By Mike Kuchar – @MikeKKuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Please Note: We’ve included a lot of video in this case report, it may take a few minutes for all the video to load on your computer.  Thank you.

Introduction

In Case 1, of our special report, we will present our research on the varying personnel groupings and entry points most utilized in the outside zone and middle zone scheme.  In any zone concept, the aiming points of the ball carrier can be just as important as the actual blocking schemes themselves.  We’ve found that many offensive line coaches, such as Alex Gibbs, coached the running backs just as hard as they coached the offensive line.   When referencing the zone schemes, we’ve heard many coaches talk about “let the running back make you right” which essentially means the onus of the success of the play relies on the ball carrier making the right decision at the point of attack.  If that’s the case, then it’s essential to discuss the importance the ball carrier has on the scheme. 

When conducting our research on the wide zone scheme, we did find it not to be as popular as tight zone concepts.  In fact, according to our research, 50.5 percent of coaches only utilize the wide zone concept between 0-25 percent of the time.   Yet, 43.8 percent of those coaches said they averaged between 5-6 yards per carry on this scheme.  So we asked around to find out why coaches are not using the scheme as much. 

Before we start addressing the specifics of the wide zone concept, it’s important to note that there are various play concepts that can be devised from the wide zone blocking schemes.   Some of these concepts include, but are not limited to…

• Jet or speed sweep
• Speed Option
• Toss Sweep
• Stretch Scheme (one back)
• Boss concept (two back)

Editor’s Note:  This special report is focused solely on wide zone and middle zone run concepts which require tighter aiming points than inside zone.   It will not include perimeter gap schemes like the pin and pull concept that may be common perimeter run concepts.  Insider members can find more information on the pin and pull concept by accessing the following reports:

Monmouth University Pin and Pull Scheme

Formationing the Shotgun Buck Sweep

The Case for Pin and Pull

There have been various situations where coaches would prefer to use a pin and pull or man blocking concept rather than a full zone.  One of the more common examples would be against an Over defense with a wide three-technique and a tight six-technique head up the defensive end.  Longtime NFL offensive coordinator Bill Muir used what he termed a “bingo” call against teams that would have a wide three-technique that couldn’t be blocked by the Guard.  The Tackle would just come down and the Guard would pull around.  “When we made that call, there was no cutback,” said Muir.  “It was an off-tackle stretch scheme.  I have the players the option and when you trust the judgment of the players, I allowed the onside Guard to determine if it was a three-technique against an Even front or the onside Tackle vs. a 5-technique in an Odd front if they were unreachable, they can make a call and we would go into the scheme.  This could change during the course of the game.  I gave them responsibility because it was their decision. “  Muir did tell us that against some fronts with a quicker Shade Nose he didn’t like the stretch scheme because the Center couldn’t reach the shade Nose.  “All of a sudden the back reads the 5-technique and cuts it back right to the shade Nose who is there to make the play.” said Muir.   

Reader Responses on when to use Pin/Pull Schemes

Some other coaches chimed about the certain circumstances they choose to use a pin and pull concept rather than a full zone principle.

“We will use Pin and Pull concept against a three-technique and a five-technique front side.  It’s a cross block technique.”- Mark Staten, Michigan State University 

“We will use the pin / pull concept when we feel the c gap defender is too wide for the tackle to reach block. We also use this technique in our TE/wing and bunch sets where the TE’s man is too wide to zone block effectively.” – Terry Kent, Downers Grove South HS, [email protected]

“We use Pin and Pull with Tight End against a 5-technique or 7-technique.  We will also Pin and Pull vs. a 6-technique with a TE/Wing.  If we see a base 4-3 or 3-4 we use zone concepts with Stretch rules.” – Kenneth McClamrock, Concord HS, [email protected]

“Against odd fronts we will use our stretch technique to avoid opening large windows for LB’s to run through.” – Tony Neymeiyer, Baldwin Wallace University, [email protected]

“Against a defensive line that is better than us, it gives us angles to pin and pull so we use the man concept.” – Tim Halverson, Mount Horeb/Barneveld, [email protected]

By Mike Kuchar – @MikeKKuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Please Note: We’ve included a lot of video in this case report, it may take a few minutes for all the video to load on your computer.  Thank you.

Introduction

In this case, we will present various pre-snap identification systems that coaches are using to teach their lineman who to block in the middle and wide zone run concepts.  Since defenses will stem, move and shift pre-snap, it’s essential that the offensive line knows exactly who they are responsible for by the time the ball is snapped.  While some coaches talk more about “running your track” on the wide zone concepts, others are more concerned about identifying defenders on the first and second level.  Below we present the base rules for the middle zone/wide zone run schemes and the adjustments coaches make to pre-snap movement. 

Defensive Identification Systems

According to our research, 33.3 percent of coaches teach their players to identify defensive fronts by concepts, such as an “Odd” or “Even” distinguishment.  30 percent of coaches teach them to identify them by both numbers and names while 13.3 percent teach them to identify defensive structures by numbers.

Identification by Numbers

At Western Connecticut State University, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Drew Owens, relies on the count system to teach his lineman who to block based off three different fronts- 42 Over, 42 Under and 34.  Owens believes that most fronts will fall into one of those structures below. 

Owens described his count system below:

Zone Scheme Counting

• As an offensive line we use a count system pre-snap in our zone schemes
  • Our center will identify the point and the point or “zero” is where we build from
    • Center Blocks 0
      • Zero in our zone schemes is the first defender head up to playside the center
    • Guards Block 1
      • First man playside and backside of the zero
    • Tackles Block 2
      • Second man playside and backside of the zero
  • This is a pre-snap identifier for our OL
    • The type of zone called gives the OL their technique and departure angles from the LOS

Identification by Structures

At Eastern Carolina University, offensive line coach Brandon Jones talks to his lineman about blocking the middle zone against only four different kinds of fronts- Nickel, Odd, Stack and Even.  Since the Pirates are mainly a 10 personnel team, the box is using clean enough where the lineman can make one of four calls.  Below is how he blocks the play based on the front.

Nickel= 4-2 Box (four down linemen and two second level players)

Odd= 3-2 Box (three down linemen and two second level players)

Stack= 3-3 Box (three down lineman and three second level player)

Even= 4-1 Box (four down lineman and one second level player)

By Mike Kuchar – @MikeKKuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Please Note: We’ve included a lot of video in this case report, it may take a few minutes for all the video to load on your computer.  Thank you.

Editor’s Note:  A” covered” offensive lineman refers to any lineman to the play side of the middle or wide zone concept that is covered up by a first level defender (Diagram 1).

Introduction

This case presents data on the different techniques that offensive line coaches are teaching to their covered offensive lineman in stretch concepts.   We’ve found that these techniques will differ based on the leverage of the down defender.  There are so many intricacies that go into these coaching points- head placement, hand placement, foot placement, angle of departure, etc. They are all covered in this case as it pertains to the wide and middle zone run concepts. 

Our initial research shows that 59 percent teach the far armpit as the visual aiming point for the covered offensive lineman in both the wide and middle zone concepts.   We’ve found our research split on the footwork that coaches teach their covered offensive lineman in wide zone schemes- an even amount teach both the reach footwork and rip to run footwork while 13.3 percent teach the bucket step.  We’ve found that coaches are from two schools of thoughts on the covered lineman- they are either reach step advocates or bucket step advocates and we present both perspectives below. 

Rip to Run Footwork

36.7 percent of coaches teach the rip to run technique in wide zone run concepts, regardless of position of the defense, so it’s important to present that side of our research.  Rick Trickett, the offensive line coach at Florida State University, is one of those coaches.  For Trickett, the crux of the scheme is the first step of the covered offensive lineman.  “He must bring his shoulders through on the first step on the stretch scheme,” Trickett told an audience of 400 coaches at the C.O.O.L. clinic in Cincinnati last month.  “We work to get our outside breast to his far armpit and our inside foot to crotch.  To do this we bring our shoulder over our knee on the first step.”

Eddy Morrissey, a former Graduate Assistant under Chip Kelly at Oregon teaches the tracks methodology and uses a run to reach footwork for everyone along the front.  “Technically I’m covered, but it’s really ripping and pressing and covering him up,” Morrissey told us.  “We don’t want the uncovered player to knock into me and there is all this penetration.  As I feel pressure, I need to lean back into him. I want my guys to face the sideline and now we are on a track.”   He teaches an elbow whip, pivot and run technique to his offensive linemen in his wide zone concept.  He provides a video tutorial on this technique below. 

By Mike Kuchar – @MikeKKuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Introduction

In this section, we’ll be presenting our research on the techniques and fundamentals coaches are instructing their uncovered lineman to preform in middle and wide zone concepts. This may be the most important element of wide zone scheme because it is usually these players responsible for sealing the box and getting the ball on the perimeter.   We are also presenting our research on how coaches are finding ways to cut the defense off on the backside to allow for cutback possibilities.  We’ve found various aiming points on defenders to the backside to be cut, including some coaches who prefer not to cut defenders on the backside for reasons that are explained more in depth later in our report. 

Editor’s Note:  Uncovered lineman refer to those lineman who do not have a defender covering them to the play side of the zone scheme (Diagram 1).  This is different than inside zone schemes, where coaches are instructing a backside shade (Diagram 2) differently. 

Keeping consistent with the stretch or outside zone principle, the uncovered lineman is responsible for “overtaking” the defender lined up the adjacent, covered offensive lineman but the technique he uses to do so varies from coach to coach.  Regardless of the technique employed to do this, we’ve some common denominators that the uncovered player must accomplish:

1. Attack the down defender on a 45-degree angle.
2. Any color that hangs (becomes head up)- push back on to the covered player and move the defender.
3. Any color that moves to you, over take it and get backside pad thru.
4. Any color that moves away from you, track and block the second level.

Varying Eye Progression

Most offensive line coaches will tell you the importance of training their player’s eyes pre-snap before even executing a block.  So, we wanted to find out what were the most productive aiming points given to these lineman before even attempting the block point.  Based on our research, we’ve found that 36.7 percent of coaches teach a visual aiming point of a gap itself, not necessarily a defender. We’ve found that this is mainly due to the possibility of post-snap movement, which we will address later in our report.  The next most popular response was the near hip of the adjacent defensive lineman.

Near Hip Progression

Travis Mikel, the offensive line coach at Southeastern Louisiana University teaches a hip Aiming Point and what he calls a “Triangle Read” to his offensive lineman.  The triangle read is to keep their eyes on the following (down lineman hip, play side linebacker, then back to their track).

According to Mikel, once the uncovered lineman diagnoses their read, he makes the following adjustments:

• Hip Out- Climb to second level (Diagram 3)
• Hip In (to him)- Drive block defender (Diagram 4)
• Hip Stays- Drive to linebacker (Diagram 5)

Mikel stresses eye control at the hip, which insures the proper read and pad level for the uncovered offensive lineman.  “On my first step, my eyes need to be focused on the next down lineman’s near hip,” he told us.  “On the second step my eyes should have processed my read (what did the hip do?).  The third step shifts to my second level track if needed.  We must be able to see the triangle (DL hip, LB and back to our track).  

Tom Cable with the Seattle Seahawks believes more in seeing the hip of the next adjacent offensive lineman in order to make the correct block.   “I paint a picture for them in replacing their buddies hip,” said Cable.  “You have to know where you have to be to replace the covered player’s hip.  Let’s not read this hip or that knee.  I think that all sounds good, but I think it’s really all about reaching, running and adjusting.  I don’t want them reading anything because they lose intensity.  I want them to replace the inside hip of the covered player. “

Near Knee Read Progression

We’ve found that 20 percent of coaches teach the near knee as an aiming point for uncovered offensive lineman in the zone scheme.  John Donatelli, the offensive line coach at Towson State University, teaches the near knee read in his middle zone run concept.    “He must key the knee of the play side hard defender or the D-Lineman covering the O-Lineman he is working with,” said Donatelli  “Looking at his knee and seeing the direction it is going will help the uncovered man in knowing what to do immediately post snap.”  Donatelli talks about three scenarios he will work with his uncovered lineman: 

1. If the defenders Knee angles toward him the O-Lineman knows top take over the hard defender immediately. 
2. If the defenders Kneed angles straight into the uncovered lineman’s covered partner he knows to then help (Define or Ride) the defender and work with his covered line mate.
3. Lastly, if the defenders Knee angles away from the Uncovered lineman he then knows to climb to second level slowly and under control scanning play side to backside with his eyes looking for work.

By Mike Kuchar

Lead Research Manager

X&O Labs

Editor’s Note:  The following research is part of XandOLabs.com special report on the Middle and Outside zone scheme, which can be found in it’s entirety by clicking here.

Backside Blocking

The backside of the stretch or middle zone concept is different than the inside zone concept, mainly because the scheme is not intended to cut behind the front side A gap like it is in inside zone.  Therefore, it may be possible to “cutoff” the backside by getting defenders on the ground.  When we asked coaches what they preferred to do on the backside of wide zone concepts, 42.7 percent said they teach a rip to run technique, where 33.7 percent teach a full reach or scoop scheme backside.  Only 15.7 percent choose to cut block on the backside.  

We felt this could be due mainly to a large population of high school coaches who simply don’t spend enough time on the cut block technique because it is illegal in some states to do so.   Regardless of the technique on the back side, the visual aiming point was constant- 40.9 percent use the far number of next adjacent first level defender play side as a visual target. 

Rip to Run Technique

Jason Eck, the offensive line coach at the University of Minnesota State Mankato talks about a “fast track” technique on the backside of his wide zone concept.  “It’s deep open step and run and we’re looking to cut the defender in our play side gap,” said Eck.  “We never cut before 3^rd step.  When climbing to the second level we run to green grass—where they are going to be—not where they are. The point is to get shoulders perpendicular to goal line at contact–Rip backside arm through play side leg. Get off the ground before the defender does.”

To see cutups of the backside Rip to Run technique backside, click on the link below: