353 DEFENSIVE LINE TECHNIQUES AND DRILLS THOMAS COUSINS

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3-5-3 DEFENSIVE LINE TECHNIQUES AND DRILLS
THOMAS COUSINS
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IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

• IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN COACHING LINEMEN IN THE
  3-5-3 VS. THE 4-3?
• WE FEEL THE ANSWER IS YES AND NO.

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NO

• TACKLING, RUNNING AND BEING TOUGH SHOULD BE A
  PART OF ANY GOOD DEFENSE.
• WE STILL READ BLOCKS, WE JUST DO IT ON THE RUN.

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YES

• SINCE OUR LINEMEN NEVER TAKE ON AN OFFENSIVE
  LINEMAN HEAD UP WE NEED TO TEACH WHAT WE CALL
  READING ON THE RUN.
• WE TEACH ATTACKING ½ A MAN WITH EITHER A RIP OR
  BY ATTACKING THE INSIDE CHEST PLATE
• THE BIGGEST THING WE WORK ON IS FIGHTING PRESSURE
  WITH PRESSURE AND NOT GETTING WASHED UP FIELD.

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ESSENTIALS OF DEFENSIVE LINE PLAY

• 1. GET OFF- YOU MUST EXPLODE OFF THE BALL AND
  CROSS THE FACE OF THE MAN YOU ARE LINED UP FROM.
• 2. PURSUIT- WE STRESS RUN, RUN, RUN.
• 3. TACKLING- WORK SOME ASPECT OF TACKLING
  EVERYDAY.

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What do we want to accomplish?

• We want to make our defensive lineman more
  productive in the areas of tackling, pressure and
  pursuit.
• We want to run drills that are specific to what
  we do.
• If a drill is not football specific- dont do it.
• We want to put our defensive linemen in
  real-life, game type situations.

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DEFENSIVE LINE FUNDAMENTALS IN THE 3-5-3

• 1. ALIGNMENT
• 2. STANCE
• 3. SLANT/ STEPS
• 4. ENGAGEMENT/ BLOW DELIVERY
• 5. READ/ PRESSURE
• 6. PURSUIT
• 7. TACKLE

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ALIGNMENT

• WE WILL WORK ALIGNMENT EVERYDAY.
• WE WILL LINE UP THREE DIFFERENT WAYS WITH OUR
  TACKLES.
• IN BASE THEY WILL HEAD UP
• IN JET THEY WILL BE IN A WIDE 5 AND A WIDE 9
• IN GOALLINE THEY WILL BE IN 4 TECHNIQUES.

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ALIGNMENT BASE
T N T
TACKLES AND NOSE WILL BE HEAD UP AND AS TIGHT TO
THE BALL AS POSSIBLE
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ALIGNMENT JET
T N T
TACKLES WILL BE JETTED 1 YARD OUTSIDE OF THE
TACKLE AND TIGHT END. NOSE WILL BE HEAD UP AND AS
TIGHT TO THE BALL AS POSSIBLE
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ALIGNMENT GOALLINE
T N T
TACKLES WILL BE IN 4 TECHNIQUES. NOSE WILL BE
HEAD UP AND AS TIGHT TO THE BALL AS POSSIBLE
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STANCE

• OUR STANCE IS A THREE POINT STANCE WITH FEET AS
  CLOSE TO PARALLEL AS POSSIBLE.
• WEIGHT ON THE BALLS OF THE FEET, KNEES IN AND
  HEELS OFF THE GROUND
• HEAD- TURN YOUR HEAD AND LOOK DOWN THE LOS AT THE
  BALL.
• ARMS- FRONT ARM SHOULD BE WELL IN FRONT OF THE
  HEAD. FREE ARM IS COCKED BY THE FACEMASK READY TO
  STRIKE.
• BACK- BUTT MUST BE HIGHER THAN HEAD.
• WEIGHT- 60 OF WEIGHT IS ON FINGERTIPS. YOU ARE A
  COILED SPRING READY TO EXPLODE.
• FEET SHOULD BE NO WIDER THAN SHOULDER WIDTH.
• DL NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO STEP WITH EITHER FOOT-
  LEFT OR RIGHT.
• HEAD IS TURNED LOOKING AT THE FOOTBALL

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SLANT/STEPS

• GET OFF
• INITIAL MOVEMENT MUST BE SIDEWAYS AND UP AT A 45
  ANGLE.
• LIKE A SPRINTER COMING OUT OF THE BLOCKSCREATE
  FORCE.
• BACK FLAT
• NUMBERS OF YOUR JERSEY OVER YOUR KNEE.
• BULL YOUR NECK.
• AIM FOR THE HIP OF THE MAN YOU ARE SLANTING
  ACROSS.
• FOLLOW QUICKLY WITH THE 2ND AND 3RD STEPS
• STAY LOW AND MAINTAIN LIFT LEVERAGE.

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SLANT/STEPS DRILLS
T N T
VERY SIMPLE DRILL DONE WITH FLAT DUMMIES ON THE
GROUND COACH GIVES A LINE CALL (IN, OUT, SLANT
STRONG, SLANT WEAK, PINCH) AND A STRENGTH
CALL. COACH SNAPS THE BALL AND LOOKS FOR
FOOTWORK, EXPLOSION, FLAT BACK, AND ARM RIP IN
GET OFF BY THE DEFENSIVE LINEMEN.
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ENGAGEMENT/ BLOW DELIVERY

• DEFENSIVE LINEMEN MUST SHOOT OFF HAND ACROSS THE
  MAN HE IS SLANTING FROM.
• WE ARE AIMING FOR THE HIP OF THE MAN WE ARE
  SLANTING TO.
• WHEN WE MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
  WE EITHER FINISH OUR RIP OR IF WE GET STONED-
  BRING BOTH HANDS UP INTO ½ OF HIS CHESTPLATE,
  LIFT, CONTROL OUR GAP AND FIND THE BALL.
• WE NEVER WANT TO GET MORE THAN 1 YARD UP THE
  FIELD.
• IF WE EVER COME OFF UNBLOCKED WE TURN AND LOOK
  INSIDE.

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BLOW DELIVERY
T N T
THE MAIN DRILL WE USE TO TEACH BLOW DELIVERY IS A
3 POINT STEP AND RIP DRILL. DL ARE IN STANCE
ACROSS FROM A PLAYER HOLDING A BAG ON BALL
MOVEMENT THEY EXPLODE AND RIP THROUGH THE MAN
ACROSS FROM THEM. COACH LOOKS FOR FOOTWORK,
EXPLOSION, PROPER ARM RIP AND GETTING TO 1 YARD
DEEP.
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Pressure drills

• Get some.
• Part of our hoop drills we do everyday.
• The defensive lineman will run two hoops in a
  figure eight.
• Around the first hoop- he will rip with his
  inside arm, against other players punching at
  him.
• Around the second hoop he will rip with his other
  arm against other players punching him.
• He will finish the drill by strip tackling a
  dummy.

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READ/ PRESSURE

• WE WILL READ ON THE RUN- IF AN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
  PRESSURES US WE WILL PRESSURE BACK BY EITHER
  CROSSING HIS FACE OR GOING BACKDOOR.
• WE CANNOT GET WASHED UP THE FIELD, BY FIGHTING
  PRESSURE WITH PRESSURE AND NOT GETTING MORE THAN
  1 YARD UP THE FILED WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS.
• IF WE SLANT AND OUR MAN TRIES TO CUT US OFF, WE
  WILL FLATTEN DOWN THE LOS AND PURSUE TO THE BALL.

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READ DRILLS- BACKDOOR

• Backdoor
• Purpose- to recreate when a defensive lineman is
  following a trapping offensive lineman or has
  ripped into a gap and feels pressure from a down
  block..
• The offensive lineman will fit on the DLs hip
  who will then in turn go backdoor to make a
  tackle.

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Backdoor
R

• Ol will fit up on the hip of a defensive lineman.
  The DL will grab the hip of the offensive lineman
  and go backdoor- pursuing flat down the line of
  scrimmage.

T
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PURSUIT

• WE MUST FIND THE BALL AND TAKE GOOD ANGLES TO
  INTERCEPT THE BALL CARRIER.
• WE EXPECT 11 HATS TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY. YOU
  WILL NOT GET GOOD PURSUIT UNLESS YOU STRESS
  RUNNING TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY IN PRACTICE.
• WE RUN EXTRA AFTER PRACTICE FOR LOAFS- NOT
  GETTING 11 PEOPLE TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY.
• WE HAVE NEVER DONE PURSUIT DRILLS ALONE, WE
  INCORPORATE THEM INTO INSIDE, SKELLY, TEAM ETC.

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PURSUIT
T N T
THE MAIN DRILL WE USE TO TEACH PURSUIT IS THE
FLOW DRILL ON BALL MOVEMENT DL WILL PERFORM A RIP
TO ASSIGNED GAP WHEN THEY GET TO 1 YARD THE COACH
WILL POINT TO THE RIGHT, LEFT OF UP FIELD. THE DL
WILL PLANT AND HUSTLE THAT WAY.
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Pursuit drills

• Rabbit
• A hoop drill we do everyday
• Two players will line up on a hoop. One player
  will get a three yard head start.
• The two players will run a figure eight, if
  player two catches player one, the drill is over.
  

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Rabbit
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TACKLING

• WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN NOT MISSING TACKLES.
• WE WORK SOME ASPECT OF TACKLING EVERYDAY IN
  PRACTICE.
• WE NEVER GO HALF SPEED DURING DEFENSIVE PRACTICE.
  WE ARE ALWAYS LIVE, NO DUMMIES, NO PADS, NO
  SHORTS MONDAY- THURSDAY.

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Tackling

• We feel that there are 6 basic elements to every
  tackle. We work these 6 elements into every
  tackling drill we do.
• Feet- never gather, always run through the
  target.
• Eyes- always on numbers
• Head placement- always up and across the ball.
• Chest- lead with your chest not your head.
• High cloth- throw arms up and around
• Hip roll- act like you have a quarter in your
  cheeks and you dont want it to fall out.

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Tackling drills

• Slip Drill
• Purpose to recreate a defensive lineman slipping
  off an offensive lineman and making a tackle.
• OL and DL will fit up as if the were engaged with
  a block. The running back will then run tight to
  either hip of the offensive lineman. The
  defensive lineman will have to create separation
  and find the ball carrier.

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ANGLE TACKLING
T
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THIS IS THE MAIN TACKLING DRILL OUR DL DOES THE
DL LINES UP ACROSS FROM ANOTHER LINEMAN AND ON
COMMAND RIPS BY THE OL -THE RUNNING BACK WILL RUN
EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT NEXT TO THE OL. IF THE
RUNNING BACK COMES TO THE SAME SIDE THE DL
SLANTED TO THE DL PERFORMS A PROPER ANGLE TACKLE.
IF THE RUNNINGBACK RUNS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE THE
DL SLANTED TO. HE MUST PLANT, FLOW BACK TO THE
RUNNING BACK AND MAKE THE TACKLE.
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TACKLING DRILLS

• Speed to burn
• We will have two defensive ends in a jet- speed
  rush coming off each corner.
• The defensive ends will have to speed rip by an
  offensive lineman and strip tackle a dummy.
• Whoever gets there the fastest is the winner.

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Closing

• We feel that by putting our defensive linemen in
  real-life, game type situations we will increase
  production as a unit.
• We have seen a steady increase in the
  productivity of our defensive linemen in the
  three years since we have introduced this concept.