Half Line Drills to Teach Coverages

Quarter Quarter Half Coverage

The ideology of the whole part whole teaching method has always been a huge part of coaching football.  I like to introduce a scheme to a whole unit in meetings first.  Then on the field we will teach it and rep it in individuals or group sessions.  Finally we will get together as an entire unit and put all the parts together.  This method is really effective for us as a split field coverage team.  I really like teaching this way because our base coverages are meant to be played independently of each other, so working half line drills lets us focus and coach one half of the coverage at a time.

Today we are going to talk about the 3 base coverages we play and how we use half line drills to work run support and coverage responsibility.  Our base coverages are Quarters, 2 Read, and Cover 2.  We have to be able to play a combination of those at all times.  We really need to get good at these coverages and the nuances or slight change in assignments of each one.  What we will do is work half field or half line principles versus 2 removed receivers and a RB and QB.  We are going to emphasize the trouble spots or coverage beaters in each coverage.  I consider bubble screens and now screens as an extended part of the run game.  We will work run responsibilities versus speed option, bubble screen, and now screens.  In the passing game we will work curl/slide, hitch corner, and coverage beaters like post over dig, post and corner, post and deep out, and 2 verticals with a flat route.  I think it's important to stress the routes that can beat your coverages the most and let your kids react to and play other route combinations as they occur.

Keep in mind that this is just a segment of the practice where you are emphasizing certain scenarios with a small group of players.  You will still have inside or team run periods, 7 on 7 periods and full team sessions.  Ultimately the game is played 11 on 11 and you have to work as a unit to have success.  Breaking your work down into small groups helps you and your players work on specific techniques and fundamentals that will make the group stronger as a whole.  There are several other portions of your practice in all 3 phases of the game where half line teaching is very effective.

   

Always remember the key to good coaching is what you can get your players to know, not just what you know.  Hopefully this helps you organize your practices more efficiently and get your players to understand their responsibilities a little better.  PLAY FAST.

Blocking Run Pass Concepts

RUN PASS CONCEPTS BLOCKING

**I'M SORRY BUT MY CAMERA ACTED UP AGAIN AND SPLIT THE VIDEO INTO TWO SEGMENTS.  TIME FOR A NEW CAMERA OR BETTER PRODUCTION GUY!!!

Since I have already done some blogs involving packaged plays I figured I should go over the blocking schemes we use when reading second level defenders.  When thinking about adding new schemes the first thought that enters my mind is How much will it affect the offensive line?  We really try to keep our schemes as simple as possible up front.  We really only run gap schemes, and outside zone schemes.  So when I want to add a new concept I try to fit it into one of those schemes.  

When I started researching run/pass packaged plays I needed to figure out a way to teach it to my olineman without adding and extra scheme.  My first thought was to block it like veer but make a lock call for the front side tackle. This way he would block the end and the QB could read the ILB.  Then I realized that if there was a 3 and 5 technique front side the guards assignment changed as well.  Then it dawned on me that the front side of the play was man and the backside was essentially a zone scheme.  We already taught a half slide half man pass protection so my brain started turning to figure out how to do that in the run game.  What I came up with was a simple tag to give the center to alert him and the oline that we were blocking half slide pass protection rules with run blocking demeanor. 

ROLL TIDE

So we came up with different tags to alert the line to run block our half slide assignments.  That allowed us to get man blocking on the front side with the center turning away to work towards the BILB.  Now we could combine a run play with a pass play and conflict a 2nd level defender.  There are several different ways to do this.  You can run QB Draw off of a TB Flare, You can run inside zone with a stick route or snag route.  The bottom line is your offensive line is aggressively blocking a run play with the ability to throw a pass downfield.  Remember within the rules your line can get 3 yards downfield without being called for ineligible man downfield.  Add into to that the human error factor because referees are human and all of this happens real suddenly and you get 5 yards downfield!  We actually completed two vertical routes that were thrown 30 plus yards without being called for a penalty.  Remember a penalty is only a penalty if a flag is thrown!

 

Hopefully this blog and the video helps you better understand packaged plays.  It's not what you know but what you can get your players to know.  PLAY FAST!