"We want the pulling guard (or whoever is uncovered) to get depth and distance on the pull. Follow, Head Coach Monterey HS @coach_besaw born and raised in the Spread (Eugene, OR) covering all things Spread Offense, A few different ways you can use the sniffer tight end in the run game Coach Ferentz calls it a "force the hole" play and that hole is usually the C gap. The first stage of this example is the double team blocks. They must be taught through practice and game reps to get a feel for when the Tackle does not have his man sealed so they can turn it upfield to gain yards. At the snap, they'd all either slant to the left or the right, depending on what defensive play was called, heading to the gap between two offensive linemen. Here is one last example of how the flow and horizontal pressure of outside zone can exploit defenses. Outside zone has been a part of NFL run games for decades. _X/Tn. The earlier you teach the zone blocking scheme to your players, and the more often you practice it, the easier itll be for them to master it. Their objective is to reach and overtake the next down lineman play side. Install Guide. As a result I normally give the players the option if they would like to get the ball dropped down to them. The face goes to the play side defender's armpit. In both of these cases, the guard wouldn't be able to get to the Sam linebacker in time to make a successful block. Basic Inside Zone Blocking Rules Diagram. These rules are why outside zone looks so "exaggerated," when ran (looks more like everyone's pulling). At the high school level, it is illegal to cut block at the second level so why teach it? The backside hand goes to the sternum of the defender. <> The left guard has someone in their play-side gap so they attack their play-side shoulder. <> Zone running plays are designed to block general areas across the line of scrimmage while the running back finds the best opening. The technique is obviously different from blocking inside zone to blocking outside zone. This is a simple way to zone block, without having to extensively teach zone blocking principles like covered-uncovered. To see examples of the pop pass, watch the video below for full in-depth detail. Better Know a Run Game- Crack Toss. The cornerstone of blocking rules starts with blocking seven for seven across the front in 12 personnel . The tackle cannot come off the ball with no concern of the defender slanting inside. That movement will stop the penetration of the defender inside. Get our blocking diagrams to every defensive front Steps and Combos The next thing you need to study about the Inside Zone is Offensive Line Steps and Calling Combination Blocks. In our Indy period on Offensive Line, we will work our 2 on 2 blocking for the the Outside Zone. Zone Read Scheme Rules, Techniques and Drills. <> Initially, the Inside Zone looks like a really simple play as. 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. Inside Zone Run to the right (14) or left (15) w/ a lead blocker. The center goes through or pulls for the Mike LB. This could ultimately lead to catastrophe. It's not as wide. Xs and Oz: Outside Zone Rules - Internet Nebraska Zone-locking or man-locking principles may also be applied to pass blocking. Covered: There is a first level defender (DLM) from my nose to the nose of the adjacent lineman play side. The 3rd level defenders have taken bad angles because of how hard the Jaguars pressed outside. Understanding the Zone Blocking Scheme in Football Cutting off offensive linemen requires no size or strength. In the diagram above, inside zone out of 20 personnel allows an offense to block any and every front with the H-Back and offensive . Try to cut off the defensive end, so the running back can get to the edge, If the defensive end widens and youre not able to cut him off, then try to run him to the sideline. So Herb Hand, the offensive line coach at Vanderbilt University (who spent a good part of his coaching career under famed spread coaches like Rich Rodriquez and Gus Malzahn) emphasizes the drag hand technique of the covered offensive lineman. This particular topic was highly debatable among coaches we spoke with. The tackle would miss the block, forcing the guard to pick up the defensive end or allowing the end to quickly get in the backfield. 8 0 obj 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. 7 0 obj 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. Our landmark for our back is three yards outside the tight end and one yard deep," he says. We can't get a soft shoulder." 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). In my philosophy, blocking outside zone is similar to how you would block inside zone. No more boring Sundays, everyone can enjoy football! Right shoulder, 90% chance he is mine. Zone Run Scheme with Bill Blankenship | The Football Coaching Podcast The zone blocking scheme is a great way to counter any defensive play that might be called. 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 [email protected]. 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. That opens up a nice lane down the middle. There are many blocking calls used today in youth football. This play is diagramed against a 3-4 scheme. If the Tackle is able to seal his man then the Running Back is free to get the ball to the alley and attack downhill. ,h_;9%Z*`0~`Wgaiwr>Qbsvo]9-o!N"e"wZQ'"-Hb.ZG: nwj?mCA7cQOc7Le:RDZD->Zu!+DGnz@NSSFWbk;Tlp`:@11ZcK :YZgGviGf]XkB`MvpN&:7 "As the covered lineman takes his stretch step to the outside V of the neck, his back-side hand placement is the thing that will slow him down enough to catch the five-technique defender if he slants inside," said Hand. Let's take a closer look at what the zone blocking scheme is, starting with the problem in man blocking that was created by the slant and angle defense. So when we started compiling the report, we've found that the most heated discussion is whether or not to full zone or man block the scheme. endobj 3 0 obj We need to cut on this scheme because we think the 5-tech can run the play down on the edge technique." 1 0 obj Pass pro rules can matchup, adding another level to the adaptability. Here we need to attack the play side armpit with the inside hand first, then work to the second level. Outside zone (lateral hook/seal): Reach/block the outside shoulder/first step points outside of D-lineman's outside shoulder. While we found the objective clear, the methodology or technique that is used by that uncovered player varied among coaches. TIRVB(oSTsU%;1Xj_IL_E6cqE3p*p?EQyw~8+@+WS>W._ The Outside Zone allows an offense to do this in a variety of different ways. It works great as a horizontal flow and is common to use on boot legs and play action. Wide Zone, Inside Zone, and Power Gap Schemes The key read is the TE. This meant that if the lineman's assignment went to the left, hed be required to follow him and vice versa. Want to contribute content and have it seen by thousands of coaches? Strategies for blocking covered vs. uncovered in inside zone runs The two-back outside zone uses the same zone-blocking principles of the one-back look with a fullback or H-Back leading to the edge of the formation to track the first defender who shows as. It can also efficiently be run with one back, which would still give you the advantage of the leverage on the defense based on what you put into their gaps on either side. We've found that the difference lies more in philosophy than it does in technique. (RB Position Guide), What are Up Downs in Football? Each O-Lineman's goal is to get in between his man and the sideline, however, this lateral step will sometimes cause the defender to . 5 0 obj Case 2: "Uncovered" Blocking Concepts to the Play Side (Reach and Overtake). The difference is in the how they are blocking. Lot of horizontal movement in the back field to open up the middle for the TE, Using the Sniffer Tight End in the Run Game, Outside Zone Midline in the Spread Offense. The concept is that the Running Back will be coming downhill and taking a handoff deep in the backfield. Similar line blocking assignments: Just like the inside zone, the outside zone utilizes a full zone scheme. Our research has shown nearly an even split on this topic, with 52.6 percent preferring to run the scheme under center. Track blocking basically means putting the linemen on a track, and they engage only what shows up on their track. Duo - by Alex Byrne - In-depth NFL analysis The blocking has been simplified in the past twenty years with the advent of zone blocking rules, that enable several backfield plays to be run with the same blocking scheme. That can then open huge cutback lanes in the middle of the field for running backs to take advantage of. When the ball is snapped the Quarterback will take the snap and step directly back as the Running Back come across his face. I use about 10 blocking rule calls to create the best angles for our offensive linemen. 6 0 obj If the center can't get the nose reached, he asks for help. Click here. 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). He will identify the force player then make the decision on whether or not that player can make the play based on his leverage on the player who is blocking him. If you have an offensive lineman built more for a power game than a zone game, we recommend you forego outside zone. @l7)j$v tPO8? ", Milt Tenopir, the legendary offensive line coach under Tom Osbourne at Nebraska, believed in the same philosophy of having his covered offensive lineman really work to get to the second level. The first player backside (of the center) is labeled as -1. In 2011, Oregon averaged 9.8 yards per play as they ran this play 36 times for 353 yards and 2 touchdowns. Everything that Zweifel teaches in his outside zone progression is based upon the "reach and overtake" mantra that he drills into his linemen from day one. O-Line: Blocking the Stretch/Outside Zone Scheme - Constant Contact "The aiming point for the drag hand is the backside pec of the defender. Linemen block their corresponding number while still working within the technique of the outside zone scheme. Inside Zone Blocking Scheme - Shakin The Southland Rather than attacking upfield at the snap, the offensive linemen typically move at a 45-degree angle towards one of the sidelines, often leaving the backside defensive end unblocked to generate a . This play, known as "Outside Zone" in their system (they called what most people would consider Outside Zone "Mid Zone"), quickly became one of the best plays in their offense. Outside Zone Running Back Aiming Point Last, the running back needs to read the block of the play-side tackle. 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 rights reserved. The occurs after contact. 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. Can't see the diagram? Assignments change based on whether there is a defender present in their gap or not. Now, this aspect of the scheme won't be covered in this report, but please know we are currently working on a report that outlines this package in great detail. Landmark is the play side armpit of defender. "He wants to get started up field because he is going to come off on the next level. Iowa's outside zone is modeled after the Alex Gibbs/Terrell Davis philosophy of getting the defense to run on the front side just to cut on the backside. Get 3 free templates to help you build an organized and structured team. This allows the Huskers to . 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. It also includes my OLM One Pager 90 minute practice plan for coaching offensive line youth football. PDF Offensive Playbook - Calloway Football 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. Your counting rules for zone blocking also work for pass blocking; OL players become interchangeable, as all the rules stay the same. Football 201: Understanding the Zone Blocking Scheme Depending on the offensive play called, at least two offensive linemen will work together in their blocking scheme on each side of the field. Hand, who teaches a stretch step, not a bucket step, tells his covered offensive lineman to aim for the outside "V" of the neck of the down lineman whereas the majority of coaches (49.1%) teach the play side armpit as the visual aiming point of the covered lineman. Beginner Series: Guide to Zone Runs - NFLBreakdowns That means the center will work to the backside linebacker and not the play-side linebacker (PSLB). 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 TB chases the butt of the tight end on this. 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. 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. So when we asked Zweifel the same question of whether or not his kids cut on the back-side, we expected a different answer. Chip Kelly Playbook 101: Shotgun, Inside- & Outside-Zone Run - Niner Noise Outside zone is a run play that takes advantage of the cut-off blocks and leverages the offensive line to get an aggressive running attack that will wear down the defenses pursuit. The fullback is responsible for picking up the defensive end on the left side of the field. As Jim Sweeney, a 16-year NFL center tells his lineman at South Fayette HS (PA), "We always try to stay parallel with our shoulders because we want the back to have a three way go. Shoot, my guys blocked inside zone so much that they were taking their steps and shooting their hands while . Many teams have moved away from this because its very rare for the backside Defensive End to be able to run down the Running Back. The next step in the zone blocking scheme deals directly with how to block these two linebackers -- the Will and the Mike, in our example. The same read rules apply as before, but now if the DE goes upfield, the QB keeps it and runs off the FB block. Always finish your block. Please log in again. "We must open the defender's shoulders. But what we got surprised us. Running backs also have to be able to key and see that pre-snap to adjust their track accordingly. In this example, the count would begin with the 3t = 0, the Mike = 1 and the DE = 2. His objective is to get to the next adjacent down lineman's play side number with the purpose of taking him over. endobj The blocking has been simplified through the use of two blocking schemes-- inside zone and outside zone-- for a variety of different plays. Before we talk specifics, we wanted to give you a general consensus of why teams are running the scheme. While its a little more complicated to teach and learn than the man blocking scheme, it isn't too difficult that itd be hard for younger players to learn. It's all doable depending on the path of the back which Zweifel explains. One of the toughest parts of running the Stretch play is in coaching the Running Back. We will cut the one technique back-side with the back-side guard or if he has a three technique, we'll cut it with the tackle. cd0uw0o! Inside vs Outside Zone | Breaking Down The Game 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. 9 0 obj In turn, this would allow the linebackers to roam free, unblocked, to make easy tackles in the run game or get to the quarterback in passing plays. We're talking full displacement of defenders. Navigate to Security > WAF > Tools. If they lose sight of him even for a minute, itll delay their ability to pick him up on that second-level block. The double team on outside zone will be short lived and evolved into a co-op block between the PS Tackle and PS TE. The ball carrier is sprinting to get out there." Ruel calls his uncovered technique a "stretch scoop." Backside hand through the sternum. Outside zone is run strictly off of leverage and cutoff blocks. He even tells his back-side tackle on zone to execute a "swoop technique" (Diagram 4) with the intentions of getting all the way to the play side of the zone. The difference is the wide zone blocking is horizontal, either going toward one sideline or the other. South Carolinas own twist on the double swing screen Y delay. NFL 101: Introducing the Zone-Running Game - Bleacher Report Your email address will not be published. I'll focus on the wide zone, because that's more iconic to what Gibbs . Some offensive linemen may still have only one blocking responsibility, again depending on the offensive play and defensive scheme being used. Outside zone and wide zone are often related to one another because of where they play hits. Communicate with each other. Outside zone is one of the hardest plays for the defense to stop, simply because it takes the element of power completely out of the situation. %PDF-1.5 Teams that can effectively execute outside zone will have success. Here, the end man on the line of scrimmage to the play-side jabs in on the snap which allows for left tackle David Bakhtiari to be able to seal him and give the Packers the outside. The responsibility of blocking these two players will land with either the offensive tackles or the offensive guards. While they ranged from 1-3 yards outside the tight end or EMLOS, we selected two of the more specific responses we received. "When we put the lead foot where it is supposed to be, the rest of the body will come with you," said Tenopir. For spread teams, having the running back at an offset alignment or a pistol alignment gives the running back enough room to make a read off of the play side tackle. He cannot get the linebacker until he gets there." First, all defensive linemen would line head-up on an offensive lineman. Coach T: Inside/Outside Zone Count System - Blogger That tells the running back to adjust his track to be inside of those two defenders. You can see in this example, from a standard shotgun set, the QB uses the backside defensive ends alignment against him, and simply 'reads' what he is doing, it provides a very simple rule for . We need to turn his shoulders and he can't turn our shoulders. The Hawkeyes have averaged over 160 yards per game on the ground each of the last four seasons. 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. Gets your play-makers the ball on the perimeter: Similar to the bubble concept, this scheme pushes the ball to the perimeter of the defense. Again its important to drill this technique so it becomes second nature to the Running Backs. When a play side lineman is covered on the outside zone or stretch play, it is his job to handle that down lineman. Although Ruel doesn't teach a bucket step for those uncovered offensive linemen, we've found that the majority of coaches, 32.8 percent, teach a bucket step for that uncovered lineman. The guard to the read side has to avoid the defensive linemen and go. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. But here comes the beauty of the zone blocking scheme. Finally, our wide outside runs are: 28-29 halfback sweep, with tackle and tight end angle rules with a guard on lead pull; 28-29 halfback toss, with a guard hooking, a tackle pulling and a tight end on an angle block. 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. Offensive coaches needed to come up with a solution, and that solution was zone blocking. If you have an offensive lineman that can move and effectively cut off the defensive players, outside zone is a perfect install. 10 0 obj 2. Of course there are many variations of verbiage when it comes to rules by different teams, but if an offensive linemen knows the direction of the zone scheme, he can adapt a hard-set rule to be successful: protect playside, head up, then backside. toInside Zone Rulesin that they use the covered/uncovered read and playside direction. PDF Offensive Line Manual - Keith Allen Knee through the crotch. PDF Zone Blocking Part I: Philosophy and Concepts Outside zone is a simple yet effective running play. Can't see the diagram? On the backside, the LG = -1 and the LT = -2. Get X&O Labs' New Report Revealing Boise State and Oregon's "Trigger" Concepts May 24, A tight or inside shade first level defender, A cheating second level player to the edge of the defense, Short 45 degree step, target is play side number of adjacent down lineman, Rip off hand and shoulder though his play side armpit (rip and run), Hook him using your shoulders and butt by leaning into him, not by turning your shoulders, If you're on the ground, defender can get up first and make the play, They can still go over you and make a play on the QB or RB. Zone blocking uses very consistent rules that do not change according to the defensive front. Court: Buffer zone outside Louisville abortion clinic likely illegal The ZBS takes the offensive line and choreographs their movements. Wide Zone and Techniques - Coaches Insider Covered linemen are those . https://spreadoffensefootball.com/using-the-sniffer-tight-end-in-the-run-game/. The linemen open up and get on a 45 degree track. The whole point of the play is to block a defender where they are, and not have to "move them." 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. When the EMLOS is aligned in a wide-9 technique or way outside the PST, the PST now has to kick that player out. 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? The Ultimate Guide To Inside Zone Blocking - Football Toolbox