Pat Ruel, the assistant offensive line coach for the Seattle Seahawks, teaches a stretch hook concept (a combo horizontal stretch and hook) for his covered linemen to the play side of zone. "When you do both you're marrying two different principles so we need to really work on this. Outside zone forces defenses to run horizontally and puts more responsibility on the running back to make the blocking scheme of the offensive line effective. Outside zone has been a part of NFL run games for decades. "We tell him to take a deep drop step and come out on the strong side A gap. Teams such as the Colts, under legendary offensive line guru Howard Mudd, used to full zone the front side of the play to provide for that fast flow displacement of the defense. On this play, the offensive tackle would have man blocking responsibilities for the defensive end, while the offensive guard would have man blocking responsibilities on the Sam linebacker. Here we need to attack the play side armpit with the inside hand first, then work to the second level. @l7)j$v tPO8? As a result I normally give the players the option if they would like to get the ball dropped down to them. The guard and tackle on each side of the center will combine for the zone blocking double teams. Hh9%9|6s$a=|/a!$T|{&q9z\1R3'kNCy@;XgGC8z|T?5B/XI4& You should receive a confirmation email shortly asking you to verify your subscription. Knee through the crotch. PS Tackle to 'easy' release to MDM on 2 nd level. The face goes to the play side defender's armpit. On the backside, the LG = -1 and the LT = -2. It is used when lineman struggle with reaching the down defender in front of them, so help is needed by the next adjacent lineman. "I don't like the theory of keeping the outside arm free - you need four hands on defender," says Sweeney. The RB will key the block on the first D-lineman playside on inside zone, and make a cut based off the block on him. Zone blocking philosophies can differ, but since it attacks space and gaps, the scheme can be incredibly versatile and effective against whatever front and look the defense presents. The first pro of inside zone is its simplicity for offensive linemen. 101K views 4 years ago In this description of the inside zone you learn a new and simple way to make sure your lineman know who they will be working with on their combo blocks. Football 101: Man Blocking vs Zone Blocking - The Painted Lines The PSG works through the man that appears in his gap as he climbs to the linebacker and the center works to help him. Case 4: The Path/Reads of the Ball Carrier. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright text 2022 by Football Advantage. These indicators can include: Although the outside zone or stretch scheme is an outside hitting play, any interior penetration could slow down the course of the ball carrier. The backside guard gives a post arm to help the BST overtake. North Texas runs Iso Pop Pass down inside the red zone. Your counting rules for zone blocking also work for pass blocking; OL players become interchangeable, as all the rules stay the same. <>/XObject<>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 10 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S>> Once the running back reads the tackle, he will bend it back toward the middle if he sees him pushing the defensive end to the sideline. Copyright 2023 vIQtory Sports, all rights reserved. Track blocking basically means putting the linemen on a track, and they engage only what shows up on their track. Starting with the center, the philosophy is to cut off the person in your next gap. 3 0 obj According to Zweifel and other coaches we spoke with, the problem with running both the pin and pull and zone schemes is not having the practice time to devote to it. Great against interior pressure: If you're successful with your interior run game like the inside zone and power, chances are you'll see the probability of interior pressure increase. Although these covered and uncovered concepts are the same ones we spoke of on the inside zone report, we wanted to provide a quick refresher. In this drill, we work with a shaded down defender and a stacked Linebacker (or whatever we will see that week). 4 0 obj The 3rd level defenders have taken bad angles because of how hard the Jaguars pressed outside. Click here to sign up - it's FREE! What's most effective about teaching this methodology is that the front that the defense presents is irrelevant. Due to the speed the runner is moving at he will not be reading the playside tackle and is automatically trying to get to the edge. Terms and Rules Ace - Double . According to Sweeney, four things can happen when you cut on the back-side and none are good: Sweeney's negatives of cut-blocking on the back-side of OZ: Now we realize that we may be biased in these numbers. It gave the OZ play a chance to cut into C gap. This system rewards athletic linemen that can climb to the second level quickly, and running . That means he can leave and climb after his own three steps and get onto a linebacker. Outside zone is usually somewhere "on the tackle," or "on the TE." Again, often at the butt or outside leg. I found this excellent article that breaks it all down here. Required fields are marked *. <> <> In this instance the Running Back will line up next to the Quarterback opposite of the play call. This not only provides for a wider blocking surface, but also keeps the horizontal displacement of the scheme giving the running back more room to operate (we will explain the RB reads a bit later). As you can see from the description and illustrations, the slant and angle defensive scheme posed a big problem for man blocking schemes. Inside Zone Blocking Scheme - Shakin The Southland UJZ h?l UIJTZQ,m(!L05O5-we If the center cannot reach the nose, he will make a "me" call to the strong guard telling him to block the nose and the center will pull to block the MLB. The TB chases the butt of the tight end on this. On the left side of the line, they'll double team the defensive tackle. If I were going to run both schemes, it would be all I would do during inside run sessions. Outside zone is run strictly off of leverage and cutoff blocks. Offense: Field and Boundary Zone Read RPO's - encfca.org PDF Tags for Inside Zone - footballcoachescorner.com Attention Youth Football Parents! Zone blocking schemes give the running back options and cutback lanes while offensive linemen are assigned an area to block instead of a specific man. Alright, so you've got your basic outside zone run, and that's working pretty good, but your opponent is adjusting. Zone Blocking 1. The 3 templates include: Last, the running back needs to read the block of the play-side tackle. The Basics of Auburn's Inside Zone Run - College and Magnolia In a clinic setting, Coach Greatwood teaches the inside zone concepts of the devastating Duck ground attack. The goal is to stress the defense horizontally and the back has to be ready to take it if its there, but especially at the NFL level, getting on the edge is unlikely. Next is the play side guard. Xs and Oz: Outside Zone Rules Outside Zone Blocking The offensive line blocks Outside Zone Rules. Xs and Oz: Outside Zone Rules - Internet Nebraska Third, the offensive linemen must keep their eyes on the linebacker. Communicate with each other. Spread Offensive Run Plays Complete Guide, How To Run Counter In Football Complete Guide, Running The Power Play In Football Complete Guide, The Gap Scheme & How Its Run In Every Offense, What Is Power Read In Football? Zone blocking is a style of blocking for offensive linemen that was created by offensive coaches in response to a new style of defense that had emerged. Even if offensive linemen lose ground, the back can run off of those blocks and create positive plays that exploit fast-filling linebackers. The Running Back is still making the same read on the Tackle. This eliminates rules for the bend bang or bounces from the running back. With zone blocking, all the offensive linemen will work in tandem to block the defenders, rather than each lineman being responsible to block an individual defender. We've found that the difference lies more in philosophy than it does in technique. Football 101: Zone Blocking Scheme - The Phinsider It's basically the same principle X&O Labs uncovered back in March when we released our inside zone report. Covered: There is a first level defender (DLM) from my nose to the nose of the adjacent lineman play side. Your email address will not be published. What this does is result in a lot of double-team blocks at the line of scrimmage. PDF Offensive Playbook - Calloway Football Some teams will have the Quarterback read the backside Defensive End on this play. If that d-lineman comes straight ahead, his shoulders are square so he can force a cutback (which is detrimental to the outside zone scheme) or make the tackle. The aiming point is to track the outside hip of the play side tackle (note: The aiming point of the back is chasing the outside hip of the tackle. However, in the past few years under running game coordinator . The backside tackle is looking to cut off the defensive lineman to his play-side gap. And if he crosses my face, I just want to continue on my path because it gives the back more space to run.". Click here. When the ball is snapped the Quarterback will take the snap and step directly back as the Running Back come across his face. The last thing we wanted to address were the various "pin and pull" techniques that some coaches are using to get to the perimeter. This outside zone from the Rams is a great example of an overtake from the BSG and BST. (QB Position Guide), What is a Running Back in Football? Later you might consider 8-9 hole QB options. What is 'outside zone'? A guide to the 49ers' most important play. Case 1: "Covered" Blocking Concepts to the Play Side. This gives a nice initial push at the point of attack to prevent defensive linemen from breaking free into the backfield. Click here now! It keeps our shoulders pointed up field. It all starts with. For a more detailed breakdown of the concept, watch the video below of how the count system works and the technique involved in the scheme. Which player comes off the initial double team block will depend on where the defensive lineman is lined up and where the initial push goes. Strategies for blocking covered vs. uncovered in inside zone runs They're starting to put like, a bunch of . The cornerstone of blocking rules starts with blocking seven for seven across the front in 12 personnel . We are trying to put both hands on the far shoulder pad. Behind the Inside Zone it is the second most popular scheme at the professional and college level. The backside hand goes to the sternum of the defender. That's how the zone blocking scheme was created. Since the offensive lineman assigned to that defender was asked to follow him based on the man blocking scheme, hed knock the offensive lineman next to him off course. Unlike a full zone principle, this scheme involves down blocks and pulls at the point of attack. Click here. "We used to cut those defenders such as a back-side shade technique, but now our guard will try to take a deep drop step and take him over," he says. In the mid 90's, Alex Gibbs put in a zone blocking scheme for the Denver Broncos. This forces the safety to hold back and not come downhill for the run fit. Copyright ©2023 Youth Football Online. Sure, some teams have chosen to man block the play, 73.8 percent of coaches still use a covered and uncovered principle when running the outside zone. The second player is a 1, the third is a 2, and so on. Click here. South Carolinas own twist on the double swing screen Y delay. How to coach offensive line - Outside Zone Technique - YouTube These are the primary rules for outside zone. 3 Keys to a Successful Stretch Play - Joe Daniel Football The difference is in the how they are blocking. At the snap, the defensive end would quickly slant to his right, going through the B gap -- between the guard and tackle. Their objective is to reach and overtake the next down lineman play side. As soon as they seal, he shifts his eyes one gap inside. It also shows the running back reading sequentially down the line. The tight end is responsible for kicking out the Sam linebacker. The first player backside (of the center) is labeled as -1. The biggest one is that if the ball is dropped by the runner it is considered a forward pass and the play is dead. Tenopir talks about the pull and overtake method by the uncovered lineman. cd0uw0o! Stick your foot in the ground and making a slashing cut north and south. His main job is to cut off the players gap toward the play side. Get X&O Labs' New Report Revealing Boise State and Oregon's "Trigger" Concepts May 24th. But if it's not a base scheme, we were curious to find out why coaches are spending the time implementing it. Zone blocking can most simply be described by saying that an offensive line is responsible for a specific zone instead of a specific man (as he would be in a man blocking scheme). This can be run from a variety of different formations and sets which makes it particularly difficult to defend. Teams may have outside zone hit a bit wider than wide zone, but outside and wide zone are the same at its core fundamentals. Theres a lot of moving parts and there are a lot of areas that need to be practice in a short amount of time. % Also, similarly to Inside Zone, it has multiple possible points of entry. The backside tackle and tight end fight to cut off their defenders and prevent them from shooting gaps. Zone is great because it takes into account any spikes or slants from the defensive line. Flag football is a great game to play, especially during the offseason. Zone Run Scheme with Bill Blankenship | The Football Coaching Podcast Any team running a pound-it between the tackles power offense should consider implementing outside zone. There are many blocking calls used today in youth football. One of the best dvds out there on the inside zone and outside zone. By doing this a couple of different things are accomplished. The best part about the Outside Zone scheme is that it can be used in a multitude of different ways to attack the defense. All children, especially those considered high risk, will learn life lessons from participating in youth football. At the high school level, it is illegal to cut block at the second level so why teach it? If the defensive end has the play-side tackle in a stalemate, the running back will bang it next to their block to recoup some yards. O-Line: Blocking the Stretch/Outside Zone Scheme. We call it a 'rip-to-reach' because we used to take the inside arm and rip it across the outside arm of the defender. In fact, its the exact same as far as who the offensive linemen are blocking. The two plays are based on the teaching that in any inside or outside zone play, there are "covered" and "uncovered" linemen. Forward This Report to Coaches Using Our Easy Form. Formation puts defense in a MOFO look and TE runs right by the LB to attack space in the middle of the field. This eBook takes my blocking chapters from my Power Wing Beast Offense and Wildcat Multi Spread Offense playbooks and combines them into a basic blocking book for any youth football offense. Here is one last example of how the flow and horizontal pressure of outside zone can exploit defenses. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Once the guard has slowed down the man in his gap and the center has overtaken him, he will then move to cut off the linebacker. stream With an outside track, linebackers and second level defenders have to respect the threat of the offense getting the edge. If he tries to pull and come around the back-side number of the tackle, he will never get it done. For all intents and purposes, the objective of the uncovered offensive lineman in the outside zone scheme is to take over the play side down lineman while the covered offensive lineman works up to linebacker level (Diagram 3). Teach zone blocking technique whether covered or uncovered; Identify a "point" defender and work simple line rules off of his alignment; The incredibly fast tempo of the Oregon offense puts enormous pressure on the defense. First, all defensive linemen would line head-up on an offensive lineman. What is the difference between Zone and Gap scheme runs? ZoneBlockingManual_BASH.pdf - Google Docs We're talking full displacement of defenders. This would result in one of two things -- both of which were good for the defense. The center should start by working flat down the line of scrimmage to position himself in front of the defensive lineman. "We don't ever worry about getting beat underneath, the ball will be outside already," said Ruel. It's all doable depending on the path of the back which Zweifel explains. For years, offensive linemen were given man blocking responsibilities. One way to handle the handoff to the Jet man is by having the QB drop the ball down to him. Sweeney doesn't subscribe to the "outside hand free" theory that Hand presents when working against a slanting first level defender. The aiming point for the block is the playside shoulder of the defender.. 6. Using outside zone as a base run play opens up other concepts like play-action plays (where you fake the outside zone handoff and throw it deep outside) or gap schemes. This helps eliminate some concerns especially if you are pulling a fast player over from defense to run the play. It provides a lot of advantages for offensive linemen, no matter what defensive play is called. Can't see the diagram? I'll teach you the tips, tricks, and secrets used by some of the best football coaches at the youth, HS, and pro level. Think inside shoulder to outside shoulder. He teaches his players to eye the outside armpit of the defender with the objective to always advance to the second level. As that defensive tackle slants inside, the center leaves them because he knows his BSG is going to be on his 3-step track to overtake. Team Run - Inside Zone blocking. If the defense has a bigger, slower defensive lineman, this is great to get them running and ultimately tired out. Although the play is intended to circle the defense, it will often cut-up instead of cutting back like inside zone schemes. (Diagram 2) Can't see the diagram? Each system is taught slightly differently within each team and small adjustments are made via game plans, but generally, this is how they work: In the numbering system, the first defender to the play-side is labeled as the 0. Outside Zone Explanation Blocking rules are the same as Inside Zone Difference is the aiming point of the Offensive Lineman Play Side O-Line takes a kick-step to the outside and Karaoke crossover step to get up field Backside opens on the play side foot and loses ground (Don't allow penetration) Last, the play-side tackle has one of the most important blocks in the entire play. (Full Explanation), What is a Lateral Pass in Football? Teams who use outside zone as a primarily outside zone run play may have their running back trying to get to the edge no matter what. endobj For the zone blocking scheme to work properly, there are some keys that offensive linemen need to follow. If they lose sight of him even for a minute, itll delay their ability to pick him up on that second-level block. Zone running plays are designed to block general areas across the line of scrimmage while the running back finds the best opening. It's a curveball, so to speak, to keep defenses off balance and on its heels. That means the center will work to the backside linebacker and not the play-side linebacker (PSLB). This is a simple way to zone block, without having to extensively teach zone blocking principles like covered-uncovered. 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In a follow-up to the inside zone report that X&O Labs published back in early March, we wanted to research the most productive ways coaches are teaching the outside zone and stretch concept to their players. The numbering system and the filled/unfilled system. 2. <> This means simply getting in front of them and cutting off their angle to the football. On the backside, the LG = -1 and the LT = -2. Outside zone and wide zone are often related to one another because of where they play hits. If you would like to discuss this topic further with Mike Kuchar, Senior Research Manager, X&O Labs, please feel free to email him at mikek@xandolabs.com. The rules for the covered linemen on the outside zone are through the crotch. . Inside Zone Run Blocking Rules Inside zone can be run at any level, whether youth, high school, college, or the NFL. Team Tempo - Inside Zone blocking. Click here. By having the Running Back coming downhill the defenders are forced to react or risk being beaten to the edge. This can be a great way to get the ball on the edge and utilize a WR who might not be getting a lot of passes thrown to him. On inside zone there will be double teams where as outside zone there will be no double teams except on the edge between the PS Tackle and the PS TE. The count is just a good starting point for the who the OL will block with anticipation of taking care of anyone that enters their gap. NFL 101: Introducing the Zone-Running Game - Bleacher Report