endobj Again its important to drill this technique so it becomes second nature to the Running Backs. . Here, the end man on the line of scrimmage to the play-side jabs in on the snap which allows for left tackle David Bakhtiari to be able to seal him and give the Packers the outside. The count is just a good starting point for the who the OL will block with anticipation of taking care of anyone that enters their gap. It has become even more popular in the past few years with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay basing their entire offenses around the scheme. Play-action package off OZ action: Now, this is where the fun begins. It's basically the same principle X&O Labs uncovered back in March when we released our inside zone report. "We're a dinosaur when it comes to our path. This can be particularly difficult for younger running backs as they hear the Stretch play called and want to run the ball to the outside no matter what. Basic Inside Zone Blocking Rules Diagram. The scheme is versatile, doesnt ask offensive linemen to physically overpower defenders, and puts more responsibility on the running back to make the scheme work effectively. Before getting into the actual drills, a few things must be understood. With the track of the running back, Jacksonville has forced the secondary of the Browns to flow hard over the top and get sealed off to the play-side. Landmark is the play side armpit of defender. A covered lineman who has help from the uncovered team mate should rip through his man, which will. The past season I coached our 8th grade team and we went 10-0 and won our league championship. The left guard has someone in their play-side gap so they attack their play-side shoulder. If not, run to the strong side A gap and cut off anything you could possibly see. Unlike a full zone principle, this scheme involves down blocks and pulls at the point of attack. When the ball is snapped the Quarterback will take the snap and step directly back as the Running Back come across his face. 6. I use about 10 blocking rule calls to create the best angles for our offensive linemen. O-Line: Blocking the Stretch/Outside Zone Scheme. The outside zone uses the same blocking rules as the inside zone. This can be run from a variety of different formations and sets which makes it particularly difficult to defend. Ruel's Techniques of a Stretch Scoop (uncovered lineman): That last coaching point is the golden nugget. Thatd free up the Sam to make a big play. Coach Ferentz calls it a "force the hole" play and that hole is usually the C gap. Maximizing the Outside Zone Blocking Scheme. 0:57. We've found the structure the play (either in gun or under center) dictates how fast that ball can get to the edge. This play is diagramed against a 3-4 scheme. Outside Zone Explanation Blocking rules are the same as Inside Zone Difference is the aiming point of the Offensive Lineman Play Side O-Line takes a kick-step to the outside and Karaoke crossover step to get up field Backside opens on the play side foot and loses ground (Don't allow penetration) Inside Drill - Inside Zone blocking. He picks the foot up and puts it in the direction we want him to go. Offensive lines were having a very difficult time with all of the zone blitzing of 3-4 defenses, and the stunts of 4-3 defenses. When a play side lineman is covered on the outside zone or stretch play, it is his job to handle that down lineman. Team Run - Inside Zone blocking. The rules. The Packers here choose to help their backside guard with their center. endobj Inside and Outside Zone take a little time for the blocking to develop and have delays or long distance built into the ball carrier's path, while Midline and Wide Zone are more aggressively downhill. Our hope is that after you read what they do, you find a common ground to adapt what you do to fit your personnel, which after all, is the essence of good coaching. Vertical push on IZ (inside zone). endobj Due to the speed the runner is moving at he will not be reading the playside tackle and is automatically trying to get to the edge. Get 3 free templates to help you build an organized and structured team. . Huawei is pitching this offering as a way for hospitals to cut network rollout . Generally, offensive linemen are to attack downfield at a 45 angle instead of the more lateral step you see in outside zone. If he tries to pull and come around the back-side number of the tackle, he will never get it done. Using outside zone as a base run play opens up other concepts like play-action plays (where you fake the outside zone handoff and throw it deep outside) or gap schemes. The double team on outside zone will be short lived and evolved into a co-op block between the PS Tackle and PS TE. Learn more about spread offense runs plays from the articles below. The whole point of the play is to block a defender where they are, and not have to "move them." Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. But then, a hole in the man blocking system was exposed by smart defensive coaches. One way Duo is often explained is Power without a puller. Outside zone is one of the hardest plays for the defense to stop, simply because it takes the element of power completely out of the situation. Knee through the crotch. Covered: There is a first level defender (DLM) from my nose to the nose of the adjacent lineman play side. So when we started compiling the report, we've found that the most heated discussion is whether or not to full zone or man block the scheme. But if it's not a base scheme, we were curious to find out why coaches are spending the time implementing it. Another common way to utilize the Outside Zone blocking scheme is to get the ball to the running back out of the backfield. In addition to our research, we've also consulted with over a dozen coaches on this topic so that they can provide you with how they run the scheme. Zone blocking can most simply be described by saying that an offensive line is responsible for a specific zone instead of a specific man (as he would be in a man blocking scheme). Outside zone forces defenses to run horizontally and puts more responsibility on the running back to make the blocking scheme of the offensive line effective. This is still a zone scheme, and OL will have to take their zone steps and pick up anyone who enters their gap because after all, the defense are humans and they will react differently after the snap. Now on the defense, the count begins with 0 and it starts with the first defender that is the immediate threat to the playside A gap. If that makes sense for you, great! The difference is in the how they are blocking. 17 Bellstone Drive, Bellingham, MA, 02019. He uses the drag hand to catch and hold the defender so he cannot penetrate.". The guard to the read side has to avoid the defensive linemen and go. Similar line blocking assignments: Just like the inside zone, the outside zone utilizes a full zone scheme. In fact, 64.9 percent of coaches believe that the uncovered vs. covered methodology is the most productive way of blocking the inside zone scheme. Engage, resist cross face move, take them outside/up field. The majority of coaches want their covered offensive linemen to be able to finish at a second level defender by the time the play is over. TIRVB(oSTsU%;1Xj_IL_E6cqE3p*p?EQyw~8+@+WS>W._ You can see in this example, from a standard shotgun set, the QB uses the backside defensive ends alignment against him, and simply 'reads' what he is doing, it provides a very simple rule for . One of the more popular variations of outside zone is the outside zone RPO. There are a variety of different coaching points that must be mastered but one of the key things is that the runner gets the ball at as close to full speed as possible. Zone Read Scheme Rules, Techniques and Drills. But when we conducted our research, we've found that the majority of coaches we polled (37.8 %) do not teach the cut block back-side. As soon as they seal, he shifts his eyes one gap inside. If any wrong color jersey crosses his face on that path, cut it. As Kelly puts it, "the. His objective is to get to the next adjacent down lineman's play side number with the purpose of taking him over. How he blocks him can vary - some coaches prefer lead or angle step up field, whereas some tell their offensive lineman to bucket step. stream That means he can leave and climb after his own three steps and get onto a linebacker. This particular topic was highly debatable among coaches we spoke with. They called it the 28/29 Edge play. There are certain indicators that would "tip off" some form of angle or stunt to the play side of zone. Slot T Offense Football Coaching Guide (Includes Images), Trips Formation Football (4 Best Plays Out of Trips), What is a Checkdown in Football? The linemen still count their defenders to the play side when determining their responsibilities. 1 0 obj The blocking techniques, though, are different, as the plays are designed to get the defense moving laterally across the field and create seams in their coverage. As the name suggests, Zone Blocking Scheme is quite literally blocking a zone, or an area of the field, rather than man. Install Guide. Get X&O Labs' Coaching Research Reports FREE Every Tuesday. . This not only provides for a wider blocking surface, but also keeps the horizontal displacement of the scheme giving the running back more room to operate (we will explain the RB reads a bit later). <> The login page will open in a new tab. Its great for QBs, RBs, WRs, LBs, and DBs. The guard and tackle on each side of the center will combine for the zone blocking double teams. Although Ruel doesn't teach a bucket step for those uncovered offensive linemen, we've found that the majority of coaches, 32.8 percent, teach a bucket step for that uncovered lineman. For all intents and purposes, the objective of the uncovered offensive lineman in the outside zone scheme is to take over the play side down lineman while the covered offensive lineman works up to linebacker level (Diagram 3). The other major advantage is that some players feel like it allows them to run faster. Before we talk specifics, we wanted to give you a general consensus of why teams are running the scheme. RELATED CONTENT: Building an offensive line: 3 keys to improve combo blocking UJZ h?l UIJTZQ,m(!L05O5-we Our landmark for our back is three yards outside the tight end and one yard deep," he says. 28 Zone 'Slice'" - now we can still read what the DE does, but we have a body blocking him. The running back has three primary rules: bend, bang, and bounce. Teams now use the outside zone as a counter to this pressure by getting the ball to the edge. Both ultimately accomplish the same thing. Initially, the Inside Zone looks like a really simple play as. Regardless of the defensive front, these two principles are consistent, and again, 73.8 percent of coaches use this terminology when implementing the zone scheme. The two plays are based on the teaching that in any inside or outside zone play, there are "covered" and "uncovered" linemen. Outside zone (lateral hook/seal): Reach/block the outside shoulder/first step points outside of D-lineman's outside shoulder. Linemen block their corresponding number while still working within the technique of the outside zone scheme. On the backside, the LG & LT (-1 & -2) will take care of the Nose and Will (-1 & -2) and the QB will read (or boot) the BSDE (-3) to account for him in the blocking scheme. Covered linemen are those . In turn, this would allow the linebackers to roam free, unblocked, to make easy tackles in the run game or get to the quarterback in passing plays. Zone blocking philosophies can differ, but since it attacks space and gaps, the scheme can be incredibly versatile and effective against whatever front and look the defense presents. But here comes the beauty of the zone blocking scheme. For years, offensive linemen were given man blocking responsibilities. They designed whats called a slant and angle scheme that threw a big wrench in the man blocking approach. E. Bucket Step -6 inch directional step towardAiming Point. Again, the zone blocking scheme will start with the offensive tackle and guards combining for a double team block at the line of scrimmage, followed by one of these linemen peeling off to block a second-level linebacker. If they lose sight of him even for a minute, itll delay their ability to pick him up on that second-level block. This gives a nice initial push at the point of attack to prevent defensive linemen from breaking free into the backfield. The blocking has been simplified in the past twenty years with the advent of zone blocking rules, that enable several backfield plays to be run with the same blocking scheme. Outside zone has been a part of NFL run games for decades. endstream One advantage of running this play from Under Center is the Play Action potential it opens up. On the backside, the LG = -1 and the LT = -2. The Outside Zone Drill is going to be used after your Individual Period. Your counting rules for zone blocking also work for pass blocking; OL players become interchangeable, as all the rules stay the same. "He wants to get started up field because he is going to come off on the next level. Case 2: "Uncovered" Blocking Concepts to the Play Side (Reach and Overtake). Outside Zone Running Back Aiming Point Last, the running back needs to read the block of the play-side tackle. This helps eliminate some concerns especially if you are pulling a fast player over from defense to run the play. This will close any holes between the linemen and prevent defenders from busting through them. The rules for the covered linemen on the outside zone are through the crotch. In my philosophy, blocking outside zone is similar to how you would block inside zone. Download now just $7. The end would line up head-up on the offensive tackle. On most outside zone schemes, particularly ones run at the higher levels of football, offensive lineman would cut block defenders on the back-side of the play - regardless of whether that player was a first or second level defender. Can't see the diagram? (New) Youth Football Online Playbook Poster, Shotgun Wing T Playbook Paperback Edition, Recap of our 2022 Football Season | 10-0 League Super Bowl Champions, Biggest Mistakes Youth Football Coaches Make | How to Avoid Them, Youth Football Online All-Star Selection- QB / FS Gunner Radon.