Name the block
Why it works
The block on the defensive lineman in front of a linebacker tells him where the ball is going. Making him say the block out loud forces the read to happen before he moves, which is the habit that separates a linebacker who fills from one who guesses.
Run it
10 MINTen reps per linebacker, the four blocks in random order. Ten minutes. Thud only, and stop when the calls get slow.
Say this
“Say the block before you move.”
Naming it makes the read happen first and the feet follow.
“Down block means close the gap inside.”
When a lineman blocks down, the gap he left is where the ball is headed.
“Hands first, then shed.”
Getting off a block starts with the hands, before the body.
Good looks like
- The block is named out loud on every rep.
- The first step is a shuffle, not a step forward.
- The linebacker ends in the gap the block opened.
- When a lineman climbs to him, he gets his hands on first.
The mistakes
The linebacker flying downhill at the first movement and naming the block after he has guessed. Make him shuffle once, then call it.
Say: “Say the block before you move.”
Running around the down block to the outside and opening the inside run. Put a cone in the gap and make him fill it.
Say: “Down block means close the gap inside.”
Taking the climbing lineman on the shoulder and getting carried. Make him punch the shield before he looks for the ball.
Say: “Hands first, then shed.”
Two blocks only, base and down. Walk it, and let the coach call the block out loud first so the linebacker learns the picture before he has to read it.
Add the second lineman for doubles, scoops and folds, and put a back in the backfield so the linebacker has to read the block and the back together.