Q & A
Below you’ll find several coaching related questions that have been submitted by our users. We receive really great questions coming our way and want to make sure that everyone has a chance to learn from Coach Stern’s answers. So of course if you have a question that hasn’t already been asked below just fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
Question:
When should a defensive tackle choose a run or pass get off? Is this dictated by the coaches, the tackles themselves, or is it purely based on down and distance?
Answer:
In choosing a Run or Pass Get-off the player must understand the situations that are taking place on the field. First, the easiest determine is the Down & Distance. Furthermore, the player must understand what are the offense’s favorite formations and favorite plays in the formation for the given D&D. This preparation should be taught to the players throughout the prep week of practice and film study. Secondly, the player must read their pre-snap keys on the offensive line that they are lined up on. The player must interpret the offensive lines run versus pass stance, weight distribution and any variation in split or depth of the offensive lines alignment to determine their get-off progression.
If the player gets caught in a situation in which they just can’t interpret the situation I suggest that the player line up in a balanced stance and attack the line of scrimmage with a run get off progression. I believe that it would be easier for a player to recognize a passing situation off of a run get off and redirect than redirecting from a pass get off to a run situation.
When I am on the sideline and if I recognize a tendency I immediately alerting my players of Run or Pass/Screen/Draw situations by just yelling it to them while on they are on the field. Remember to never stop coaching them at any time. Continually make adjustments to stay ahead of the offense.
Question:
Should defensive lineman be as close as possible to the line of scrimmage or backed off about 1 ft? I’ve seen both techniques and am curious as to the advantages/disadvantages of each.
Answer:
A D-Linemen should line up as close to the line of scrimmage as possible before the snap of the football. You want your D-Linemen to be within striking distance of the offensive line within their first 2 steps out of their stance after the snap of the ball. A more complex answer is that the distance that you want your defensive line to line up compared to the offensive line depends on many different factors. These factors include the offensive set, the offensive play tendencies and the defensive line pre-snap keys.
For example, if the offense lines up in “12″ personnel with a tight end and two running backs and their favorite play out of that formation is Power G, or strong side Power, the defensive line should be lined up off the ball by 1 ft. in a balanced stance with their weight distributed back in their hips for added power at the point of attack. With their weight back they will have power to redirect to the flow of the offensive play that they recognize in front of them after attacking the offensive line with their hands.
If the offense lines up in an “Open” set, no tight ends, this would signify a probable passing play. In this case the defensive line should crowd the line of scrimmage and “close” their stances down, bringing their feet closer to their hands, distributing their weight forward towards their hands. The defensive line should crowd the line and be heavy on their hands so that they can decrease the distance between themselves and the offensive line before the snap of the ball. After the snap of the ball the defensive line should attempt to get to the offensive lines hip to shoulder relationship or HSR with their first step to defeat the block.
Generally, you never want your defensive line to line up so far back or close that it gives the offense any advantage at the point of attack. Depending on your defensive scheme, find a distance that works best. My suggestion is that if your scheme is a more attacking scheme you could crowd the line of scrimmage with your defensive line to take advantage of quick movement at the point of attack. If your scheme is more “read & react” type of defense you should line your defensive line off of the ball by a foot. Within either scheme, your players have to be physical at the point of attack to re-establish the line of srimmage.
I suggest performing large amounts of repetitions of block reads so that your players get used to seeing the types of blocking schemes that your opponents use.