OFFENSIVE LINE FUNDAMENTALS

The success of the offensive team is determined by the success of its offensive line.

To have success as an offensive line, it starts with each individual player. To have success as an
individual, you must:

1. Play with passion and be physical – Approach each play as though it will determine the
game. In Division 1 football today, teams are so close that how you play does give you
an advantage. We want to VIOLENTLY STRIKE the man – we want to FINISH every play –
we want to be a FACTOR down field. (Identity)
2. Have a great work ethic on and off the field – You play like you practice and practice the
way you intend to play. This is the only place to hone your technique, understanding of
scheme and special situations. Off the field, study you opponent for individual keys and
their defense for situational keys. (Work Ethic)
3. Have a complete understanding of scheme, calls and plays – The quickest way to fail is
not knowing what to do. (Being Football Illiterate)
4. Make your footwork and technique a habit – Being consistent with footwork and
technique will allow you to play at a consistent level. During the course of a game, the
consistency of your footwork and technique will give you an advantage where you may
not have a physical advantage. (Footwork and Technique will always save you)
“First we make our habits – then our habits make us”
5. Communicate with your coach and teammates – Don’t keep any secrets. If you don’t
know, ask. If you see something, speak up.

As a unit we want to play an aggressive and physical style of football. We must force the level
of intensity and aggression. We want to set the TONE for the game. (Impose our WILL)

Run or pass pro, we want to VIOLENTLY STRIKE our opponent and FINISH every play. We must
play with discipline and not tolerate any inconsistencies or mental lapses.

We all know the offensive unit and team’s success is dependent upon our ability to block our
man individually and the unit’s ability to control the LOS. Remember, blocking is a matter of
ATTITUDE and PRIDE!
RUN BLOCKING PRINICIPLES
The execution of every block falls into FOUR phases:

1. Stance
2. Take off
3. Acceleration
4. Finish

STANCE

CENTERS
1. Feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart
2. Feet should be parallel, or a slight staggered with pressure on the instep of the feet
3. Toes , knees and shoulders are pointed straight ahead
4. Knees should be slightly ahead of the toes
5. Must have bend in the knees, ankles and hip joints (Power Angles)
6. The near tip of the ball should be placed under and slightly ahead of your Chin
7. Off hand placed on the side of the knee
8. Weight should be distributed to instep of both feet
9. Shoulders and back are parallel to the ground and neck should be bowed
GUARDS AND TACKLES
1. Feet should be slightly wider than shoulder with apart with pressure on the instep of
your feet
2. We want our right side in a right-handed stance and the left side in a left-handed stance.
The outside (kick) foot will always be the stager foot. How much stagger depends on
one’s ability to bend in the knees and ankles. We want to be in a balanced stance
3. Knees, toes and shoulders should all be pointed straight ahead
4. Your down hand should correspond with your stagger foot, aligned inside the near knee
and straight down out of the shoulder joint.
5. Your arm should be straight, fingers extended making a tripod. Weight on your hand
should be such that if you picked your hand off the ground it should take 3-4 seconds to
fall on your face.
6. Your off arm should be flexed with forearm resting on the side of the knee with your
hand relaxed
7. Your butt, shoulder and back should be close to parallel with the ground, eyes looking
through your eyebrows, neck should be bowed
8. Your weight should be evenly distributed between the stress points on the ground
9. You must be able to mentally shift your weight in your stance without giving away your
intentions
TAKE OFF
The location of the defender will determine what type of footwork we will use (lead, gap,
wedge). It is important that our pad level is low and we get our hat to the proper aiming point
on contact. We want to strike with our facemasks and hands. We must bring our hands on
contact to trigger our ass and hips. This is your power.

CONTACT
1. Destroy the defender’s charge on the initial “STRIKE”
2. The “STRIKE” should be delivered up and through the defender
3. Upon contact, you should bring your Hands and drive your hips but not give up any bend
in your power angles
4. Your hands must be within the frame of the defenders body. When you bring your
hands you want to explode through the defender
5. After contact we want to control and adjust to the defender with hand, foot and helmet
adjustments
6. Through the contact phase you must keep your whole foot on the ground with pressure
on the insteps of your feet and maintain your base
ACCELERATION
1. Upon contact we want to accelerate our feet using short, driving, powerful steps. We
want to gain ground with every step
2. Maintain pressure, do not allow the defender to fall off you block
3. You want to drive the defender to a contact point down the field
4. The difference between a good offensive lineman and a great one is fractional time.
The time between contact and foot acceleration

FINISH
1. You maintain the block by keeping a good base, power angles and with driving feet
2. Driving the defender to your contact point while making hand, foot and helmet
adjustments
3. While finishing your block, maintain pressure on the insteps of your feet, keeping your
whole foot on the ground. Maintain your base and stay in balance
4. If stalemated, keep pressure on the defender, surge the defender when he attempts to
disengage to make the tackle, at worst, force an arm tackle

PASS BLOCKING PRINCIPLES

Stance

Set

Posture

Punch

Position

Finish
STANCE
The same as the run, there should be no change in any part of your stance from run to pass.

SET
The set is the most important phase of pass pro.

1. You must set with a sense of URGENCY- be quick and explosive out of your stance.
2. Be efficient with movement – no wasted motion. Don’t give the defender an advantage
with unnecessary steps or poor use of hands.
3. We must be in balance at the worst. The best position is to carry your weight over your
inside foot (Post) at a 60 -40 ratio.
4. 80% of the losses in PP are caused by poor O-Line technique. Not the D-line beating
them.

The Centers Set

Vs. A head up NT, set by taking a slight step off the LOS with the foot to your snapping
hand side as you are snapping the ball, while, at the same time extending your off-hand to
establish separation from the defender. The center has no post or kick foot.

Vs. A shaded NT, you want to set off the LOS, be careful not to get too much width. Get
your non-snapping hand on the nearest point of the NT. DO NOT CHASE THE NT. KEEP HIM TO
WHATEVER SIDE HE IS ON. DO NOT WORK TO SQUARE UP ON HIM.

Because the set is the most important part of pass protection, we cannot emphasize enough
about getting out of your stance. You must also have body control when setting. Do not be in a
hurry or panic when setting. Once set, your body should be relaxed not tight or tense.
POSTURE
Your Posture is critical to your success. Maintain your post to kick foot relationship. You should
have Bend in your knees and ankles. Post toes always pointed up the field. Your Back should be
perpendicular to the ground. Your Shoulders should be back. Your Chin tucked, and your Head
back. Arms retracted 6 inches. Showing the defender your palms keep your thumbs up. Your
upper body should be controlled and your feet should have a sense of urgency.
PUNCH
The punch is used to establish and maintain separation from the defender. If you fail to get and
maintain separation, the defender can now dictate to you. YOU MUST NEVER ALLOW THE
DEFENDER TO CONTROL YOU! You must work to control him. When punching, you want to
drive your hands through the “target” of the defender in a low to high punch. However, when
punching you must also maintain you POSTURE. You must keep your helmet away from the
defenders body to prevent from becoming over extended ans see what is happening in front of
you. When timing the punch you want to wait until the defender is just inside your 6 inch
punch. If you wait until the defender is too close, you will work that much harder for
separation. If you punch too soon, you will become over-extended. Once you get into the
defender, stay within his body. Be ready to counter any combative reaction he may have (Stab-
restab, rapid fire hands, vertical punch).

POSITION
GUARDS

One Set Vs. A One Technique: You want to gap step with your inside foot minimum 2
times. (Pound the Post) You need to gain position first then work to stop inside penetration.

Two Set Vs. A Two Technique:

A Regular Set – Protect the inside first, take a quick inside step, do not over step,
you must be ready to react to both the inside and outside move

A Short Set – Step up with your inside foot. Make sure you are in Posture. Be
ready for an inside or an outside move, with a short set you cannot be late with your hands –
Punch Up. (Must be an experienced player to use this technique)

Three Set Vs. A Three Technique:

A Regular Set – Take a quick step with your outside foot. Do not set out and get
your weight on your outside foot. Stay in good posture (60post -40kick ) and work the defender
inside out.
 A Short Set – Step up with your outside foot. You want to cover up the
defender. Again, do not step out. Stay in Posture and stretch defender after contact. Again, do
not be late with your hands! (Must be an experienced player to use this technique)

Wide Three Vs. A Wide Alignment: Set of LOS with a little width. Do not over set, stay
in Posture. Work the defender inside out. All this must be done as close to the LOS as possible
– we want the QB to have the ability to step up in the pocket.

TACKLES

Two Set Vs. 4 Technique: Take a gap step with your inside foot. Expect an inside move.
Stay square to LOS. Work to flatten the defender vs. an inside move. Work the vertical if the
DE works outside.

Vs. 5 Technique:

Regular Set – Take a quick set with your outside foot (pound the ground or off
the LOS) stay square to LOS.

Short Set – Step up with outside foot. Work DE’s inside half. Do not drift outside
when using a short set do not punch to the outside #. This makes you vulnerable to an inside
move. If a tight 5 tech, you can use inside footwork.

Vs. A Wide DE

Vertical Set – Push off your inside foot working off the LOS. Stay square to LOS.
Vs. 9 techniques to TE side, you can get some width on your set. Stay on the inside half, work
defensive end up field.

Short Set – Take a quick drop step and climb the DE. Work him inside out – A.P.
is the inside #. Stay in balance – be ready for inside move.

After you have gained position through your set and footwork, allow the defender to make the
first move, because being over anxious or out of control due to being overly aggressive are the
biggest mistakes in pass pro. Allow the defender to come to you, you have what he wants. Do
not allow him to get it!

Vs. an inside move you want to flatten the defender out by being strong with your inside hand
and foot. Work to force the defender back into the LOS. By posting your inside foot and
applying pressure with your inside hand.
Tackles vs. an up filed rush

1. So not open your hips too soon. If this occurs, it could create a short corner.
2. Do not sink back towards the QB. Make sure your set is straight back and not back and
in. Stay square to the LOS as long as possible. Once you have made contact, work the
DE up field. Maintain inside out leverage – block him through the back of his shoulder.

Guards vs. an up field rush

You want to stretch the defender. Do not drop your outside foot and allow the defender to
open you up. This will expose you to many other problems too numerous to get into. Be ready
for an inside club or rip from this alignment. Stay in balance, work the defender inside out and
finish the block!

FINISH
If you have erred in protection, losing your man to the outside, you must pivot on your inside
foot, and sprint to the cutoff spot to block the defender past the QB. However, if you lose your
man to the inside, you must pivot on the outside foot and throw your shoulder into the back of
the defender’s legs attempting to knock the defender down. This is the only situation you are
coached to give up your base on a drop back pass.

If you break down in pass pro, you poise must upheld. You must quickly analyze the alignment
and technique of the defender and utilize the skill and technique you have been taught to
prevent further breakdowns.

Once the ball is thrown, you should sprint down field (cover) to where the ball has been
thrown. This puts you in a position to attempt to extra block which may free the receiver for
more yardage or even a touchdown, be in a position to make a tackle on an interception, or to
have a chance to recover a fumble.

As offensive lineman, you are a unique and special group. You encounter tough hard nose face-
to-face challenges accompanied by instantaneous adjustments and more technique and joint
effort than any other group on the team. To maintain a high level of competition, our
techniques must be reviewed again and again. We cannot lose any detail of a certain pass block
phase, or the intensity in which that phase should be carried out.