Youth Football Coaches Handbook – Offensive Line Play – Using Carpet
Coaching the offensive line in youth football is a skill that can make the difference between an average offense and a great offense. The offensive line has more information to learn than most any other position on the football field. Players need to be able to process the play, locate their blocking assignment and then execute the proper techniques to get the job done. If you have watched much youth football you know that this process fails on a regular basis. One of two circumstances occur on most every failed block, the player forgets his assignment and blocks the wrong person (or no person) or the player remembers his assignment but utilized so much brain power in remembering that he was incapable of executing a good technical block. This article covers a way that you can make blocking technique what it needs to be in order for youth athletes to succeedand that is a “Reflex”.
There are certain things we know instinctively. Cover my mouth when I sneeze or to jam on the breaks when I see danger on the road. Blocking technique is definitely not instinctive and thus we must build it from the simplest and most basic steps, being sure to insist upon proper technique each step of the way. One secret I have discovered over the years is to use carpet strips that are 12″ in diameter between the players legs as we execute our individual lineman station every night of the season. The carpets strips are usually about 6′ or 7′ long and I have four strips on the ground each night. We have our players do their stance and starts (fit drill), fit and drive and running drive blocks each night while keeping the carpet between their legs. The players are not allowed to step on the carpet and thus they must keep a wide base during the exercise. This really helps to prevent the main killer of all blocks, which in my opinion is over striding. The player cannot over stride without stepping on the carpet because when they step too far ahead they have to narrow their stance. We also coach short choppy steps, proper back and head alignment and all the fundamentals needed to succeed as an offensive lineman every night in this manner.
The carpets really seem to make a difference and they are much easier than carrying around a plank of wood or buying a specialty item from a football vendor. You can actually see this technique being practiced on YouTube by typing in Football Academy. There are many great videos for youth football and the coach that has created the materials actually is the author of “The Youth Football Coaches Handbook” and operates The Football Academy which instructs youth athletes in Charlotte NC.