Defensive Line Fundamentals and Drills vs. the Run ANTHONY GRAZZINI

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Defensive LineFundamentals and Drills vs. the
RunANTHONY GRAZZINI

• ELMHURST COLLEGE
• Frank Glazier Clinic--Madison

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Our defensive philosophy is simple

• Stuff the run
• Attack the QB

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Necessary Defensive Components

1. Be aligned properly
2. Know and understand your assignment
3. Swarm to the football

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This is Swarming to the Football
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Advantages of the 4-2

• Simplicity
• Shades and one-gap responsibility
• Speed and agility are necessary

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Philosophy of the 4-2 Defense

• Attack
• New LOS
• Spilling the ball
• Build a wall
• Force the ball East/West rather than North/South

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Defensive Organization
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Defensive Alignments and Techniques
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S.A.K.R.A.T.S.

• Stance
• Alignment
• Key
• Reaction
• Attack
• Technique
• Sustained Effort

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Run Maxims

• One Man Cant Block Me
• Two Men cant move me
• Take off with hips, hands, and feet to gain the
  heel line
• Shoot, separate, shed, and tackle
• Bend and Spill
• Beat the inside hand on transition pass rush

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Base Stance And Alignment

• Attack Stance
• Inside Hand Down Inside Foot Back
• Weight On Down Hand And Ball Of Front Foot
• Off hand out in front with thumb turned out
• Crowd Ball Credit Card
• Align On inside eye on outside eye of the visual
  key

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GAINING POWERthroughtheMASTER MIND
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PRE-SNAP READY PROCESS

• Down and distance
• Time and score
• Stance of offensive linemen
• Splits of offensive linemen
• Eyes of offensive linemen
• Hand pressure of offensive linemen
• Personnel and formations

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S.I.P.R

• Pre-Snap Ready Process
• S Scan
• I Interpret
• PPredict
• RReact

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SCAN

• Down And Distance
• What Are Their Scouting Report Tendencies
• What Are The Trends During The Game

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Offensive Line Tells

• Depth Of Offensive Line
• Deep Denotes Pulling Or Pass
• Shallow Denotes Fire Out Or Run Block

• Splits
• Wide Splits Denote Inside Run
• Narrow Splits Denote Outside Run Or Pass

• Scan Says Pass or Outside Run
• Line splits are narrow
• Offensive line is in off-alignment
• Green Call on the Right

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Offensive Linemen Stance

• Weight Distribution For Run Key
• White Knuckles
• Elbows Bent
• Foot Back

• Weight Distribution For Pass Key
• Light Hands
• Balance Stance
• Weight On Heels

• The Stance As A Key Says Run (Think Pullers)
• Weight distribution is on heels
• Light hands to the left heavy hands to the right
• Feet are balanced
• Head and eyes are up

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Eyes

• Is he pointing?
• What direction is he looking at?
• Are eyes high or low?

• Eye KeysSay Run
• The Tackles eyes are pointing to the OLB
• He is looking to his right
• The OLM has his head and eyes up

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INTERPERT

• What Do You Know Based On The Scouting Report
• What Does Scanning Tell You
• What Has The Offensive Lineman Done In Similar
  Situations

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PREDICT

• Make A Hypothesis
• Formulate Your Plan With The Hypothesis In Mind
  (Move/Counter Move)
• Attack Based On The Hypothesis

• Your Hypothesis This Is A Running Play
• The D D is 2rd and 7 and they have ran counter
  GT previously in this situation.
• The line splits, OLM stance, and OLM eyes tell me
  run
• I will get in my attack stance to play the
  counter gap I will react to pass if it shows
  using my power rush technique

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REACT

• React To The Movement Of The Offensive Lineman
• If Key PSR, Then Make A Play
• If Key not to PSR React and begin your pass rush

• My prediction was correct The play is a counter
  GT
• The Front side spilled the pullers
• I ran the heel line and I am in on the cutback
  tackle

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Run Game Fundamentals
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Alignment and Assignment
Stance

• Inside hand down, inside foot back with
  toe-to-heel stagger. (DEs can be staggered
  slightly more)

• Defensive Ends
• Jam 7 technique is responsible for strong C-gap
• 5 technique is responsible for weak C-gap
• Defensive Tackles
• 3 technique is responsible for strong B-gap
• 1 technique is responsible for weak A-gap

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STANCE
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Loose and Jet

• LOOSE
• Inside toe to outside toe of OLM you are shaded
  on
• Flexed of the ball 6-10 inches off the ball
• Know assignment and technique
• Attack and Penetrate

• Jet
• Align 1 to 1 ½ Yards outside EMOL
• Take tilt out of stanceGet in the blocks
• Attack OLM set point and beat them to the spot
• React to run
• (Interior linemen will align in gap)

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Ball Get-Off

• Coaching Points
• Explode with your Hips
• Shoot your handsSteel Rods
• Bring your feet
• Replace down hand
• Get your second foot in the ground

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Contact Fit

• HAND PLACEMENT
• Deliver blow into inside of near numbers and
  outside shoulder
• Thumbs up--Grab cloth
• Lock out and turn OLM shoulders

• HAT PLACEMENT
• Eyes shoot to the V of the neck
• Head up
• Keep head lower then OLM chin-strap

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Leverage

• Two kinds of leverage are essential
• vertical leverage- the defender gets his pad
  level lower than the blocker
• horizontal leverage- the defender gets his hands
  inside those of the blocker.

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KEY PROGRESSION

• Visual key man I am aligned on
• Pressure keyadjacent OLM
• Movement keyknee of OLM
• Reaction keyblock of OLM
• High hat Pass
• Low hat Run
• Ball keybackfield flow

Pressure Key
Movement Key
Visual Key
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Clear Minds Equal Fast Feet

• Three Questions
• Question 1
• Is he trying to block me?
• Yes, Push through my gap and control it
• No, go on to question 2
• Question 2
• Is the V up?
• Yes, hit your pass rush move
• No, go on to question 3
• Question 3
• Is the V is away with an inside threat?
• Yes-Spill all trappers or Kick out blocks, Tackle
  all backs in your path
• NoDown block coming feel pressure ricochet back
  and control

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1 ON 1 KEY PROGRESSION

• Key Drill
• Reaction 1 Trying to Block Me
• Push through my gap and Control
• Reaction 2 Not Trying to Block MeV is Up
• Execute pass rush move
• Reaction 3 Not Trying to Block and V is Away
• Attack inside threatTackle all backs/Far Arm
  K.O. Blocks
• No inside threatRicochet backDown block coming

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Single Blocks

• Base
• Reach
• Down

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Base Block

• Blocker fires ahead, trying to drive you off
  ball
• Explode hands through breastplate on 2nd step
• Squeeze, or leverage him back, keeping your
  gap
• Lock out, find ball, and shed

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Reach/Scoop Block

• Blocker steps outside to reach
• Re-direct on 2nd step as you explode hands
• Press the outside pec of blocker and pull inside
  pec
• Find ball, shed, and make tackle
• If DL cant make play, he should at least make
  ball bubble deeper

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Veer/Down Block

• Blocker steps inside, not attempting to block
  you
• Re-direct hard inside on 2nd step (bend)
• Look for trap or kick-out block
• Far-arm trap or kick-out block
• Force ball to spill outside and run it down if
  cutback

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Double Blocks

• DOWN/PULL
• REACH/SCOOP DOUBLE
• TRUE DOUBLE

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Down/Pull

• Blocker turns his shoulders to pull inside or
  outside
• Re-direct hard on 2nd step, expecting Down block
• Penetrate, bend, and water ski
• Compress down block, squeeze, cross-face
• Shed block and make tackle

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Scoop /Reach Double Team Block

• Scoop Double
• Visual key steps away
• Defender feels the pressure key scooping him
• Grab far breast plate of visual key, Re-direct
  feet, hips, butt and bend towards the ball while
  staying engaged on blocker (Slingshot)
• Reach Double
• Visual Key steps toward you
• Defender feels pressure key coming down on him
• Steer Visual key, direct feet, hips, butt into
  the hole and escape. You will get a run
  throughfind the ball and get a TFAKL (Run
  Through)

N
T
C
T will steer and wipe through his gap and run
through to make a tackle
T will leverage to his outside, and slingshot
to make a play after slip leaves
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True Double Team Block

• Explode off ball--fit hands-knock OLM back
• Press the post blocker
• Squeeze your hips to the wheel blocker drive feet
  while reducing blocking surface
• Execute split, or corkscrew and hot stove to make
  the tackle
• Keep feet alive and do not loose ground

T
T
C
C
T will split the double team
DT will split, spin, or "corkscrew" the double
team block
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Combination Blocks

• TRAP/INFLUENCE TRAP
• POWER/COUNTER

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Trap/Influence Trap

• Veer Trap
• As blocker veers or blocks back, Re-direct (Bend)
• expect a kick out block snap eyes inside, plant
  outside foot, drive far elbow around
• Attack trapper, explode with far arm through the
  inside thigh of the OLM and rip up through the
  rib cage drive your feet vertically and make the
  tackle.
• Influence Trap
• Never believe a front-side puller
• As Visual Key pull outside plant your outside
  foot and re-direct (Bend)
• expecting a kick out block snap eyes inside,
  plant outside foot, drive far elbow around
• Attack trapper, explode with far arm through the
  inside thigh of the OLM and rip up through the
  rib cage drive your feet vertically and make the
  tackle.

N
T
C
T
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Kick Out-Insert

• As locker veers or blocks back, Re-direct hard on
  2nd step, expecting a kick out block
• Snap eyes inside, plant outside foot, drive far
  elbow around
• Attack trapper, explode with far arm through the
  inside thigh of the OLM
• Spill two (never one for one) cause the ball to
  bounce to the leverage player hot stove and make
  a tackle

B
T
C
N
T
C
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DEFENSIVE END SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE

• READ
• RABBIT
• BOOT/NAKED

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Read

• Technique between DE and Linebacker
• Defensive End is the Bend player
• Linebacker is the book Player
• Linebacker makes a Tank call when 3T is to back

C
T
B
N
s
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Rabbit

• Technique between DE and Linebacker
• Defensive End is the Book player
• Linebacker is the Bend Player

C
T
B
N
S
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Vs. QB Boot
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REACT TO THE INSIDE THREAT

• OT is not blocking Defensive End Fullback on
  J Course
• Defensive End will bend and spill
• Attacks the inside threat and spill through it
  because the back is on a J course thus
  eliminating the cutback lane

C
T
B
N
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REACT TO THE INSIDE THREAT

• OT is not blocking Defensive End Fullback on
  P Course
• Defensive End will plant and redirect to pull up
  boot
• Attacks the inside threat and recognizes the
  Pin course, because the back is on a P course
  the D-End will plant and redirect to pull up or
  force a take-away.

C
T
B
N
s
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REACT TO THE INSIDE THREAT

• OT is not blocking Defensive End inside threat
  is off the line
• Attacks the inside threat and recognizes the
  Puller is off the line, because Puller is of the
  line it means he is on a Pin and Protect or
  P course
• The D-End will plant and redirect to pull up or
  force a take-away.

T
C
N
B
s
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REACT TO THE INSIDE THREAT

• OT is not blocking Defensive End there is no
  inside threat
• The D-End will bend and attack the opposite A
  Gap
• When the D-End recognizes that it is a Naked
  play he will will plant and redirect to force a
  take-away.

T
B
C
N
s
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Every Day Drills

• No Fish Hooks
• Stab Drill
• Stab/Press/Squeeze/Shed
• Shrug Drill
• Steer Drill
• Ski/Cross-face
• Slingshot
• Split/Screw
• Spill Through

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No Fish Hooks

• Explode with Hips, Hands and Feet
• Recognize stimulus
• Plant on outside foot with your knee in your
  armpit
• Snap your inside elbow in the direction you
  intend to go
• Drive outside Arm and leg
• 4 Reactions Right, Left, Pass, Draw

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STAB DRILL

• Stab Progression
• 5 pt Extension
• 4 pt Lock Out/Escapes
• 2 pt Hip Strike
• Press/Squeeze/Shed
• 3 pt Stab
• 3 pt Stab and Press
• 3 pt Stab/Press and Squeeze
• 3 pt Stab/Press/Squeeze/Shed and Tackle

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SHRUG DRILL

• PUSH/PULL/THROW BY
• Fit Hands
• Hard pull with inside hand toward you
• Violent push with gap hand away from you
• Violent Shrug with both hands as you swing hips
  into the hole and throw the OLM by you
  

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STEER DRILL

• From Defeated
• Leverage Steer
• Leverage Steer Rip
• Execute steer
• Push/Pull to turn blockers shoulder
• Rip under with inside arm and get hips through
• Leverage Steer Wipe
• Execute steer
• Break elbow by driving saw into outside arm of
  the OLM and driving wt into OLM
• Wipe across nose with a violent circular striking
  movement and get hips through

• From Dominant Position
• Leverage Steer
• Leverage Steer Rip
• Leverage Steer Wipe
• Pipes Variation

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CROSS FACE/SKI

• Ski
• Explode with Hips, Hands, and Feet
• See to visual key pulling
• React to pressure Key
• Pressure key up-field at a 45
• ski the puller
• Cross Face
• Explode with Hips, Hands, and Feet
• See to visual key pulling
• React to pressure Key
• Pressure key hard and flat to cut you off
• Cross face him

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SLINGSHOT

• SLINGSHOT DOWN THE LINE
• Pre-Fit Steer/Run Through
• Pre-Fit Steer/Latch On/Run Through
• Pre-Fit Steer/Latch On/Runt Through/Sling Shot
• 3 Pt Latch On/Run Through/Sling Shot

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SPLIT/SCREW

• SPLIT
• Pre-Fit Press the post
• Pre-Fit Press the post/Hips to wheel
• Pre-Fit Press the Post/Hips to wheel/Skinny the
  hole
• Pre-Fit Press the post/Hips to wheel/Skinny the
  hole/Wipe through
• Screw
• Pre-Fit Press the post
• Pre-Fit Press the post/Latch on inside number
• Pre-Fit Press the Post/Latch on inside
  number/Seat roll
• Pre-Fit Press the Post/Latch on inside
  number/Seat roll/Hot Stove

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SPILL TWO

• SPILL DRILL
• Visual Key Veers
• Plant and Bend
• Visual Key Veers
• Plant and Bend/Spill inside threat with far arm
  by ripping hip to ribcage
• Visual Key Veers
• Plant and Bend/Spill inside threat with far arm
  by ripping hip to ribcage/Drive inside foot
  vertical and pick off second threat or make
  tackle