Developing The Linebacking Position

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Developing The Linebacking Position

• Catholic Grade
• School Conference
• Clinic
• Saturday, March 18, 2006

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Marian Catholic High School

• 700 Ashland Avenue
• Chicago Heights, Illinois 60411
• [phone]

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Marian Catholic High School

• www.marianchs.com
• Athletics
• Mens Sports
• Football
• Bottom of Page

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The Coach

• As a teacher
• As a role model
• As the support person
• As the encourager
• As the disciplinarian
• As the innovator
• As a realist in drilling

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The Positions

• Mac/Mike/Buzzard Middle
• Will/Weak/Falcon Off Backer
• Sam/Stud Y Backer
• Rover/Monster/Roadrunner Strong Safety

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The Attributes

• Size
• Speed
• Movement
• Courage
• Agility
• Knowledge of the game
• Knowledge of the scheme
• Leadership
• Knowledge of the abilities of the squad
• Reading ability
• Tackling Ability

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The Attributes

• Hands and arms
• Running ability
• Competitiveness
• Contact
• Aggressive/passive style

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Size

• Cannot be coached
• Restricted by league rules
• Restricted by diminishing pool of athletes
• Normal position players may be need to shore up
  other team positions.

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Speed
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Speed

• Conditioning
• Can be improved
• Change of direction speed
• The use of sprints in a positive mode
• Jingle/Jangle Pro Shuttle
• 40 yard shuttle
• 20/30 yard dash time

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Drill 1 Speed - Jingle Jangle

5 yards
5 yards
Player
Coach with Stop Watch
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Drill 2 Speed 40 yard Shuttle

10 yards
Player
Coach with Stop Watch
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Drill 3 Speed 20/30 yard Time

20/30 yards
Player
Coach with Stop Watch
14

• The Bowl Season
• What does the average University of Michigan
  Football player get on his SATs?
• ..............Drool

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Movement
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Movement

• Ability to move directionally with either foot
• Stunt versus read
• Proper schooling
• Proper drilling
• Shuffle
• Cross over
• Shuffle and cross over to run
• Drop step to zone concept

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Drill 1 Movement - Direction

B
Right Leg Forward
Right Foot Diagonal
Left Leg Forward
Left Foot Diagonal
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Drill 2 Movement - Direction

B
Right Leg Shuffle
Right Foot Diagonal
Left Leg Shuffle
Left Foot Diagonal
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Drill 3 Movement - Direction

B
Shuffle Scrape Underneath Play
Right Leg Shuffle
Right Foot Diagonal
Left Leg Shuffle
Left Foot Diagonal
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Drill 4 Movement - Direction

Open Left Leg 45 Degrees
Open Right Leg 45 Degrees
B
Right Leg Drop
Left Leg Drop
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Drill 5 Movement - Direction

• Open hips at 45 degrees to get to middle of drop
  zone
• Cross-over steps to get to middle of drop zone
  (head on a swivel)
• Depth of zone (MOF) 13 yards wide / 10-12 yards
  deep
• CUSHION To Deepest Part of Drop Zone or until
  route is recognized.

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Drill 5 Movement - Direction

1/3
1/4
B
B
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Drill 6 Movement - Direction

LB (with head on swivel) will drop to zone and
recognize the R1 coming across and defend
receiver.
1/3
R1
1/4
B
B
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• The Bowl Season
• How do you know if an Auburn football player has
  a girlfriend?
• .............There's tobacco spit on both sides
  of his pickup

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Agility
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Drill Packet 01 - Agility

• Line
• Ladder
• Routine

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Drill Packet 02 - Agility

• Line
• Rope
• Routine

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Drill 03 - Agility

Linebacker will face coach and shuffle the length
of the course by leading with left leg, and then
will stop. There is a return process with the
right leg as a lead.
B
Coach
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Drill 04 - Agility

Linebacker will face coach and shuffle the length
of the course by leading with left leg, and then
will stop. At the end of the course the
linebacker will work underneath the play. There
is a return process with the right leg as a lead.
B
Coach
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Drill 05 - Agility

Linebacker will face coach and shuffle the length
of the course by leading with left leg, and then
will stop. At the end of the course the
linebacker will work underneath the play. BC1
will mirror the path and then become a ball
carrier. There is a return process with the
right leg as a lead.
B
Coach
BC1
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Drill 06 - Agility

Linebacker will face coach and begin the shuffle,
cross over and mirror BC1 until BC1 commits to a
hole. Linebacker will work underneath the play
and execute form tackle.
B
Coach
BC1
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• The Bowl Season
• How many Oklahoma freshman Football players does
  it take to change a light bulb?
• ............None. That's a sophomore course

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Tackling
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Drill 01 - Tackling
Form Tackling Drill Line up one linebacker and
one potential running back and review the basics
of form tackling. Be sure to use the right
shoulder and the left shoulder.
LB
BC1
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Breakdown Position

• teach good football position which is a position
  o
• leverage, mobility and power
• feet should be shoulder width apart with the toes
  pointed straight ahead.
• player should dip his body to lower his hips into
  the power position with knees bent and weight of
  the body forward on the front of the feet like
  performing a three-quarter squat lift.
• chest should remain over the knees while the
  knees remain over the toes
• eyes are focused forward and on the target with
  the hands relaxed hanging outside the knees.

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Focus Aiming Point

• eyes of the tackler must be focused on the hip
• hip the tackler focuses on will be determined by
  the angle and by where his help is.

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Approach

• approach is very important when making a tackle
  and usually means the difference between making
  the tackle and missing it
• approach is closing the distance between you and
  the ball carrier as quickly as possible while
  maintaining both good football position and focus
  mentioned above
• important to keep your shoulders square to the
  aiming point and the feet moving as well as
  knowing where your help is.

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Hands and Eyes to the Sky

• tackler must use legs, hips and lower back in the
  tackling process
• maintaining the power position and focus, just
  before
• contact, bring the hands forward and up in a
  quick and
• powerful motion causing the hips to come forward
  with
• force
• if the hands do not start forward until after
  contact, then the tackler is only catching the
  ball carrier or running into him and will not be
  able to use his hip strength to stop the ball
  carriers momentum.

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Hands and Eyes to the Sky

• the hands come forward, contact is made with the
  tacklers shoulder pad to the ball carriers
  thigh pad
• head is up and focused on the aiming point of the
  hips and should slide to the side before contact.
  
• contact is made the tacklers eyes should raise,
  keeping the head up and the hips in a power
  position
• slide the head, eyes to the sky

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Contact Point

• contact point refers to the area of the tacklers
  shoulder pads that makes contact to the aiming
  point of the ball carrier
• ideal contact point is located on the ball
  carriers thigh pad
• tackler must maintain the power position
• keep head up with his shoulders square to the
  aiming point.

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Drill 02 - Tackling
LB
Scramble Tackling Drill Line up one linebacker
and one potential running back. Have both
players lie down on their backs heads at the
top of the bags and feet away.
BC1
Faster pace and courage drill
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Drill 03 - Tackling
LB
Sideline Tackling Drill Line up one linebacker
and one potential running back. Have both
players lie down on their backs heads at the
top of the bags and feet away.
BC1
Use of the boundary as another player
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Sideline Tackling Drill

• ball carrier and tackler 4 yards apart
• ball carrier aims for sideline
• mirror step tackler inside out
• near shoulder through far hip
• shoot hands, eyes to the sky
• get outside foot down on contact
• change up by having ball carrier spin on contact
• punch with hands and keep good base.

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Drill 04 - Tackling
LB
Sideline Tackling Drill With Cutback Line up one
linebacker and one potential running back. Have
both players lie down on their backs heads at
the top of the bags and feet away.
BC1
Use of the boundary as another player
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• The Bowl Season
• Why did Tennessee choose orange as their team
  color?
• ............You can wear it to the game on
  Saturday, hunting on Sunday, and picking up trash
  along the highway the rest of the week.