Escape Techniques
Purpose:
Escape techniques are techniques that are used by a player to evade a player while advancing up the field. Escape techniques are primarily used by defensive players to evade the blocks of the offense, but these drills also apply to wide receivers trying to evade a “Jam” technique from a defensive player. Players use a series of these escape technique drills daily to create muscle memory in their arms while doing these drills with a partner.
Drill Set Up:
Drill should be set up on a line, the sideline or end-line. Players should partner up and stand facing each other approximately 2 feet from each other. Drill starts with one player placing his hand on the opposite player’s shoulder.
Salute Drill:
Salute drill is an “edge” rushing drill that players would use primarily in a “5” technique or wider. Defensive player starts with a hand on his shoulder, begins the drill by swinging his inside hand towards the outside of the offensive player’s wrist, knocking the O player’s hand from his shoulder. Defensive player then progresses by swinging his outside across his body towards the elbow of the O player while forward with their outside foot. This movement will serve to decrease the D player’s surface area and clear the body of the O player. Defensive player will then progress with their “Rip” move and pass the O player’s block. For the sake of the drill, players will reset with the defensive player’s hand on the offensive players shoulder thus becoming the offensive player for his partner’s turn in the drill.
Hook Drill:
The Hook Drill starts in the same position as the Salute Drill. The Hook Drill is the counter move to the Salute Drill. Defensive player starts with a hand on his shoulder, begins the drill by swinging his inside hand towards the inside of the offensive player’s wrist, knocking the O player’s hand from his shoulder. Defensive player then progresses by swinging his outside across his body towards the elbow of the O player while forward with their outside foot. This movement will serve to decrease the D player’s surface area and clear the body of the O player. Defensive player will then progress with their “Inside Swim” move and pass the O player’s block. For the sake of the drill, players will reset with the defensive player’s hand on the offensive players shoulder thus becoming the offensive player for his partner’s turn in the drill.
Club Move Drill:
The Club Move starts in the same position as the Salute Drill with the Offensive player’s hand on the Defensive player’s shoulder. The D player will swing his arm across his body, aiming for the O player’s shoulder with his hand. The D player will strike the O players hand off of his body while clearing the O player’s body by taking a step with their outside foot. The outside step will create space so that the D player will be able to progress in his pass rush with either a “Rip” or “Swim” move.
Swat Move:
The Swat Move starts in the drill start position with a player’s hand on the other player’s shoulder. The Swat Move is a variation of the Club Move. The Swat Move is a double club move. Player swings both arms up towards the O player’s arms. The D player will aim their inside arm in between the O player’s arm striking the O player’s away arm while striking the near arm with the D player’s far arm. D player’s arms will move in a circular motion together to strike the O players arms away from the D player.
Trap Move:
The Trap Move starts with the players in front of each other. One player will have both arms extended on the other player’s shoulders facing his partner. The D player will swing both of his arms around and over the O player’s arms striking the O player’s forearms thus clearing his hands from the D player’s body. The drill is finished with the D player striking the O player in the chest and obtaining inside position in their pass rush progression.
Forklift Move:
The Forklift Move starts with the players in front of each other. One player will have both arms extended on the other player’s shoulders facing his partner. The D player will swing both of his arms around and under the O player’s arms striking the O player’s elbows and lifting their arms up this will clear the o player’s hands from the D player’s body. The drill is finished with the D player striking the O player in the chest and obtaining inside position in their pass rush progression.
Hatchet:
The Hatchet Move is an “edge” rushing drill that players would use primarily in a “5” technique or wider. The players start in the drill’s start position with one players hand on the other player’s shoulder. The D player raises there arm above the outstretched arm of the O player. The D player then swings his arm down, striking the O player’s forearm and wrist with his hand. The D player then immediately swings up using his arm to clear the O players body and continue in his pass rush progression with a “rip” move.
Tags: coaching, defense, defensive line, escape, football done right, football drills, strategy, techniques