ZONE GAME

Offensive Line Footwork

Inside Zone Big Toe/Big Toe, Big Toe/Little Toe Aiming Point = Sternum/False Reach
Take defender where he wants to go

Zone Big Toe/Big Toe, Big Toe/Big Toe Aiming Point = Play Side Number/Zone Drive Outside Zone Big Toe/Little Toe, 2nd step thru crotch/Reach Aiming Point = Play side hand peck, back side hand sternum

Huddle to L.O.S.
Assignment Play Wired In Break the Huddle Get to L.O.S.

Alignment Splits
Horizontal 2 Feet Vertical - Center & Guard sets alignment, Tackles up foot to inside foot of Guard
Inside Zone hand in the middle of Centers foot Outside Zone hand at the heels of Centers foot Man Schemes (Short Yardage/Goal Line) hand at Centers toes

Stance - balanced Right side/Right handed Left side/Left handed

Weight on the insides of your feet, slight stagger with outside foot, Zs in the knees and in the ankles Tackles with no TE attached, 2 point stance, slight bend in the waist, hands relaxed ready to strike

Pre Snap Awareness Alert to alignment & secondary rotation

Start Step according to play, get 2nd step in ground, fit, drive, lockout
Alert to covered/uncovered

Stay Low Waddle in zone, Base in man FINISH / FINISH / FINISH

Cycle of a Snap Do Your Job

MENTAL IS TO PHYSICAL AS 4:1!

Inside Zone Technique

Everyone is responsible for their zone. A zone is defined as the area from your nose to the nose of the man next to you. This is all about covering up defenders. Block them on the angle to which they align on you and take them where you want them to go. We want to give the back options and running lanes as he approaches the L.O.S. and presses our heels. Zone = Two or more adjacent lineman working in tandem to block a specific area, not a man. When you turn, you take away an option lane for the back. Learn this rule. Instead of trying to memorize. Learn this rule.

Inside Zone Play

Inside Zone Technique - Do it a million times - Repeat over and over and over, then do it one more time to be sure. Individual drills with defensive line, inside run, team work! Talk it, Chalk it, Film it, Walk it, Jog it, Run it...then run it again on film. Split = 2 Feet, Alignment, Hands at the Swoosh Patience, Patience. Stop the clock in your head Allow the back to move the defense. Visualize everyone stepping and going in the same direction
(like the Rockettes on stage)

All must have one goal in mind - move the defense and run where they are not!

Lead Man / Trail Man

We talk in these terms - keep it simple. If you are the covered lineman working in combination with an uncovered lineman, you step according to the defender's alignment:
Outside Shade = set to base Head Up = set to base/lead with 2nd step Inside Shade = set to base/lead with 2nd step

...then wait for the uncovered lineman to force you off. Uncovered Lineman, you will take your zone step footwork on the LB over you and work in combination with the covered lineman:
vs. head up or outside shaded defender = use one arm, Read technique (step and take your aiming points on the LB while feeling and reading the DL with your arm). See the LB, feel the pile Stay on course for LB, use one arm until the DL tells you to use two arms.

Inside Zone Technique

Coaching Point: Lead man and a trail man! Trail man must get on back hip pocket of lead man.

E
Trail

N
Lead Trail

T
Lead Trail

E
Lead

"One Arm Read"

Footwork & Aiming Points

Lead Man: We use a set step with the play side foot. This is a short wedge step to unlock our hips to get us going on our angle according to defenders alignment. Aiming points with feet are Big Toe/Big Toe, Big Toe/Little Toe

N
Lead

T
Lead

E
Lead

Footwork & Aiming Points

Trail Man: We use a zone step (deeper than a set step) to unlock our hips and step with width and depth to allow us to get on the back hip pocket of the lead man in the scheme.

E
Trail

N
Trail

T
Trail

Footwork & Aiming Points

Your aiming points and 2nd step are the most important things in zone blocking. How quickly can you get your 2nd step in the ground to and thru the inside foot of the defender. Helmet will aim for the sternum of the defender and your hands will aim for pecks of the defender.

Footwork & Aiming Points

I want to hear your FEET!! Make sure you get your whole foot in the ground. Hands should be inside. Tight base, punch and grab we want a crease in your elbows. Punch = a controlled strike, thumbs up.

12 vs. 43

W E T N

M E S

12 vs. 52

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E T

M N

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T E

12 vs. 53 Double Eagle

One Arm Read

M
One Arm Read

S T E

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One Arm Read

Inside Zone Notes

Helmet should ALWAYS be at the sternum of the defender Lineman or Linebacker. Hands on the pecks. Push, Lockout, Harass, Chase your hands with your feet. Let the back move them for you - Patience when the defender goes to make a play or decision (Finish Him). Violent upper body - Furious or vehement to the point of being unjust, improper, or illegal.

Combinations
Combinations vs. inside shaded defenders require the covered man to now set lead & help with inside hand for uncovered lineman. The uncovered man zone steps, use two hands, come thru, take block over & force covered man off to LB.

M N E

Combinations are AT the point of attack: Lead/Trail

Front Side Combinations

S E
EAT
Tackle + Tight End

Front Side Combinations

GATE
Guard + Tackle

M E

CAGE
Center + Guard

M T

W E

Gang Call
This is a call used by the front side Tackle or Tight End to alert all lineman that we are in a full zone mode front side because of LB walk up or blitz We will now adjust one man over to the call side still utilizing our set lead technique

W E T

M N E S $

Outside Zone Technique

The ball has been predetermined to go outside
we are either tossing it out there or handing it off and the back is going to run outside through the 8 hole or wider.

We will use the same concepts that we use on the inside zone with the exception that now we want to reach the defense. The offensive line will be responsible for the defenders inside the box and the backs will be responsible for support or anything outside the box. We still want to cover up the defenders in the box, but our angle to do it will change. The covered lineman must now drop his play side foot with depth and aim his big toe at the little toe of the outside foot of the defender.
2nd step to and thru the crotch

Outside Zone Technique

Your inside hand should aim through the sternum of the defender and your eyes and outside hand aim through the armpit
press up field on the angle to which he is aligned on you

You must always keep your shoulders on the angle. Everyone is responsible for reaching their zone. The uncovered lineman will use the Lead man, Trail man tech in which he will zone step and get on the back hip pocket of the covered lineman allowing the defense to show itself. Front side & back side is all about cutting down the pursuit of the defense
If you lose leverage of a defender, stay on track and work up to the next level

Outside Zone Technique

JAILHOUSE - this is a technique we use on our outside zone play. The uncovered lineman will jailhouse the covered lineman, running right up his backside This will allow time for the defense to show itself and let the play develop Good zone blockers are patient.
Jailhouse- think about it -visualize.

1&2 BACK DART GAME

DART
Concept: MAN SCHEME. TACKLE PULL POSITION
PSTE PST

ASSIGNMENT
COMBO TO SUPPORT OR MAN ON. COMBO TO SUPPORT OR MAN ON.

COACHING PT
EAT/FALSE R. EAT/FALSE R/BASE. WIDE TO ALERT B.S. OT. VS. 3 TECH FALSE REACH. VS ODD GASH. VS. ODD GASH. VS. OVER SMASH. VS OVER SMASH. VS ODD OPEN PULL TO PSLB ALERT WIDE CALL. VS ODD BASE OR TOE OFF: ARC TO BSLB TO SUPPORT VS ODD TOE B.S. HIP POCKET OF OT

PSG
C BSG BST BSTE (CUT 5/6/7 TECH VS 4-2) TB

BACK BLOCK A GAP DEFENDER.

VEER TO MLB/BSLB. INSIDE BASE. OPEN PULL FOR PSLB. ON: C GAP DEFENDER. (SIFT 9 TECH VS 4-2) LIFT,OPEN,CROSSOVER OPEN,CROSSOVER,PLANT

DART
BEST TO A GAP DEFENDER (TIGHTEN SPLIT) B GAP DEFENDER=PSG FALSE REACH. PST: INSIDE FT WRK VS HARD CALL. BST: OPEN AND PULL GAIN WIDTH AND DEPTH.
2ND STEP FLAT. PSLB MIDDLE OF CYLINDER. WIDE: ADJUST COURSE AND BLOCK OUT.

BSG: COVER UP AND DRIVE.

LATERAL VS TIGHT TECH. REPLACE VS WIDE TECH.

PSG BACK BLOCK: AIMING POINT V OF NECK.

B.S. HAND STERNUM F.S. HAND ARMPIT

DART VS 4-3
SS

FS E

W
BACK

M
BASE

S T E

FALSE REACH

DART VS 4-2
FS SS

W E

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BACK

S N T
BASE

C E
SIFT

FALSE REACH

DART VS ODD

FS C W E
FALSE REACH

SS B N
GASH

M E
TOE

C S

2 BACK DART VS. ODD

W B E N
Q
GASH

M E
Y

F T

2 BACK DART VS. 5-2

W E T N
SNAKE

M E
Y

2 BACK DART VS. 4-3

W E N
SMASH Q

M T

S E
Y
DEUCE