Pro level skills for college level kids?

[Carl Spackler]

In high school my team switched to a zone blocking approach in between my junior an senior years. It's not so simple. It's a totally different way of blocking, a different mindset, if you will. The way it was explained to us at the time was to simply to "go with the play." in other words, if were running a sweep to the right, block the man in front of you to the right. This would allow for many cutback lanes to open.

The problem we had was when there was a d-line shift, or linebackers moving, or personnel changes (I.e. Base 4-3 to nickel.). It was hard for us to make those adjustments mid-play or at the line of scrimmage. Countless times we'd end up having 3 guys going out to block one defender. Or if the defense had a "star" player, the scheme didn't allow for a double team. I'm sure (or at least hope) gdl at the college level has a more complex scheme than
we had.

My point is just that it's a very complex way of blocking if you're unfamiliar. Maybe the o-linemen were recruiting play in high schools that employ a zone blocking scheme? I sure hope so, bc I can't take another year of watching this.

One of the biggest difficulties with switching and OL scheme, whether it be a change in the kinds of zone, or a straight change from a man-blocking system to a zone, is dealing with two things - stances and splits.

SOme of the links that others have put up here, are fantastic for those that actually want to learn about what happens on the OL.

THe split - is the distance between the OL on the field. The stance - is the body position prior to snap.

The movements you can get out of your OL - as individuals and a unit - are entirely dependant on those two things. Both of these things have changed dramatically.

My instincts tell me that the offensive system that we are trying to run, involves wider splits on the OL than we are capable of doing with the players we've got, and you run into problems with zone systems in blocking, espeically the inside and outside types that are described in the links in this thread, when you can't split the OL's wide enough. Backs have a tough time making their reads on the second level, and you have a tough time getting off a double team block and getting to the second level if you are not split wide enough.

It's all about foot speed. You need to have big guys, that can move and still stay grounded when they make contact.

On defense, you can leave your feet, and make tackles, and most of the time, you should be leaving your feet when your wrapped up and dragging somebody down, unless you got the leverage, pad level, and power to actually run somebody over.

On offense, when blocking, when you've got your feet off the ground, you're in trouble.

That's why big guys that can play basketball, make for good blockers, the best TE's usually are pretty good round ball players too, they're big, fast and can move their feet to stay locked up with somebody and still keep grounded ---- (Donald Thomas) - they can move their feet and stay balanced and grounded to get in front of somebody.

If we're goign to play this kind of offense, we better sure as hell have recruited last year, and this year some offensive linemen that have the uncoachables of feet that can move, and we better continue to do it.

 

[J187Money]

Love actual football talk. I have a semi

 

[Uconnalliance]

The game has just past them by,when was the last time these 2 delt with college kids and the game? When your offense is predictable to my 9 yr old daughter it might be time to find a new profession.