Follow us for breaking news and latest updates: Thanks for subscribing! To start on offense, the count will begin with the Center and then work to the front side. The outside zone or also called the zone stretch is probably the most recognizable play in the zone blocking scheme. Click here. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. That movement will stop the penetration of the defender inside. In a follow-up to the inside zone report that X&O Labs published back in early March, we wanted to research the most productive ways coaches are teaching the outside zone and stretch concept to their players. "I don't like the theory of keeping the outside arm free - you need four hands on defender," says Sweeney. So why teach it? Once the lineman is engaged with a defender, he needs to stay engaged until he feels the next adjacent lineman take his assignment over. Since the offensive lineman assigned to that defender was asked to follow him based on the man blocking scheme, hed knock the offensive lineman next to him off course. Can't see the diagram? By doing this a couple of different things are accomplished. Once the running back reads the tackle, he will bend it back toward the middle if he sees him pushing the defensive end to the sideline. Another common way to utilize the Outside Zone blocking scheme is to get the ball to the running back out of the backfield. He teaches his players to eye the outside armpit of the defender with the objective to always advance to the second level. Of course there are many variations of verbiage when it comes to rules by different teams, but if an offensive linemen knows the direction of the zone scheme, he can adapt a hard-set rule to be successful: protect playside, head up, then backside. The zone blocking scheme is a great way to counter any defensive play that might be called. The center gives a quick hand to help the guard overtake his man. If the defensive end has the play-side tackle in a stalemate, the running back will bang it next to their block to recoup some yards. Ruel's Techniques of a Stretch Scoop (uncovered lineman): That last coaching point is the golden nugget. Case 1: "Covered" Blocking Concepts to the Play Side. #12nzsMfBhJ@x~G$4BhOACeQ6Z98E y 'ILj*k>W\R If that makes sense for you, great! Offensive lines were having a very difficult time with all of the zone blitzing of 3-4 defenses, and the stunts of 4-3 defenses. We tell our guard he must get beyond the man (far jersey number) before he can come back on him. If you have an offensive lineman that can move and effectively cut off the defensive players, outside zone is a perfect install. With zone blocking, all the offensive linemen will work in tandem to block the defenders, rather than each lineman being responsible to block an individual defender. Ruel calls his uncovered technique a "stretch scoop." Aiming points and angles are some of the most important rules for the OL Outside zone is a run play that takes advantage of the cut-off blocks and leverages the offensive line to get an aggressive running attack that will wear down the defenses pursuit. According to Zweifel and other coaches we spoke with, the problem with running both the pin and pull and zone schemes is not having the practice time to devote to it. The Packers here choose to help their backside guard with their center. Of course, when you have backs behind Manning with the speed of Edgerrin James and Joey Addai, getting to the perimeter of the defense is almost guaranteed. 1. The responsibility of blocking these two players will land with either the offensive tackles or the offensive guards. It's all doable depending on the path of the back which Zweifel explains. Although the play is intended to circle the defense, it will often cut-up instead of cutting back like inside zone schemes. While I dont really believe this is completely true, I am a full believer in the power of the placebo effect. INSIDE ZONE FROM WEAK OFFSET PRO I FORMATION Inside Zone Strong Inside Zone Weak Inside Zone Lead Strong Inside Zone Lead Weak OUTSIDE ZONE Coaching Points-Outside Zone Outside Zone Strong GENERAL FORMATION & PLAY SETUP COACHING NOTES : Inside Zone Ballhandler Notes : Inside Zone O-Line Rules Inside Zone O-Line Technique Notes : Miscellaneous Zone Running Game Notes: (3 pgs . It's not as wide. {}jY[5t?hY;6o~_ These number labels on the defense correlate to numbers given to the offensive linemen. If players are stacked, the lower number goes to the defender closer to the line of scrimmage. Zone is great because it takes into account any spikes or slants from the defensive line. Outside zone is usually somewhere "on the tackle," or "on the TE." Again, often at the butt or outside leg. At the snap, the center is responsible for blocking the nose tackle lined up head-up on him. The ZBS takes the offensive line and choreographs their movements. When we conducting our research, we've found there are three particular scenarios in which coaches are using the pin and pull technique. The linemen open up and get on a 45 degree track. Inside and Outside Zone take a little time for the blocking to develop and have delays or long distance built into the ball carrier's path, while Midline and Wide Zone are more aggressively downhill. Please reload the page and try again. Attention Youth Football Parents! Head Up, 50% chance he is mine engage and release if he goes inside. Outside zone is a simple yet effective running play. "We watch the inside foot pre-snap. I believe that a player who thinks he can run fast will beat a player who thinks he is going to be running slow. Again its important to drill this technique so it becomes second nature to the Running Backs. Finally, our wide outside runs are: 28-29 halfback sweep, with tackle and tight end angle rules with a guard on lead pull; 28-29 halfback toss, with a guard hooking, a tackle pulling and a tight end on an angle block. Ruel stresses the idea of keeping his lineman's shoulders square and getting the stomach up field to guarantee the defender gets hooked. <> With an outside track, linebackers and second level defenders have to respect the threat of the offense getting the edge. The slant and angle defense exposed one fatal flaw in the man blocking scheme -- that offensive linemen were asked to follow their assigned defender wherever they went. We're talking full displacement of defenders. This gives a nice initial push at the point of attack to prevent defensive linemen from breaking free into the backfield. When a play side lineman is covered on the outside zone or stretch play, it is his job to handle that down lineman. An excellent progression. Look at your gap - This includes pre-snap so you get an idea of whether or not you're going to get a defender in your face right away. Lot of horizontal movement in the back field to open up the middle for the TE, Using the Sniffer Tight End in the Run Game, Outside Zone Midline in the Spread Offense. With inside zone, vertical steps backside are used to create double teams. The scheme is versatile, doesnt ask offensive linemen to physically overpower defenders, and puts more responsibility on the running back to make the scheme work effectively. The tackle would have to follow the end, based on his man blocking responsibilities. This can be a great way to get the ball on the edge and utilize a WR who might not be getting a lot of passes thrown to him. Case 4: The Path/Reads of the Ball Carrier. Outside zone is a concept that can be used as a base run play (Similar to how we detailed inside zone in the article). The count is just a good starting point for the who the OL will block with anticipation of taking care of anyone that enters their gap. Second, the offensive linemen must keep their shoulders square. If any wrong color jersey crosses his face on that path, cut it. Once the running back reads the tackle, he will bend it back toward the middle if he sees him pushing the defensive end to the sideline. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. While they ranged from 1-3 yards outside the tight end or EMLOS, we selected two of the more specific responses we received. I would have no other time to run other schemes.". 10 0 obj Identify your man. Basic Zone Scheme PLAY DIRECTION RIGHT: Left shoulder 10% chance he is mine. Click here. 2. The idea is to "stretch" the entire defense the width of the field. Outside zone and wide zone are often related to one another because of where they play hits. We call it a 'rip-to-reach' because we used to take the inside arm and rip it across the outside arm of the defender. x[[o6~GkPs(>t.MC&dI9$EHxn$CQ/."_F Outside zone is a play that aims to attack the edge of the defense but utilizes backside cutoffs. If that d-lineman comes straight ahead, his shoulders are square so he can force a cutback (which is detrimental to the outside zone scheme) or make the tackle. The Outside Zone allows an offense to do this in a variety of different ways. If the defense has a bigger, slower defensive lineman, this is great to get them running and ultimately tired out. For a more detailed breakdown of the concept, watch the video below of how the count system works and the technique involved in the scheme. In the mid 90's, Alex Gibbs put in a zone blocking scheme for the Denver Broncos. Better Know a Run Game- Crack Toss. "If we don't get engagement by ripping to play side number, then we automatically climb to the second level," he said. And again, this is also not universal. Zone running plays are designed to block general areas across the line of scrimmage while the running back finds the best opening. It has become even more popular in the past few years with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay basing their entire offenses around the scheme. NFL Offensive Lines: Alex Gibbs' Zone Blocking Scheme. Even the Blocking Scheme in itself is very different in the the . Select the appropriate domain. For all intents and purposes, the objective of the uncovered offensive lineman in the outside zone scheme is to take over the play side down lineman while the covered offensive lineman works up to linebacker level (Diagram 3). The face goes to the play side defender's armpit. For outside zone, he will often read the second playside D-lineman and do the same. Outside zone is a running play on which offensive linemen focus their blocks on zones, or spaces on the field, as opposed to specific defenders (which is referred to as man-to-man blocking). But how these coaches teach their blocking assignments will vary, as we will explain below. Depending on the offensive play called, at least two offensive linemen will work together in their blocking scheme on each side of the field. We can't get a soft shoulder." Each system is taught slightly differently within each team and small adjustments are made via game plans, but generally, this is how they work: In the numbering system, the first defender to the play-side is labeled as the 0. Due to the speed the runner is moving at he will not be reading the playside tackle and is automatically trying to get to the edge. endobj Even if offensive linemen lose ground, the back can run off of those blocks and create positive plays that exploit fast-filling linebackers. This could ultimately lead to catastrophe. This will close any holes between the linemen and prevent defenders from busting through them. Assignments change based on whether there is a defender present in their gap or not. <> Fourth, the offensive linemen must know which one will stay on the defender and which one will peel off to pick up the linebacker. In this case, the Center = 0, RG = 1 and RT = 2. Our landmark for our back is three yards outside the tight end and one yard deep," he says. E. Bucket Step -6 inch directional step towardAiming Point. Tenopir talks about the pull and overtake method by the uncovered lineman. Backside hand through the sternum. It is very similar to what Hand teaches, but his rules refer more to the perimeter defenders than to first level defensive linemen. He cannot get the linebacker until he gets there." One of these players on each side of the field will come off their initial double team block to get to the second level and pick up the Will and the Mike, respectively. Outside zone forces defenses to run horizontally and puts more responsibility on the running back to make the blocking scheme of the offensive line effective. On the right side, they'll double team the defensive end. The backside guard takes his track to overtake for the center while putting his hand on the near hip of the player in his backside gap. This can only be accomplished through practice with the backs running at full speed. Some teams will have the Quarterback read the backside Defensive End on this play. In this drill, we work with a shaded down defender and a stacked Linebacker (or whatever we will see that week). Basic Zone Blocking Rules: Inside Gap (first rule is to protect inside gap) Head UP (head up is considered from inside shoulder to outside shoulder) Climb to LB. *KEY= get head inside hole with shoulders square and power foot forward on ground. Get X&O Labs' New Report Revealing Boise State and Oregon's "Trigger" Concepts May 24, A tight or inside shade first level defender, A cheating second level player to the edge of the defense, Short 45 degree step, target is play side number of adjacent down lineman, Rip off hand and shoulder though his play side armpit (rip and run), Hook him using your shoulders and butt by leaning into him, not by turning your shoulders, If you're on the ground, defender can get up first and make the play, They can still go over you and make a play on the QB or RB. Regardless of the defensive front, these two principles are consistent, and again, 73.8 percent of coaches use this terminology when implementing the zone scheme. All rights reserved. If not, run to the strong side A gap and cut off anything you could possibly see. If he tries to pull and come around the back-side number of the tackle, he will never get it done. Rules to live by with Zone Blocking Know if you are covered or uncovered. Before getting into the actual drills, a few things must be understood. Here is one last example of how the flow and horizontal pressure of outside zone can exploit defenses. With the wide zone run scheme, offensive linemen work laterally as they try to gain the edge. The center should start by working flat down the line of scrimmage to position himself in front of the defensive lineman. ZONE Effective blocking on inside zone provides cutback lanes for the ball carrier. The defense counters with four defensive linemen, as well as the Sam linebacker lining up in tight toward the line of scrimmage. By having the Running Back coming downhill the defenders are forced to react or risk being beaten to the edge. It's basically the same principle X&O Labs uncovered back in March when we released our inside zone report. There are certain indicators that would "tip off" some form of angle or stunt to the play side of zone. Teams will use their H back to block outside out but then release him for a pop pass. To preface, the count system does not equal man blocking. "We got it from Glen Mason while he was at the University of Minnesota. endobj (Full Explanation). If the center can reach the nose he will make a "you" call to the strong guard telling the strong guard to pull and block the play side linebacker. These are the rules of the play-side tackle: It is up to the play-side tackle to take the end where he wants to go. "We don't ever worry about getting beat underneath, the ball will be outside already," said Ruel. Formation puts defense in a MOFO look and TE runs right by the LB to attack space in the middle of the field. That means the center will work to the backside linebacker and not the play-side linebacker (PSLB). The difference is the wide zone blocking is horizontal, either going toward one sideline or the other. This means simply getting in front of them and cutting off their angle to the football. Sure, some teams have chosen to man block the play, 73.8 percent of coaches still use a covered and uncovered principle when running the outside zone. This would result in one of two things -- both of which were good for the defense. I've admired the way the Indianapolis Colts ran the scheme to perfection under center with Peyton Manning and with the efficiency with which Oregon ran it this year out of the shotgun. Any team running a pound-it between the tackles power offense should consider implementing outside zone. The tackle would pick up the block, but it would knock the guard off course in the process. The double team on outside zone will be short lived and evolved into a co-op block between the PS Tackle and PS TE. A covered lineman who has help from the uncovered team mate should rip through his man, which will. Zone blocking is a style of blocking for offensive linemen that was created by offensive coaches in response to a new style of defense that had emerged. However, in the past few years under running game coordinator . This forces the safety to hold back and not come downhill for the run fit. In fact, its the exact same as far as who the offensive linemen are blocking. The blocking has been simplified through the use of two blocking schemes-- inside zone and outside zone-- for a variety of different plays. In this article, were going to show you exactly how to run outside zone and how you can install it into your offensive system. He's authored dozens of clinic articles and published numerous videos on the outside zone. This not only provides for a wider blocking surface, but also keeps the horizontal displacement of the scheme giving the running back more room to operate (we will explain the RB reads a bit later). "So we think there is no chance anyone from the play side A gap back can make a play on the outside zone. The backside tackle and tight end fight to cut off their defenders and prevent them from shooting gaps. Know your steps and calls. It's a curveball, so to speak, to keep defenses off balance and on its heels. Outside zone can be run from different formations, depending on where the coach wants the play to hit. (Diagram 1) Can't see the diagram? Below, I explain how that method translate into one-on-one blocks in the inside zone. Think inside shoulder to outside shoulder. Linemen block their corresponding number while still working within the technique of the outside zone scheme. "He wants to get started up field because he is going to come off on the next level. Teams who run outside zone from under center typically require the running back to make a quicker decision, as the ball will be in the hands of the running back closer to the line of scrimmage. <>/XObject<>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 10 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S>> This topic is about teaching the inside and outside zone using 3-person groups during your individual periods. For clarification, the first blocker is the tight end, the second blocker is the fullback and the third blocker is the wide receiver play side. On the backside the shaded Nose = -1, the Will = -2 and the backside DE = -3. Everything that Zweifel teaches in his outside zone progression is based upon the "reach and overtake" mantra that he drills into his linemen from day one. Blocking Outside Zone Using the Count System The play is designed to go to the right. endobj Hand tells us the specifics of his ball carrier's path in outside zone from the shotgun formation. stream stream Unlike a full zone principle, this scheme involves down blocks and pulls at the point of attack. TIRVB(oSTsU%;1Xj_IL_E6cqE3p*p?EQyw~8+@+WS>W._ Basic Inside Zone Blocking Rules Diagram. The guard and tackle on each side of the center will combine for the zone blocking double teams. In turn, that allows the BSG to climb up to the linebacker. Gets your play-makers the ball on the perimeter: Similar to the bubble concept, this scheme pushes the ball to the perimeter of the defense. If the defensive end stays to the outside (through the C gap), then the offensive tackle will stay on him while the offensive guard peels off to pick up the Mike. Its great for QBs, RBs, WRs, LBs, and DBs. Outside zone is one of the hardest plays for the defense to stop, simply because it takes the element of power completely out of the situation. First, all defensive linemen would line head-up on an offensive lineman. These are the primary rules for outside zone. Forward This Report to Coaches Using Our Easy Form. Any time you run and pin and pull, it is a cut on the back-side - no scoop. Before we talk specifics, we wanted to give you a general consensus of why teams are running the scheme. No more boring Sundays, everyone can enjoy football! Currently 5/5 Stars. Join our Youth Football Movement today. -Designed by Thrive Themes| Powered by WordPress, Understanding the Zone Blocking Scheme in Football, What is a Quarterback in Football? Click here. We need to open his shoulders and work to the outside LB. Click here. On most outside zone schemes, particularly ones run at the higher levels of football, offensive lineman would cut block defenders on the back-side of the play - regardless of whether that player was a first or second level defender. Blocking Outside Zone Using the Count System WATCH: Michigan Inside Zone Blocking Drills - Sherrone Moore The Myth of the Vertical Pass Set It's cable reimagined No DVR space limits. Their objective is to reach and overtake the next down lineman play side. That's how the zone blocking scheme was created. "We're a dinosaur when it comes to our path. This is still a zone scheme, and OL will have to take their zone steps and pick up anyone who enters their gap because after all, the defense are humans and they will react differently after the snap. Inside Drill - Inside Zone blocking. The outside zone concept is simple, but it doesnt need to be run only by multiple-back formations. Case 2: "Uncovered" Blocking Concepts to the Play Side (Reach and Overtake). 28 Zone 'Slice'" - now we can still read what the DE does, but we have a body blocking him. RB aligns behind the tackle to his side, five yards off the ball in gun so we can stretch the defense. Get X&O Labs' New Report Revealing Boise State and Oregon's "Trigger" Concepts May 24th. 2. That opens up a nice lane down the middle. The first player backside (of the center) is labeled as -1. The difference is in the how they are blocking. Our research has shown nearly an even split on this topic, with 52.6 percent preferring to run the scheme under center. Get 3 free templates to help you build an organized and structured team. They must be taught through practice and game reps to get a feel for when the Tackle does not have his man sealed so they can turn it upfield to gain yards. ", We've found the emphasis on the covered lineman is to have his shoulders pointed up field at all times. 9 0 obj Sometimes that deep step is needed to take over the next down lineman. Flag football is a great game to play, especially during the offseason. On the backside, the LG & LT (-1 & -2) will take care of the Nose and Will (-1 & -2) and the QB will read (or boot) the BSDE (-3) to account for him in the blocking scheme. Zone blocking uses very consistent rules that do not change according to the defensive front. The play side guard blocks down on the nose and the center pulls around the guards block and up on the backer. Subscribe for weekly recaps on analysis, insight, and articles. South Carolinas own twist on the double swing screen Y delay. This was very similar to a man-to-man defense. It keeps our shoulders pointed up field. It can also efficiently be run with one back, which would still give you the advantage of the leverage on the defense based on what you put into their gaps on either side. Copyright 2023 vIQtory Sports, all rights reserved. If they lose sight of him even for a minute, itll delay their ability to pick him up on that second-level block. I found this excellent article that breaks it all down here. That 3-technique would be the next adjacent down lineman. They teach a run to rip technique, similar to the responsibility of the uncovered lineman to the front side of the play. It no longer matters who is lining up in front of each offensive lineman. Again, the purpose of the outside zone is to show a horizontal stretch on the defense. "We must open the defender's shoulders. This play is diagramed against a 3-4 scheme. Pass pro rules can matchup, adding another level to the adaptability. "We want the pulling guard (or whoever is uncovered) to get depth and distance on the pull. The new defensive scheme completely disrupted the thinking of man blocking, and it found many holes in the approach. Iowa's outside zone is modeled after the Alex Gibbs/Terrell Davis philosophy of getting the defense to run on the front side just to cut on the backside. Get X&O Labs' Coaching Research Reports FREE Every Tuesday. For years, offensive linemen were given man blocking responsibilities. Get our blocking diagrams to every defensive front Steps and Combos The next thing you need to study about the Inside Zone is Offensive Line Steps and Calling Combination Blocks. On the backside, the LG = -1 and the LT = -2. Starting with the center, the philosophy is to cut off the person in your next gap. This is referred to as the second level of the defense. Click here now! 17 Bellstone Drive, Bellingham, MA, 02019. Navigate to Security > WAF > Tools. Pat Ruel, the assistant offensive line coach for the Seattle Seahawks, teaches a stretch hook concept (a combo horizontal stretch and hook) for his covered linemen to the play side of zone. Inside zone running is vertical blocking where you are trying to move your man either left or . The login page will open in a new tab. He uses the drag hand to catch and hold the defender so he cannot penetrate.". As you can see from the description and illustrations, the slant and angle defensive scheme posed a big problem for man blocking schemes. This provides for numerous cutback lanes for the ball carrier to insert himself. North Texas runs Iso Pop Pass down inside the red zone. That caused offensive coaches to try to come up with a new blocking scheme thatd counter the slant and angle scheme and also protect against future defensive schemes that coaches might create. For years, offensive linemen were given man blocking responsibilities. 101K views 4 years ago In this description of the inside zone you learn a new and simple way to make sure your lineman know who they will be working with on their combo blocks. Instead, each lineman is responsible to block an area . At the snap, they'd all either slant to the left or the right, depending on what defensive play was called, heading to the gap between two offensive linemen. The best part about the Outside Zone scheme is that it can be used in a multitude of different ways to attack the defense. As Jim Sweeney, a 16-year NFL center tells his lineman at South Fayette HS (PA), "We always try to stay parallel with our shoulders because we want the back to have a three way go. We have even told him sometimes to cut the front side 3-tech." It works great as a horizontal flow and is common to use on boot legs and play action. By slanting the defensive linemen a certain direction, itd cause the offensive linemen to follow them, which would then cut off other offensive linemen from being able to block linebackers.

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