By Mike Kuchar with Joe Pawlak
Offensive Line Coach
University of North Dakota
Twitter: @pawlakjoe

At North Dakota, the pin and pull concept was established out of necessity. With two athletic tackles and an all-conference Center, the Fighting Hawks could body people up on the perimeter. They also had an experienced back who was able to make one cut and get north to south in a hurry with an immediate entry point. The scheme provided a complementary rhythm to an outside zone scheme where there could be various entry points. The line and back combination helped produce 184 yards a game on the ground and the pin and pull was a big reason why. But in 2021, the injury bug infected the Center position, limiting that player’s ability to pull. The staff didn’t want to abandon the concept that garnered so much success, so under the direction of offensive coordinator Danny Freund and offensive line coach Joe Pawlak (a former lineman himself), the offensive staff were forced to be creative in how they designed the concept. This report will focus on how the offensive staff built-in play marriages at the line of scrimmage to combine its pin and pull with gap schemes. “It became a great complement to power,” Coach Pawlak told me. “You’re showing an inside downhill run action but then you’re bouncing it outside. These things helped us.”

Base Pin and Pull Identification and Rules:

North Dakota calls its base pin and pull scheme “18/19.” Coach Pawlak teaches the play like a true outside zone scheme, where non-pulling linemen are asked to reach their play side gap defender. That includes a play-side Guard against a first-level B gap defender. “To me, it’s an easy block for a 3-technique to reach that B gap defender than for a Tackle to pin it,” Coach Pawlak said. “Oftentimes the Tackle gets beat over the top and that dents the play. We can always get beat inside because we’ll be on the edge already. But we can’t get beat over the top.”

Quite simply, if you’re covered reach the play side gap. If you’re uncovered, pull.

The base rules of the concept are below:

In either case, the objective is to get the play side Tackle and Center out. Who they block will depend on the front, but the first puller is responsible for the first defender past the identification while the second puller is responsible for blocking the identification. In North Dakota’s framework, in a two-linebacker box, the play side linebacker is the ID, while in a three-backer box the middle linebacker is the ID. Coach Pawlak wants his Center to pull as much as possible. “If you have a fast flow downhill defender, we try to cut him down,” Coach Pawlak told me. “If he’s setting the edge, we try to reach his play side armpit and stay up. We only cut downhill defenders.”

Below is the various identification communication Coach Pawlak and the staff use to block pin and pull based on the various fronts it sees every week.

The remainder of this report will focus solely on the build-ins North Dakota uses to maintain leverage play side in its Pin and Pull concept.

By Terry Kent
Offensive Coordinator, QB/RB Coach
Plainfield Central High School (IL)

Teams that I have coached have always had a run-first philosophy. We have run both Zone and Gap schemes, depending on personnel. I started running “Buck Sweep” 5 years ago since our Head Coach was a huge proponent of the play. The beauty of the play is that it gives the defense the illusion of running wide, but the combination of in (gap) blocks along with the pulling G’s creates a very effective scissors effect that creates large off-tackle holes. You must spend time on the timing between the pulling G’s and the TB’s path. This play depends on the success of 3 blocks: the TE’s block, PSG kick out, and BSG seal pull to LB. If all three of these players stay on their path, the play becomes very hard for a defense to stop. When combined with play-action (RPO) and various formations, this becomes a very difficult play to consistently stop. I have run the play out of many personnel groups, but will always have at least one tight end. We have run this play out of 12 and 13 personnel packages. In this report, I will try to document the various ways we have run the play, including some potential passes. I will also address how defenses have tried to align to stop it and what it opens up.

Coaching Points:

The basic rule for this play is that both Guards will pull, with the play side Guard kicking out the EMLOS and the backside Guard (BSG) skip pulling up to the play side LB. All play side linemen and Tight end will block the first man to their inside. The Center will block back to cover for the backside pulling Guard and the backside Tackle will “Seal the B-gap” to prevent any backside run-throughs. The only exception to these rules is the Center blocking frontside vs a 0-shade or 1-technique. We have tried having the Center and PSG exchange assignments, but while this worked on paper, we always had pulling issues with the Center. Play side receivers will stalk block the MDM (most dangerous man), while our backside receivers will either run a bubble or backside quick game route (hitch, slant, fade). The QB always has the option of throwing the ball backside if we have a numbers advantage. We don’t throw this enough.

We have run this play out of a variety of formations, but this report will concentrate on four formations in 2 personnel groups:

We teach our offense by breaking down each position’s responsibilities, regardless of play and alignment. For example, our backside WR’s will always run a bubble/now screen if there are 2 receivers, or the single receiver will run what we call a money route: hitch, slant, or fade. We try to teach our QB to take advantage of any numbers advantage that we may have. We have thrown bubble screens even though the Gap Sweep play was the play call. In addition, by having our WR run a route instead of automatically blocking, I believe he keeps the DB’s and OLB’s more focused on stopping the pass, instead of getting a quick run read and pursuing the play. We can tag the run play and indicate to the QB to look to throw first.

Our linemen are taught blocking concepts, so they are not required to learn the individual plays. The blocking concept is a part of all run calls. This is either signaled in by a coach or communicated to the line by the QB. In the plays above, Gap Sweep Lt is learned by the offensive line as “Paul,” while Gap Sweep right is “Peter.” We do this so we can run the play with multiple ball carriers, but the line only has to know their concept.

Blocking Rules for Peter / Paul:

Y: Gap block 1^st threat to inside. May double team with OT vs 5 – technique. Never block anyone outside of you.

PST: Gap block 1^st threat to inside. May double team with TE vs 5 – technique in an odd front.

PSG: Pull & kick out EMLOS

C: Cover for pulling BSG. Exception: vs play side 1 – technique or Shade, step play side and reach block DT

BSG: Skip pull to play side LB

BST: Seal B – gap. Cut off any backside flow if no one threatens your B – gap.

WB: Gap block 1^st threat to inside. May double team with TE vs 6 – or 9 – technique.
Never block anyone outside of you.

QB: Catch snap, step back 1 step, place ball in TB’s stomach, and ride him for two shuffle steps. After handoff takes 1 – 2 steps into the line or fake backside throw. Pre-snap Numbers advantage for bubble or money.

TB: Open step, ride with QB, threaten defense wide (3 – 5 steps). Plant outside foot and make a sharp 90 degree cut inside of PSG kick-out block.

The rest of this report will focus solely on how Coach Kent and his staff gain numerical advantages in the pin and pull concept.

By Mike Kuchar with Pat Taylor
Offensive Line Coach
Kutztown University (PA)
Twitter: @CoachTaylor_OL

When the Pin and Pull concept makes up nearly 1/4^th of your run game- as it does at Kutztown University (PA)- the focus shifts from learning the scheme to understanding how defenses will fit it. They’ll get a gamut of adjustments, including over-shifted defenses, open side pressure, and alternating fit patterns. This is why offensive line coach Pat Taylor spends more time teaching his unit about reaction rather than scheme. His method of protecting the play is the focus of his report. And it’s been somewhat foolproof. This season the Golden Bears leaned on the Pin and Pull to produce a 7.7 yards per carry average en route to an 11-2 record.

“Open Pull” Technique:

One of the interesting techniques surrounding Kutztown’s scheme is that offensive line coach Pat Taylor chooses not to use skip pull footwork for pullers. It’s a transition he made recently because it’s more conducive to blocking edge pressure. Instead, it’s more open-like footwork where linemen are taught to throw their inside foot behind the outside foot and run full speed. It almost looks like a trap pull. This way against any type of pressure, they are in a position to immediately kick it out.

Base rules dictate the first puller to the front side will be either the Guard or Tackle based on the front. For the most part, if there is a B gap first-level defender, the Guard will pull. If there is an A gap first-level defender, the Tackle will pull.

The Center will always be the second puller unless there is a concern about a cross face from the Nose or a shade defender that could not be reached. In those situations, he can tell the backside Guard to go instead. The first puller’s responsibility is to block the alley defender, providing he does not pass up color. The second puller is asked to work to the play side linebacker. “We talk about getting his eyes outside,” said Coach Taylor. The ball carrier stays in line with the second puller, it’s that simple. “We don’t have to make it a perfect block. The running back will make it right. And defensive players have the challenge of trying to fit that.”

Pin Block Technique:

Understanding the pin (or down) block has a lot to do with knowing which tap that defender is responsible for.  For the most part, Coach Taylor teaches a traditional down block with a hat on outside leverage. Against a stagnant front, linemen can be more aggressive because they know where color is. But with so much potential movement, linemen have to be studious in recognizing where movement can occur- this is a focus later in the report.

Even Front:

Even front responsibility is quite simple. If the play is being run to the three-surface side (and as stated below it doesn’t have to be), the play side Tackle will block the B gap defender while the play side Guard and Center are out on the perimeter. What Coach Taylor does on the backside of the play is quite interesting, and is something covered later in the report.

Odd Front:

Against any Odd front, Coach Taylor prefers to still get the Center out despite him being covered. He’s comfortable in getting the backside Guard out as well to block the play side linebacker, having the play side Guard block the zero Nose which helps against more athletic Nose techniques. If the Nose is slower, the backside Guard can work to get him reached, which is something covered later in the report.

The rest of this report focuses solely on how Coach Taylor teaches his linemen to identify and combat the common defensive reactions that can completely hinder the concept.