gcmv13i3web

8/3/2019 GCMV13I3Web

1/15 1

TTTTThe Oldest Magazine Dediche Oldest Magazine Dediche Oldest Magazine Dediche Oldest Magazine Dediche Oldest Magazine Dedicated Tated Tated Tated Tated To Fo Fo Fo Fo Football Coachesootball Coachesootball Coachesootball Coachesootball Coaches

GGGGGRRRRRIIIIIDDDDDIIIIIRORORORORON Coach College SpotligN Coach College SpotligN Coach College SpotligN Coach College SpotligN Coach College Spotlig

Featuring the Univeristy of CharlestFeaturing the Univeristy of CharlestFeaturing the Univeristy of CharlestFeaturing the Univeristy of CharlestFeaturing the Univeristy of Charlest

And Much MoAnd Much MoAnd Much MoAnd Much MoAnd Much Mo

PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT #12

Indiana, PA

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED


2/15GRIDIRON Coac22222 www.GridironPublications.com

GRIDIRON Coach is published six times a year by Gridiron Publications, 7 Hansbrinker Court, Liberty Township, Ohio 45044;

Toll Free (866) 326-2327, Local (513) 759-9963; www.GridironPublications.com; e-mail [email protected]. ISSN 1071-1902

One year subscription (six issues) $25-U.S., $35-Canada, $40-International. GRIDIRON Coach (c) 2005, Gridiron Publications

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying

or recording without the written permission of Gridiron Publications (the copyright holder). Prices for reprints of articles are available upon request. Gridiron

Publications assumes no responsibility for unsolicited editorial or graphic materials. All information herein is believed to be accurate, however, we cannot assume

responsibility. Contributed articles represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher.

Gino Arcaro

Head Football Coach

Niagara College

Welland, Ontario, Canada

Tony DeMeo

Head Football Coach

University of Charleston

Charleston, West Virginia

Chet ONeill

Clinic DirectorBig New England Football Clinics

Centerville, Massachusetts

Editorial Advisory Board

Mikey Marotti

Coordinator Strength andConditioning

University of Florida

Bill Williams

Football Coaches Professional

Growth Association (FCPGA)

San Diego, California

Mike Roark

Assistant Head Coach

Pasadena City College

National Recruiting Coordinator,

Offense and Defense Camps

Pasadena, California

Coaching Footballs Split 4-4 Defense

Linebacker Fundamentals ..................................... 3

Pete Noble

GRIDIRON Coach College Spotlight

Charleston University ........................................... 5

The Golden Eagle Way of Core Training.............. 6

Ken Farrar

Offensive Line Drill Progression

for the Triple Gun ................................................. 7

Ralph Insernia

Pursuit Progression .............................................. 12

Carey Baker

Using the Belley Series

to Attack the Defense ............................................ 14

Chuck Apap

Volume 13Issue 3

Method of Payment:

Check Purchase Order # Visa MasterCard

Acct. #

Exp Date:

CardholderName:

Signature:

13/2

Name

School

Address

City

Zip

Phone

E-mail

This is my school home address

Return this form with payment to:

State

Fax

GRIDIRON Coach Magazine7 Hansbrinker Court, Liberty Township, OH 45044

866-326-2327 www.GridironPublications.com

Order a one year subscription to GRIDIRON Coach and select ONEproduct from the following as a special gift:

Send 6 issues of GRIDIRON Coach for only $25 - U.S.

Send 6 issues of GRIDIRON Coach (Adobe-PDF) for only $12

Send 6 issues of GRIDIRON Coach for only $35 - Canada

Send 6 issues of GRIDIRON Coach for only $40 - International

PRINT Subscription

Send 6 issues of GRIDIRON Coach for only $35 - U.S.

Send 6 issues of GRIDIRON Coach for only $45 - Canada

Send 6 issues of GRIDIRON Coach for only $50 - International

COMBO Subscription (Print & Electronic)

ELECTRONIC (Adobe-PDF) Subscription

Free/Email - Defensive Package PDF ($15/Retail)

Free/Email - Offensive Package Volume 1 PDF ($15/Retail)

$5 - Defensive Package PRINT ($20/Retail)

$5 - Offensive Package Volume 1 PRINT ($20/Retail)

$5 - 1998 GRIDIRON Coach Archive CD ($20/Retail)

$7 - Video: Coaching Specialists by Darrin Simmons

Special Teams Coordinator - Cincinnati Bengals ($27/Retail) $7 - Back Issue Bundle 1, 16 issues ($48/Retail)

$70 - Mega Package ($250/Retail)

In addition to the seven items listed above, you get the following:

8. The Updated Wing-T with the Adjustments ($34.95/Retail)9. Drills to Implement The Desired Skills For Teaching

Football Fundementals by Herb Meyer ($20/Retail)10. The Complete Manual to Punting and Kicking For

Players and Coaches by Bill Renner ($20/Retail)

GRIDIRON Coach StaffDan Palazotto - Publisher/Editor

Dawn Palazotto - Assoc. PublisherJoshua Tipis - Traffic Manager


3/15GRIDIRON Coach www.GridironPublications.com

Coaching Footballs Split 4-4

Linebacker Fundamentals

Pete N

Monterey High Sc

Monterey

Diagram 1

TE T E

WM

S

CC

S

R

Iam fortunate to live and work in a beautiful geographicalarea. We have a great view of the Monterey Bay from ourfootball field. However there is a price to pay for this view

and for the Monterey High School football program that price issteep. We have declining enrollment due to the high cost ofhousing, and no land for expansion. We have some good athletes,but most of our kids are average high school athletes that are

coachable.

Budget cuts and the advent of walk-on coaches have drasticallychanged high school football in the last five years. As a result ofthe loss of on-campus coaches I believe that coaching yourcoaches is a necessity. Clear instruction of all football funda-mentals must be a high coaching priority. If you dont have clearinstructional methods, for your coaches and players, your teamsplay will be negatively affected. I will not employ a coach whodoes not believe this. The majority of my current staff is formerplayers. It is fun to work with young enthusiastic coaches, theykeep me young!

In 1985 when I took the position at Monterey High School all

eight of my assistants were on-campus employees. In 2004 Ireturned to Monterey High School (after 3 years coachingelsewhere) I had only one school district employee on my staff.We also inherited a team that had finished 0-20 in the last twoyears. Returning players had limited fundamental instructionand some of our seniors had never won a football game. Thispast year has been a great opportunity to demonstrate the value

of clear instructional methods of coaching fundamentals.

We run the split 4-4 defen (See Diagram 1):

We employ this defense system because it only requires two downlineman. We all have problems with finding linemen bothoffensively and defensively. Generally we can find 3 or 4 andthat means some players will have to go both ways. Big linemansimply cannot play both ways effectively. Fatigued by their sizethey tend to rest on one side of the ball. The split 4-4 only needstwo linemen. So, putting on your math cap, you need five onoffense and two on defense for a total 7 linemen. We believe thatmost high school football teams can find 7 linemen. We believethis allows us to platoon our linemen, keeping them focused andfresh.

The other aspect of this defense that we like is it lets us use ouathletes. Most high school teams can fill needed positions withe framework of this defense. I never talk about the size ofplayers, I only emphasize abilities of players.

We are not a gap-controlled defense. We read backs, not offesive linemen. We believe that when you read linemen you tea

linebackers to be blocked. My focus in this article will be oninside linebacker play versus the run.

The first two ideas we sell our linebackers on are:1) Take a read step; this will determine where you have to go;2.) How do you get to the point of attack to make a play?

These two concepts are our foundation for all play at linebackCoaches ask us all the time how do we get our kids to attack lthat? Our standard answer is we practice it everyday!

The two inside linebackers are called Mike (strong side insideand Willy (weak side inside). Both backers line up in the A GEach linebacker will line up at a depth of no less than four ya

If they line up closer than that they simply cant get where theneed to go on the snap of the ball. We start our 9th and 10th

graders back at 5-6 yards. We believe in the concept depthcovers width.

The read step is as follows: the middle linebackers start with toutside foot up. On the snap of the ball they step forward towthe quarterback with their inside foot (their outside foot is nowfree). If the play is a sneak by the quarterback, the linebackefirst read is the quarterback. He comes I come!. Uponstepping and eyeballing the quarterback, Mike and Willy ketheir back. If it is a split back, heavy set, or weak set, they kethe back in front of them. In the I formation they key the fuback. In the Wishbone they key the quarterback through to t

fullback to their near back. (I know this sound tough but it isIf the running back comes on the dive play, the backer willattack. He comes we come. The backside backer will alwaover play the trap and counter. Depending on the game planmight have Willy slow play and look for a dive pass to the tigend. With the front side backer vacating on the dive he will pup that receiver when the dive is away from the pass to the tigend. It all depends upon sets, game plans, and scouting repor

When Mike reads the near back on power off tackle kick outblock route (power off tackle is the same as outside veer to usare a veer team), he makes his read step. His landmark is nothe inside foot of the tight end. He will immediately take acrossover step. Mike is basically running at a 45-degree anglHis shoulders are not square to the line of scrimmage. He wato take all blockers on with his inside shoulder. He wants toconstantly maintain outside leverage with his up-field shouldHe will not run underneath blocks (go inside). He will not ruaround blocks. He has Willy to help him inside. If possible wwant him to run through the outside shoulder of any potentiablockers. We impress upon him the urgency to get to the poinattack! We want him to drive through the ball carrier, turn haround and make the play! It is important to mention here thMike has outside help from the defensive end, corner and safHopefully the outside linebacker, Sam, will set up Mikes plathe point of attack.



n the meantime what is Willy up to? First of all, with his nearack key gone, he will cross key to far back to a far wing. He

will shuffle up closer to the line of scrimmage to attack trapounter. We want him to get underneath the line play andggressively attack the ball carrier in the backfield. He israined that when the far back doesnt move, or the wing isunning back against the grain of the play, it is a trap or counter.

His job is to attack in the backfield. He has the defensive endnd Rover (backside outside linebacker) for help.

The first drill the inside linebackers do all season is the read stepross over drill for one period, which is five minutes every

efensive practice. We use a Gilman gear rag (our name for it)which is a vinyl strip with positions marked and splits marked.We put cones to mark the 5-yard start point. We have each line

acker go off tackle. In this drill Mike goes to the right. After heoes Willy would go to the left. We have them switch lines sohey get practice going both ways. Both linebackers have mul-iple repetitions going both ways. This is not a warm up drillaken lightly, fundamentals are constantly emphasized! Follow-ng former San Francisco 49ers Coach Bill Walshs philosophyhat if our student athlete cannot make it 100 % of the time vs airo our landmarks we need to find another position for thattudent/athlete.

The next drill progression is front side attack and backside trap/

ounter vs air. We do the same drill as above but with backs. Weave the backs run dive, power, trap, and move to counter with

wings. However, we start with a split back look and work dive,ower, and trap. We emphasize techniques and fundamentals. I

want to restate, we do this without tackling any ball carriers.

We next move to shed block vs sleds. We use the Gilman one-man sled, with cones. We start with right shoulder techniqueshree times and then go to the left shoulder three times. Then wewitch from the sled to blocking shields. We want as manyepetitions in a non-threatening manner before we go live withach player.

The fourth drill phase is to put offensive tackles and tight ends on

oth sides of the rag. We go one side at a time and practiceunning through the block. The inside linebackers read steprossover step and attack. The offensive people try to blockhem. This may be a two period drill (ten minutes).

We do not work the trap aspect in an indo/drill period. We saverap and counters for our thunder period or 8 on 8 (a team runeriod). We believe the backers get a better read in a gameituation because we want them to understand backfield flow.

We are also trying to prevent any injuries.

Our football program is lucky to have a full-time Scout. Wecout each team two weeks before we play them. Our scout, Dave

Reynolds, is a retired football coach from Lompoc California

something to consider when forming a staff, he is a volunteer).He brings computer read-outs on all facets of each game,couting tapes and play cards to our Sunday coaches meetings.

We turn this information into written scouting reports for eachlayer. This information is critical for practice and for games.

Players receive their reports on Monday nights after practice andn game days each player is responsible for signing and turning

n their scouting report to our Equipment Manager. If we travelor a game we allow the players to take their reports on the bus

with them. It is a hard penalty if a player doesnt turn theireport in!

Pete Noble has 33 years of coaching experience in various levels

of football, including youth football, high school football, juniorcollege football and semi-pro football. He is currently a teacher,Head Football Coach and Co Athletic Director at MontereyHigh School, in Monterey, California. Pete has authoredFootballs Split 4-4 and instructional videos on the pass, and onthe run. These instructional items may be obtained thru Coaches

Choice.n

We have a continuous need for articles for futureissues of GRIDIRON Coach. If you would liketo have your work reviewed for publication, sendyour article complete with diagrams (if applicable)to:

Gridiron Publications7 Hansbrinker Court

Liberty Township, Ohio 45044(513) 759-9963 / (866) 326-2327

[email protected]

As the author, please follow the guidelines listedbelow:

- The article must not have been previouslypublished or currently scheduled for publicationin another magazine.- Diagrams need to be clearly drawn (not all ofour graphic designers have played football andusually create computer diagrams, just as they

have been submitted).Once your article has been reviewed, you will benotified about the specifics of publication. Thepublishing cycle can vary in time but once yourarticle has been approved and printed, you willreceive extra copies of the issue the article appearsin.

Currently we are offering the following compen-sation package:

A one-year subscription/extension.

Your choice of a book from our library at www.GridironPublications.com.

$50.

We look forward to receiving your work!

Want to be Published?



GRIDIRON Coach College Spotlight

Charleston University

In December of 2004, the University of Charleston

announced the hiring of Tony DeMeo as its head football

coach.

DeMeo came to UC after serving as offensive coordinator at the

University of Richmond.

I think the University of Charleston can be the premier

Division II [school] in the country, said DeMeo. I think we

can make some national noise. We have the potential to be a

real contender in football, just like UC has been in basketball,

soccer, volleyball and some of the other sports.

I think Charleston is a great recruiting base, he added. We

got some good kids from West Virginia, Ohio and Florida in our

first recruiting class. And, location-wise, were roughly three

hours from Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Lexington and

Richmond.

DeMeo inherited 42 players from the last years UC team whoparticipated in spring drills this year.

I was very pleased with them, he said. With the combination

of players that well have coming in this fall, well have a good

mix. We had a great recruiting class that I have to give credit to

my assistants for. We built a nice foundation.

DeMeo expressed excitement about the future of the Golden

Eagles, with commitments from the UC administration to

improve athletic facilities that include new turf, new locker

rooms and other amenities at University of Charleston Stadium

[formerly Laidley Field, which now remains as the field name].

Dr. [Edwin] Welch has a great vision of what UC can become,DeMeo said of the UC president. We both want to produce the

best student-athlete. Excellence is a way of life. Well produce

student-athletes that are successful in the classroom, field and

their community.

A 30-year coaching veteran, DeMeo has 19 years service as

head coach at Iona, Mercyhurst and Washburn. He also served

as offensive coordinator at Murray State, James Madison and

Temple and as an assistant at UMass, Delaware, Pennsylvania

and Pace.

He is a member of the Hall of Fame at Iona, his alma mater.

DeMeo has authored four books, including his first which wastitled The Grass Isnt Always Greener, Its Only Astroturf. He

has also produced several coaching instructional videos and

DVDs and is one of the most sought after and entertaining

football coaches on the speaking circuit.n

Building a Successful Program

By

Tony Demeo

1. Pick school with like goals- Same perspective academically.

- Find right environment for you.

2. Develop a great supporting staff.

- Coaches on the same page.

- Care about people.

- On same page philisophically.

3. Players on the same page.

- Character counts.

- Clear vision as to what is going to take place.

- Academics is FIRST.

A. Breakfast check (proper nutrition).

B. Regular class check.C. Emails to teachers.

4. Recruiting

- Excel academically.

- Excel athletically.

At Charleston, we recruit 60 and red shirt 20.

- Recruit from three major border cities.

5. Getting more athletic.

- Run to win!, running at 6am.

- Team dodge ball.

6. Develop a strategy.

- Be specific and detailed.- Triple Gun Offense

A. Balanced.

B. Simplicity.

C. Flexible.

D. Maximizes skilled people.

- Multiple Defensive Package.

7. Drill for success.

- Drill for skill.

- Minimum technique, maximum usage.

8. Community retlationship.

- Develop fan base.- Speak to different groups.

- Tie community in.

- Radio show.

9. Never ending improvement.

- Practice to the minute.

- Finding better ways to practice.

10. Take it to the field.

- Play to the best of your ability.

- Get better every day.

- Improvement occurs gradually.



The Golden Eagle Way of Core Training

Ken Farrar

University of Charleston

Charleston, WV

Every coach and athlete realizes the importance of

strength training in athletics today. Without following a

well-regimented strength & conditioning program the

hance of injury increases significantly. Never mind that

thletes today are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever before.

n relation to college football, it can be said that it is impossible

o compete in todays game without resistance training.trength training programs are designed to improve muscular

ndurance, strength, and function. The first goal of our strength

& conditioning program at the University of Charleston is

njury Prevention. Football Players have to be built for speed

nd power this is well known. However, your players have to be

n the field and not in the tub to win games.

Our philosophy towards strength training is similar to martial

rts icon Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was a huge believer in muscle

liability as we are. We want our athletes to be just that:

thletic. We are not in the business of bodybuilding or power

fting. We would rather have our players functionally strong

han being good at a particular lift. Conversely, bodybuildingnd power lifting do have an influence on the way our football

layers train, we just dont major in either.

We know that strength training will make you physically bigger

nd stronger. Its also no secret that speed training will make

ou faster. In addition to running and lifting weights, we at the

University of Charleston believe that core training is the one

ritical aspect of our strength and conditioning program that

ives our athletes the greatest benefit.

Core training or core conditioning are techniques used to

asically strengthen the core of our bodies. The core of the body

s made up of the muscles that attach to the pelvis, thebdominals, and back. The core is essentially the foundation of

he way our bodies move. The key to sport specific skills is the

bility to transfer energy from the ground to our limbs. Accord-

ng to Mike Boyle The core is the critical transfer junction at

which energy can be lost or gained.

Boyle also contends that core training is ultimately the evolution

f what we have learned from the leading researchers and

ractitioners of physical therapy about how they treat low back

ain. It can be seen that adhering to a routine of core-strength-

ning exercises will not only make you a better athlete, it will

lso help you battle the injury bug. Wasnt it Joseph Pilates who

nvented Pilates during World War I to help hospital ridden

atients by strengthening their core muscle groups?

o now that we know the benefits of training the core muscle

roups, what routine is best? Well here at UC we like to base

verything we do in the weight room on the SAID principle

specific adaptations to imposed demands). In so many words,

rain for the way you will play. Working specifically with

ootball players requires a lot of unilateral movements and

xplosion from the ground. Obviously, one wouldnt train a

olfer and an offensive guard the same way although both can

enefit from the SAID principle.

The routine we prescribe for our young men is adaptable and

simple. From the first day they enter the weight room, they have

to learn how to activate the deep abdominal musculature by

drawing in or as I like to say sucking in your gut. Any athlete

can learn this technique. Practicing drawing in requires practice

and sort of a mind-muscle connection. Once our players realize

that their abdominal infrastructure goes beyond the burn theyfeel doing a simple crunch, they are ready to advance. The

simplest and most effective way of doing this is to get two hockey

pucks and tape them on top of one another with an ample

amount of athletic tape. Lie on your back and place the pucks

over your belly button. Place both hands by your side and draw

in like you are trying to fit into a pair of blue jeans that are a

size too small. The pucks will disappear momentarily until the

exercise is relaxed. Have your athletes do this for a long 5 count

and release, 3 sets of 5-8 reps should be plenty for beginners.

Once the drawing in technique has been grasped the athlete

should be ready to progress. The term I like to echo in our

athletes ears is to bring your belly button to your spine. Thisshould have them envisioning the exercise and making that

critical mind-muscle connection I previously mentioned.

Moving forward have them get on both hands and knees and try

the drawing in technique. Once they get comfortable doing this,

they should be ready to extend a single arm/leg to a straightened

position. This can be done opposite arm/leg or together, either

one is effective.

The next exercise I teach is called the prone hover or elbows and

toes. On a mat have the athlete balance up on their elbows and

toes keeping their elbows under their shoulders. Tell them to

focus on contracting the muscles of the abs and lower back while

keeping their hips in line with their shoulders in a straight line.

The critical coaching point is not to let your hips drop below that

plane you have created. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds for

3-5 sets. Following the prone hover, have the athlete lie on their

side with their elbow directly under their shoulder keeping the

legs in a straight line with the top hip up aimed toward the

ceiling. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds for 3-5 sets.

The next sequence in this circuit is the pelvic bridge. Have the

athlete lie on their back with knees bent and feet on the ground.

Keeping the drawn in aspect of the exercise tell them to press

their hips up to the ceiling while squeezing their glutes and

drawing in their belly button. Hold for 15-30 seconds do 3-5 sets

One variation of this exercise is to extend a single leg out for 10

seconds at a time once the technique has been achieved.

These are simple exercises that are extremely effective and

simple to do for any athlete of any age. We start every workout

session with theses exercises and incorporate medicine balls and

Swiss balls depending on the athletes level of skill. If you

remember that the core is the epicenter of our ability to generate

power your athletes will be jumping higher and propelling

themselves faster in no time.

Ken Farrar is the Strength & Conditioning/Offensive Line Coach

at Charleston University. He can be reached by emailing him at

[email protected]



First and foremost, our offensive linemen need to play with a nasty demeanor. We are not a

finesse offense. We need to play hard and fast. We need to come off the ball low and hard with

great intensity. Regardless of your size, you can always play in our offense if you smoke off the

ball.

A. Stance and Start

We will always work from a two-point stance on run and pass plays. We believe what we gain in

vision and defense recognition from a two-point stance; we do not sacrifice speed and leverage.

Players will start with a toe to instep relationship (inside foot up, outside foot back). Feet should

be no wider than shoulder width apart with the toes pointing straight ahead. Players will squat

into the same ready routine they are used when getting into a three-point stance. We will bull the

neck back to scan the defense. We will holster the hands between the thigh boards and hip pads

and pinch the elbows tight. Weight distribution should be 60% forward and on the push-off foot.

From a side-view, we will be able to identify power angles in the ankles, knees and hips. From a

front-view, we emphasize pinching the knees inward which is the fundamental aspect for explosion

and leverage from offensive linemen.

Side View Front View

Hips

Knees Hips

Knees

Ankles Ankles

B. Steps and Footwork

For offensive linemen drill progression, there is no substitute for chutes and boards. All of our

drill work will begin in the chutes, and we will add the boards as we progress. In pre-practice, the

OL will get the hips loose by squat-walking through the chutes (lengthwise). Then they will do leg

swings and knee rounds.

During individual work, we will start in the chutes doing stance and takeoffs. Emphasis on (1)

good 8 inch power step, (2) rolling the back knee for leverage, (3) pads on pads body position, (4)

good arm sweep and (5) neck bulled back. These are all done from a good stance, right foot then

left foot lead and done two times or to coachs satisfaction.

a. Smokes Good stance, fire off the ball, no false steps. Looking for speed.

b. Crabs Takeoffs into four-point crab block. Looking for speed and athleticism.

On the next set of drills, we will take the first step and freeze the body position. Then we will

reload and take the first two steps and freeze the body position. Then we will reload and execute

the block all the way through the chutes. Emphasis will still be on the same five traits we identified

above.

Offensive Line Drill Progression

for the Triple Gun

Ralph Ins

University of Charle

Charleston



Continued on page 10

1. Boards Drive Square up on board, 8 inch vertical power step, roll the back knee

for leverage

4

Ball 3 RG or RT2 (Left foot lead)

1(feet)

2. Boards Veer Tuck veer foot under board, 8 inch step on 45 degree angle, roll the

back knee for leverage. Start on a 45 then work vertical.

Ball 3 4 RG or RT

foot lead)

1 2(feet)

3. Doubles Blast Double team blocks, blocking a bag, matching steps, Post man and

Rip man, Stay on

4 4Ball 3 3 RG and RT Double Team

2 2

1 1

Rip Post

a) Post technique Veer steps, good arm sweep, make contact on second step,

inside hand on sternum, outside hand through near number, accelerate feet on

contact.

b) Rip technique Drive steps, good arm sweep, make contact on second step, rip

forearm up under shoulder pads and through near number, keep inside arm freeby pumping it, accelerate feet on contact.



Sustain the block with leverageon the Lev Sled from RogersSustain the block with leverageon the Lev Sled from Rogers

Take advantage of the power of leverage in

your blocking. Train the offense to explode

through the defender, roll the hips and

extend the arms with drills on the Rogers Lev

Sled. The Lev is the only leverage sled that

requires the spring to be compressed six

inches or more before the pad can be lifted.

To practice drive blocking, lock the top in

the down position (no tools required). Ondefense, drill separations and form tackling.

Call or click for more information and your

free Training video.

Rogers Athletic Company

3760 W. Ludington DriveFarwell, Michigan 48622www.rogersathletic.comFax toll free (888) 549-9659

(800) 248-0270

NEW to the GRIDIRON Coach Football Series

The Updated Wing-T with the Adjustments

By Tom Marshall

This Book has been designed from many books, articles and notes that I

have acquired over the past thirty years of coaching against the Wing-T.

Many coaches have contributed their ideas and I am fortunate enough

to have been able to put them all in this book.

The Wing-T is the system, but this book will give you some different

weapons to open up the offense to complete agains the many defenses

of today.

$34.95

350page

sconsistin

gof

over120

0diagram

s



4. Doubles Reads Same double drill but incorporate a LB to read and block

LB

4 4

Ball3 3

RG and RT Double Team2 21 1

Rip Post

a) Post technique Same as above, we will drive roll and finish on the defender.

b) Rip technique Same as above, we will try to get three steps of movement on

the DL before we come off for the LB. We will only come off if the LB plugs.

We will stay on the double team and fully commit our inside hand if the LB

moves laterally.

The next set of drills will be done on the one-man sled. We use this to emphasize balance and base.

The sled will be set on a yard line working across the field to ensure they are working in a straight

line. A coach will stand next to the lineman holding a stick over his head to ensure he stays low out

of his stance. We can also use the one-step, two-step progression if the technique is not perfect.

These are all done from a good stance, right foot then left foot lead and done two times or to

coachs satisfaction. Emphasis will still be on the same five traits we identified above.

1. Drive Square up to the sled, 8 inch vertical power step, roll the back knee for

leverage

4

Ball 3 RG and RT

2 (Left foot lead)1

2. Veer Off-set on sled so veer foot is centered on bag, 8 inch step on 45 degree angle,

roll the back knee for leverage

4

Ball 3 RG and RT2 (Left foot lead)

1



3. Doubles Blast Double team blocks, driving the sled, matching steps, Post man and

Rip man, Stay on the block

4 4

Ball 3 3 RG and RT Double Team2 2

1 1

Rip Post

5. Doubles Reads Same double drill but incorporate a LB to read and block

LB

4 4

Ball 3 3 RG and RT Double Team2 2

1 1

Rip Post

The last set of drills is done as one-on-one blocking drills. One lineman will be on offense and his

partner will play defensive line. It is imperative that players are matched up according to their

ability level and that the look player gives the best effort possible. Blocking will progress from

(1) the fit position, (2) two-step explosion and (3) blocking from distance.

1. The Fit Position The offensive lineman will lock into the sweet spot with his hands

and hat. Back is flat, neck is bulled, hips are low and there is a good forward lean. Onthe first command, the OL will chop his feet in place. On the second command, the OL

will lower his hips and drive the defender. Use short, choppy steps (punch the feet in the

ground) to drive the DL directly down field.

2. Two-Step Explosion Now the defender will back up two steps from the OL. Emphasis

now is in staying low on takeoff. The coach will be looking for a low body position

(pads on pads), rolling the back knee for leverage, good arm sweep and neck bulled

back eyeing the sweet spot. Contact should be made on the second step. Lock into the

sweet spot and drive down field.

3. Distance Blocking This drill simulates blocking a LB. The OL will stay low out of the

stance and find the junction point to make the block. All previous techniques are

emphasized including balance and body position.

The techniques taught provide an offensive lineman with the necessary information to execute his

assignment properly. In addition, if the lineman plays with great intensity and comes off the ball

low and hard, he will be successful.

Ralph Insernia is the Offensive Coordinator at Charleston University. He can be reached by emailing him at

[email protected]



Pursuit Progression

Carey Baker

Charleston University

Charleston, WV

The most important aspect of defensive play is pursuit to the ball. It is why speed is so essential in todays game. A

defensive coaching staff can have the best designed plan in the world, but it wont work if player take bad angles and

dont have a burning desire to get to the football. Players can even be good tacklers, but wont make as many plays if

they dont have teammates pursuing and taking away the ball-carriers escape options. These truths have led us to

begin the unit portion of our defensive practice with pursuit progression.

Starting practice with pursuit progression provides several benefits. Here, at the University of Charleston, we operate

with the philosophy that practice is sacred. We all have days when our players just seem to come to practice with a

get-through-it attitude. Doing pursuit drills at the beginning of practice tends to jump start a practice when players

seem sluggish. In order to maximize the focus of our players in practice, we have found that hitting full speed tempo

early in practice yields benefits for the rest of the practice. Many times we have felt that a lackadaisical practice has

been turned around by raising the intensity during pursuit drill. Finally, our pursuit progression teaches a relentless

attitude that is integral to defensive excellence.

Our pursuit progression is made up of three separate drills that emphasize separate aspects of defensive pursuit. The

first drill is Contain Drill (see Figure 1) Contain drill is a run oriented drill used my many schools and run many

different ways. At the University of Charleston, we align facing barrels with a coach under center holding the football

and a running back behind him. In addition, we have two wide-outs with relatively narrow splits. The coach tells theback which way to go and starts a cadence. When the ball is snapped, the coach simulates a toss to the running back

and the receiver to that side takes an angle to take a handoff on a reverse. The running back has the option of keeping

the ball or handing it off. If he keeps the ball, he must accelerate to and up the sideline.

The responsibilities of defensive players in our Contain drill are as follows. Rushers (may include LBs or DBs on a

blitz) must key the ball and accelerate across the line on the snap. The contain rushers have sole responsibility for

defending the reverse. All other rushers take pursuit angles to the ball carrier and push the ball to the sideline. The

most important coaching point for rushers is not to follow directly behind a teammate. Some coaches use cones on a

sideline to emphasize the need to fan in pursuit to eliminate cutback lanes. Depending on the call, primary run

support and alley responsibility may change but all players must have the fit in order to avoid repeating the drill.

Figure 1 - Contain Drill

WR

CB

DE DT

QB

S M

N

WR

W

DECB

R FS

The second component of our pursuit progression is our 3 and out drill (Figure 2). In this drill, we simulate the

pursuit of three consecutive passes in rapid succession. The defense again faces the barrels with a QB (coach) under

center. Receivers are aligned on the numbers to the right and left of the defense. A third receiver (coach) is 25 yardsbehind the defense. On first down the QB may raise up and throw to any of the three receivers. All eleven defenders

must accelerate to and surround the receiver. If a whistle blow (and it always does) before they get there, they must

drop to the ground and instantly pop up on the run and get to the ball carrier. Once all the cutback lanes are taken

away, the whistle will blow again. All eleven players hit the ground and line up for the next down. Three quality

repetitions get us off the field. A poor rep may require a 4th

down conversion attempt.



Figure 2 Three and Out Drill

DE DT

QB

S M

N

WR

W

DECB

WR

R FS

The final component of our pursuit progression is Swarm drill. This is our defensive scoring play. In Swarm drill, all

eleven players are facing the barrels prepared to play the call given by the coach. Wide receivers are line up on the

numbers on either side. The QB (coach) drops back for a pass. Rushers rush and droppers drop (we always run a zonecoverage in Swarm). The QB throws the ball to into the defense. Rushers must retrace their steps as if fanning out to

cover a punt. When they pick up the football in their vision, they must become lead blockers. The defensive line

MUST block the quarterback. The interceptor is required to get behind blockers up the near sideline. The other

players in coverage MUST block the intended receiver. We place great emphasis on this because statistics bear out the

fact that the two offensive players most likely to make a tackle after an interception are the quarterback and the

intended receiver. All eleven defenders then sprint to the goal line.

Figure 3 Swarm Drill

WR

CB

DE DT

QB

S M

N

WR

W

DECB

FS

Swarm drill gives us the opportunity to end our pursuit progression on a positive note. It is particularly fun

to run a zone drop and let a defensive lineman pick one off from time to time. It also reiterates that getting the ball

back is a defenses ultimate mission. At the University of Charleston, our defense strives to own BOTH end zones.

Over the course of our first spring as a new coaching staff in 2005, we saw a dramatic improvement in ourdefensive pursuit. The pride level of our defense seemed to grow with each passing day. We have found that this

pursuit progression can provide our defense) with a high-energy start to practice. It also emphasizes full-speed fits on

ball-carriers, teaches relentless attack to the football, and provides reps on how to advance the ball when it comes

under the defenses control. We hope these drills benefit you and your defense as much as they have ours at the

University of Charleston.

Carey Baker is the Defensive Coordinator at Charleston University. He can be reached by emailing him a

[email protected]



Using the Belly Series to Attack the Defense

Chuck Apap

Walled Lake Central High Schoo

Walled Lake, M

The High School Wing-T Belly, Belly Keep and Belly Pass

t is our belief that to be a successful football team on offense you

must be able to 1) score a lot, 2) an offense that gives defense

multiple formations, 3) an offense that does not turn the ball

over, 4) an offense that is easy to teach to all levels in our

program, and 5) an offense that makes few mistakes. We believehat our high school version of the Wing-T does this because it is

easy to understand and still presents many problems to the

defense. Each series that we use has a basic play, a keep play, a

counter play, and a pass play. All offenses have nine points of

attack or holes, with this in mind there are really only three

attack areas; 1) up the middle, 2) off tackle, and 3) outside.

Almost every play in our offense is established by blocking in

and blocking out at the hole, creating a running wall for the

back.

The series we are going to focus on is our Belly series. Specifi-

cally we will focus on the basic play from the series which is our

34 or 35 Belly, the 34 or 35 Belly Keep, and the 34 or 35 BellyPass. These plays will focus on attacking the off tackle area and

he outside area of the offense as well as a play action play to

ake advantage of a defense which over plays for these particular

plays.

835 BELLY

This play (See Diagram 1) can be run out of all formations, but

for this example we will look at it out of our 800 formation or

Wing Right.

n our offense we focus on rules for our blocking schemes and

offensive line. It is important for each one of our lineman to

earn his rule for a specific play or series so that he may apply

hat rule to any of the defenses we may see throughout the

eason. We identify our lineman rules based on if they are on

he play side or backside, in this play the Left Tackle and Left

Guard is considered play side. The backside is then the Right

Guard, Right Tackle and the Tight End. The Play side Split

End is going to stalk block. Our play side Tackle has the

following rule a) X-Block in on a 2/3/4/5 alignments, b) Block

out on a 6 alignment or c) Block the backside LB. The play side

Guard rule is the following a) X-Block out on a 2/3/4/5 align-

ments, b) Block in on a 1 alignment or c) Block the backside LB

The Centers rule is a) Reach block (anyone to the play side gap),

b) Block anyone who is lined up on him, or c) Block backside

LB. The backside Guard and Tackle share the same rule Reach

Block and the Tight End is Reach to Stove Pipe.

The Backside Halfback will come in 3 step deep motion so that

at the snap of the ball he is even with the fullback. At the snap

he will then continue on his path and turn up field after he

reaches the play side tackle and Log Block the first outside

threat.

The Play side Halfback will take a 45 degree step towards the

outside and then lead up through the hole and read the first

inside LB. If he scrapes past the hole block him out, if he tries to

fill block him in.

The Fullback will take a drop step with his left foot, then acrossover step with the right foot, he will then take a flat step

with the left foot and then accelerate up through the hole while

taking the handoff. His aiming point should be the butt of the

play side Tackle.

The Quarterback will open direct at a 60 degree angle and take

two steps on that path towards the fullback. He will then take a

glide/ride step with the Fullback to handoff the ball. After the

handoff he must carry out the fake by attacking the sideline at a

four yard depth.

To complement the 34/35 Belly we use our 34/35 Belly Keep.

The Belly Keep makes the defensive ends and outside lineback-ers honest, these players will not be able to cheat inside to defend

the Belly. The beauty of this play is that there are no changes fo

the offensive lineman, split end, fullback, tight end and backside

halfback. The only two players that change are the play side

halfback and the quarterback.

835 BELLY KEEP


15/15

This time we will take a look at this play versus a 52 defense

(See Diagram2). As you will see our rules will also work versus

this front. Again the Split End rule is to Stalk Block. The play

side Tackle will X-Block in. The play side Guard will X-Block

out. The Center has no one in the play side gap so his second

rule is on, which he does have with the noseguard lined up over

him. The backside Guard and Tackle will Reach Block. The

Tight End will again reach block to Stove Pipe.

The Backside Halfback will come in 3 step deep motion so that

at the snap of the ball he is even with the fullback. At the snap

he will then continue on his path and turn up field after he

reaches the play side tackle and Log Block the first outsidethreat.

The Fullback will take a drop step with his left foot, then a

crossover step with the right foot, he will then take a flat step

with the left foot and then accelerate up through the hole while

taking the handoff. His aiming point should be the butt of the

play side Tackle.

As mentioned the two changes come by the Play side Halfback

and Quarterback. The Play side halfback still takes a 45 degree

step to the outside and now logs the first man outside the play

side tackle. The Quarterback will still open direct at 60 degree

and take two steps. He will take a glide/ride step with the FB

and fake the handoff, and then run to daylight at a four yard

depth.

The last play that we will talk about is the 34/35 Belly Pass (See

Diagram3). This is our play action pass to complement the

Belly series. The goal is to take advantage of an aggressive

outside threat (either a Defensive End or Outside Linebacker),

or an eager Cornerback looking to come up to make a play

against the run. The deception comes by the play side Halfback

and the Splitend. In order for this play to be effective it is

important for the Splitend to understand how his stalk block in

the Belly Series sets up this play during the game. The play sideHalfback, Fullback and Quarterback must also sell the mesh to

set up the play action effect.

34/35 BELLY PASS

This is an example of the 835 Belly Pass versus a 4-3 defense.

The play looks the same at the point of attack with the play side

Guard making a 90 degree pull and instead of kicking out t

defensive lineman he will log the 1st man past the play side

tackle. The play side tackle will x-block in to the second

defensive lineman. The Center, backside Guard, Tackle an

Tight end will complete a Gate block. A gate block in our

offense represents a lineman taking a step to the play side to

protect the gap and then opening the backside leg in order to

protect the backside of the offense. The Splitend will fake h

stalk block, and then run a corner route.

The Backside Halfback will come in 3 step deep motion so t

at the snap of the ball he is even with the fullback. At the snhe will then continue on his path and turn up field after he

reaches the play side tackle and Log Block the first outside

threat. The Fullback will take his Belly steps, a drop step w

his left foot, then a crossover step with the right foot, he will

take a flat step with the left foot and then accelerate up throu

the hole while faking the handoff. His aiming point should

the butt of the play side Tackle. The Play side Halfback wil

take a 45 degree step and after two steps fake the block on th

defensive end and run a 4-6 yard out in front of the Strong

Safety.

The Quarterback will open direct at 60 degrees and take two

steps to the Fullback and then take a glide/ride step with the

Fullback to fake the handoff. After the fake he will two quic

steps and set up over the play side Tackle. His read is from

to short, the Splitend and then the play side Halfback. If th

deep route is covered, and the short route is covered he mus

run.n

TheHighScho

olWingT

ComeFlyWith

Me!

Make check out to:

Chuck Apap

636 Olde Ivy Lane

Howell, Michigan 48843

517-552-1083

$50 - Book

$250 - Power Point Program

$50 - Film Cuts that go with Power Point Program

$100 - Drill Booklet for all positions and

two Drill Tapes showing all drills in the Drill Boo

let

Postage and Handling:

First Item $5 - each additional item $3

gcmv13i3web

Documents