside or outside zone play is called.

That's Larry Zierlein (Browns)!

Here are zone blocking rules most NFL teams use:

ZONE BLOCKING RULES:

A) (EVERYONE) IF YOU ARE UNCOVERED — ZONE WITH YOUR TEAMMATE TO PLAYSIDE.
B) (EVERYONE) IF YOU ARE COVERED LOOK BACKSIDE - #1 IF YOUR TEAMATE BACKSIDE IS UNCOVERED - ZONE WITH HIM. #2 IF YOUR TEAMATE BACKSIDE IS COVERED — MAN BLOCK.