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Defending Pre-Snap Movements

Defending Pre-Snap Movements

Posted by | Jun 26, 2011 | , | 0 |

New Research Reveals the Most Effective Defensive Adjustments

Researchers’ Note: You can access the raw data – in the form of graphs – from our research on defending pre-snap movements: Click here to read the Statistical Analysis Report.

Two weeks ago we released a new research report, Pre-Snap Movement to Gain Leverage, detailing how offensive coaches are using pre-snap movements to out-leverage and out-number defenses at the snap.  We featured the schemes, complete with detailed film cut-ups, of the three most prolific offenses in the country: Boise State, Auburn and Oregon to show you exactly why they do what they do.  I learned quite a bit researching that particular report.  As a defensive coach, I was mesmerized by the way in which Chris Petersen and his staff at Boise would manipulate defenses by using pre-snap movement to gain leverage and get them into compromising positions.  Gus Malzahn, the newest offensive prodigy, was baiting defenses to fly to the perimeter with his jet motion, just to gash them inside with Cam Newton on the power read scheme.  Then you have Chip Kelly shredding defenses with his “flash sweep concept” by sending the offensive line opposite the motion of the back and reading the front-side defensive end.  It was in a word…stealing.  They are all simple offensive concepts to teach and implement, it’s just that those three had the guts to run it, and run it at the highest level of college football.

So enough marveling, this report will focus on how defensive coaches are adjusting to these types of motion and more importantly how they are putting their players in the best spot to make plays.

My research staff and I were surprised to find that 57.5 percent of coaches surveyed said they see pre-snap movement on less than half of all offensive snaps.  This was somewhat surprising considering Boise moves on nearly 80 percent of its total offensive snaps.  Truth is, most offensive coaches (the good ones anyway) run their motion for a reason, and not just to “window dress” their playbooks.

For a quick refresher from our last report, the following reasons are why offensive coaches will utilize pre-snap movement:

  • Gain a mismatch in personnel
  • Gain a leverage advantage on the perimeter
  • Gain a numbers advantage
  • Identify coverage rotation
  • Promote a “toe-to-heel” mentality to the defense

So after my staff and I analyzed the data from our survey results (1,724 coaches responded), we were interested in determining which movements give offenses the best opportunity to capitalize on those five indicators above.  We found the following three pre-snap movements to be the most used against defenses:

  • TE Trade (Diagram 1): This is a trade/shift, where you bring your tight end from one side of the offensive formation to the other.  It also can be used in conjunction with an H-back or wing where both will travel together.

  • Jet or Flash Sweep (Diagram 2): The jet sweep motion is a full-speed motion from one side of the formation to the other, mainly utilized by a slot receiver.  It’s been a staple of the Wing T offense, but has integrated itself into more spread schemes recently.

  • Shuffle or Return Motion (Diagram 3):  This motion is a square-shouldered motion by an H-back or Wing who will start on one side of the line of scrimmage and either shuffle across the formation or return to his original location.

 

Those are the top pre-snap movements that defensive coordinators will see from offenses.  Now let’s take a look at how they adjust.

Case 1: Defending the TE Trade Tight end trade, or as some teams refer to as “Y walk,” is used mainly by the offense to dictate the formation strength of the defense.  Most defenses, particularly four down lineman fronts, will call the strength to the tight end or three-man surface.  “Walking” the tight end from one side of the formation to the other can cause various personnel problems for the defense.  A weak side defensive end may end up playing on the strong side once the tight end resets, it’s a position he’s not familiar with.  Also, a nose guard who will line up away from the tight end, may end up playing to the tight end surface on a trade.  This can make the nose guard susceptible to playing double teams, a block he may not be used to seeing because he’s now on the front-side of the play.  In our last report, I detailed how Boise State was able to trade its tight end and get Fresno State to play out of position.

In any movement by the offense, it’s important to note that there are really only three ways in which a defense can respond to offensive pre-snap movement.  They can adjust with their first level players (DL) their second level players (LB’s) or their third level players (DB).  How they adjust these levels could vary in dropping a defender down, moving a defender up, widening defenders or slanting defenders.  In this instance, we found that 61.8 percent of coaches will bump their defensive front against the tight end trade, perhaps creating some of the same personnel mismatches that were mentioned earlier.  

Sam Tavlealea, the former defensive coordinator at the St. Louis School in Hawaii, has seen the evolution of the spread trickle down from former Hawaii coach June Jones.  Jones has been using H-backs and slot backs in his package for years, and now many high school coaches on the west coast have adopted those same principles.  So one of the challenges Tavlealea faces each year is to adjust his personnel/coverage depending on whether or not a wing is a smaller slot receiver or a bigger H-back.  Most smaller slots would signify a pass concept, whereas the H-back would be used as an additional blocker in the run game.

“We’re seeing a lot of bounce back motion with that wing,” said Tavlealea.  “What he’ll do is line up in a wing alignment and either motion full across the formation or stops and bounces back to where he came from.  The coordinator was actually trying to see if anyone was going with him.  If it wasn’t man coverage, he would go across the formation hoping you would bump your front.  They would run the inside zone to the shade technique then trap the three-technique.  It got to a point where we were seeing it 15 times per game.”

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The Science of Pass Rushing

The Science of Pass Rushing

Posted by | Jun 20, 2011 | , , | 0 |

New Research Identifies Most Effective Methods

Researchers’ Note: You can access the raw data – in the form of graphs – from our research on the defensive line: Click here to read the Statistical Analysis Report.

For the last couple of Coaching Research Reports, we have centered on offensive and defensive concepts and schemes. Sure, the scheme all looks pretty on the whiteboard, but what good does it do when their X is better than your O? So what we’ve decided to do for this report is get back to the core – focus on the fundamentals of the game. And what better way to do that than start with the defensive unit up front – the backbone of any solid team. In this report, we’ll focus solely on effective pass rush moves and rush points – an area often neglected in coaching. What our researchers found astonishing was that among all problems that coaches encounter when instructing their defensive rushers, 38.3% felt that losing gap integrity was the most alarming concern.

So we’ve consulted with a select group of coaches from various levels of football – from high school through the professional ranks – to bring you a detailed report on the science of pass rushing. No need for diagrams here, we’re focused on mastering the technique.

Based on our research these are what are considered to be the most high percentage, most productive pass rush moves. It’s no nonsense content, in a way that only X&O Labs could produce. But before we get started, it all starts with the hands.

Case 1: Coordinating the Eyes and Hands Without question, this area seemed to be the most integral when developing a pass rush. In fact, 60.7% of our coaches train their players to lead with the eyes – meaning focus their eyes on the blocker, while feeling the QB. While most coaches would agree that the use of the hands and feet were vital in getting the QB to the turf, teaching that correlation is something many coaches spend a ton of time on – even at the highest level of football. Ray Hamilton, the defensive line coach of the Atlanta Falcons takes his entire unit through a hand placement circuit every day of practice. According to Hamilton, who has 24 years experience in the league tutoring greats such as John Abraham and John Henderson, hand placement is one of the most under taught skills in the game. 

“Everything starts with hands,” says Hamilton. “We teach our defensive linemen to first identify how the offense lineman is trying to attack us. When you’re rushing the passer, if you’re at a point where you can touch him or he can touch me we call that a contact zone. As soon as you get there, it’s a boxing match; you need to have your hands ready. They need to replace his hands. We need to knock his hands off two or three times before he gets inside on us. If he can’t get his hands on you he starts to retreat by moving his feet and that’s when you got him.”

 

Once he feels that his player is in the advantage, Hamilton then teaches a swipe move, with the aiming point being the forearm of an offensive lineman, not the wrist. “The wrist is too small an area,” he says. “We go from forearm to elbow. Some guys are betting at wiping them off, knocking both down or just knocking one arm down. The key is to get his hands off as quickly as possible.” In order to teach this concept, Hamilton breaks what he calls his “quick hands” segment into the following progressions for drill work:

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Pass Rush: Get Off, Set Point & Escape

Pass Rush: Get Off, Set Point & Escape

Posted by | Jun 20, 2011 | , , | 0 |

By Menson Holloway Assistant Coach Ysleta High School (TX)

Teaching pass rush is sometimes considered an art more than a science. There are certain principles that make up a good pass rush. Without question, the get off is most important and there are many ways to enhance this aspect of the pass rush. The second most important element is racing to the set point of the QB drop. Both of these intangibles will make most offensive linemen panic. The final quality of a successful pass rush is the escape, which is where all of the hard work of beating an O-lineman can either fall to waste or flourish. With today’s mobile QB, accelerating to the QB is as important as beating the Lineman trying to protect him.

Get off

The get off is the most important segment of developing a pass rush. Most defensive linemen typically key the ball for the get off, but the center is not the only man on the offensive line that could know the snap count. If a defensive lineman is aggressively attacking the offensive line all game chances are they will start slightly jumping the snap. For example, they will go from: Down, color, number, color, number,…… set, HUT….(snap the ball, then start pass set) simultaneously, to Down, color, number, color, number,…… set, H (start movement) UT, snap the ball (and jump the snap). Anticipating an offensive cadence can be a major advantage to your get-off as a defensive lineman.

  • Key: A better key for get off is the lineman himself. Reaction time is very important and the later the initial impulse the slower the reaction time. There are certain trigger points that an offensive lineman may show before the snap: he will move his elbow, hand, knee or ankle before the whole body starts moving. If you use a visual key to focus on the lineman (“V” of the neck, helmet screws, jersey numbers, etc.) and peripheral vision to see the ball you can see both.
  • Focus: Use the long focus technique by staring at something behind what you are really looking at. This will help to see movement in your whole frame of vision. (Please refer to the following two images). 

 

The Finger Sausage Illusion: Point your fingers together (like the above photo). Next, stare at an object directly behind your fingers – you’ll see the illusion.

 

  • Mind Set: The mindset of a quick get off is not to wait for an impulse to go, but to have to hold yourself back from already running. Have the defensive lineman think of getting off as a gun half-cocked with a quick trigger; as soon as the first twitch occurs, get off.
  • Drills: We practice this every day by doing the get off drill with the ball and adding someone to simulate 1 of 4 movement keys at the same time (see diagram).

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    Attacking the Alley Against Odd Front Defenses

    Attacking the Alley Against Odd Front Defenses

    Posted by | Jun 13, 2011 | , | 0 |

    Researcher’s Note: You can access the raw data – in the form of graphs – from our research on Attacking the Alley Against Odd Front Defenses: Click here for the Statistical Analysis Report.

    It’s a classic case of the tail wagging the dog.  With the advent of four receiver spread formations infiltrating the collegiate and prep landscapes, defenses have been forced to adjust.  Commonly referred to as “sub” personnel, our researchers at X&O Labs have found that many four-down (defensive line) teams have shifted to three-down structures just to match speed with speed.  What started out as nickel packages has grown more into an every down occurrence.   Coordinators are replacing one of their defensive linemen with linebacker/safety hybrids in order to combat the speed and defend the width of the field.

    After surveying 2,000 college and prep coaches, we’ve found that the most difficult challenge when facing odd front teams is finding a way to occupy the alley defender (usually an outside linebacker or drop safety).  Often taught to be the force player, it’s this overhang player that can cause problems for offenses wishing to push the ball to the perimeter.  Sure, it’s offensive pedagogy to attack the B gap bubbles vs. odd front teams, but it’s only a matter of time until defenses try to take that away by slanting or stemming to a four-down front pre-snap.  Eventually you’ll need to get to the perimeter, so why not save time by getting there immediately?  Our researchers at X&O Labs have sifted through your feedback, and we’ll show you how to do just that below.

    Case 1: Using Tight End Structures, Particularly 12 or 11 Personnel Even if you don’t have a tight end in the program, start to develop one.  Over 80% of coaches polled by X&O Labs attack odd defenses by using various tight end formations. Whether by using 12 personnel (two tight ends, one backs) 11 personnel (one tight end, one back) or 21 personnel (one tight end, two backs), the implementation of the tight end seems to be a pivotal tool in the run game.

    We’ve all seen how productive spread offenses like Oregon, Boise State and Florida have been within the last three years.  What separates those teams from traditional spread teams is the implementation and execution of the tight end on normal downs.  According to our research, using a tight end in spread personnel accounts for two valuable advantages:

    • It changes the structure of the defense: No longer can that safety/linebacker play in space, which is exactly what he wants to do.  Now he’s forced to cover down on a bigger, stronger opponent, giving you leverage to get to the alley.
    • It provides for an instant mismatch in the run game: Many of these hybrids don’t like to get their hands dirty.  These types, who usually weigh in the 180-210 pound range, are forced to balance up and fit in the framework against bigger tight ends.

    Mike Canales, associate head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of North Texas, contributed heavily to this Coaching Research Report.   Canales has modeled his spread scheme after studying the details of what Oregon does to attack the perimeter with their speed-sweep and option series.  “Anytime we’re going to get odd fronts, like we do when we play Louisiana-Monroe, we need to make some adjustments to our scheme,” said Canales.  “Teams are going to give you a six-man box, regardless of what you’re putting on the line of scrimmage.  Handling that overhang player with a six box is a bitch.  You can’t stay in 10 personnel with no tight ends because those slot receivers aren’t big or strong enough to handle those safety types one-on-one, so you need to get into 11 or 12 personnel to force the defensive coordinator’s hand.”

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    QB Power Read: A Constant 4-Yard Steal

    QB Power Read: A Constant 4-Yard Steal

    Posted by | Jun 13, 2011 | , , | 0 |

     

    Researchers’ Note: the following is a supplemental report to the Coaching Research Report, Attacking the Alley Against Odd Front Defenses.

    By Dan Ellis Head Football Coach Springfield High School (PA)

     

    “The QB Power Read has been a tremendous play for us and gives us a lot of flexibility in attacking the defense.” Dan Ellis

    We have created our offensive scheme to fit the reality of our situation – in almost half of our league games we are playing teams from schools that are significantly bigger than ours.

    We are a shotgun, fast pace, no-huddle offense with a zone scheme (and we also will add pistol in as well). This allows us to take advantage of our athleticism and numbers at the skill positions and uses our supposed weakness – smaller, more athletic lineman – to our advantage.

    With our offense, our QB must be able to run the football and be a weapon that the defense must account for. He does not need to be a 1,000 yard rusher; he just needs to keep the defense honest with his feet. Our key play for the QB is our QB Power Read.

    Our QB Power Read up front is blocked just like a typical power play. Because we are a predominantly zone team at a small school with most of our linemen going both ways, we do cannot invest the time into teaching combo blocks. So we will run this play to the 1-technique. We do that in a number of ways – either formation/motion or by using our freeze call at the line of scrimmage to ensure we call it the right direction. The only major difference up front is that we are not going to read the play side defensive end.

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    Pre-Snap Movements to Gain Leverage

    Pre-Snap Movements to Gain Leverage

    Posted by | Jun 6, 2011 | , , | 0 |

    Researchers’ Note: You can access the raw data – in the form of graphs – from our research on pre-snap movements: Click here to read the Statistical Analysis Report.

    Manipulating defenses seems to consistently be the main goal of most offensive coordinators in the modern era. How can I defeat a defense without even snapping the ball? It’s the thinking man’s “game within a game” that occurs pre-snap. Football is a game of moving parts, which explains the constant references it draws to the game of chess. In this report, X&O Labs is going to show you how to put your moving parts in a position to out-leverage, outnumber and outthink a defense.

    Aside from conducting our usual research on this topic, which was compiled through surveys, we’ve also decided to offer an online video tutorial on three of the top ten offensive programs in the country that are tops in using pre-snap movement: Boise State University, Auburn University and the University of Oregon. These are three high-octane offenses that know how to score points (all averaged over 44 points per game last season) and know how to do it with efficiency (all averaged over 69 players per game last season). We took the top four movements in their packages, tight end/wing trade, jet motion, flash motion and slash motion, and detailed how they can attack a defense.

    Why Pre-snap Movement? Surprisingly, when we polled coaches we found that the majority, 35.4% use motion on less than half of their offensive snaps. They don’t make a living off doing it. This tells us it’s done with a purpose, in order to see how defenses will react. Many of the offensive coordinators we spoke with threw the term “change the picture for the defense” around, meaning getting them to think. Once you get an aggressive defense thinking, you’ve won. For the intents of the report, we will distinguish between the three different types of pre-snap movement.

    Types of Pre-snap Movement:

    • Trade: A trade is when a player on the line of scrimmage will move from one end to the other pre-snap. These players are usually tight ends, H-backs or fullbacks. In fact, Boise State will only trade those types of players because it cuts down on the learning curve. No other players need to memorize the terminology needed to run the scheme.

    • Shift: Similar to a trade, a shift will usually involve more than one player. Common shifts include shifting into bunch sets (3×1 sets), or shifting from spread sets to tight sets and vice versa. These are done as soon as the QB gets under center or gives and indicator if in shot gun.

    • Motion: A motion is done either by an inside receiver in normal sets or an outside receiver in unbalanced sets. We’ve found the most common forms of motion have been jet or flash motion, where one receiver will start full speed pre-snap and get across to the mesh-point of the QB before the exchange.

     

    Advantages of Pre-snap Movement:

    • Gain a mismatch in personnel: The bottom line is you want to get your best player on a lesser player. As a coordinator, there may be numerous ways to do this, but we’ve found one of the most advantageous ways is to motion a player (like a ball carrier) from the backfield into the slot receiver (which we’ll detail later). Defenses still need to adjust by either covering him with a safety or outside linebacker. Some of the coaches we spoke with will find a way to motion their best player and get him the ball on a bubble screen or quick out and let him run with it.

    • Gain a leverage advantage on the perimeter: These types of pre-snap movements will mainly consist of multi-player shifts, such as shifting to a bunch set (Diagram 1) in order to take advantage of space. These are spread to compressed type movements in which most perimeter schemes (like toss, speed option, outside zone) are associated. It forces the defense to cover the entire width of the field.

    • Gain a numbers advantage: These types of movements consist of motions where you’re bringing one a player from one side of the formation to the other. Many coaches prefer the jet or flash sweep (Diagram 2) in this situation because they are bringing another player to one side of the formation. When coupled with pull schemes like power, counter, etc., you have the capability of adding yet another player offensively to the side of the motion.

    • Identify coverage rotation: A primitive, yet significant determinate of running a pre-snap movement is to identify if a defense is running man or zone coverage. Of course, there are other indicators to determine this such as the leverage of the cornerbacks, but running a full motion across the formation (Diagram 3) still can be a sure-fire way to identify coverage. If it’s a man concept, expect movement with your movement. If the defense is in zone, you could anticipate either a third level safety drop or a second level linebacker bump.

    • Promote a “toe to heel” mentality to the defense: I first heard Bobby Wilder, the head coach at Old Dominion University, preach this at a clinic when he was the offensive coordinator at the University of Maine. It is Wilder’s goal to get an aggressive defense (one that’s one its toes) to start thinking (resulting on its heels). If defenses start to be concerned with what you’re presenting, they lose sight of their responsibilities. We all know the defensive coaches mantra uttered at all levels, “If you think, you stink.” This offensive ideology negates that concept.

    Because there are so many variables of trades, shifts and motions (Boise State has 44 in their playbook right now) we’ve decided to breakdown the three top pre-snap movements used by the coaches we polled. We detail the movement; explain the benefit of the movement and which offensive schemes coaches like to run off that movement. Again, we have all this evidenced by video clips of the more prominent offenses in the country running it.

    Case 1: TE Trade/TE and Wing Trade (Diagram 4)

    Type of Pre-snap Movement: This is a trade/shift, where you bring your tight end from one side of the offensive formation to the other. It also can be used in conjunction with an H-back (as Boise does), both will travel together. Our research found that 54.2 percent of coaches we polled use this movement as part of their offense.

    Objective: The majority, 51.3 percent of coaches, will use this movement to create another gap at the point of attack. It’s productive against four down fronts; the idea is to change the strength of the defense. Most four down fronts will align their 3-technique to the three-man (or tight end) surface. When you shift or trade your tight end, it forces defenses to change the strength of their front. “How often does a rush or open side end practice against a tight end surface?” asked Wilder. “How much work would a nose guard get by playing a 3-technique? Now he’s susceptible to double teams at the point of attack on gap schemes.”

    Defensive Adjustment Indicators: Upon calling the movement, it’s imperative to see how the defense will react. Among variables such as secondary rotation and front adjustment, 32.8 percent of coaches will use this motion to identify who is playing t

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    The Sprint Out Pass Game Study

    The Sprint Out Pass Game Study

    Posted by | Jun 5, 2011 | , , | 0 |

    By Mike Kuchar Senior Research Manager X&O Labs [email protected]

    Researchers’ Note: You can access the raw data – in the form of graphs – from our research on the sprint out pass game: Click here to read the Statistical Analysis Report.

    Before we ruffle any feathers of the football purists in the world, it’s important to note that the following information may not be conducive to what you do offensively. Quite frankly, it pales in popularity to the zone read, bubble screen or power O. In fact, it may rate somewhere above the single wing scheme and the veer option. But, at X&O Labs, we felt the sprint out pass game was a topic worth studying. And why wouldn’t it be? Most programs now have an athletic QB behind center, so why not vary his launch point and give him the run/pass option to make plays in space? And if you don’t have an athletic signal caller, you can still be productive with the scheme, and we’ll show you how.

    Whatever your situation, we recommend you read this entire report. You may find you can apply elements of our research to what you’re doing.

    While it may be true that the majority of our readers – 63.3 percent – use the sprint out concept 25 percent or less of their offensive snaps – it does serve some merit in regards to when you dial it up. It’s a change-up call more than anything else. We’ve found through our research that unless you’re an option outfit, you won’t call the play with some degree of frequency. After all, who wants to put their QB through the stress of having to throw on the run on a consistent manner? It’s hard enough to do that alone, not withstanding six or seven defenders hunting you down from your blind side. Yet throughout time, it’s been a consistent third and short favorite particularly when you want to give your QB a chance to push the ball to the perimeter and make something happen in a hurry. Programs like BYU, Arizona State, Utah and Boise State – whom we have researched below – all have made a steady living off the play, particularly in those situations. It often puts the flat player in a bind – unable to make a decision of whether to tackle the QB or cover his pass responsibility, and before you know it, it’s a first down. Surprisingly, we had some resistance from coaches when we started to put this report together, so instead of giving you supporting evidence to run the sprint out scheme – we felt it was necessary to dispel the four main arguments or myths as to why some coaches are afraid of running the scheme.

    Myth 1: Only Coaches With a Mobile, Athletic QB Can Run the Sprint Out Concept

    Fact: According to our research, 64.1 percent of offensive coordinators still run the sprint out concept with what they would call an “immobile QB.” So, it may depend on how well you can coach it.

    Myth 2: It Cuts the Field in Half and Makes it Easier for Defenses to Defend

    Fact: While this myth does make sense on the surface, we’ve found that cutting up the field can clean up the read of your QB, and we’ll show you how you can do it. Often times, it’s a one-defender read and by the time he makes a decision, you’ve either blown by him or dumped it off. It’s like defending a two-on-one fast break.

    Myth 3: My Route Selection is Limited. I Got a Curl/Flat Combo and a Flood Principle. That’s it.

    Fact: As Adrian Balboa so assertively declared in Rocky 3 “that’s not it!” Not only do you have your horizontal stretch combo’s, you can implement some vertical stretches as well – double moves are lethal in the sprint pass game. Remember, it worked for Balboa – he beat Clumber Lang.

    Myth 4: Sprint Out is Only Effective in Shotgun Sets, and We’re Not a Shotgun Team

    Fact: According to our survey, while it may be true that 70.4 percent of coaches prefer to run the scheme detached from the center, we’ve found that many of these teams still incorporate the route concepts under center as well. It’s all in the punch step or separation from the center, which we will explain later in this report.

    Case 1: Pass Protection Dilemma: Turn-Back or Full Zone?

    I have to admit, I was anxiously anticipating the outcome of this facet of the survey. Through the years, I’ve heard so many arguments for either the turn-back or full zone protection. Proponents of the full zone protection talk about its simplicity of structure, allowing the QB to get to the edge quicker and either deliver the ball or pocket it. Yet, advocates of the turn-back scheme always talk about protecting the back-side of the QB first, and the best way to do that is to hinge back-side. This would lead you to believe that most teams will full zone the front side and turn back the back-side. What we’ve found is 61.2 percent of coaches execute a full reach front side with a turn back away from the center.

    When we surveyed those coaches that incorporate the full zone principle in protection, 39.1 percent of them worked a full-reach step to get to the outside armpit of the defender, while 33.5 percent taught a bucket step. Doug Taracuk, the offensive coordinator at Dublin Scioto High School in Dublin (OH) combines both with the “slide, step, slide” action to his offensive lineman when working his protection schemes. He enforces the “nose to nose” rule, meaning that each player is responsible for the defender – either first or second level – that is from my nose to the next adjacent lineman’s nose play side.

    “If you’re covered, you execute the ‘slide, step, slide’ technique. If no one is there, I hinge and help back side,” says Taracuk (Diagram 1). “From our stance we step with the outside foot laterally for four to six inches. Some players may opt to bucket step depending upon the angle of intersection with the pass rusher. Our second step is a slide step back to our base athletic stance width. On this movement we want to end up with the outside foot. Our goal is to have the outside foot slightly outside of the defender’s outside with the inside foot splitting the crotch of the defender.”

    In order to reinforce the “slide, step, slide” action, Taracuk executes a dowel rod drill that he got from former NFL offensive lineman Doug Smith. A defensive lineman holds the dowel rod, about five feet in length with the width of a baseball bat, while an offensive lineman comes out of the stance with an inside hand position. The offensive lineman must hook the defender while keeping hand position on the dowel rod. According to Taracuk, it’s a terrific drill for quickness.

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