Outside linebacker drills For a more authentic feeling, you could stand in front of the linebacker and point in different directions, forcing the linebacker to adjust which foot to plant and which way to shuffle. This drill is essential for teaching a linebacker how to react to plays like draws and screens. The linebacker will be able to adjust, react, and attack and a high level after mastering this drill. One of the most important parts of being a successful linebacker is reading your keys correctly. Inside linebackers will focus mainly on the guards and fullbacks. If the guard drops back, the linebacker should suspect a pass. If the guard pulls and runs either left or right, the linebacker should suspect an outside run or screen. If the guard blocks down, the linebacker should suspect an inside run, especially if the lineman is running directly at the linebacker. How Do You Run a Fullback Trap in Football?. The Shuffle Alley Drill will simulate following a running back while maintaining backside leverage. This helps prevent a running back from successfully cutting back to leave you tackling the air. How to Position Yourself on the Starting Block for a Sprint. Outside linebackers will key on the tackles, using the same technique as the inside linebacker. In this drill, you will place 5 tackling dummies or large barrels all parallel to each other lying on the ground. The linebacker will start on the side of the first dummy and backpedal along the side of the barrel, then shuffle to the alley created by the next dummy, plant his feet, run through the alley, shuffle to the next alley, and finish by backpedaling through the alley. He will repeat this until he gets to the end and then goes back the other way. While doing this, the linebacker needs to keep his eyes up looking at the coach. Shoulders should be square and feet should stay shoulder width apart. Being a linebacker is a hard job, being a great linebacker is even harder. Linebackers are the heart and soul of the defense. They analyze the offensive schemes and determine which blitz will be effective and which coverage will prevent the offense from moving the ball. Linebackers must be strong enough to take on a 300-pound lineman and make a tackle, but they must also be elusive enough to drop into coverage and make a play
on the ball. To be a great linebacker, it is essential to have a coach with strong football knowledge that can be transferred into the mind of the athlete. Use these drills and techniques to make your linebackers the most feared defensive players in your league. ThoughtCo is part of the Dotdash publishing family. What Are the Offensive and Defensive Positions on a Football Team?. Figuring Out Football? Here are the Basic Positions on Defense. Linebackers that are placed outside the tackle box, have a stance that is altered to fit the defensive scheme. Outside linebackers feet are staggered with the foot that is closest to the center being placed forward while the outside foot is further back in a ready-to-run position. Arms should be at the player's side also in a ready-tostrike position. Outside linebackers are responsible for keeping the ball contained inside, so they usually line up on the outside shoulder of the tackle. For a linebacker to be great, you need to coach in a way that enforces technique as first priority. For linebackers that are positioned within the tackle box, their feet should be a little more than shoulder-width apart to build a solid foundation. The inside linebacker's toes should be slightly pointed inwards, which helps prevent false steps. They should be slightly bent over with a straight back and their head up, allowing them to analyze the offense to make the appropriate reads and calls. The elbows of the linebacker should be over the knees, but not resting on them, with hands in a ready-to-strike position. The linebacker is a vicious position. It requires football knowledge, strength, agility, and a good coach. Sit in the film room with your linebacker and implement these drills and techniques into your linebacker routine and watch your linebackers grow and become a feared force. What Defensive Line Drills Can Football Coaches Use?. The linebacker's job is to rip through the players' arms with his outside arm, dodging the blocks. Doing this allows only a small amount of contact with the head. The linebacker will rip through the blocks using his shoulder and forearm. He will run through each player then angle tackles the running back at the end. This will help your linebacker rip through blocks and make big plays. To practice these reads, the coach should simulate a half-speed play and give the guard directions to either go back in pass block, pull to right or left, or block down on the defensive tackle with eyes on the linebacker. When the guard drops back, the linebacker should either
drop in coverage or keep eyes on the fullback. If the guard pulls, the linebacker should fight to the outside in the direction the guard is going. If the guard blocks down, then linebacker should fill the hole and look for the ball. This should be repeated until it becomes automatic for the linebacker to read the guard and take the appropriate steps. Reading the fullback follows the same measures. This drill starts with the linebacker in his stance between two cones set about 10 yards apart. A runner is placed in front of the linebacker, about 5 yards away. The runner's job is to simply run from left to right, without crossing the line of scrimmage until the coach says "alley." The linebacker should be shuffling, mirroring the running back while keeping his head straight and shoulders back. When a coach says "alley," the linebacker plants and attacks the running back in whichever alley he is occupying. Cones can be placed to simulate the offensive line to give the drill a more authentic feeling. This drill will undoubtedly help your linebacker from getting blown by and left in the dust. How Do You Teach Linebackers the Triangle Read Concept?. 9 Defensive Drills Youth Football Teams NEED to Run. It is essential for a linebacker to take small steps in the direction according to the read on the tackles, guards, and fullback; and meet the running back at the line of scrimmage with feet and shoulders squared with the player's facemask finding the football. Once the linebacker makes contact, arms go from being back to wrapping around the offensive player and hips pressing forward. When done correctly, your linebacker can basically body-slam the running back and hopefully cause a fumble. For this drill, the linebacker will start off in his stance. Wide base, toes pointed slightly inward, back straight and head up. The coach will stand in front of the linebacker and point either right or left. The linebacker will take one 6-inch step in the direction coach points. This drill simulates a linebacker reading the guard, tackle, or fullback and taking the appropriate short step in the direction they are going. It is beneficial to point from a slower to a faster pace to help the linebacker improve on reading quicker while taking the appropriate short step. What is the middle linebacker and why is the position important?. - Vs fast flow (both backs attacking outside right now). This drill helps linebackers develop their lateral quickness and ability to shoot the gap, both of which are critical for inside linebackers. In order to secure interceptions, defensive
backs must be able to both track the ball and nab it from its highest point. Upon the coach's command, a player can backpedal and run side to side or in. However, once the coach pulls the defensive back in, the coach throws the ball high enough to allow for the player to jump and catch it at its highest point before sprinting it in. Now discover DVD and Blu-ray from the US on Amazon.co.uk. What Defensive Line Drills Can Football Coaches Use?. The drill starts with having two linebackers face each other, with one serving as the pass blocker and the other being the pass rusher. On the coach's command, the pass blocker drops back in pass protection, and the pass rusher must use the correct move, whether it be bull, rip, or swim, to get past him. Despite being a rather simple drill, it is a useful tool to fine-tune the technique needed to be an effective outside linebacker. Linebacker Keys in the 3-3 Stack Defense Part 1. While reading the QB's shoulders and eyes, the linebacker breaks in on the pass. The QB intentionally throws the ball a little high and the receiver deflects the pass into the air. Upon breaking on the pass, the linebacker catches the deflection. This drill is valuable for developing a linebacker's coverage skills and ability to make an interception when the opportunity presents itself. The MLB keys and follows the most dangerous runner:. Our staff is currently entering our second season at Brunswick High School in South Georgia. Previously, we were at Chester High School in Chester, SC. We have run the Odd Stack defense for the last 4 years with a great deal of success. (2 Region Championships, 1 State Runner-Up, 7 Shut-Outs in 2007) As we have used this defense as a base, we have had to continually look at what we are doing and see if it matches up with the offenses we face. Each year, we have tweaked different parts of our defense, but one of the best things we have done is to develop a system LB keys that we feel is simple and yet holds up against a variety of different opponents. The purpose of this blog is to give me an outlet in which to concentrate my efforts to become a more well-rounded human being. When I turned 40 this year, I stopped and took a close look at my life, where I am and where I want to be, both professionally & personally. Twenty years from now, I want to be able to look back and see that I was not only a good football coach, but a good husband, a good father, and a good teacher. Too many times I see men that are successful in coaching
at the expense of the other three. Can a man be successful in all four areas? I believe so. I have tried to prioritize the things that I wish to accomplish and identify the areas of personal development that I wish to improve. If someone else finds it interesting or wants to give feedback, please feel free. ----SPUR fast flow away = Stack on C gap for cutback / reverse. Linebacker Keys in the 3-3 Stack Defense Part 3. - Keying the direction of initial flow (motion or after snap). ThoughtCo is part of the Dotdash publishing family. Discover surprising insights and little-known facts about politics, literature, science, and the marvels of the natural world. ----SPUR angle flow away = Stack on C gap for cutback / reverse. The score tackling drill can assist in building linebackers that can shoot the gap and tackle a running back before they reach the next line of defense. ----SPURs see hard flow in the box =Stack on C gap for cutback / reverse. The Corner Blitz - Blitzing Corner for Run Support. A key feature of our system is that we set landmarks of responsibility as opposed to specific gaps. We believe that our constant defensive line movement and the blocking combinations that we see combine to cause our gaps to "move". For instance with a down block by the guard, B gap is not exactly where it was pre-snap. So instead of gaps, we label Landmarks: