Outside Zone Tech--Oneback Help

Inside Zone - point of aim for the covered o-lineman is the chest. The point of aim for the uncovered o-lineman blocking down to him is the near shoulder. That way, if the LB comes over the top, the uncovered o-lineman can easily peel off to get him.

Outside Zone - point of aim for the covered o-lineman is the outside shoulder. That way, if the LB comes over the top, the covered o-lineman can peel off to get him. The point of aim for the uncovered lineman who is blocking down is the outside hip. That way, if the LB comes over the top and the covered o-line has to peel off, the uncovered o-lineman is in good position to get his hips around.

We used to do the "hinge" technique. I found that the problem with it was that we were giving up way too much penetration. I personally fo not care for the technique.

In my opinion, turning your shoulders perpendicular to the line of scrimmage is not a sound technique for a high school offensive lineman. Shoulders need to stay parallel to the LOS.

I guess what it comes down to is that it really doesn't matter which way your linemen take the defense on the zone play. If they can blow the D-line's asses back 3 yards on every play, it really doesn't matter!

The hinge you are discussing here is usually a technique employed by your BST, not playside personnel.
An uncovered lineman steps with a small 6" angle step, not a bucket step, with his aiming point being the outside number of the DL while reading his outside knee. If it comes you take over the block and your previously covered team mate gets to the 2nd level right now! if the knee disappears, the uncovered man gets to the LB and the covered teammate bases his DL. (inside zone) vertical push technique.

OS zone = Center takes 0, guard takes 1, tackle takes 2, etc. (next man over technique)

Coach Easton

COACH, WE ALL LOOK FOR THE DOUBLE TEAM. I LIKE THE TWO BACK SCENARIO YOU DESCRIBE.

Coach Easton

COACH, THAT IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY DICHOTEMY'S IN ZONE BLOCKING. YOU TEACH YOUR RB TO READ THE DLM, NOT HIS BLOCKERS IN FRONT OF HIM.

Coach Easton

When you have consecutive OL covered, like the 5-3 described earlier. Is the rule in the OZ that you never leave your man for the next DL if he is next to you. I guess what I am trying to say is that the combos only come with uncovered and covered OL not covered and covered OL.

J.C. - GREAT, GREAT POINT!!!!!

JC: You have no idea of how many current Division I & NFL coaches that I have talked with that have no idea of all of Sid's passing game concepts!!!!! Many are "foreign" to them!

Coach HosHos,

I just read this string, and I think this is something you and I discussed before the season. We actually began the season running the OZ against a 5 tech, 9 tech look (like a 5-2 or 5-3), having the TE rip and run through to the linebacker with both the PST and PSG bucket stepping and hinge blocking the 9 tech and 5 tech, respectively. This is the way we ran it in the prior year and had a tremendous amount of success. With respect to this scheme, I am in complete agreement with Coaches Easton and Mountjoy, that it would generally result in too much penetration from the 9 and 5 tech's without the man covering them engaging them first. However, we are able to do it because of the alignment of our linemen. First, we align as far off the ball as we can (which in our area is helmet at the base of the center's numbers). Second, we vary our splits almost every play for many different reasons (so that the defense can't get a handle on why we're doing it), and on the OZ, we take a minimum split which for us is 1 foot. This allows our PSG and PST to bucket step in front of the rushing DL and make initial contact with our backside shoulder on the DL's (9 and 5 tech's) playside hip, to stop their penetration, just before we wheel our tails to the sideline (hinge).

During the year, we ran into a different problem, however, against 9 techniques in odd fronts. We ran this play with so much success that the DE/OLB's became even more outside conscious than normal, so our TE was forced to engage and hook them, with our PST now ripping and running through to the LB and our PSG bucket stepping and hinge blocking the 5 tech. So we ended up in the scheme Coaches Easton and Mountjoy described, just for a different reason.

About 50% or MORE of the NFL teams use "pullers" on the OZ. Tape the INDY COLTS - the OZ is their BEST run (by FAR!!!).

They run it exactly as Bill McCartney did at Colorado in 1994 or 1995 (the year he retired). They ran it better than ANYONE I have ever seen! You can order the video from SYSKOS at 1-800-932-2534 for $29.95 (WELL SPENT). "THGE COLORADO OFFENSE" by Bill McCartney (order #2116)

It shows all the ways to block it (pullers & full zone).

Refresh me on the Puller again!

Coach,
Your comments are well taken, now that I see you are aware of the fact that your not using the base concepts of zone blocking on the OSZ play by not getting movement from the DL and taking advantage of that movement to create the crease or cutback for the RB, but have instituted your own rules for the play.
You have created a hybred scheme that works for you and there is certainly nothing wrong with that in my book. I just get a little upset when guys break the rules of a scheme ( break the rules= MASS CONFUSION) and still maintain they are playing whatever, when they really are not. I mix schemes like anyone else, but I know the difference of what I am doing and the accepted way of doing it, just as your post shows that you do too.

Coach Easton

TOG,

Your first sentence is the gist of the whole conversation. "There are lots of accepted ways to do things".
Couldn't agree more!

Coach Easton

When you talk about the GREAT teachers of outside zone blocking such as Bugel, Hanifan, Matsko, McNally, Mudd, A. Gibbs, ETC. - all of them begin with the basic premise that EVERYONE is assigned a MAN, & if your man is a LB - on the OZ you try to "force the swithc" with your outside teammate who is covered by a DLM. Does it always occur - NO (particularly if a DLM on the outside shoulder of your outside teammate - YOU end up on YOUR man - the LBer.

Now no matter how many ways you slice it - it always (at least with the College & NFL coaches I have known and/or studied) to be as above!

"Hos-Hos" - "PULLERS" means that they pull uncovered linemen to lead. Depending on trhe defense - they can pull ANYBODY!!!!! Too complicated to explain on email. If I had a piece of chalk & a blackboard, I could explain it. Get the Bill MCCartney video from SYSKOS called "THE COLORADO OFFENSE" & it explains it ALL! Also, tape some good outside zone teams this weekend (Falcons - they usually don't pull; Colts - they usually DO pull.). Break these down & study them just as I do EACH weekend!