Defensive Line
Fundamentals and Drills vs. the Run
ANTHONY GRAZZINI
ELMHURST COLLEGE
Frank Glazier Clinic--Madison
Our defensive philosophy is simple:
• Stuff the run
• Attack the QB
Necessary Defensive Components
1. Be aligned properly
2. Know and understand your assignment
3. Swarm to the football
This is Swarming to the Football
Advantages of the 4-2
• Simplicity
• Shades and one-gap responsibility
• Speed and agility are necessary
Philosophy of the 4-2 Defense
• “Attack”
• New LOS
• “Spilling” the ball
– Build a wall
– Force the ball East/West rather than North/South
Defensive Organization
Defensive Alignments and Techniques
8
6
9 7
0
4
2
2
4
6
5 4I 3 2I 1 1 2I 3 4I 5 7 9
8
Defensive Gaps
D
C
B
A
A
B
C
D
S.A.K.R.A.T.S.
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Stance
Alignment
Key
Reaction
Attack
Technique
Sustained Effort
Run Maxims
 One Man Cant Block Me
 Two Men can’t move me
 Take off with hips, hands, and feet to gain the heel line
 Shoot, separate, shed, and tackle
 Bend and Spill
 Beat the inside hand on transition pass rush
Base Stance And Alignment
• Attack Stance
• Inside Hand Down &
Inside Foot Back
• Weight On Down Hand
And Ball Of Front Foot
• Off hand out in front with
thumb turned out
• Crowd Ball = Credit Card
• Align On inside eye on
outside eye of the visual
key
GAINING POWER
through
the
“MASTER MIND”
PRE-SNAP READY PROCESS
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Down and distance
Time and score
Stance of offensive linemen
Splits of offensive linemen
Eyes of offensive linemen
Hand pressure of offensive linemen
Personnel and formations
S.I.P.R
Pre-Snap Ready Process
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–
–
–
S= Scan
I= Interpret
P=Predict
R=React
SCAN
 Down And
Distance
1. What Are Their
Scouting Report
Tendencies
2. What Are The
Trends During
The Game
Offensive Line Tells
 Splits
1. Wide Splits Denote
Inside Run
2. Narrow Splits Denote
Outside Run Or Pass
Scan Says Pass or Outside Run
•Line splits are narrow
•Offensive line is in off-alignment
•Green Call on the Right
 Depth Of Offensive
Line
1. Deep Denotes Pulling
Or Pass
2. Shallow Denotes Fire
Out Or Run Block
Offensive Linemen Stance
 Weight Distribution
For Run Key
 Weight Distribution
For Pass Key
1. White Knuckles
2. Elbows Bent
3. Foot Back
1. Light Hands
2. Balance Stance
3. Weight On Heels
The Stance As A Key Says Run (Think Pullers)
•Weight distribution is on heels
•Light hands to the left heavy hands to the right
•Feet are balanced
•Head and eyes are up
Eyes
• Is he pointing?
• What direction is he
looking at?
• Are eyes high or low?
Eye Keys—Say Run
•The Tackle’s eyes are pointing to the OLB
•He is looking to his right
•The OLM has his head and eyes up
INTERPERT
• What Do You Know Based On The
Scouting Report
• What Does Scanning Tell You
• What Has The Offensive Lineman Done In
Similar Situations
PREDICT
• Make A Hypothesis
• Formulate Your Plan
With The Hypothesis
In Mind
(Move/Counter
Move)
• Hypothesis:
Attack Based
The Play
Your
This Is On
A Running
•The DHypothesis
&D is 2rd and 7 and they have ran counter GT previously in this
situation.
•The line splits, OLM stance, and OLM eyes tell me run
•I will get in my attack stance to play the counter gap; I will react to pass if it
shows using my power rush technique
REACT
 React To The
Movement Of The
Offensive Lineman
• If Key = PSR, Then
Make A Play
• If Key not = to PSR
React and begin your
pass rush
My prediction was correct: The play is a counter GT
•The Front side spilled the pullers
•I ran the heel line and I am in on the cutback tackle
Run Game Fundamentals
Stance
• Inside hand down, inside foot back with
toe-to-heel stagger. (DE’s can be
staggered slightly more)
Alignment and Assignment
• Defensive Ends
– Jam 7 technique is responsible for strong Cgap
– 5 technique is responsible for weak C-gap
• Defensive Tackles
– 3 technique is responsible for strong B-gap
– 1 technique is responsible for weak A-gap
STANCE
Loose and Jet
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•
•
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LOOSE
Inside toe to outside toe
of OLM you are shaded
on
Flexed of the ball 6-10
inches off the ball
Know assignment and
technique
Attack and Penetrate
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Jet
Align 1 to 1 ½ Yards
outside EMOL
Take tilt out of stance—
Get in the blocks
Attack OLM set point and
beat them to the spot
React to run
(Interior linemen will align
in gap)
Ball Get-Off
Coaching Points
•Explode with your Hips
•Shoot your hands—Steel Rods
•Bring your feet
Replace down hand
Get your second foot in the ground
C
T
N
B
Contact Fit
HAND PLACEMENT
HAT PLACEMENT
• Deliver blow into
• Eyes shoot to the “V”
inside of near numbers
of the neck
and outside shoulder
• Head up
• Thumbs up--Grab cloth • Keep head lower then
• Lock out and turn
OLM chin-strap
OLM shoulders
Leverage
Two kinds of leverage are essential:
• vertical leverage- the defender gets his pad level lower
than the blocker
• horizontal leverage- the defender gets his hands inside
those of the blocker.
KEY PROGRESSION
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Visual key man I am aligned on
Pressure
Pressure key—adjacent
OLM
Key
Movementkey—knee of OLM
Movement
Key
Reaction key—block of OLM
– High hat = Pass
– Low hat = Run
Visual Key
• Ball key—backfield flow
Clear Minds Equal Fast Feet
Three Questions
•Question #1
–Is he trying to block me?
•Yes, Push through my gap and control it
•No, go on to question #2
•Question # 2
–Is the “V” up?
•Yes, hit your pass rush move
•No, go on to question #3
Question #3
– Is the “V” is away with an inside threat?
–Yes-Spill all trappers or Kick out blocks, Tackle all backs in your path
–No—Down block coming; feel pressure ricochet back and control
1 ON 1 KEY PROGRESSION
Key Drill
– Reaction #1 Trying to Block Me
• Push through my gap and Control
– Reaction #2 Not Trying to Block Me—V is Up
• Execute pass rush move
– Reaction #3 Not Trying to Block and –V is Away
• Attack inside threat—Tackle all backs/Far Arm K.O.
Blocks
• No inside threat—Ricochet back—Down block coming
Single Blocks
•Base
•Reach
•Down
Base Block
• Blocker fires ahead, trying to drive you off ball
• Explode hands through breastplate on 2nd step
• “Squeeze”, or leverage him back, keeping your gap
• Lock out, find ball, and shed
DT
DT will drop right shoulder, and rip through
with right arm to shed---then make tackle
DT
DT will drop left shoulder, and rip through with
left arm to shed---then make tackle
Reach/Scoop Block
• Blocker steps outside to reach
• Re-direct on 2nd step as you explode hands
• Press the outside pec of blocker and pull inside pec
• Find ball, shed, and make tackle
• If DL can’t make play, he should at least make ball
bubble deeper
B
C
T
Veer/Down Block
• Blocker steps inside, not attempting to block you
• Re-direct hard inside on 2nd step (bend)
• Look for trap or kick-out block
• Far-arm trap or kick-out block
• Force ball to spill outside and run it down if cutback
DE
DT
DE far-arm long trap
DE
DT
DT far-arm a quick trap
Double Blocks
• DOWN/PULL
• REACH/SCOOP DOUBLE
• TRUE DOUBLE
Down/Pull
• Blocker turns his shoulders to pull inside or outside
• Re-direct hard on 2nd step, expecting Down block
•Penetrate, bend, and water ski
•Compress down block, squeeze, cross-face
• Shed block and make tackle
C
T
C
T
Scoop /Reach Double Team Block
• Scoop Double
Visual key steps away
Defender feels the pressure key scooping him
Grab far breast plate of visual key, Re-direct feet, hips, butt and bend
towards the ball while staying engaged on blocker (Slingshot)
• Reach Double
Visual Key steps toward you
Defender feels pressure key coming down on him
Steer Visual key, direct feet, hips, butt into the hole and escape. You
will get a run through…find the ball and get a TFAKL (Run Through)
N
T will leverage to his outside, and “slingshot” to
make a play after slip leaves
C
T
T will steer and wipe through his gap and “run
through” to make a tackle
True Double Team Block
•Explode off ball--fit hands-knock OLM back
•Press the post blocker
•Squeeze your hips to the wheel blocker drive feet while reducing
blocking surface
•Execute split, or corkscrew and hot stove to make the tackle
•Keep feet alive and do not loose ground
C
T
DT will split, spin, or "corkscrew" the
double team block
C
T
T will split the double team
Combination Blocks
•TRAP/INFLUENCE TRAP
•POWER/COUNTER
Trap/Influence Trap
Veer Trap
•As blocker veers or blocks back, Re-direct (Bend)
•expect a kick out block; snap eyes inside, plant outside foot, drive far elbow around
•Attack trapper, explode with far arm through the inside thigh of the OLM and rip up through the
rib cage drive your feet vertically and make the tackle.
Influence Trap
• Never believe a front-side puller
•As Visual Key pull outside; plant your outside foot and re-direct (Bend)
•expecting a kick out block; snap eyes inside, plant outside foot, drive far elbow around
•Attack trapper, explode with far arm through the inside thigh of the OLM and rip up through the
rib cage drive your feet vertically and make the tackle.
N
T
C
T
Kick Out-Insert
•As locker veers or blocks back, Re-direct hard on 2nd step,
expecting a kick out block
•Snap eyes inside, plant outside foot, drive far elbow around
•Attack trapper, explode with far arm through the inside thigh of the
OLM
• Spill two (never one for one) cause the ball to bounce to the
leverage player hot stove and make a tackle
B
N
T
C
C
T
DEFENSIVE END SPECIFIC
TECHNIQUE
•READ
•RABBIT
•BOOT/NAKED
Read
Technique between DE and Linebacker
• Defensive End is the Bend player
• Linebacker is the book Player
• Linebacker makes a Tank call when 3T is to back
C
s
T
N
B
Rabbit
Technique between DE and Linebacker
• Defensive End is the Book player
• Linebacker is the Bend Player
C
S
T
N
B
Vs. QB Boot
When the playgoes away, we want you to chase and make a play. However, some teams will attempt to
bootleg their QB's backtowards you on a playaway. If you are certain the QB has handed the ball off,
continue to chase the back. If you see the QB keep it, or are unsure, you will playthe QB (unless otherwise
instructed byweeklygame plan). When playing the QB bootleg, you will alreadyhave come hard inside.
Slamon the brakes, and come backflat down the LOS to the outside, taking awayhis run.
If a backcomes at you to block, his angle will indicate the type of play. If he tries to kickyou out, the play
is to your inside. Wrong-shoulder himand playinside him. If he tries to "chip" your outside shoulder, it is a
bootleg pass coming backto your side. Rip through his outside shoulder, and re-direct to come flat outside
to prevent the QB fromrunning outside you.
DE
DT
DE
DT
REACT TO THE INSIDE THREAT
OT is not blocking Defensive End & Fullback on “J” Course
• Defensive End will bend and spill
• Attacks the inside threat and spill through it because the back is
on a “J” course thus eliminating the cutback lane
C
T
N
B
REACT TO THE INSIDE THREAT
OT is not blocking Defensive End & Fullback on “P” Course
• Defensive End will plant and redirect to pull up boot
• Attacks the inside threat and recognizes the “Pin” course,
because the back is on a “P” course the D-End will plant and
redirect to pull up or force a take-away.
C
s
T
N
B
REACT TO THE INSIDE THREAT
OT is not blocking Defensive End & inside threat is off the line
• Attacks the inside threat and recognizes the Puller is off the
line, because Puller is of the line it means he is on a “Pin and
Protect” or “P” course
• The D-End will plant and redirect to pull up or force a takeaway.
C
s
N
T
B
REACT TO THE INSIDE THREAT
OT is not blocking Defensive End & there is no inside threat
• The D-End will bend and attack the opposite “A” Gap
• When the D-End recognizes that it is a “Naked” play he will
will plant and redirect to force a take-away.
C
s
N
T
B
Every Day Drills
•No Fish Hooks
•Stab Drill
•Stab/Press/Squeeze/Shed
•Shrug Drill
•Steer Drill
•Ski/Cross-face
•Slingshot
•Split/Screw
•Spill Through
No Fish Hooks
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Explode with Hips, Hands and Feet
Recognize stimulus
Plant on outside foot with your knee in your armpit
Snap your inside elbow in the direction you intend
to go
• Drive outside Arm and leg
– 4 Reactions Right, Left, Pass, Draw
STAB DRILL
Stab Progression
– 5 pt Extension
– 4 pt Lock Out/Escapes
– 2 pt Hip Strike
Press/Squeeze/Shed
– 3 pt Stab
– 3 pt Stab and Press
– 3 pt Stab/Press and Squeeze
– 3 pt Stab/Press/Squeeze/Shed and Tackle
SHRUG DRILL
PUSH/PULL/THROW BY
• Fit Hands
• Hard pull with inside hand toward you
• Violent push with gap hand away from you
• Violent Shrug with both hands as you
swing hips into the hole and throw the
OLM by you
STEER DRILL
From Defeated
– Leverage Steer
– Leverage Steer Rip
• Execute steer
• Push/Pull to turn blockers shoulder
• Rip under with inside arm and get
hips through
– Leverage Steer Wipe
• Execute steer
• Break elbow by driving saw into
outside arm of the OLM and
driving wt into OLM
• Wipe across nose with a violent
circular striking movement and get
hips through
From Dominant Position
– Leverage Steer
– Leverage Steer Rip
– Leverage Steer Wipe
**Pipes Variation
CROSS FACE/SKI
Ski
• Explode with Hips, Hands, and Feet
– See to visual key pulling
– React to pressure Key
• Pressure key up-field at a 45
• ski the puller
Cross Face
• Explode with Hips, Hands, and Feet
– See to visual key pulling
– React to pressure Key
• Pressure key hard and flat to cut you off
• Cross face him
SLINGSHOT
SLINGSHOT DOWN THE LINE
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Pre-Fit Steer/Run Through
Pre-Fit Steer/Latch On/Run Through
Pre-Fit Steer/Latch On/Runt Through/Sling Shot
3 Pt Latch On/Run Through/Sling Shot
SPLIT/SCREW
SPLIT
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Pre-Fit Press the post
Pre-Fit Press the post/Hips to wheel
Pre-Fit Press the Post/Hips to wheel/Skinny the hole
Pre-Fit Press the post/Hips to wheel/Skinny the hole/Wipe
through
Screw
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•
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Pre-Fit Press the post
Pre-Fit Press the post/Latch on inside number
Pre-Fit Press the Post/Latch on inside number/Seat roll
Pre-Fit Press the Post/Latch on inside number/Seat roll/Hot Stove
SPILL TWO
• SPILL DRILL
– Visual Key Veers
• Plant and Bend
– Visual Key Veers
• Plant and Bend/Spill inside threat with far arm by ripping
hip to ribcage
– Visual Key Veers
• Plant and Bend/Spill inside threat with far arm by ripping
hip to ribcage/Drive inside foot vertical and pick off
second threat or make tackle