Featuring Lectures From the 2015 C.O.O.L.

Clinic

Browning

2015 Offensive Line

Coaches Handbook
Featuring presentations made by several of Americas most outstanding coaches, including Paul Boudreau, Alex Gibbs,
Joe Gilbert, J.B. Grimes, Art Kehoe, Jim McNally, Scott Peters, Jim Schwartz, John Strollo, Ed Warinner, and Bob Wylie.

A Brief History of the C.O.O.L. Clinic

In 1995, McNally left the Bengals for a position on the staff of the Carolina Panthers. Bob Wylie, whom McNally had
asked to be the caretaker of the clinic, then conducted the clinic for one year in Tampa, Florida. Upon being hired by
the University of Cincinnati, Wylie brought the clinic back home to Cincinnati in 1996.
Since that time, the C.O.O.L. Clinic has been at the same hotel in Cincinnati, although it has changed names over the
years from the Clarion Hotel, to the Regal Hotel, to the present-day Millennium Hotel. Traditionally, the C.O.O.L. Clinic
has been held the third week in May each year to accommodate the large number of college coaches who incorporate
this event into their spring schedule.

About the Mushroom Society

The Mushroom Society was established by a group of professional offensive line coaches. The mushroom
logo signifies the similarity between the O-line coach and the fungusboth are kept in the dark and fed
garbage, yet continue to flourish! C.O.O.L. (Coaches of Offensive Linemen) are proud to be mushrooms.

A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO ALEX GIBBSA FOOTBALL LEGEND

Alex Gibbs

ISBN 978-1-60679-341-1

51995

781606 793411

US$19.95

Coaches Choice

Alex Gibbs, the godfather of the modern zone blocking scheme, has 44 years of coaching
experience at both the collegiate and professional levels. During his NFL career as both an
offensive line coach and an assistant head coach, Gibbs worked with the Denver Broncos
(1984-1987, 1995-2003, 2013), Los Angeles Raiders (1988-1989), San Diego Chargers
(1990-1991), Indianapolis Colts (1992), Kansas City Chiefs (1993-1994), Atlanta Falcons
(2004-2006), Houston Texans (2008-2009), and Seattle Seahawks (2010). He also served
as a college assistant coach at Duke (1969-1970), Kentucky (1971-1972), West Virginia
(1973-1974), Ohio State (1975-1978), Auburn (1979-1981), and Georgia (1982-1983).
Gibbs was born in Morgantown, North Carolina, and is a graduate of Davidson College. A
well-known proponent of the zone blocking scheme, Gibbs popularized its use while he was
offensive line coach of the Denver Broncos.

Featuring Lectures From the 2015 C.O.O.L. Clinic

2015 Offensive Line Coaches Handbook

The concept of a clinic geared specifically toward addressing the needs and interests of offensive linemen came to
fruition in 1982, when a group of about 18 coaches met with Jim McNally, an assistant coach with the NFLs Cincinnati
Bengals, in the Bengals training facility. This situation continued for a few years, before the clinic eventually became
too big for the Bengals facilities. In response, McNally moved the clinic to a hotel in Cincinnati in the mid-1980s.
Among coaches at the initial meeting were Bob Wylie and Paul Alexander, both of whom were to remain involved with
C.O.O.L. Clinic over the years.

2015 Offensive Line

Coaches Handbook

Edited by Earl Browning

2015

OFFENSIVE LINE
COACHES
HANDBOOK
FEATURING LECTURES FROM
THE 2015 C.O.O.L. CLINIC
Edited by Earl Browning

www.coacheschoice.com

 2015 Coaches Choice. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior permission of Coaches Choice.
ISBN: 978-1-60679-341-1
ISSN: 1945-1172
Telecoach, Inc. Transcription: Emmerson Browning, Kent Browning, and Tom Cheaney
Diagrams:Chuck Butler and Reggie Sugabo
Book layout:Cheery Sugabo
Cover design: Cheery Sugabo
Front cover photo: Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
Special thanks to John Widecan of the University of Cincinnati for taping the lectures.
Coaches Choice
P.O. Box 1828
Monterey, CA93942
www.coacheschoice.com

Contents

Speaker Team

Paul Boudreau

St. Louis Rams

Topic

Page

The Rams Key Play With Drills and Techniques.................5

Alex Gibbs
NFL Alumni

Inside and Outside Zone, Bootleg, and Thoughts on

the Power Play.............................................................................. 17

Joe Gilbert
Indianapolis Colts

Weakside Counter Play (Wrap) and the Drills to

Teach It........................................................................................... 28

J.B. Grimes

Auburn University

Run Game Emphasis From an Auburn Perspective.......... 37

Art Kehoe

University of Miami

Pulling and Different Sets on Pass Protection................. 45

Jim McNally

Cincinnati Bengals
Offensive Consultant

Current Trends in Offensive Line Play................................. 56

Scott Peters

Safe Football LLC/

Hand Combat Specialist

Securing Control/Finishing Techniques in the

Run Game........................................................................................ 62

Jim Schwartz

Former Detroit Lions

Head Coach

Breaking Down the Offensive Line/What the

Defense Is Looking For............................................................... 71

John Strollo

Ball State University

Circular Force................................................................................ 84

Ed Warinner
The Ohio State
University
Bob Wylie

The Ohio State Spread Run Game.......................................... 90

Winnipeg Blue Bombers/ Conflict of Assignment Using Slide

NFL Alumni
Protection Concepts.................................................................. 96

About the Editor............................................................................................................................................................................101

Paul Boudreau
THE RAMS KEY PLAY WITH
DRILLS AND TECHNIQUES
St. Louis Rams

Thank you. It is good to be here today. I think you

guys do a hell of a job of coaching. I have been in
your shoes. I have coached football in high school,
I-AA, and Division I football. I am going to share
with you the drills we do, and talk about some of
the plays we run. Also, I am going to talk about the
misdirection zone play.

In offensive line blocking, the first three steps

is the leverage point for the lineman. He cannot step
with his foot at an angle if he wants to knock the
defender off the line of scrimmage. He has to step
at him. He has to have a target.
I teach the target as six inches outside his
number. However, in the stance, the offensive
lineman cannot see the defenders number.
Therefore, I teach the target as the defenders
feet. If we are running an outside zone play, I teach a
vertical crossover roll step. If the offensive lineman
needs to knock the defender off the ball, he has to
roll off his dominant foot.

I am all about targets. It does not matter if you

teach an outside or inside zone play; you must tell
players how to step. You have four leverage points.
You have your feet and your hands, and you must
get leverage. I watch tapes and look at players. The
worst thing they do relates to their pad level.
In the NFL, we have restrictions as to working
in pads. It takes me through the fourth pre-season
game to get my players with their pad levels down
to the point where I like them. We cannot practice
with pads, and we cannot practice against the
defense anymore. You cannot beat press coverage
because you cannot practice that in the pre-season.

On the third, fourth, and fifth steps, the

offensive lineman starts to block with the duck
step with all of his cleats in the ground. In the
stance, I do not want the heels off the ground;
however, on the first, second, and third steps, I
want to see daylight under the heels. When they
hit the point where they have to drive and change
direction with the block, that is when the feet get
flat-footed to the ground.

You draft a lineman from a big school, but you

cannot teach him in the pre-season. You can teach
him pass protection, but he cannot go against a
defensive lineman. He can practice against another
offensive lineman, but that is not a true example of
what he will face. That is the hard part of coaching
at the pro level.

When we drill the steps, we say you must walk

before you run. We teach the first three steps from
the two-point stance to begin with. The first step is
a six-inch step to the outside shoe of the defender.
The second step is where the contact occurs. That
foot must be going vertical upfield at contact to
get vertical movement off the line of scrimmage. If
the second step is at an angle, you are not knocking
anyone off the ball.

Some of the college players have just gone

through the combines. They hire gurus that teach
them how to run a 40-yard dash. In the NFL, they
will never run another 40-yard dash in their lives.
However, they train for it. When they run a 40-yard
dash, they have a narrow base and run on their toes.
To play offensive line, you must have a wide base
and have all the cleats in the ground.

If we run the tight zone, the target for the

second step is the defenders inside shoe. If there is
help on the block, the footwork for the help blocker
is somewhat different. With the help blocker, he

takes the same three-step footwork, but loses a

little ground on his first step so he can gain ground
on the second step. He wants to be in an overlap
position with the first blocker.

linemen to get movement on the down defenders and

let the linebackers flow and block themselves.
When we teach the daily footwork drills, we
want to watch the linemen to make sure they do
not wind up with their hands. We want the hands
and their punch to come straight from the ground
into the breastplate of the defender. We do not
want the linemen to drop their hands down and wind
up to hit the defender. When the hands and arms go
back behind the hips, it exposes the chest of the
offensive blocker.

I have a lineman we drafted last year from

Auburn. Greg Robinson was our first pick and
second overall in the 2014 draft. You heard Coach
Grimes, Auburns line coach, speak last night. They
have four running plays and one pass protection.
They do not have a snap count. All the offensive
linemen watch the ball for the get-off on the snap.
However, every drill they did with him, they put
him in a three-point stance. I looked at his practice
tape to make sure he could bend. I had a Hall of Fame
lineman when I was with the Saints, and this kid
may be better.

We have five defensive linemen that are firstround picks. If you expose your chest to anyone
of them, they will beat you every time. It does not
matter if you play high school, college, or pro football,
the player that gets his hands inside will win. If he does
not win, it will be a tie, which is good for us.

He is 330 pounds and runs 4.9 for the 40-yard

dash. He can lie on his back and do a hand spring to
his feet without touching the ground. He is gifted,
and there is a lot of crap I cannot teach him because
there is no one else that can do what he can do. He
is just scratching the surface right now.

On the second step, the blocker must roll off the

ball of his foot and toe in the first step. That allows
for good pad level. If he is flat-footed on the first
and second steps, his pads come up, and you see
his numbers. He is too high. If you are too high, you
cannot get the surge you need to create movement.
On the third step, he wants to roll his hips into the
block and get all his cleats in the ground and start to
drive on steps four, five, and six.

We do the same footwork drills every day. We

start on air, working the three steps. We work the
same drill over the boards and against dummies. On
the first step, we want the lineman to spring out of
it into his second step. We tell them to step at the
defenders crotch with the second step.

When we teach this technique, the first

important coaching point is to get the knees over
the toes. When the lineman makes contact on the
second step, his knee should be over his toe. That
is where the leverage comes from. If the foot turns
outside, his knee is not over his toe and he loses
leverage. When he steps with his knee over his
toe, he is exploding up and begins to flat-foot his
footwork on the third step.

We want the step to the outside number of the

defender. I want the blocker to be square. I am not
talking about being square to the line of scrimmage.
I am talking about the blocker being square to the
defender. I want him to cover up the framework of
the defenders body.
I have learned many things from my great
players. When I was at Detroit, we had Barry
Sanders. I was a lot smarter coach when I had
him. I got a chance to go to New England when
Curtis Martin played there. He told me one day, If
I would move the down defenders, he would move
the linebackers. He had that kind of talent. He had
the ability to stick his foot in the ground and break
backside into the C gap away from the fill of the
linebackers.

We use a drill called barrel ol cut drill (Diagram

#1). This is a backside block for an uncovered lineman.
If we work on the inside zone or misdirection
zone, the offensive blocker wants to capture the
defensive lineman or linebacker going straight up the
field. On his first step, he has to open his foot and
toes so he loses ground. He does that so he can gain
ground with the second step. We set the barrel on
the line of scrimmage and align it on the shoulders
of the offensive blocker. The blocker opens on the
first step and gets his second step on the line of
scrimmage as he comes around the barrel.

We do not have running backs that can do that.

That is where the misdirection zone play comes into
play. We needed a play that would allow the offensive

continually emphasize is for the players to get

their hips underneath them as they move. This is a
footwork drill that teaches the basics of the threestep movement.

DUMMY
HOLDER
CONE

BARREL

4 YDS

The next drill is a pull and cut drill. Jim Ringo,

who played for the Packers, was talking to a Hall
of Famer guard, John Hannah. They were talking
about how to pull. There are all kinds of pulls. There
is the skip pull and the ripped elbow pull. Hannah
did not open up and throw his elbow on his pulls. He
pivoted off his playside foot. He said it was not the
first step that was important. It was the second
step. He felt he could get to the target quicker by
pivoting and crossing over with the second foot.

T
Diagram #1. Barrel Ol Cut Drill
He hits the line of scrimmage on his second
step, and that should put him square to the line of
scrimmage. On his third step, he is running upfield to
the linebacker. This is a cut drill; however, no one
goes to the ground. The dummy holder holds the
dummy to the side and low so the blocker can bend
and rip through the dummy with his inside arm.

He said if he gained ground on the first or second

step and did not step under himself, he would get
to the target faster. The thing I am trying to say is:
there are many ways to pull. The objective is to knock
the crap out of the defender and do it quickly. You
must teach your players using techniques they can
execute. If the lineman is 68, I am not going to teach
him a technique that he feels uncomfortable doing. I
want him to get to the block and execute. We refine
whatever technique he is comfortable with using.

The target for a cut block is the thigh board of

the linebacker. If he aims for the thigh board, he will
hit the knee. If he aims for the knee, he will hit the
ankle or lower leg. He wants to use his inside arm
and rip through the dummy. This block simulates the
path for a backside slip block or a backside A-combo
block with the center. If he were scoop blocking
with the center, he would take over the block at
the barrel or climb to the linebacker and rip the
dummy with his inside arm.

I am not going to try to fix something that is

not broken. If he is having trouble, we tweak what
he is doing to Boudreau
make it happen.
When
we set the
#2 Pull Drill
$
drill up, we have a cone and dummy holder in the
drill (Diagram #2). We place the cone on the line of
scrimmage outside the offensive blockers playside
foot. That is so we can watch what the blocker
does with his first and second step. We want to
make sure he is not stepping under himself. We
want to find out how much ground he can cover in
his first and second steps. He should make contact
on the third step and rip through the defenders
outside knee. It is the same rip as the previous drill.
He wants to run through the block, but on occasion
he has to leave his feet.

The offensive blocker going to his right mentally

loads all his weight on his left foot and toe. He
has to get his right foot open quickly and off the
line of scrimmage. When he takes his second step,
he is square to the line and running upfield on the
third step. He wants to rip through the knee of the
linebacker. It has to be a solid block that takes the
knee out. We do not leave the ground in this drill;
however, in a game situation, that may be the case. If
he leaves the ground, he wants to roll into his block.
What I am trying to do in this drill is to give them
the technique on a blocking scheme we are going to
use. I got lucky this year and drafted four linemen.
I was trying to go for seven. I got four and a free
agent that will probably make our team. We got a
bunch of young guys playing in the offensive line.
The good thing about it is they are all smart, tough,
and have been well coached.

RIP

Diagram #2. Pull and Cut

When you do a drill, make sure you go to the

left as well as to the right. The coaching point we

In the NFL, the defenders try to keep the guards

and centers from pulling by grabbing them. They put

Boudreau
#3 Up Hill
! see
the umpire behind
the offense
and Leverage
they cannot
defensive holding anymore. If the defender is trying
to grab the puller, he is going down. The backside
cutoff blocker will be in the bend of his knees.

starts to attack downhill. If the linebacker is going

sideways, the back is moving him. We stay on the
double-team block as long as we can.
We teach the hip roll on a sled. We have a fourman sled designed for the offensive line (Diagram
#4). The bags are tapered at the bottom and flare
out at the top. It looks like an upside-down cone.
When we do the hip roll drill, we do it from a sixpoint stance. The hands, knees, and toes are in
contact with the ground. The players shoot their
hands from the ground into the pad. The lift on the
pad comes from the leg extension and the hips
rolling to the ground. We do not want them to wind
up with the hands and arms. If their arms go back,
they are doing the drill wrong. They work the hands,
the hips, and they snap into the pads.

I came up with this drill. I call it uphill leverage

(Diagram #3). It is the same drill you do on flat
ground. You teach the same steps and techniques.
I want to see the blocker snap his hips and rip on
the second step. After he does that, he drives the
defender up the hill.

Diagram #3. Uphill Leverage

When they drive up the hill you can see the
leverage. You can chase your hands with the feet.
The hands go to the target, and the feet chase the
hands. The hill I have in Detroit is not as big as the
one I had in Atlanta. The bigger the hill, the better
I like it.

Diagram #4. Hip Roll

We work the double-team block from a fit
position. This is the fit and lift drill. We fit the
offensive blockers into the block on the defender.
On the command, we want the blockers to roll off
the ball of the toe, roll the hips, and lift the defender
while driving him back. The thing we want to see is
the hips staying together. If the hips spread, they
have a problem on their hands. What we want to
see in this drill is the snap in their hips as they move
the defender back.

We can also use the hill for teaching a doubleteam block. I want the players to get a feel of not
getting split on a double-team. I want them to know
where to put their hands on1 a scoop combination
block or a double-team block. The thing I want to
do is make them understand when they work on a
double-team block, their hips must stay together. I
have 600 pounds that is going to block 300 pounds.
The defender has a number of ways he can
split the double-team block. He can drop and grab
ankles. However, if he splits the double-team block
because the offensive blockers hips come apart,
the defender does not have to do anything. We
work the scoop combination and double-team block
going up the hill.

After they work the fit and lift drill, we put

them back in their stance and work the first three
steps into the block. They know where their hands
should be and what it feels like to have the proper
fit. We work 2-on-1 with the defender having a
shield dummy. After contact, we work two to
three steps and do not worry about a finish at this
point. The outside blocker is targeting his inside
foot to the outside foot of the defender.

The post blocker wants to rip into the defender

and make his upper body go up. The drive blocker
stays on the double-team until he comes off on
the linebacker. The slip blocker does not come off
on a linebacker as long as the linebacker is moving
laterally. He comes off on the linebacker when he

What we teach the blocker is to get the hands

into the target and lock out on the defender. That
gives him separation from the defender so the
defender cannot grab the slip blocker.

The next thing with the double-team block is

the combo block. When we work the combo block,
we target the feet of the defender. We work two
combo blocks at a time in the same drill. The frontside
combo has a 3 technique down defender and a 2
Boudreau
#5 Combo
Block combo
$
technique
linebacker.
The backside
has a 1
technique down defender and a stacked linebacker.
The footwork is different for the inside blocker.

B
T

The inside blocker on the combo to the 3 technique

defender wants his second step to the 3 technique
defenders outside foot (Diagram #5). The outside
blocker steps hip-to-hip with the inside blocker and
shoves the 3 technique defender onto the block of
the inside blocker. He is coming off for the linebacker
when he attacks the line of scrimmage.

B
T

G C

Diagram #6. Quick Call

The tackle has to pull to the inside to cut off
the 3 technique defender. The footwork on the
combo block is based on where the down defender
is aligned and where the second level linebacker is
playing. The landmark tells the offensive blockers
Boudreau #7 3-Man Combo $
how to step.

If the defense slants their interior tackles,

1 use him in the scheme
we borrow the center and
(Diagram #7). With the 1 technique defender slanting
to the center, he reaches around him and sets up
for the backside linebacker. The guard and tackle
end up with a B-block on the slanting nose tackle
because of the read of the defense. The center
comes up on the backside linebacker as he pursues
across the set.

G T

Diagram #5. Combo Block

On the backside combo, the center on his second
step is down the crotch of the 1 technique defender.
The outside block has to overlap the center as he
comes down. The linebacker in a stack alignment is
a fast flow linebacker. The outside block has to take
over the block on the 1 technique defender. His first
step is a vertical step with the left foot crossing
over to get into position1 for the takeover block.

B
N

Diagram #7. Three-Man Combo

The center drives up the field with the

1 technique defender. He wants to ricochet off
the 1 technique defender coming off for the stack
linebacker. He puts the 1 technique defender on the
block of the guard.

Your drills must translate to the field (Diagram #8).

This is an inside zone play to the weakside with a
lead back. The fullback isolates the Will linebacker.
The left guard gets his second step down the crotch
of the 1 technique defender with the center coming
to take over the block. The center lead steps with
his left foot and crosses over with his right foot
at the outside foot of the 1 technique defender. On
the backside of the play, 1the right guard and tackle
run the combo block for the 3 technique defender
and the Sam linebacker. They use the technique we
talked about earlier. The tackle wants to overlap
the guard and blocks the 3 technique with the guard
coming off of the Sam linebacker.

In a situation where the playside is away from

the 3 technique, the guard has a linebacker in the A
gap. He gives a quick call to the offensive tackle
(Diagram #6). That tells the tackle he does not have
the help of the guard on the 3 technique. The guard
takes a crossover step with his second step at the
inside foot of the linebacker. As he comes off the
line of scrimmage, he drags his left hand and holds
off the 3 technique defender.

W
E

If the defense holds the ballcarrier up and tries to

punish him, we coach the offensive line swarm the
ballcarrier. In the old days, you picked off defender
trying to pile on the ballcarrier. They outlawed that,
so we swarm the ballcarrier and push him forward.
That keeps the defense from taking shots at the
ballcarrier. It looks like a rugby scrum.

We have different ways to teach the same

drills. We have a beach area at our practice facility.
We work the fit and lift drill in sand. This makes it
hard for the offensive linemen to keep their hips
from separating. You can also watch the sand fly
and tell what they are doing with their feet. The
object is to change up the drills. You do the same
drill, but give it a different look. One day we work
on the hills, and the other day we work in the sand.

Diagram #8. Inside Zone Weak

In the old days, if you got a defender on the
ground, you could get your hands on him and hold
him on the ground. You cannot do that anymore.
What we do now is lay on top of him with our arms
extended to the sides. That
is our airplane position.
1
We do not hold him down with our hands, and the
defender cannot get off the ground.

When we run the inside zone or misdirection

zone play, we have to see the slants of the
defensive linemen. You cannot look at the whole
man to see the slant. We want to read the inside
knee. For a defender to slants inside, the first thing
that moves is his inside knee. It does not matter if
you are a center working the combo block to the
3 technique or a guard working the combo block to
the 5 technique.

The running back runs the zone play in the

frontside A gap or backside A or B gap. The running
back is not allowed to make a cut until he gets
to the feet of the offensive linemens original
alignment. When the running back receives the ball,
his shoulders should match the shoulders of the
center and guard in the combo block. They should all
be square to the line of scrimmage.

If the knee shows, the offensive blocker knows

he has to engage that slanting defender coming
inside. If the knee does not show, he can push off
and climb to the linebacker.

On the backside combo block, if the 3 technique

slants inside or the guard cannot get off for the
linebacker,
we have
a way to Overlap
play that (Diagram
#9).
Boudreau
#9 Backside
!
The tackle overlaps the guard to take over the block.
However, if the guard cannot get off the 3 technique,
the tackle ends up behind the guard. He pushes the
guard up the field with his hands as the guard blocks
on the 3 technique. He watches the linebacker, and he
becomes the second-level blocker. If the linebacker
comes over the 3 technique defender into the A gap,
the tackle comes upfield and blocks him. If the guard
washes the 3 technique inside, the tackle comes
upfield in the B gap and blocks the linebacker.

Boudreau #10 Read Knee Out !

With the 3-4 front, the right guard reads the

inside knee of the 5 technique defender (Diagram
#10). He comes off the ball with his first step toward
the playside. His second step is to the outside foot
of the 3 technique linebacker. If he does not see the
knee from the 5 technique defender, on his third
step, he squares up to the linebacker and climbs.
How many times have you seen an uncovered
lineman work one step too far and he cannot get
square up to the linebacker?

S
T

Diagram #10. Read the Knee (Out)

Diagram #9. Backside Overlap

10

Boudreau #11 Read Knee In

The second situation is when the knee shows
to the inside (Diagram #11). The guard steps and
sees the knee. The first thing he does is to get his
hand up and punch the defensive end coming inside.
He wants to be ready to punch because he does not
want a mouthful of the defensive end. The tackle
steps to the crotch of the defensive end. When he
sees the crotch disappear to the inside, he climbs
for the linebacker.

he punches. If he has his shoulder parallel with the

sidelines when he punches, you have big-time trouble.
We call this slide protection angle kicks
(Diagram #13). The first thing I teach the lineman is
to kick at an angle to the defender that makes him a
5 technique defender instead of a wide angle rusher.
When we set the drill up to teach the slide, we
place a board behind the blocker at an angle for the
offensive lineman to kick and slide. The right tackle
kicks on an angle to the defender so that puts his
right foot to the inside foot of the defender.

T
N
Boudreau #12 Read Knee Center $
Diagram #11. Read the Knee (In)
The next situation is the guard covered with
a 3 technique defender (Diagram #12). The center
reads the knee of the 3 technique defender. He has
a 1 technique in his backside A gap. The center reads
the knee. If it is not there, he is going backside to
the linebacker. As he comes off the ball, he drags
his backside hand and holds off the 1 technique
defender so the guard can get into his scoop block.
1

Diagram #13. Angle Slide Kicks

As he kicks, he wants to maintain good balance
and even weight distributed. If he leans and puts
more weight on one foot, he will have a problem
locking out on the rusher. It is like doing a squat
exercise with a bar on your shoulders. When you
squat, you do not lean one way or the other. You
want to keep the weight over the feet.

We drive this point home by actually putting a

weight lifting bar with a neck collar in the middle
on the shoulders of the offensive lineman (Diagram
#14). The collar has two pads, which extend down
from the middle of the bar on either side of the neck,
that the offensive lineman grasps.

Diagram #12. Read the Knee (Center)

The playside guard takes his first step, and his
second step is in the crotch of the 3 technique defender.
If the defender is still there, he gets square and drives
him off the ball. The center, guard, and backside guard
shoulders should be square on the defenders. The
reason we want them square on the defenders is to
let the running back move the linebackers. We want
him to have a choice as to where to run the ball. If the
1
blocker is square on the defenders, the running back
can break to either side of the block.

HAND
HOLDS
NECK

Diagram #14. Balance Bar

The offensive lineman puts the bar on his
shoulders and performs the angle kick slide going
left and right. The object is to keep the bar level at
all times. If one end of the bar goes down or comes
up, there is more weight on that foot. The weight

I am going to flip around from run blocking to pass

blocking. If the offensive tackle has a loose or wide 5
technique aligned on him, there are different ways to
kick over to the defender and stay square. I always
want to see where the offensive lineman is when

11

Boudreau #16 Force the Switch

on one foot instead of both feet affects the punch

of the lineman. This exercise tells the lineman when
he gets more weight on one foot.

If he loops, the blocker becomes a run blocker on

the inside defender. He is not pass blocking. He is
blocking as if the play were a trap play. When we
drill this, we have two defenders with shields.
The blocker is in the middle. He sets on the outside
dummy and aggressively goes to the inside dummy
and run blocks him using run blocking techniques.

When we do this drill with multiple players in

the drill, we want everyone to look the same. We
want a 90-degree bend in the knees and the ankle
outside the knee. He is not turning his shoulders.
He is keeping his angle so he can stay square. We
are not particular about the position of the hands.
However, we do not want them extended out or
hanging down. We want them working the hands
somewhere around chest level. He can work his
hands like a boxer, but I want them at the level of
the punch point.

As the linemen slide, they want their outside

shoe on the inside shoe of the defender. The pass
rusher wants to beat the blocker on the inside. That
is the quickest way to the quarterback. We can
take the angle kick slide drill and turn it into a punch
drill (Diagram #15). The lineman kick-slides outside
along the board. We put a rusher holding a blocking
shield into the drill. He attacks the blocker, and the
blocker punches him. The rusher recoils, moves
outside, and attacks him again. The blocker punches
him and continues to kick-slide along the board. He
gets three punches in each rep.

Diagram #16. Force the Switch

When the offensive blocker faces a bull rusher,
he has to establish his leverage. We call this drill
sitting bull. A bull rush situation occurs when the
offensive lineman makes a mistake. His hands are
too wide, he is standing too high, or his feet are too
narrow. To defeat the bull rush, the blocker has to
reestablish leverage. He has to refit his hands to
the inside on the defender. He brings his hands inside
the defenders hands, rips
up, and grabs cloth. Once
1
he gets his hands inside, he has to hold on.
After he reestablishes his inside hands, he has
to drop his ass. He spreads his base and locks out
with his hands. That will stop the momentum of
the rusher. He may have to hop a couple of times to
stop the bull rusher.

D
PUNCH
PUNCH

PUNCH

Another drill we work is a punch drill. We

have a mounted pad sled. The pads are divided into
quadrants with numbers on them and are at eye
level. You can put the pads on the wall like they do
at Ohio State. It is a 15-second punch drill. When the
players get into a two-point stance, the top of the
pad is above their shoulders. They punch the pad for
15 seconds, using any combination of punches they
want. They can hit it with their right hand, left hand,
or both hands with any combination of punches.
They can go right, right, left, or any combination.
They must keep their hands up and continue to
punch for 15 seconds.

Diagram #15. Kick Slide Punch

The thing he does not want to do is get forced
back and step on the board. Every punch he lands, he
wants it down the middle of the breastplate aiming
for the throat.
People want to know how we block the tight
end game. What we try to do is force the switch
(Diagram #16). The lineman cannot block to the
outside and then shuffle inside and become a pass
blocker. What we do is set on the outside rusher.

We do another drill on the pads called twister.

They punch with both hands. They can punch two
adjacent quadrants, two over one another, or two

12

on the diagonal. It is rapid movement of both hands

at all different levels and areas on the pads.

You want them to exercise good body position at

all time. Most players, when they start to do this
drill, get out of control and play too straight up and
down. You want to be in a proper position to deliver
the punch and not just throwing it from left field.

The next thing we do is use the slide drill with

the punch drill. We slide the players down the pad
station, and they make two punches on each pad.
Again, they can use any combination of punches. You
can give commands to change their direction so they
go in the other direction punching the pads. They can
punch the pads high or low in their movements.

You can tighten the bag holder up and

concentrate on the punch. The drill is the same
except you get more punches and less slide kicks.
Another variation of the same drill is to tighten
the distance between the bag holders slightly. You
align the blocker up on one of the bag holders. On
the command, he uses his angle kick slide to the
other dummy and punches the bag. After that, the
drill is the same with the exception of the angle
kick slide.

If you do not have a punch sled or no place to

hang a pad, you can use a human punch sled. You line
up your puncher across from a shield holder. We
put a second player behind the bag holder as a brace
so he does not back up while the punches are being
thrown. It is effective and accomplishes the same
thing the punch sled does. Each time the player
punches, he wants to get a lockout in his arms.
He does not hold the lockout, but tries to get that
lockout with each punch. Fifteen seconds is a long
time when you are going at a fast speed.

We call this drill three-bag jam (Diagram #18).

In this drill, we have three bag holders and one
blocker. The blocker is working with the lineman
next to him. This is a leap of faith. He sits square
and punches the defender to the next blocker. In the
drill, the first bag holder, attacks the blocker. He
Boudreau
#18
Three
Bag Jam
! next bag
punches
him to the
right,
and recoils
to the
holder coming at him. He punches that bag holder to
the left and gets ready for the last bag holder. The
last bag holder moves forward and puts on a move
or bull rushes the blocker. If it is a move, the blocker
has to move his feet and get in front of the bag
holder. If it is a bull rush, he punches the bag, locks
out, and drops his tail using his bull rush techniques.
If we work on a two-gap team, I start with the bags
in the middle.

We have a two-bag kick and punch drill we use

(Diagram #17). We have two bag holders and a pass
blocker. The#17
bagBag
holders
four
yards !apart. The
Boudreau
Kickare
and
Punch
blocker aligns in the middle of the bag holders. To
start the drill, the blocker kick-slides to one bag and
punches it. The bag holders start to walk at a normal
to slow pace. The blocker kick-slides to the other
bag and punches it. He kicks to the other bag and
punches it. He kick-slides from one bag to the other,
punching the bag when he arrives into position.

B
O L

B
B

PUNCH

PUNCH

B PUNCH

PUNCH

PUNCH

Diagram #18. Three-Bag Jam

PUNCH

The next thing is hand grab replacement.

What do you do if the defender grabs your hand?
The second smallest part within the body is the
thumb. A guy told me a long time ago: if you want to
teach something, try it. If someone grabs the wrist,
simply drop the hands down and you break the

Diagram #17. Two-Bag Kick and Punch

The blocker must stay under control and move
from one bag to the other. When he delivers the
punch, it must be the proper technique for punching.

13
1

PUNCH

inside hand on the 1 technique defender to help the

center; however, he is looking outside. If any color
shows from the outside, he is attacking that color.

thumbs loose from the wrist. We do this in a drill.

You start with a blocker and a rusher. The blocker
starts with his hand placement on the breastplate
of the defender. The defender grabs the wrist of the
blocker and starts to push the blocker backward.

The offensive tackle has anything from the

defensive end working to the outside and coming
up the middle on a bull rush. Anything that breaks to
the inside, the guard handles. You cannot do it every
time. You must change it up to keep the defensive
off balance.

The blocker rips his hands down, breaks the

thumbs loose, comes underneath the hands of the
defender and replaces his hands on the breastplate
with a punch. The defender grabs the wrist again,
and the blocker repeats the move. They continually
repeat grabbing, breaking, and replacing as they work
down the line. In this drill, they are thinking about
breaking the thumbs and the punch replacement of
the hands. They do not think about their feet.

Everyone in here has run the shovel pass at one

time or the other. The pulling guard on the shovel
pass comes down the line of scrimmage and keys
the defensive end. If the end works upfield, he turns
inside. If the end stays on the line of scrimmage or
comes inside, the guard traps the defensive end.
The quarterback sprints out with the ball, draws
the defensive end, and shovels the ball back inside
to the receiver coming behind the line of scrimmage.

In a game situation, we work on getting the

hands into the breastplate and holding onto the
defenders shoulder pads. Once you get a hold on
the pads, we are not worried about the defender
grabbing our wrist. If he grabs our wrist before we
set the hands, we break the thumbs, punch, and
replace the hands.

The guard reads the defensive end and turns up

or traps him. That is what we tell the fullback on this
play. Everyone else run the outside zone. The outside
zone to the tight end is called key. The outside
zone to the weakside is called ring. If we run the
outside zone with no tight ends, we call it lock.

At the combine, they measure the wingspan of

the players from fingertip to fingertip. The lineman
does not punch with his fingers. He punches with
the heel of the hand. They should measure the
offensive linemen from their wrist to the shoulder
to get their effective punching distance.

On this play, the offensive line is shoving the

defense to the outside. Everyone is moving the
linebackers with their angles. The fullback runs to
Backside
Blocking
the Boudreau
backside of #20
the play
and reads
the defensive
end. The running back comes over and reads the
frontside A gap, backside A gap, B gap, and C gap.

We have
what we#19
callSlug
a slug
set.
Boudreau
Call
$ If we have
slide protection away from the tight end, the tackle
to the open side of the set will have help to his inside
in most cases. The defensive end has his mind made
up what he is going to do when the tackle kick-slides
to the outside. On any three-, five-, or seven-step
drop, I tell my tackle to short set the defensive end
and invite him to beat him to the inside.

On the backside, the guard wants to target the

inside shoe of the 3 technique defender (Diagram #20).
He wants his second step with his right foot going to
that target and pushing in that direction. The offensive
tackle to that side comes down and gets his head
across the 3 technique defender to keep him from
splitting the double-team with the guard up to the
linebacker. The more the 3 technique tries to split the
double-team, the bigger the hole becomes backside.

Every defensive coach tells his defensive end on

a short set to beat the tackle to the inside. The help
guard has the slug call (Diagram #19). He gets his

B
E

Diagram #20. Backside Blocking

Diagram #19. Slug Call

14

On the misdirection zone play, we block the

outside zone play (Diagram #21). In the diagram, we
align in a two-tight-end set. Everyone is blocking
outside zone to the right. The fullback reads the
defensive end playing in a head-up position on the
tight end to the right side. If the defensive end
Boudreau
#21 Misdirection
$ by the
comes
up the field
and plays theZone
bootleg
quarterback, the fullback wraps inside and blocks
the linebacker. If the defensive end stays on the line
of scrimmage or closes inside, the fullback traps
him. We tell the fullback that if he cannot wrap
inside for the linebacker, he should turn inside and
swab out the hole.

FS
C

If we run lock with no tight end, we have some

things to think about (Diagram #23). In the diagram,
we run this from a bunch set right. The defense
is in a 3-4 alignment. The backside tackle has a
4 technique aligned on 1him with the linebacker
Boudreau
Settight
Lockend,
.... we have
stacked
behind #23
him.Bunch
With no
two defenders we are not going to block. If the 4
technique tackle goes outside, the backside tackle
goes up on the stacked linebacker. However, if the
4 technique slants inside, the tackle washes him to
the inside. The inside slot in the bunch is the fullback
on this play.

C
T

Diagram #22. KeyFake Reverse

B
N

B
E

SS
B

B E

Diagram #21. Misdirection Zone

In the NFL, defenses have one front they play

when the offense aligns in an unbalanced line. When
we ran unbalanced, we knew what we were going
to get. We tell the running
back to align at seven and
1
a half yards. But it all depends on the speed of the
tailback. They must be patient runners on this play.

B
B

We tell the quarterback and the receiver to the

side of the naked, they are running the naked bootleg
play. We tell the wide receiver to take an outside
release and run an 18-yard comeback route. We tell
the quarterback he is running a naked bootleg, and
they must sell the play. We tell our receiver if he did
not sell the naked bootleg, we were going to have
him block the defensive end. He had a choice.

SS

B
N

Diagram #23. Lock/Motion

The fullback comes in motion and is the backside
blocker. His is either going to block the inside
linebacker or the outside linebacker. The outside
linebacker aligned as a defender in the bunch set.
Unless he closes hard 1on a blitz, the fullback will
block the inside linebacker.

We can add some variations to the play that

makes it more effective, and it holds some defensive
players. This is key with a fake reverse instead of
the naked (Diagram #22). The reverse fake serves
the same purpose as the naked fake. It holds the
secondary players.

15

Teams have seen the play and have started to

play it as a backside play. When they do that, we
take the ball to the frontside.

rushing total in Falcons history, en route to his first

Pro Bowl. Boudreaus line also assisted in Turner
scoring a franchise-high 17 times and passing the
200-yard plateau on two occasions.

Defenses do not always honor the quarterback

on the naked play. However, they almost always
honor the speed sweep play. We can use the speed
sweep as a fake play as we did with the reverse and
run the misdirection zone play.

Boudreaus offensive line also protected NFL

Rookie of the Year quarterback Matt Ryan so that
he could throw for 3,440 yards with 16 touchdowns.
Ryans production could be credited to the fact that
Boudreaus offensive line allowed a franchise-low
of 17 sacks, surpassing the previous mark of 25
(1982). The 17 sacks on 434 pass attempts were
equivalent to allowing one sack per every 25.5 plays,
which also set a new franchise mark. With the
help of Boudreaus linemen, the Falcons recorded a
franchise-high 5,779 total net yards and the fifthhighest rushing total in club history (2,443 yards).

Guys, I appreciate your attention. Thank you

very much.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul T. Boudreau, a veteran of 28 seasons of coaching
offensive linemen in the NFL, begins his fourth season
of his second stint with the Rams in 2015.
In 2013, St. Louis averaged 21.8 points per game,
the clubs highest point total since 2006. The teams
offensive line had a great impact on the teams play.
Running back Zac Stacy rushed for 973 yards, third
most by a rookie in team history. Over the last 11
games, only six NFL backs rushed for more yards
than Stacy. In the passing game, the Rams allowed
36 sacks in 2014, the eighth lowest total in the NFL.

Boudreaus stellar offensive lines over the

years have helped pave the way for five running
backs to top the 10,000-yard career rushing mark,
including Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin, Thurman
Thomas, Fred Taylor, and Steven Jackson.
From 2006 to 2007, Boudreau served as the
offensive line coach for the Rams. In 2007, Rams
running back Steven Jackson tallied his second
consecutive 1,000-yard season behind Boudreaus
offensive line. In 2006, Jackson gained a careerhigh 1,528 rushing yards while nine different players
started on the offensive line.

Prior to joining Jeff Fishers staff in 2012,

Boudreau spent four seasons as the offensive line
coach with the Atlanta Falcons. In both 2010 and 2011,
the Falcons finished in the top 10 in the NFL in points
scored, including a fifth place finish en route to a 2010
NFC South championship. Boudreaus linemen helped
the team total the second fewest sacks allowed
per play in a single season with just one per 21.1 pass
plays in 2009. His lines strong play also enabled the
Falcons offense to amass 330 first downs that
year, the second-most ever in a season.

Prior to joining the Rams, Boudreau was the

offensive line coach for three seasons with the
Jacksonville Jaguars (2003-2005). In 2003, the
Jacksonville offensive line set a franchise record
by allowing only 28 sacks (tied for ninth in the NFL).
Running back Fred Taylor also rushed for a teamrecord 1,572 yards. Boudreau tutored the Carolina
Panthers offensive line from 2001 to 2002 and saw
the team set a club record by allowing only 31 sacks
in 2001. From 1999 to 2000, he served in the same
capacity for the Miami Dolphins.

With Boudreaus adept coaching, the offensive

line allowed quarterback Matt Ryan to throw for
2,916 yards with a career-best 22 touchdown passes
in 2009. Running back Michael Turner scored 10
rushing touchdowns, and wide receiver Roddy White
topped 1,100 receiving yards with over 80 catches
for the third consecutive season for the first time in
team history with the aid of Boudreaus charges.

From 1997 to 1998, Boudreau coached the

offensive line for the New England Patriots, following
a three-year stint with the Detroit Lions guiding the
same unit. His first position in the NFL came in New
Orleans from 1987 to 1993. In his seven seasons with
the Saints, Boudreaus line placed in the top three in
fewest sacks allowed on four occasions. In 1992, the
Saints allowed a league-low 15 sacks.

In 2008, Boudreaus unit opened holes for

the NFLs second-ranked rushing offense (152.7
yards per game). Turner ranked second in the NFL
in rushing (1,699 yards), marking the third-highest

16

Alex Gibbs
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ZONE, BOOTLEG,
AND THOUGHTS ON THE POWER PLAY
NFL Alumni

Thank you. It is good to be back at the C.O.O.L. Clinic.

I am going to do some things a little differently than
I have done it in the past. I am going to try my best
to not make the topic so broad and still get more
specific with things I want to talk about. I have
walked out of here in the past and felt I did not do
the things I set out to do.

If you get to the point where you do not want

the quarterback to run with the ball, this may be
what you can use. In the NFL, they will never go to
an offense that features the running quarterback.
He is so valuable to the team that they cannot take
the chance of him getting hurt. We cannot allow
people to have free shots on the quarterback.

This is a great business we are in, and you have

done so many great things. You need to pass it on
and keep teaching young guys and helping players.
I need to give back because I am the luckiest guy
in the world. I got a telephone call late at night and
was offered a job as a line coach. I did not know
anything. I had not worked on a staff and had no
experience. However, I had a reputation of being a
good school teacher.

The only time the quarterback is a particular

part of the NFL running game is with the play-action
pass. Before I get into the topic, let me say this: The
game of football has not changed as far as basics.
The game is still about getting the second step on
the ground and striking the defender with the hands
and hat. The faster the lineman can get his second
step down and strike the defender with his hands
and hat, the better he is going to be.

That is how it all started. I cannot tell you how

many people that I have helped, pulled in, pushed
along, and kept helping. You owe it to each other to
keep doing the things you are doing. It improves our
business and helps society. We have the best kids
there are in football. Outside of the quarterback,
we have the smartest players in football. In the
offensive line, we must play and function together
as a team.

It does not matter what drills you do or what

type of equipment you have. If you cannot take
that principle and put it into your offensive linemen,
you are not going to be successful. What I am going
to do is tie together the back and offensive line in
teaching you the principles of the wide zone.
The thing that makes this so complex is the
offenses want to be one- and two-back schemes.
The problem is to have a fullback or do not have a
fullback. If I have a fullback the defense will add
another linebacker. If I do not have a fullback, they
may not add another linebacker, but they may, and
we have to figure out where he is playing.

The offensive line is a great place to learn the

tools of teaching. I continue to try to get the message
out and work with other publications and videos.
I am going to start with teaching the principles
of the wide zone. I am not trying to talk you into
doing anything that I talk about. You must do what
is best for you in your situation. If you have a
running quarterback, this may not be what you
need. However, you can file it away or study it to
the place where you may need it someday.

Do not assume that if you have three wide

receivers and a one-back system that the defense
is going to change and match up to you. They will
not play the entire game like that, but they will
have the ability to do it. If they want to stop your
ass, they will stop you.

17

In the NFL today, the best running teams without

a doubt are Dallas, Seattle, Baltimore, Houston, and
New England. Dallas is the best wide zone team in
the league. They have the best running back and the
best line coach. They run the best wide zone I have
ever seen. Last year, they did a phenomenal job and
were fantastic.

You must remember that a one-back set will

not always mean a six-man box, and a two-back set
does not always mean a seven-man box. You must
have the ability to adapt to those situations. You
must be able to get out of the play when you are
outnumbered.
I am going to start with the landmarks in the
one-back set. I assume that everyone running this
offense is in a 2x2 or 3x1 set. In both those sets,
we have a tight end. If you have a quarterback in the
shotgun set, it does not change anything I am going
to talk about. From the shotgun, the landmarks may
be a little wider, but I will talk about that later.

Seattle has a hammer. They take that hammer

and run him at you with the wide zone until you stop
it. They are good at it, know what to do with it, and
they tie all the pieces together. Baltimore got Gary
Kubiak from Houston and became one of the five
best teams in running the ball as it relates to the
categories I am going to talk about. Houston had all
the elements in place to be a great running team.

When we first started to run this play,

everything was set to go to the strongside first.
As time went on, we began to see most of the wide
zone teams run more to the weakside than to the
strongside. That was especially true with the 3x1
set becoming so popular.

The last of the best running teams in the NFL is

New England. They are the best wide zone, short
yardage, goal line team I have ever seen in the NFL.
That takes in a lot of years. They will take the ball
and run it right at your butt. If you do not stop them,
they will run it up your butt. They do it out of one- or
two-back sets. In short yardage and goal line, there
is no one close to them. The naked bootleg and the
wide zone go hand in hand.

I do not know how the field fits into your agenda

because the pro field is different from the college
setup. If that is a part of your factor, you will have
to figure all that in. I am not smart enough to do that.
I simply know if there are three receivers to one
side and one to the other, then I know where they
are and what I can do.

I stole a lot of the outside zone scheme from

Jim McNally when he had Ickey Woods here in
Cincinnati. He could run the wide zone play. He ran it
a little wider than I believe in. He was about a yard
outside the tight end. He tore this league up for a
couple of seasons, and then it caught up to his body
like it does to so many in this league.

I always want the ability to take the play and

run it the other way. I want to run the ball where
I have the best chance of being successful. I am
not a big fan of checking from run to pass, but I like
moving from one side of the formation to the other.

I am going to run the wide zone play because

it makes sense to me. If I run the tight zone, the
defense will squeeze from both sides. I want to
run where the defense is not. As I got to the phase
and ran it more and more, I realized there was one
defender I could always turn loose and not block.
I did not have to account for the defensive end
away from the wide zone. That gave the back a
better chance to take the ball back into the mesh or
bounce it to the edge.

As I start to set the play up in my mind, I would

run the weakside of the 3x1 set and move to the
strongside. I would do that because if the defense
was going to bring a secondary blitz, it would
come from the three-receiver side. They are not
going to blitz from the single-receiver side without
showing it quickly.
In a 2x2 set, I would run the play to the tight
end side. The blitz will come from the field. I can
always check it to the field side if I read someone
in the secondary coming down to the tight end. If
the secondary is cheating someone down to the
tight end side, I know there is no blitz coming from
the weakside.

I had to learn the landmarks of the play and how

to run it with one or two backs. I had to learn how
to get a tight end to be a blocker. If I had a fullback
in the two-back set, I had to have one that would
go block linebackers. He was the extra offensive
lineman in the backfield.

18

Those are the fronts we see, and I have to

figure out how to run the wide zone into those
fronts with no lead blocker. I have to learn how to
work my combinations. I have to come to the line of
scrimmage and know whether the combinations are
on the frontside of the play or the backside.

I want to talk about landmarks and combinations.

I want to talk about the tight end side to begin with.
I will show you four different scenarios for the
defense. The first defense is the 3-4 front (Diagram
#1). It is the old 50 front look. There is a potential for
the backside 5 technique to shift into a 3 technique
#2 4-3
and the linebackerGibbs
stepping
outside.

On every play, there is a call made. The center

starts it out by declaring the Mike linebacker. That
declaration
be for the protection
Gibbsused
#5 to
Designation
Weak ^scheme. It
is no longer only for protection, but for the run also.
The declaration is not always the linebacker in the
middle of the defense. Sometimes the designation
of the Mike linebacker is the linebacker into the
weakside of the defense.

E T

Diagram #1. 3-4

The second front is a standard 4-3 front with
3 and 1 technique tackles and 5 and 6 technique
defensive ends (Diagram #2). There are three
linebackersGibbs
in the set.
#3 Under 4-3

S
T

If we are in a 2x2 formation, the Mike linebacker

is sitting to the weakside in this particular front
(Diagram #5). Before we run the play, I must establish
the landmarks to the frontside and the backside. I
have a call between those two combinations that I
must tie together with the run.

E
E

B
T

Diagram #2. 4-3

The third front is the under 4-3 (Diagram #3). The
Sam linebacker moves onto the line of scrimmage
and the defensive line shifts to the weakside of
Gibbs #4 Bear ^
the defense.

Wide
Zonewe must run the
With the Gibbs
wide #6
zone
play,
tight zone. If the defense is a fast flow defense,
the tight zone gives you a cutback play. If they are
a hang read team, as most NFL teams are, it is a
completely different operation.

W
T

Diagram #5. Linebacker Designation Weak

E S

If I am going to the tight end side against a

3-4 team, the guard makes a call (Diagram #6).
He is going to combination block with the tackle
on the 5 technique defender and the inside
1
linebacker. The tight end
is by himself on the

Diagram #3. Under 4-3

The last front is the bear look (Diagram #4).
In that front, there is a 0 technique and two 3
technique defenders.

SS
B

SLIP

B
T

M
N

Diagram #6. Wide Zone vs. 3-4 Slip

Diagram #4. Bear

19

outside linebacker. The center declared the Mike

linebacker to the strongside but he is working in
combination with the weakside guard on the nose
and backside linebacker. The backside tackle works
into the backside B gap as a cutoff block.

five steps to reach his cut point, but at the end of

three steps, he knows where he is going.

M
N

The guard and center make a call. The guard

makes his call, and the playside tackle repeats the
call. The center repeats that call, and that tells the
backside guard what scheme he uses. I have been
so many places where the terminology changes for
each of these calls. That is the first thing you must
do. You must get a set of rules that describe each of
the combinations.
When we call our plays, we call an eight play as
to the right and nine play to the left. When we make
the designation, it does not matter if there is a tight
end to that side. Eight is the wide play to the right,
and nine is the wide play to the left.
For the sake of this lecture, the guard-tackle
combination block is slip. When the tight end hears
slip, he knows he is by himself with no help. With
no help, the blocker wants to keep his backside arm
free to lock off any inside move by the defender.
The tackle on this play knows the guard is working
the slip block with him. That means he does not
worry about an inside move by the defender. He
does not use his inside hand to keep the defender
from going inside.
The guard takes a flat step to the line of
scrimmage with his first step. He cannot step back
off the line of scrimmage. If he does that, people
begin to step on him. He may trip the quarterback.
His aiming point is the helmet of the player he is
going to. He has to take three steps before he
knows where he is going to block. The playside
tackle and guard let the 5 technique defender tell
them where they are going to block.
The running backs aiming point is the butt of
the tight end (Diagram #7). If there is no tight end
to the weakside of the formation, he still aims at
the imaginary butt of a tight end. The steps of the
running back match the steps of the guard. When
he takes his third step, he should know what the
read path is. He is going so fast to that seam that he
must take two more steps before he can cut into
the hole or bounce the ball to the outside. He takes

:.
Diagram #7. Running Backs Steps
In this defense, the tackles target is the
outside shoulder pad of the defender over him. His
back hand comes inside with a punch into the belly
of the defender as he moves toward his target. If
the defender hangs, the offensive tackle drives him
1
outside. If the defender pinches to the inside, he
gets his inside hand on his outside shoulder pad and
pushes him inside. That allows the guard to overlap
and pick up the pinching tackle. The tackle gets his
hand on him to hold off the penetration. He climbs up
to the linebacker.
All great linebackers are coached to run
underneath the block of the tackle. They are athletic,
faster, and quicker than the tackle. The tackle cannot
let the linebacker run under his block. He makes the
linebacker run over the top of the block.
When the running back sees the pinch of the
defender, he knows he is going to bounce the ball
outside. When he bounces to the outside, he runs
off the block of the tight end. The tight end gets
his outside hand on the outside shoulder pad of the
linebacker. We coach him to lock the inside hand on
the inside jersey of the linebacker.
The outside linebacker is coached to take the
blocker on a run block and shed him to the outside and
fall back inside on the ballcarrier. That is where the
inside lock comes into play. The tight end cannot let
the linebacker fall back to the inside on the ballcarrier.
If the defender hangs on the tackles block, on
the third step, the guard shoves the defender onto
the block of the tackle. The tackles technique now

20

becomes like the tight end. When the guard shoves

the defender onto the tackles block, the tackle
grabs with his inside hand onto the defender. That
keeps the defender from shedding the tackle to the
outside and falling back inside.

target is the outside shoulder pad and the rest of

the techniques are the same.
The teaching for all the combinations involving
the center, guard, and tackle is the same. You have
covered offensive linemen and uncovered offensive
linemen. They apply the rules and technique for
each position. I have not talked about the backside
yet, but I will get to that. I have a couple of things
that caused me problems in the beginning.

If the 5 technique defender works outside or

hangs on the offensive tackle, the playside guards
block is the linebacker. He has to understand that
all good linebackers run underneath the blocks of
the guard. He cannot allow the linebacker to come
under his block. He must make him run over the top
of his block.

One of the problems is the 4i technique for the

offensive tackle. The outside shoulder is now inside
of him. Which foot does he step with? He cannot
step with his outside foot. He steps with the inside
foot. Everyone is this league plays a 4i technique to
the tight end side because they want the offense
to cutback into a 4i technique. You cannot cut back
Gibbs #9 Wide Zone Vs. 4 ....
into a 4i technique. However, the blocking scheme
does not change because the footwork changes.

The#8 next
defensive
scheme
Gibbs
Wide Zone
- 4-3 Combo
.... covers the
guard (Diagram #8). We can call the combination
between the tackle and tight end combo. There
is no difference between the techniques of the slip
combination and the combo combination except it
is between two different players. The tight ends
target is the outside shoulder pad of the defensive
end. The tackles technique is the same as the
guards on the slip technique. We coach the same
techniques to the tackle and tight end in regard to
footwork and targets.

The tackle steps with his inside foot and builds

a wall off the 4i technique (Diagram #9). The guard
steps flat at the helmet of the 4i defender. However,
he is almost in the gap, and the guard cannot
allow him to split the block of the tackle and his
overlap. The center becomes a part of the backside
combination. He works to the playside linebacker.
He wants to force the playside linebacker to work
over the top to the outside. His job is to block the
backside linebacker.

GAP

M
T

COMBO

B
Diagram #8. Wide Zone vs. 4-3 Combo

In pro football, we play with six or seven

offensive linemen on the roster. That means that all
the offensive linemen learn the techniques of the
combination blocks. That allows the left tackle to
play the right guard position if needed. Most of our
linemen can play every position on the offensive
line, including the center position.

B
T

Diagram #9. Wide Zone vs. 4i Technique

The backside guard is going to cut the nose
tackle (Diagram #10). He is basically going to pull and
clip the nose tackle. The tackle will ride the center
as he goes to the playside linebacker. The backside
guard trails the nose and cuts him somewhere
around in the playside A gap. The backside tackle
comes inside and blocks the first defender in that
gap. He uses a technique similar to the center on the
playside linebacker. He comes down at the backside
1
linebacker and turns back
to cut off the pursuit. It
could be the 4i defender, the safety rolling down,
or some other defender coming from the backside.

The center and playside guard run a gap

combination. The techniques are the same for
the covered offensive
blocker and the uncovered
1
blocker. The center steps flat to the line of
scrimmage and reads the 3 technique defender. If he
hangs or moves outside, his block is the linebacker.
If the 3 technique pinches to the inside, he overlaps
the guard and blocks him. The guard applies the
techniques for the covered offensive lineman. His

21

games, that player will be the best player on the

defense. He is the guy that is making more money
than anyone on your line with the exception of your
left tackle.

M
N

CUT

Diagram #10. Backside Blocking

To the backside, we have an A, B, and C call. The A
call is what is shown in the backside blocking diagram.
The B call is the technique the backside guard used to
cut off the nose tackle. When the guard is covered,
the tackle cuts the defender covering the guard.
There will never be a C call unless there is a tight end
to that side. In each case, the end defender on the line
of scrimmage
is #11
unblocked.
Gibbs
Wide Zone Weak
1
We can run the wide
zone to the weakside
(Diagram #11). With the guard and center covered,
we get two calls. The guard calls a gap, which brings
the center into the playside combination block. The
playside tackle is by himself on the block and uses
the technique for the single block. He targets the
outside shoulder pad, but locks the inside hand on
the defender to prevent him from coming inside. The
backside guard uses an A call, pulls, and clips the
nose tackle. The backside tackle has a B call, and
the tight end has the C call. They block those gaps
for any defender.

W
E

M
E

T T

GAP

Diagram #11. Wide Zone Weak

The gap combination is a hard block because the
center has so far to go. He flat-steps and aims at
the defenders helmet. The technique is the same
as the other side.

That is why everyone in the NFL wants a great

left tackle. I am going to run the ball at that player.
On second- and third-and-long, he is going to be
what they pay him for. He is coming up the field and
rushing the passer. All game long, I want to run the
ball at him and beat him up. I want to play physical
with him and beat the crap out of him. We coach
our offensive tackle to put his head on the outside
shoulder and drive him straight down the field.
If the defensive end comes under the block, the
running back bounces the ball to the outside. If the
end stays outside, the offensive tackle takes him
outside and the running back goes inside. The most
important thing to do is beat him up. We want to do
that to him every play he is in the game. In the fourth
quarter, we want that defensive end slowed down.
One of the biggest problems we had in the
wide zone play was the shade nose when we tried
to run toward a 3 technique defender. When we
first started running this play, we doubled the 3
technique defender with the guard and center and
single-blocked
the#12
shade
defender
in the backside
Gibbs
Shade
Nose
A gap. That was a nightmare. When the center
stepped flat to the 3 technique, the shade defender
had a field day.
My solution to that problem became a personnel
decision (Diagram #12). I took my best guard and
used him to single block. If he was on the shade side,
the center blocked back and he folded around the
center for the Mike linebacker, which turned out to
be a cut block most of the time. If he was on the 3
technique side, he single-blocked on the 3 technique.
The center and weaker guard combination blocked
on the shade nose up to the linebacker.

In my opinion, the greatest equalizer in pro

football is the matchup of the left tackle and
defensive end. That explains why the weak zone
play is the best play in1 the NFL running game. The
defensive player that plays the right defensive
end position is an All-Pro pass rusher. If you play 16

22

CUT

BEST

BEST

Diagram #12. Shade Nose

Gibbs #13 Wide Zone Weak 2-Backs $

I am going to stop right here and talk about
the two-back wide zone play. If I am going to run
a wide zone weak, the fullback is offset to the
weakside (Diagram #13). We have two different
ways to use the combination blocks. We can use a
gap combination with the center and left guard and
single block the 5 technique defender. Or, we can
single-block on the 3 technique defender and use a
combination by the center and backside guard for
the nose tackle and Mike linebacker. If the backside
guard cuts the nose tackle, the backside tackle
uses a B call and blocks the Mike linebacker.

B
E

B
T T

SS
B

Gibbs #15 Wide Zone 2 Back TE $

Diagram #14. Fullback/Tight End Combo
Today, we run the wide zone from the I formation
(Diagram #15). That presents more problems for
the defense. For teams that play a four-man front
principle, this presents a problem for them. You
arc the tight end, and he blocks the strong safety.
1
The fullback comes through
and blocks the Sam
linebacker. The tackle reaches out to the defensive
end, and the back cuts off his block.

SS

Diagram #13. Two-Back Wide Zone Weak

When you run the wide zone to the tight end,

there are three or four systems in the NFL that
are in play. In theory, we can run the wide zone into
an eight-man front with the strong safety down
because we have an extra blocker.
The only thing we do differently now that we
did not do 12 to 15 years ago is the position of the
fullback. We would never be in an I formation if the
defense aligned with a linebacker in a 9 technique
and a strong safety down in the box behind him.
We would always move the fullback to an offset
position to the tight end.

M
N

All a great running back needs is a crease. We put

the fullback in the offset position and ran the wide
zone with the tight end and fullback in combination
for the outside linebacker and the strong safety
(Diagram #14). If the linebacker played outside or
hung on the tight end, the fullback went through to
the strong safety. If the linebacker crashed inside,
the fullback blocked him, the tight end went up on
the strong safety, and we bounced the play.

Diagram #15. Wide Zone Strong

The problem the defense has is the release of
the tight end. They do not know if it is run or pass.
You can complicate what the defense sees if
you use motion. If we slot the tight end and bring
him in motion to the opposite
side, the defense has
1
to move when we move. That puts the 3 technique
and shade defender in a bind to move. They more
than likely end up with the shade tackle in the 3
technique alignment. When you do this, the calls
are the same, the techniques are the same, and the
teaching points are all the same. The running back
is still taking three steps to make him decision and
making his cut at five steps.

23

Gibbs #17 Bootleg $

There are some things that must be

communicated at the line. It always came late in
the play. If the linebacker walked up on the line of
scrimmage, we had to go back to the base play, and
it had to be communicated. However, it put more on
the defense to make the proper adjustments.
When I worked on the sidelines, if the play made
five yards, the coaches did not get after anyone.
We all shut up. If he was in my group and made the
wrongGibbs
read, when
came offBackside
the field, it$was my
#16 he
Fullback
job to tell him. I do not want anyone else going to
him and chewing his ass when he made five yards.
We coached the fullback if he could not get
through on the frontside to find a hole and run
backside and to block the first thing that showed
(Diagram #16). If the shade defender follows the
center into the playside, the backside guard washes
him to the playside of the play. The fullback instead
of working outside goes backside through the big
hole created by the pursuit of the shade defender
and blocks whatever shows. The running back
follows him and has a big cutback lane.

B
E

B
T

(Diagram #17). We kept the tight end to the

backside of the play. He was the checkdown for the
quarterback. He delayed released to the inside. If the
quarterback pulled up behind the tackle, he stopped
his pattern and was the checkdown throw. If the
quarterback continued to run to the outside, he ran
to the outside slightly behind the quarterback to
give him an easy throw. We had other patterns on
the outside, but that is another story for the people
that coach that position.
LEAKS
1

Diagram #17. Bootleg

The line protection was simple and fit every
formation we ran. You never knew what formation the
bootleg was going to come. The playside tackle had
the first man on the line of scrimmage. The playside
guard had the #2 defender on the line of scrimmage.
The center made1 sure that no one came
between him and the guard. They went all out
and were aggressively blocking those defenders
without going downfield. The backside blockers
went inside and picked up any leakage or zone dogs
that were coming to the bootleg side.

Diagram #16. Wide Zone Cutback

On every one of the wide zone plays I showed
you today, the quarterback is handing the ball off
and faking a bootleg. They do not like to do it, but
they do. I tell the quarterbacks to hand the ball off,
sprint two steps away from the action of the play,
1
and tell me what their eyes
saw. If there is one
defender on the quarterback, we do not need to
think about the bootleg.
Sometimes we protect the quarterback
differently than other people. I think in this
formation, we were way ahead of many people

Most of the quarterbacks in the NFL are not

running quarterbacks. They are nifty, smart, and can
throw the ball, but they are not runners. However,
throws in the bootleg have about a 75 percent
completion rate.
In the two-back set, the defense can scheme
to take away the weakside zone play by rolling the
strong safety down into the box (Diagram #18). He
became the Will linebacker. The Will linebacker
bumped over and became the A gap linebacker, and
the Mike linebacker bumped over and became the B
gap linebacker.

24

the backs will run the tight zone behind the center.
This play is going backside. It is a one-step system,
and the landmarks change from outside shoulder to
outside eye.

SS
B
E

BB

B
E T

B
T

Diagram #18. Safety Roll

We ran the play to the tight end. The center gave
a gap call, and he blocked with the playside guard.
The gap call told the tackle he was alone on his
block. The tight end blocked the outside linebacker
and the fullback blocked the Mike linebacker, who
1
was now the strong safety.
I want to get to the tight zone play. I run the tight
zone one time to every five wide zone plays. If you
look at the statistics of the tight and wide zone,
the wide zone statistics are so much better. The
biggest key to any running game is no negative plays.
Offensive coordinators complain that we cannot run
the ball, but they can throw 14 balls and catch three,
and that is all right with them. You must run the ball,
particularly in the third and fourth quarters.

Diagram #19. Tight Zone

The guard takes one step toward the helmet
of the
defender
turnsZone
straight
up the field.
Gibbs
#20and
Tight
Blocking
.... The
ball is going backside and not outside. The backside
tackle on a 14-tight zone is at the point of attack. I
do not like the play, but you must run it to run the
outside zone, and the play-action pass off the tight
1
zone weak is the best there
is.
The schematics of the tight zone are built for the
ball to go opposite of the callside (Diagram #20). The
landmarks are outside eye and the footwork is one
step playside and straight up the field because the
ball is coming back. You have to block it that way, and
it is one of the hardest things in coaching to do.

The thing you want to do is get the back into the

second level of the defense. If he is talented, he will
make some big plays for you. I tell the running backs
to get something positive. It does not matter how
many they get as long as it is positive. When they
get the chance, it will be a long one. I want them to
run the ball hard every play. If they need to come
out, they tap their hat. They must complete every
play they are in during the game.
We have to teach the tight and wide zone
differently (Diagram #19). The landmarks are
different, and the combinations that I just talked
about go out the window. The back opens up to
the playside, plants at the inside leg of the playside
tackle, and gets square to the line of scrimmage.
After that, he runs to daylight. Eighty percent of

B
E

B
T

Diagram #20. Tight Zone Blocking

You have to steal as much practice time as you
can get to coach the tight zone. We come early,
or we beg out of stretching. If I have the offensive
line for 25 minutes, I must have the tight end for at
least five minutes. We have a tackle/tight end drill
1

25

that has to be all running and nothing to do with

pass protection. While that is happening, I have at
least two more drills going on. I will use anyone on
the field to run a drill. I will use the water boy or
managers, but I want to have as many drills as I can
in a 25-minute time frame.
I have the drills in five-minute segments, and I
want no talking going on. I do not want someone
taking up time talking. I want as many hits as I can get.
I have a list on my wall of every drill I have ever
used. Every technique has a drill. I have three groups
going on different things I need to cover. What we
did not do right in the game, we cover during that
time. In the drills, I alternate run with pass drills.
That sharpens their mind concepts if they have to
change their techniques from run to pass.
I am tired of people telling me I do not like the
power play. I want to go into every game with a
power play. When you play teams that run nothing
but power, the defensive end learns how to play the
double-team block. When the offensive guard and
tackle fires on the 3 technique defender, he drops
to one knee, splits the seam, turns his shoulders,
Gibbs #21 Power $
and starts to drive outside.

does not know what he is getting because the

blocking looks the same to him.
I wanted to leave some time at the end for a
few questions. Sometimes I rumble and bumble so
much that you did not get what I was talking about.
Do you have a clear picture of landmarks and steps?
There are times when we need help on the
backside with the wide zone. In short yardage, we
need some help on cutting off the backside end. In
short yardage, defenses like to pinch the backside
end to the ball. At times, we need to bring a wide
receiver
in motion
to keepWeak
him from
catching
Gibbs
#22 Bear
Zone
$ the play.
This happens in the four-minute offense. Teams
that are behind and trying to get the ball back will
squeeze from the outsides. You need the extra
blocker to keep the edges clean.
The bear defense will outnumber you to the
tight end side (Diagram #22). They have one more
defender than we have blockers. The wide zone
weak is the play we would run against this front.
The rules are the same. We use the gap scheme
with the guard and center on the weakside 3
technique and an A call to the backside.

If you take the power play and mix it with the

wide zone out of one or two backs, the defensive
end cannot play that type of technique. The plays go
together and confuse the defensive end as to how to
play. If he buries at the line of scrimmage and the play
is the wide zone play, he is out of the play.

If you have a fullback, you can use him to kick

out on some plays and lead on others (Diagram #21).
Sometimes the guard kicks out and the fullback
turns up. The two plays go together. The 3 technique

W
E

S
T

Diagram #21. Power

B
T T

SS
E

Diagram #22. Wide Zone Weak vs. Bear

If we ran the tight zone against the bear, we
slip block with the backside guard and tackle
(Diagram #23). They are running a combination for
the backside 3 technique and linebacker. The center
blocks the nose, and the playside guard blocks the
1
3 technique. They take one step to the playside
and straight up the field. The fullback blocks the
playside linebacker. The running back takes the ball
to the playside and bends it back to the backside. He
is running on the backside of the centers block on
the nose tackle.

26

B
E

A gap and the left guard has the backside A gap.

The right guard reaches on the 3 technique, and
the backside tackle comes down on the backside
3 technique. If the linebackers do not come, the
center and backside guard climb to the second level
and block linebackers.

B
T

SS

I have enjoyed this, and thank you very much.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diagram #23. Tight Zone vs. Bear
The question is: when do you teach the guard
to climb to the linebacker? When the guard starts
out to the slip block, he reads the defender. If the
defender is not coming toward him, he gets ready to
push him on the tackles block. When he sees he is
1
not coming down, he gets
his eyes on the linebacker
to see what his reaction is. Most linebackers are
agile and physical. We do not want them blitzing the
line of scrimmage and the guard to not know it.
We have made adjustments to our calls. If the
offensive lineman is going to change his footwork, he
has a call to do that. If his blocking assignment is on his
inside instead of his outside, he will step with his inside
foot. If he does that, he gives a bounce call, which tells
the other blocker he is going to bounce outside with
his footwork. He steps with his inside foot, and the
defender causes him to move outside somewhat.
If the defender grabs the slip blocker and will
not let him go, we stay on the double-team block
and knock him into the linebacker. If the 7 technique
defender grabs the tight end, the tight end and tackle
continue to drive him off the ball. The tackle cannot
allow the linebacker to run through the C gap. As
long as the linebacker does not attack the line of
scrimmage, they continue to drive him off the ball.
In your offense, you must have a call to take
care of a double A gap blitz by the linebacker. If the
down defenders are in 3 techniques and both inside
linebacker threaten the A gap, you must have a call to
block it. You do not know whether they are coming or
not; however, you must protect the inside gaps going
strong or weak. They will pull out of the bluff as much
as they come, but you must protect those gaps.
The combination blocks are off, and we go to
a standard blocking scheme that will block the A
gaps. If we are going right, the center has the right

Alex Gibbs, the godfather of the modern zone

blocking scheme, is a retired offensive line coach
with 44 years of coaching experience at both the
collegiate and professional levels. During his NFL
career, he worked with the Denver Broncos, Los
Angeles Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis
Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Houston
Texans, and Seattle Seahawks. His college coaching
career included stints at Duke, Kentucky, West
Virginia, Ohio State, Auburn, and Georgia.
The renowned offensive line guru joined the
Denver Broncos in 1984 as the teams offensive
line coach. He left following the 1987 season to
join the Los Angeles Raiders staff, then toured the
AFC West with the Raiders (1988-89), San Diego
Chargers (1990-91), and Kansas City Chiefs (199394). During his time with the Chargers, the team
was among the league leaders in rushing in 1990, and
in 1991 they led the NFL with 4.8 yards per carry and
finished second with 2,248 rushing yards.
In 1995, Gibbs became the assistant head coach
of the Denver Broncos, in charge of the offensive
line. Over the next nine years, the offensive line
blasted open holes for a quartet of 1,000-yard
rushers, beginning with Terrell Davis in 1995 and
continuing with Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, and
Clinton Portis. During Gibbs tenure, the Broncos
won two straight Super Bowls (1997 and 1998).
In 2004, Gibbs left the Broncos to serve as
assistant head coach/offensive line coach with
the Atlanta Falcons, where he stayed for three
seasons. During that time, Atlanta led the NFL in
rushing with more than 8,100 yards, and the Falcons
were the only team over that three-year period to
average more than five yards per carry.
Most recently, Gibbs served as an offensive line
consultant with the Broncos during the 2013 season.

27

Joe Gilbert
WEAKSIDE COUNTER PLAY (WRAP)
AND THE DRILLS TO TEACH IT
Indianapolis Colts

First, I want to thank a few people. As Bob said, I

have sat in your seats and attended this clinic for
many years. I still enjoy coming back to visit. I sat
in here this morning, and I learned a few things from
the speakers.
There are certain guys in this room that I have
learned from over my career. They are here today,
including Jim McNally and Bob Wylie. Also, I want
to include coaches Tony Wise and Mike Maser, who
have retired. Those coaches went out of their way
to help me when I was younger and just coming up in
the coaching ranks. I would go to clinics where they
spoke to learn from them. I would go up to them and
grab them and ask them questions. I know I was a
pain in the ass to Jim and Bob because I asked them
questions all of the time.
For a lot of us, our coaching tree goes back to
Jim McNally. To me, he was one of the coaches that
always gave back to the coaching profession. My
first job was as a GA at the University of Albany.
My second job was as a part-time coach at the
University of Pennsylvania in 1989. Dick Maloney
was our offensive coordinator and our offensive
line coach at Penn.
He took me to visit with the Cincinnati Bengals,
where Jim McNally was the offensive line coach.
At that time, we met over in the Bengal complex
with about 15 other coaches. That is where the
C.O.O.L. Clinic started. Now you can see how the
C.O.O.L. Clinic has grown. In my opinion, this is the
best offensive line clinic in the country. I tried to
follow Jim and Bob where they were speaking so I
could pick up a few things.
It is an honor for me today to be here to give
back to the game in the things we do. They are the

things I try to teach our guys. It is a privilege to

speak here, and I want to thank Jim, Bob, and Paul
Alexander for having me on this clinic.
When coaches come to this C.O.O.L. Clinic, they
are getting a lot of information. A lot of things
may not pertain to exactly what you do. The way I
always looked at coming to a clinic is like this: When
I listen to a coach speak, I could not use everything
the coach discussed, but if I could get one or two
points that I felt would help in what we teach and
believe in, it was worth my time to attend that
clinic and listen to a certain coach lecture. There is
no way you can take all of the information you are
getting at this clinic and be able to utilize everything
covered in the lectures. If you can get a couple of
things out of the clinic, it will be worth your time.
The four college coaches that spoke last night
did one hell of a job in their presentation. Hopefully,
I will be able to give you one or two points that will
help you in your coaching situation.
I am happy with the topic I am speaking on today.
Prior lectures related to some type of zone blocking
concepts. I am going to label my lecture a gap
scheme concept. Our offensive coordinator, Pep
Hamilton, came from Stanford, and they believed
in the gap scheme. Stanford has not changed their
gap scheme.
We have moved things around somewhat
since the beginning of the season. As the season
progresses, your personnel changes. At one time,
you have all of your players and you can do more
with the schemes. After a few games, you get
players banged up and injured, and it can limit what
you are doing with your different schemes. Your
personnel changes as the year goes by.

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The topic I want to cover today is our split side

counter play. It is a two-back scheme. We run it
with 12 personnel, with two tight ends. Our second
back is not a fullback. He is a tight end. We can also
run it out of a true 11 personnel set, with one back
and one tight end in the formation.
For those of you that use the spread game, I
think you can take this and use it, regardless of
whether you use one back, two backs, or two
tight ends in your offense. You can use it in multiple
personnel groupings. To start with, I am going to
talk through some of the techniques we use.
I am going to go through some things I prepared
for this clinic. Then I want to cover some of the
drills we have used. I will cover the drills and then
give you some samples from the videos. To end
this session, I will show some game footage that
covers our techniques used in the drills.
This is our wrap (9697) play. It is our weakside
counter play. It is a play we run away from the tight
end. The concept is that we are going to leave two
defenders for the two pullers. We leave one defender
at the line of scrimmage and the first linebacker for
the pulling linemen to pick up on the open side.
The first point I want to cover is our high leg
technique. It is a part of our double-team block. The
way we teach our double-team block is a concept
I truly believe in for a couple of reasons. First of
all, everyone talks about the 3 techniques we face
in a game. In my opinion, we are not going to blow
a defender off the ball anymore. That is a tough
situation. Those 3 techniques are very good. They
get paid a lot of money for what they do. It is harder
than hell to move them.
Bob Wylie made a comment earlier about the fact
the body has not changed in over 200,000 years. The
body only bends the one way, and that is sideways.
If the body bends anywhere else, it tears the hell out
of the body. That is the way the knees get blown out.
But you do bend at the waist sideways.
If you can attack the double-team with this in
mind, it will help you. When the defender comes
off the ball and his focus is straight ahead on the
offensive guard, he is vulnerable at the hips. If we
can hit the defender at his hips, we can displace
him. That is our concept, and that is what I believe
in. That is what we believe in as an offensive staff.

This is where this is stemming from, so you can

understand where I am coming from.
We are going to look for displacement on the 3
technique. The other thing on the high leg technique
is this: For the uncovered offensive lineman that is
coming down to help on the double-team, when he
works through a gap with the high leg technique,
it allows him to get to the second level with his
shoulders square.
I used to coach the old angle drive technique,
where the uncovered blocker stepped down toward
the man he is going to double-team. We tried to blow
the crap out of the defender. The shoulders and hips
of the blocker were in the opposite direction, of the
linebacker coming over the top.
What we are trying to accomplish with the high
leg is to take a small, short step on the first step.
I want the knee inside the foot. One thing we talk
about that is universal is leverage. We talk about
leverage and power angles in our body. I never want
to take a step where the knee is going to rotate
outside of the foot alignment.
On the high leg, we take a short step up and
inside. We try to be creative in how we can get this
technique taught. We teach it a couple of different
ways. We do the drill on a Crowther sled, we do it
on air, and we do the drill on boards. Then, we get
into a fit position and work on the short step.
With the power leg, there are a couple of things
you need to be aware of. The uncovered blocker at
times will over stride and he rolls his knee over and
outside of his foot.
We want to emphasize our backside power leg.
I want to make sure when we high leg that we are
bringing the back leg with us. The uncovered blocker
has a tendency to hit with the near shoulder and
extending, but not bringing his back leg with him as
he makes contact on the double-team block. This is
where you get stuck on the block. If you do not bring
the back leg with you as you make contact, it limits
the amount of power in the hip area of the defender
you are working against on the double-team.
As we step, we want our feet to come with the
body as we make contact. The other point is this:
We want to make contact with the same leg and
the same shoulder at the same time. We want to

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move into the block with the same arm, shoulder,

and leg, and we want to knock the crap out of the
defender. We want to make contact on his hip so
we can displace him to the offensive guard.
The other key to the high leg technique is this:
We want our shoulders square to the second level.
It is great if you can get movement. If the uncovered
blocker comes down inside under control, and the
defender spikes inside, the blocker can continue
vertical with his shoulders square and get to the
second level and block the linebacker.
If the 3 technique spikes inside, we do not
want the uncovered blocker to cross over and then
take a third step just to get his hips and shoulders
square to get to the linebacker. There are multiple
concepts here why the high leg technique works.
We do not want to take a back step. We want
to gain some ground as we step forward.
The next part of the double-team block is with
the covered blocker. It is what we call the jab
pop. I will cover the problems we have had with
this technique.
This is a gap scheme. If I am the right guard
and I am covered, the right tackle is to my outside
coming down on a high leg on a 3 technique defender.
The guard takes two very short steps into the 3
technique. We do not want the guard to take a back
step. We talk about leverage. We want the knee
inside the foot alignment.
The first step is a jab step. It is a very short
step. We want the knee inside the foot with the
weight on the instep. The second step is a bang. We
call it jab and pop. That second step is down fast.
It is down toward the crotch.
The tackle with the high leg is still protecting
the guard in the B gap. The tackle is working the
double-team from the guard to the Will linebacker.
If the 3 technique comes inside, the guard can take
him down inside to the A gap.
The thing we do not want to do is this: For any
blocker that is covered, we tell them Dont chase
the double-team. The 3 technique defender fakes
an inside move, and then steps to the outside in the
B gap. We do not want the guard to chase the 3
technique outside. When he does that, they are out

of phase, and out of their gaps. All of a sudden, the

linebacker shoots the gap, and the blockers do not
come off the double-team.
We can still give the 3 technique body presence
with the guard by keeping the shoulders square. His
eyes still are focused through his gap to the linebacker
he is working through. He is working vertical up the
field, or to wherever he has to go. If something else
comes into the A gap, he will collect it.
PULLS
Today I am only going to talk about our flat pulls for
our open side counter play. The big coaching point is
to make sure our weight is distributed correctly in
our hips when we are in our stance.
If I am the right guard and I am going to pull to my
left for a kick-out, I want to make sure the weight is
on my right hip, my hamstring, and the instep of the
right foot. I want to be able to drive off that right
foot. I have never gotten into throwing the elbow
as the pull is made.
The two big points I stress with our guys is to
make sure they gain a little ground as they move on
that first step, and to get the hips open so on the
second step they are crossing over. I do not stress
pulling the arm and all of that.
We work on the drill with a cone in front of the
puller. As they take that first step, I do not want to
see them take a back step on that first movement
and crossover. If they take a back step, it means they
have to take two steps and they do not go anywhere.
As we take that first step, we want to focus on
the end man on the line of scrimmage. Our path to
this play is into the line of scrimmage. Into the line
of scrimmage. It is not a flat pull. I am not coming flat
down the line of scrimmage. It is an angle into the
line of scrimmage. I want to make sure if we have
a double-team block on that frontside, I want to
make sure I am coming in a path that is off the hips
of the double-team and into the line of scrimmage.
On that block, we talk about kicking out at all
costs. We want to try like hell to kick out on the
block. If I take a really good track, and the defender
uses a wrong-arm technique, I should be able to kick
him outside.

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