Advanced Offensive Line Play

I bet you can’t answer these few simple questions

Here is the first question.
1. What splits are you going to use on your offensive line?

2. Why does a line have splits?

3. What are better, large splits, small splits, or no splits at all?

So coach, what splits are “you” going to use for your line and why? I believe many of you
have the splits you do because you don’t know any better and you really don’t know why.

Most of you know that a “split” is the term used when we are talking about the distances
between offensive linemen for the most part. The space between the Center and Guard is
one foot or the distance between the Guard and Tackle is one foot. It is a gap between
linemen. Or, there can be no gaps between linemen and we can call that no splits at all.

The common theme you will find in most of my articles is that you are not an NFL team,
you are not a College team many of you are not High School coaches so do not try to
imitate what they do. If you do, most of the time it will end up a disaster.

Let me give you an example. The Spread Offense is very popular now in both College and
the pros. So you watch the Patriots play and they throw the ball around to many different
receivers. So you watch and try to write down some of what you saw so you can use that
as your offensive system.

So you go to the first practice and you look out at your players for the first time and what
do you see? A group of 8 and 9 year old ankle biters looking back at you. Do you really think
you can run the spread offense?

This might be a drastic example but I hope you get the point. Just because someone is doing
it or maybe it is the “in” thing for some reason doesn’t mean it’s for you.

Let’s get back to offensive line splits again. Why do you have splits and which ones are right
for your team? It all comes down to the word “system”. What system are you installing?

A system is more that just where the backs line up or is the QB under center or in the gun.
It involves every aspect of your offence. What puts our team in the best position to do what
we do. If you don’t include your Offensive Line then you don’t have a system.

Ask yourself some questions. Do we primarily pass or are we a running team. Do we have a
mixture of both. Do we trap a lot, do we pull a lot, do we double team on many plays. What
is our offense designed to do? Do I like the spread offense the wing t the power I the double
wing etc. Just what is my system and what am I trying to do with it?

What type of defenses will we face this year and is our system good enough to handle
most of what we see without major adjustments every week? If we are making major
adjustments every week something is wrong with our system.

Many coaches in Youth Football don’t have the knowledge concerning offensive line play,
they have limited practice time don’t have the numbers and talent other teams have
and lastly the wrong idea concerning their system.

My suggestion to you coaches is to bring your splits in. Wide splits are generally for man
to man blocking or running option plays. With wide splits it is harder to trap and pull
and use teamwork such as double team blocking. With today’s zone blocking schemes
you need to have tighter splits for your line to execute that system.

In closing, I hope this article has given you some knowledge and incite not only
concerning splits but what system you are running in general. See you on
Coachingfootballsecrets.com

35 Years of Offensive Line Coaching Part 2

Welcome back to those who decided to make coaching and teaching of the offensive line
their number 1 priority. Football keeps evolving, especially the players. They are bigger,
faster and stronger than ever before. When you add to that, all the information available
on the internet for coaches you would think this would be a great advantage for all.

For many that is true, many coaches are taking advantage of great information online but
many are not. Our Coaching Football Secrets survey to date shows over 80% of coaches
polled do not go on line, read coaching material or attend coaching clinics. That is particularly
hard to figure out because 100% of coaches polled stated they own a computer.

So how are these coaches accessing information that will assist them while coaching?
Maybe you are hoping to gain info by watching the NFL or your favorite college or
high school team play. Very little information can be gained by doing this.

One thing you must understand is that while watching these teams you are only witnessing
the end product. You have no idea of the coaching techniques or the practice time that went
in to reaching this final product. Obviously, you have no idea of what went on with these
teams during their offensive line practice, planning or drills.

So here is the next item for you to implement. First, read every article on Coachingfootballsecrets. Next, buy your first book on Coaching the Offensive Line in Youth
Football. Lastly, go on line and find information concerning offensive line play. This will
assist you with at least a foundation of knowledge. See you in the next article.

What I have learned in 35 Years of Coaching the Offensive Line.

I wish someone had told me what I am going to tell you

That’s right, if someone had shared with me what I am going to share with
you about Offensive Line Play, it would have saved me years of mistakes and
outright bad coaching.

The very first thing I am going to share with you is even after coaching the
Offensive Line for 35 years, there is always more to learn.

To be a good Offensive Line Coach you have to want to be a good O line coach.
You have to read and study, ask other coaches attend clinics and frankly make some unintended mistakes.

You make these mistakes because you just don’t know and to quote Donald
Rumsfield “You Don’t Known You Don’t Know”. However there are many of
you coaches out there who know you don’t know but do it anyway.

You don’t put in the time and effort it takes to be a good coach and guess
who pays the price for it. That’s right the kids. Your playing days are over
but in many cases the boys on your team their playing days have just begun.

So shake it off coaches and here is your first lesson to consider. “Make the
Coaching and Teaching of Your Offensive Line Your Top Priority”.

That’s correct, the Offensive Line is at the top of your list. If you choose to
ignore this first lesson then don’t read any further.

In my following articles we will start from what to look for when choosing
your linemen, the proper stances and how to coach them, to a few important
drills that every coach needs to use. I look forward to talking with you again.

The Center Position

How do you like only playing defense?

Well that is what will happen if you can’t fill this position with one of your best linemen.
Ok, then I will put the biggest guy on the team at that position. If that is your reasoning, then you still will be on defense more than you should.

As a coach let’s think of what is the main purpose of your center? Some might say that it is
to be able to block the biggest, meanest, toughest nose guard on the defensive team.

Well if you thought that you would be wrong. How about, he should be able to call the
blocking assignments for the line. Sure, any 8 or nine year old could do that (right).

How about this one, he should be able to snap the ball up to the QB correctly on
every play. If you agree with that last statement then you are correct.

If the Center-Quarterback exchange doesn’t happen correctly, very seldom does
anything else that is good happen.

So your first priority as a coach when giving practice and instruction to your center
is the “exchange” between the Center and Quarterback.

This article is focused on the center position however let me state that the Quarterback
is also a partner in this exchange and must be coached everyday on this.

In future articles and videos on Coaching Football Secrets I will show you the proper
techniques and drills for this very important exchange.

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