There are two general approaches to how outside zone is taught. I believe that a player who thinks he can run fast will beat a player who thinks he is going to be running slow. Second, the offensive linemen must keep their shoulders square. When we conducting our research, we've found there are three particular scenarios in which coaches are using the pin and pull technique. Backside hand through the sternum. The wide-zone run scheme is a play based on horizontal movement. The Spread Offense So when we started compiling the report, we've found that the most heated discussion is whether or not to full zone or man block the scheme. Rather than attacking upfield at the snap, the offensive linemen typically move at a 45-degree angle towards one of the sidelines, often leaving the backside defensive end unblocked to generate a . Cutting off offensive linemen requires no size or strength. Teams now use the outside zone as a counter to this pressure by getting the ball to the edge. The rules. The ZBS takes the offensive line and choreographs their movements. In this instance the Running Back will line up next to the Quarterback opposite of the play call. The tight end is responsible for kicking out the Sam linebacker. BLOCKING RULES RULE: Base - Big on Big rule CALL: "big" Block inside, over, outside to near backer. Even if they cannot gain the edge, running backs will work outside-in until a gap pops open. Let's take a closer look at what the zone blocking scheme is, starting with the problem in man blocking that was created by the slant and angle defense. Follow, Head Coach Monterey HS @coach_besaw born and raised in the Spread (Eugene, OR) covering all things Spread Offense, A few different ways you can use the sniffer tight end in the run game 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. (Diagram 1) Can't see the diagram? Later you might consider 8-9 hole QB options. While its a little more complicated to teach and learn than the man blocking scheme, it isn't too difficult that itd be hard for younger players to learn. To start on offense, the count will begin with the Center and then work to the front side. 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. 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. That movement will stop the penetration of the defender inside. As Kelly puts it, "the. This forces the safety to hold back and not come downhill for the run fit. What we've found most interesting is that unlike the inside zone, the outside zone does not have to be a cornerstone of your offense. Outside zone can be run from different formations, depending on where the coach wants the play to hit. stream The linemen still count their defenders to the play side when determining their responsibilities. His objective is to get to the next adjacent down lineman's play side number with the purpose of taking him over. What this does is result in a lot of double-team blocks at the line of scrimmage. Inside Drill - Inside Zone blocking. <> OL = Outside Zone blocking. The combination will come with the Center and RG (0 & 1) on the 3t and the Mike (0 & 1 on defense). The earlier you teach the zone blocking scheme to your players, and the more often you practice it, the easier itll be for them to master it. It's basically the same principle X&O Labs uncovered back in March when we released our inside zone report. It's all doable depending on the path of the back which Zweifel explains. Your email address will not be published. Fourth, the offensive linemen must know which one will stay on the defender and which one will peel off to pick up the linebacker. The RB will key the block on the first D-lineman playside on inside zone, and make a cut based off the block on him. Here is one last example of how the flow and horizontal pressure of outside zone can exploit defenses. PS Tackle to 'easy' release to MDM on 2 nd level. This was very similar to a man-to-man defense. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. "We must open the defender's shoulders. Zweifel tells his uncovered linemen first to take a deep drop step to gain depth with the second step being a crossover to try to get on line to overtake next down defender. But here comes the beauty of the zone blocking scheme. {}jY[5t?hY;6o~_ The difference is the wide zone blocking is horizontal, either going toward one sideline or the other. Zone blocking can most simply be described by saying that an offensive line is responsible for a specific zone instead of a specific man (as he would be in a man blocking scheme). 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. The best part about the Outside Zone scheme is that it can be used in a multitude of different ways to attack the defense. They called it the 28/29 Edge play. Once his gap is secured, he will continue working up to the linebacker to cut off his angle. 6. Lean back if nothing is there - If there's nothing that shows immediately, lean back and get eyes on what's coming into your gap. The 3rd level defenders have taken bad angles because of how hard the Jaguars pressed outside. Maximizing the Outside Zone Blocking Scheme. (Diagram 2) Can't see the diagram? It gave the OZ play a chance to cut into C gap. Each of our plays may have 3 to 4 different ways to block the play based on the defensive formation. Running backs also have to be able to key and see that pre-snap to adjust their track accordingly. RB aligns behind the tackle to his side, five yards off the ball in gun so we can stretch the defense. There were numerous reasons as to why high school coaches don't tell their kids to cut block, but perhaps no other coach was more straightforward about it then Sweeney. It's a terrific complement to the inside zone and the myriad of schemes that come off the zone concept can provide the defense with tremendous conflicts. You can see in this example, from a standard shotgun set, the QB uses the backside defensive ends alignment against him, and simply 'reads' what he is doing, it provides a very simple rule for . Chip and GO. . the difference between an inside and outside zone, and how . South Carolinas own twist on the double swing screen Y delay. In turn, that allows the BSG to climb up to the linebacker. The Offensive Line uses a zone blocking scheme on both of these plays, however, each play is a little different. Required fields are marked *. 4 0 obj In outside zone, offensive linemen will never step backside. 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. Get stomach up field on third step - this ensures the defender is cut-off from his gap responsibility. On inside zone there will be double teams where as outside zone there will be no double teams except on the edge between the PS Tackle and the PS TE. That's how the zone blocking scheme was created. Its best used as a base play for your offense if youre running three wide receivers and a tight end or two wing-backs. With inside zone, vertical steps backside are used to create double teams. The tackle cannot come off the ball with no concern of the defender slanting inside. Make your splits work for your advantage. Using outside zone as a base run play opens up other concepts like play-action plays (where you fake the outside zone handoff and throw it deep outside) or gap schemes. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Initially, the Inside Zone looks like a really simple play as. In the diagram above, inside zone out of 20 personnel allows an offense to block any and every front with the H-Back and offensive . (Full Explanation), Air Coryell Football Coaching Guide (Includes Images). Some general rules that are applied to these systems: Contrary to its name, outside zone doesnt usually hit outside. I would have no other time to run other schemes.". It is very similar to what Hand teaches, but his rules refer more to the perimeter defenders than to first level defensive linemen. I'll teach you the tips, tricks, and secrets used by some of the best football coaches at the youth, HS, and pro level. Each O-Lineman's goal is to get in between his man and the sideline, however, this lateral step will sometimes cause the defender to . ]Q{V@RZj/vzm[ n1Ae(A%g( <> One of the most common ways the Outside Zone has been used is from Under Center with the Stretch play. Engage, resist cross face move, take them outside/up field. Where the defensive end goes -- and how the offensive linemen double team him -- will determine which offensive lineman blocks the Mike. The count works out from there. One of the more popular variations of outside zone is the outside zone RPO. But then, a hole in the man blocking system was exposed by smart defensive coaches. 4 hands on DLM, 4 eyes on LB. But besides that, the 2 plays are very different. <> I use about 10 blocking rule calls to create the best angles for our offensive linemen. This could ultimately lead to catastrophe. Aiming points and angles are some of the most important rules for the OL This is similar to the philosophy of pin and pull, which we wrote about here. Rules to live by with Zone Blocking Know if you are covered or uncovered. But what we got surprised us. Truth is, 80.8 percent of those that took our outside zone survey were high school coaches. The left guard has someone in their play-side gap so they attack their play-side shoulder. 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. 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. We're talking full displacement of defenders. Heres how it looks: The play is designed to go to the right. They teach a run to rip technique, similar to the responsibility of the uncovered lineman to the front side of the play. Outside zone is a play that aims to attack the edge of the defense but utilizes backside cutoffs. The tackle would miss the block, forcing the guard to pick up the defensive end or allowing the end to quickly get in the backfield. . Regardless of how the handoff takes places the Jet man will be getting the ball and stretching the edge of the field. Basic Inside Zone Blocking Rules Diagram. Click here. Tenopir talks about the pull and overtake method by the uncovered lineman. If the center cannot reach the nose, he will make a "me" call to the strong guard telling him to block the nose and the center will pull to block the MLB. 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. "As the covered lineman takes his stretch step to the outside V of the neck, his back-side hand placement is the thing that will slow him down enough to catch the five-technique defender if he slants inside," said Hand. These number labels on the defense correlate to numbers given to the offensive linemen. Team Run - Inside Zone blocking. Outside zone is run strictly off of leverage and cutoff blocks. 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. Tenopir used to call this the "play boy" scheme because it's a fold block with the center and play side guard. It provides a lot of advantages for offensive linemen, no matter what defensive play is called. Zone Read Scheme Rules, Techniques and Drills. It simplified the roles and responsibilities for each offensive lineman since he was only asked to worry about one defender. 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. 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. Track blocking basically means putting the linemen on a track, and they engage only what shows up on their track. It's used against and eight man front. 10 0 obj This play is diagramed against a 3-4 scheme. 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. To preface, the count system does not equal man blocking. In this example, the count would begin with the 3t = 0, the Mike = 1 and the DE = 2. First, the linemen who are double team blocking in tandem must stay hip-to-hip. Even if offensive linemen lose ground, the back can run off of those blocks and create positive plays that exploit fast-filling linebackers. Communicate with each other. While I dont really believe this is completely true, I am a full believer in the power of the placebo effect. Unlike a full zone principle, this scheme involves down blocks and pulls at the point of attack. Can't see the diagram? Yes, he did just say front side A gap. The Outside Zone Drill is going to be used after your Individual Period. This helps eliminate some concerns especially if you are pulling a fast player over from defense to run the play. This made it very easy to teach, especially for younger football players who were just learning to play the game. Outside zone is a concept that can be used as a base run play (Similar to how we detailed inside zone in the article). If so, you'll love my daily "Football Coaching" emails. <> The filled/unfilled system prioritizes their rules based on whether the play-side gap of an offensive lineman has a defender in it or not. Zone blocking schemes give the running back options and cutback lanes while offensive linemen are assigned an area to block instead of a specific man. The cornerstone of blocking rules starts with blocking seven for seven across the front in 12 personnel . 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. Similar line blocking assignments: Just like the inside zone, the outside zone utilizes a full zone scheme. In this case, the Center = 0, RG = 1 and RT = 2. Behind the Inside Zone it is the second most popular scheme at the professional and college level. The Hawkeyes have averaged over 160 yards per game on the ground each of the last four seasons. Head Up, 50% chance he is mine engage and release if he goes inside. If any wrong color jersey crosses his face on that path, cut it. Before we talk specifics, we wanted to give you a general consensus of why teams are running the scheme.