Building a championship football team

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Title: Building a championship football team
Author: Bryant, Paul W.
Language: English
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FOOTBALL TEAM ***

_Building a_
CHAMPIONSHIP
_Football Team_

PAUL W. “BEAR” BRYANT

_Athletic Director and
Head Football Coach,
University of Alabama_

Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
PRENTICE-HALL, INC.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
CATALOGUE CARD NUMBER: 60-53173

Eighth Printing February, 1968

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

08605—BC

Dedication

To a few close associates who were genuinely dedicated to the game of
football. These men were not only great assets to the game; they also
exemplified the true American way of life. Had it not been for men like
these, many of us would have fallen by the wayside. To them, I am forever
grateful.

ROBERT A. COWAN
FORDYCE, ARKANSAS

FRANK W. THOMAS
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

W. A. ALEXANDER
GEORGIA TECH

H. R. “RED” SANDERS
U. C. L. A.

CHARLES CALDWELL
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

HERMAN HICKMAN
YALE UNIVERSITY—_Sports Illustrated_

JIM TATUM
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

G. A. HUGUELETT
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

HERMAN L. HEEP
TEXAS A & M

REX ENRIGHT
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Acknowledgment

This book would not have been possible had it not been for the untiring
efforts of Eugene Stallings, co-captain Texas A & M 1956, All Conference
SWC End, and assistant football coach, University of Alabama. “Bebes”
Stallings exemplifies the true meaning of football, both as a player and
as a coach.

A Real Competitor

“Fight on, my men,” Sir Andrew says,
“A little I’me hurt, but yett not slaine;
“I’le but lye downe and bleede awhile,
“And then I’le rise and fight againe.”

“Sir Andrew Barton,” Part 2, St. 16
(PERCY’S RELIQUES, Series II, Book II)

If Sir Andrew were coaching football today, he would be accused of
teaching “hard-nosed football,” for his battlecry “I’ll rise and
fight again” is that of Paul “Bear” Bryant, author of this book and
self-acknowledged teacher of hard-nosed or all-out football.

Paul Bryant is one of the ablest, most colorful, most controversial
mentors. Fans either love Bear Bryant or despise him—which makes him
excellent box office.

Competitive fires flame high in Coach Bryant. Legend has it he once
played an entire game with a broken leg, believable when one considers
the all-out effort he demands of himself and his players. Deep down, he
is a sentimentalist who leaves a heavy imprint on his players. John David
Crow, All-American back and Heisman Trophy winner under Bryant at Texas A
& M, and now a National Football League star, says, “Coach Paul Bryant is
the greatest coach in America. He made a man out of me.”

Paul Bryant is a builder. When he came to Texas A & M in 1954, Aggie
fortunes were at a low ebb. In four years, Bryant’s Aggies won 25, lost
14, tied 2, and nine of those losses were in his first year.

As a sports writer and television commentator, this observer has watched
Southwest Conference football since 1915, the first year a grid champion
was crowned. The conference’s best job of coaching was Bryant’s,
beginning in 1954. His outstanding player walked out of the Junction,
Texas training camp, and Bryant would _not_ let him return. In their
first game, the Aggies lost to Texas Tech 9 to 41. The Aggies dropped all
six conference games, but only Baylor was able to achieve a two-touchdown
margin. In 1956, Bryant built an unbeaten team, with “my Junction boys”
the nucleus.

There was something almost mystical about Bryant’s story of why he was
leaving Texas A & M for his alma mater, the University of Alabama: “As a
small boy, I sometimes would play until after dark, and then, from afar
off, I’d hear my beloved mother calling, ‘Paul, come home.’ I’d run as
fast as my legs would carry me.”

Some cynics sneer at Paul Bryant’s explanation. But the many sportsmen
who hold for him lasting respect and affection know this warm-hearted man
is telling the truth.

LLOYD GREGORY
HOUSTON, TEXAS

Table of Contents

_Chapter_ _Page_

1. WHY FOOTBALL? 1

2. THE THEORY OF WINNING FOOTBALL 8

3. MAKING THE MOST OF THE COACHING STAFF 18

4. DEFENSE—OUR KIND OF FOOTBALL 24

5. PASS DEFENSE—OBJECTIVES AND TACTICS 62

6. OUR KICKING GAME TECHNIQUES 111

7. OUR OFFENSIVE RUNNING GAME 140

8. OUR OFFENSIVE PASSING GAME TECHNIQUES 176

9. TRAINING THE QUARTERBACK 186

10. PLANNING FOR A GAME 203

11. OUR DRILLS 215

12. THOSE WHO STAY WILL BE CHAMPIONS 231

INDEX 235

Building a CHAMPIONSHIP Football Team

CHAPTER 1

Why Football?

Have you ever wondered about football? Why it’s only a game which is as
fundamental as a ball and a helmet. But the sport is a game of great
importance. If you take all of the ingredients that go into making up the
game of football and put them into a jar, shake well and pour out, you’ve
got a well-proportioned phase of the American way of life.

FOOTBALL IS MORE THAN A GAME

Football is the All-American and the scrub. It’s the Rose Bowl with
102,000 cheering fans, and it’s the ragged kids in a vacant lot using a
dime-store ball. It’s a field in Colorado ankle-deep in snow, and one in
Florida sun-baked and shimmering.

Leaping cheerleaders, a brassy band, and the Dixie Darlings are a part of
the wonderful game of football. It’s a rich guy being chauffeured to the
stadium gate, and a frightened boy shinnying the fence and darting for
the end zone seats. It’s a crowd which has gone crazy as it rips down the
goal posts. And it’s a nation stunned and wet-eyed at the news of Knute
Rockne’s death.

Football is drama, music, dignity, sorrow. It’s exhilaration and shock.
It is also humor and, at times, comedy. It’s a referee sternly running
the game. It’s an inebriated character staggering onto the field and
trying to get into the action.

Football is the memory of Red Grange, the Four Horsemen, and the Seven
Blocks of Granite. It’s a team’s traditional battle cry, such as, “War
Eagle,” in the middle of the summer. It’s a crisp fall day, traffic
jams, portable radios and hip flasks. It’s train trips, plane flights
and victory celebrations. It’s the losers moaning, “You were lucky, just
wait’ll next year!”

Names are football, such as Bronco, Dixie, Night Train, The Horse,
Hopalong, Bad News, The Toe, and Mr. Outside.

FOOTBALL IS THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL

For four quarters, football is the Great American Novel, with chapters
from Frank Merriwell, the Bible, Horatio Alger, the life of Lincoln and
Jack the Giant-Killer.

Newspaper photos, arguments, Mr. Touchdown USA, yellowed clippings, the
Hall of Fame, The Star-Spangled Banner—they’re all football.

It’s a game of young men with big shoulders and hard muscles. It’s also a
game of old pros, such as, 38-year-old Charlie Conerly quarterbacking the
New York Giants to a football championship.

Football is popcorn, cokes, banners and cigaret smoke. It’s people
standing for the kick-off, lap blankets, pacing coaches, penalties and
melodious alma maters.

Football is a game of surprises. The big guy everybody picks in
pre-season as All-American fizzles out. But a kid nobody ever heard of
scores the winning touchdown and a star is born. It’s Tennessee going
17 games without being scored on. It’s also tiny Chattanooga upsetting
mighty Tennessee, making a coach’s dream come true.

It’s the pro halfback who is a movie star. And the water boy who got into
a game at Yale. It’s Bronco Nagurski butting down a sandbag abutment,
and dwarfish Davey O’Brien disappearing from sight behind an array of
250 pound linemen. It’s Harry Gilmer jumping high to pass, and Coach Jim
Owens proving that nice guys finish first.

Football is Bud Wilkinson, whose Sooners are 40 points ahead, walking up
and down the sideline like a caged lion. It’s 35-year-old Paul Dietzel
and 90-year-old Amos Alonzo Stagg. It’s 6′8″ Gene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb
and 5′6″ Eddie LeBaron.

Women who don’t know a quick kick from a winged-T cheer every move on the
field, waving pennants, purses and even mink stoles. That’s football.
So is the pressbox with its battery of clattering typewriters. And the
oldtimer who claims they played a better game in his day is a part of
football, too.

It’s Ray Berry, who wears contact lenses, making unbelievable catches for
the Baltimore Colts. And after the game, when he dons his thick glasses,
he looks the part of a studious school teacher—which he is after football
season terminates.

It’s a scramble for tickets, playing parlays, wide-eyed youngsters
getting autographs, a fist fight in the stands, second guessing,
banquets, icy rains, color guards, fumbles, goal line stands, homecoming
queens, and the typical mutt running onto the field attracting everyone’s
attention.

Football is Tommy Lewis jumping off the bench in the Cotton Bowl game and
tackling a touchdown-bound Rice runner simply because, “I’ve got too much
Alabama in me, I guess.” It’s the quivering voice of a dying George Gipp
telling his Notre Dame teammates, “Win one for the Gipper.”

It’s New Year’s, Christmas and the Fourth of July rolled into one. It’s
VJ Day, the Declaration of Independence, Haley’s comet and Bunker Hill.
It’s tears and laughter, pathos and exuberance.

Football is a game that separates the men from the boys, but also it’s a
game that makes kids of us all.

Most of all it’s a capsule of this great country itself.[1]

[1] The author extends sincerest thanks to Clettus Atkinson,
Assistant Sports Editor, Birmingham Post-Herald, for
contributing his fine depiction to the meaning of football.

FOOTBALL IS THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE

Football, in its rightful place, can be one of the most wholesome,
exciting and valuable activities in which our youth can possibly
participate. It is the only sport I know of that teaches boys to have
complete control of themselves, to gain self-respect, give forth a
tremendous effort, and at the same time learn to observe the rules of
the game, regard the rights of others and stay within bounds dictated by
decency and sportsmanship.

Football in reality is very much the American way of life. As in life,
the players are faced with challenges and they have an opportunity to
match skills, strength, poise and determination against each other. The
participants learn to cooperate, associate, depend upon, and work with
other people. They have a great opportunity to learn that if they are
willing to work, strive harder when tired, look people in the eye, and
rise to the occasion when opportunity presents itself, they can leave
the game with strong self-assurance, which is so vitally important in
all phases of life. At the same time they are developing these priceless
characteristics, they get to play and enjoy fellowship with the finest
grade and quality of present day American youth.

_The Game’s Intrinsic Values_

Not only is football a great and worthwhile sport because it teaches fair
play and discipline, but it also teaches the number one way of American
life—to win. We are living in an era where all our sympathy and interest
goes to the person who is the winner. In order to stay abreast with the
best, we must also win. The most advantageous and serviceable lesson that
we can derive from football is the intrinsic value of winning. It is not
the mere winning of the game, but it is teaching the boys to win the
hectic battle over themselves that is important. Sure, winning the game
is important, and I would be the last to say that it wasn’t, but helping
the boy to develop his poise and confidence, pride in himself and his
undertakings, teaching him to give that little extra effort are the real
objectives of teaching winning football.

If I had my choice of either winning the game or winning the faith of a
boy, I would choose the latter. There is no greater reward for a coach
than to see his players achieve their goals in life and to know he had
some small part in the success of the boys’ endeavors.

Boys who participate in football, whether in high school or college, are
in their formative years. It is every coach’s responsibility to see that
each boy receives the necessary guidance and attention he so rightly
deserves. I would be deeply hurt and embarrassed if I learned a boy
wasn’t just a little better person after having played under my guidance.
If we, as coaches, lose the true sense of the value of football and get
to a point where we cannot contribute to a boy progressing spiritually,
mentally, and physically, we will be doing this wonderful game of
football a great injustice by remaining in coaching.

The coaching profession is honorable and dignified and we football
coaches are in a position to contribute to the mental development and
desirable attitudes which will remain with the boys throughout their
lives. We have the opportunities to teach intangible lessons to our
players that will be priceless to them in future years. We are in a
position to teach these boys intrinsic values that cannot be learned at
home, church, school or any place outside of the athletic field. Briefly,
these intangible attributes are as follows: (1) Discipline, sacrifice,
work, fight, and teamwork; (2) to learn how to take your “licks,” and
yet fight back; (3) to be so tired you think you are going to die, but
instead of quitting you somehow learn to fight a little harder; (4) when
your team is behind, you learn to “suck up your guts” and do whatever
it takes to catch up and win the game; and (5) you learn to believe in
yourself because you know how to rise to the occasion, and you know you
will do it! The last trait is the most important one.

_The Greatest Display of Courage_

One personal reference will illustrate the intangible attributes that
football teaches. We have all seen or heard someone tell about the
greatest display of courage a team has ever shown. When a team you coach
has had such an experience, it makes you exceedingly happy and proud of
your position and the team. While I have never been ashamed of any of
my football clubs, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for one
of my teams in particular. I think my 1955 Texas A & M team displayed
the greatest courage, rose to the occasion better, and did more of what
I call “sucking up their guts and doing what was required of them” in a
particular game than any other team with which I’ve ever been associated.

We were playing Rice Institute in Houston on a hot, humid afternoon. Our
play was very sluggish and before we fully realized it, the game was
almost over, and we were behind 12-0. We were leading the Conference race
up to this point, but it was beginning to look as if we were going to be
humiliated before 68,000 people. Having become disgusted with my starting
unit’s ineffective play, I withdrew the regulars from the game early
in the fourth quarter. With approximately four minutes left to play, I
decided to send the regulars back in. I told them they still had time to
win the game if it meant enough to them to do so.

The first unit went on to the field and immediately called time out. I
later found out they vowed to each other they were going to do whatever
it took to win the game. We eventually got possession of the football
on our own 42-yard line, and the clock showed 2:56 remaining to play.
Again the boys called time out, giving each man a few seconds to make up
his mind just exactly what he was going to do. On the first play from
scrimmage, Lloyd Taylor, a little halfback from Roswell, New Mexico ran
58 yards around left end for a touchdown. He kicked the extra point and
the score was 12-7, with 2:08 remaining in the game. We tried an on-side
(short) kick, and Gene Stallings recovered the ball on Rice’s 49-yard
line. Our quarterback, Jimmy Wright, then threw a 49-yard pass to Lloyd
Taylor who made a beautiful catch as he crossed the goal line. Taylor
scored his fourteenth point as he kicked his second point-after-touchdown
placement. With the score 14-12, we lined up and kicked the ball deep to
Rice. Forcing Rice to gamble since they were behind, they attempted a
deep pass which our great fullback, Jack Pardee, intercepted and returned
40 yards to the 3-yard line. On the next play Don Watson carried the ball
across for a touchdown, making the final score 20-12 in our favor.

After the game in our dressing room when everyone was congratulating each
other, and everything was in a state of confusion, Lloyd Taylor suggested
we thank the Master for giving us the courage to make the great comeback.
From that game on we have always said a prayer of gratitude after the
game, win, lose, or draw.

The particular incident cited was the greatest display I have ever seen
of boys reaching back and getting that little extra, showing their true
colors, and rising to the occasion and putting into practice the thing
that we preach and believe in.

What do we get out of coaching? There is nothing in the world I would
swap for the associations with those boys, and the other fine men I have
coached, and the self satisfaction of knowing I’ve helped many boys to
find themselves. In my estimation, football is truly a way of life.

CHAPTER 2

The Theory of Winning Football

Every football team has a slogan, and each coach has his own theory as to
what makes a winning team. We are no exception. Our slogan is, “Winning
is not everything, but it sure beats anything that comes in second.”
Our theory on how to develop a winning team is very simple—WORK! If the
coaches and players will work hard, then winning will be the result.

We want to win. We play to win. We are going to encourage, insist and
demand that our players give a 100% effort in trying to win. Otherwise we
would be doing them a great injustice. It is very important for the boys
to have a complete understanding of what they must do in order to win.

When a boy has completed his eligibility or has played four years under
our guidance, I like to believe he will graduate knowing how to suck up
his guts and rise to the occasion, and do whatever is required of him to
get his job done. If our boys are willing to work hard, and we give them
the proper leadership and guidance, then they will graduate winners and
our athletic program will be a success.

HOW TO START BUILDING A WINNER

Building a winning football team is something that cannot be accomplished
overnight, or even in a year or two, if the program is starting from
scratch. I believe, irrespective of the time element involved, a football
program has little chance of succeeding unless the following “musts” are
adhered to:

1. The coach _must_ have a definite plan in which he believes,
and there _must_ be no compromise on his part.

2. The football coach _must_ have the complete cooperation
and support of the administrators and the administration, who
_must_ believe in the head coach, his staff, and his plan.

3. The coach _must_ have a long term contract.

4. The coach _must_ not only be dedicated to football, but he
_must_ be tough mentally.

5. The head coach _must_ have the sole responsibility and
authority of selecting his staff of dedicated men, who _must_
believe in the head coach and his plan.

_The Administration Must Believe in Your Plan_

It is vitally important that a coach build a solid foundation for his
program. In order to do this he must have complete cooperation from
every member of the school’s administration. In many cases the school
officials will not have a complete and thorough understanding of your
athletic program. It is important that you explain to them just what you
are trying to accomplish, how long it will take, and why you are doing
it in your particular manner. The administrators and the administration
must understand the value the program has for each boy who participates,
and the ways the program can benefit the entire school system. Therefore,
before a coach accepts a particular position he should give considerable
thought to the administration’s philosophy, attitude or point-of-view
toward the football program. If the school president or principal
is skeptical, consider the position seriously before accepting it.
Building a championship team is difficult enough with full cooperation
from everyone, but it is an impossible coaching situation without the
administration’s full support and confidence.

_The Coach Must Have a Long Term Contract_

If a college coach is going to build a team, it is an absolute must
that he have a long term contract. There is little use in believing or
thinking any other way. It is very possible, and highly probable, it will
take at least four or five years to shape a ball club into winning form.
Without the security of a long term contract, a coach can be forced to
concentrate on winning a certain number of games each year, and it is
possible this can completely disrupt or disorganize a rebuilding program.
I am not saying that a coach should not try to win every game, because
he obviously should strive to win ’em all. I merely want to point out
the fact that without the security of a job for a period of years, he
might be forced to revert to certain practices which he knows are not
sound principles on which to build a winning program. As an illustration,
he might have to revert to such a practice as playing individuals of
questionable character because of their immediate ability, rather than
weeding them out and concentrating on the solid citizens. The latter
group will stay with you and will eventually be winners, if you are given
job security and adequate time to work with them.

_The Coach Must Be Dedicated and Tough Mentally_

Unless a person is dedicated to his chosen trade or profession,
regardless of his field of endeavor, he is never going to be highly
successful. Building a winning football team is no exception. The head
coach, as well as his assistants, must be dedicated to football. All of
them must be tough mentally, too.

Many times a coach’s job is unpopular and unrewarding. From time to time
a coach must make decisions that are unpleasant. He cannot compromise,
however, if he expects to build a winner. He must be tough mentally in
order to survive.

In addition, a coach must be tough mentally in another sense. He
must be able to spend numerous hours studying football all ways and
always. A coach who hopes to be successful must drive himself and be so
dedicated to his job that he puts it ahead of everything else in his
life, with the exception of his religion and his family. One can have a
tremendous knowledge of the game, but he cannot possibly make the grade
unless he can stand up to the long hours and the trying times. It is
not an absolute necessity for a coach to be exceptionally smart or a
brilliant strategist, but he must be a hard worker, mentally tough, and
dedicated to the game of football. One can only be honest with himself in
determining whether or not he has these qualifications.

_You Must Have a Definite Plan_

As head football coach, you must give leadership and direction to your
program if you expect it to be successful. Therefore, you must have a
definite plan in which you and your assistants believe. In order to
build winners you cannot deviate from your plan, and there cannot be any
compromises.

Many factors go into the plan, such as organizing the program and the
type of boys whom you have on your squad, both of which will have a great
deal to do with your ultimate success or failure. These and other phases
of the plan will be discussed in detail shortly, and in later chapters in
this book.

_You Must Have a Good Staff_

In order to build winners, the head coach must surround himself with a
dedicated staff of hard working coaches. While I have touched on this
point briefly already, this particular _must_ will be discussed in
greater detail in Chapter 3, “Making the Most of Your Coaching Staff.”

THE TYPE OF BOY = SUCCESS OR FAILURE

The team with the best athletes will usually win the tough ball games,
other things being equal. It is a well recognized fact that a coach is
no better than his material. Therefore we must have the best material
available in order to be a winner. I tell my coaches if they can recruit
the best athletes to our school, then I can coach them. If they recruit
mediocre athletes, then the assistants will have to coach them.

There are a number of qualifications that we look for in our athletes,
and some of these are _musts_ if the boys are to become champions.
Football is nothing more than movement and contact. If a player has
excellent movement but won’t make contact, he will never be a winner.
Conversely, if a boy is mean, loves body contact, and likes to hit
people, but is so slow he never gets to the ball carrier, then he will
never make a winner either. There are ways to improve an individual’s
quickness, but if a boy refuses to make contact, there is nothing that I
know of to correct it.

The type of boy you select to play on your football team has a great deal
to do with your ultimate success or failure. In order for our program to
be successful, we try to select the boy with the following traits:

1. He must be dedicated to the game of football.

2. He must have the desire to excel and to win.

3. He must be tough mentally and physically.

4. He must be willing to make personal sacrifices.

5. He must put team glory first in place of personal
glorification.

6. He must be a leader of men both on and off the field.

7. He should be a good student.

_The Players Must Be Dedicated_

A player must be dedicated to the game to the extent he is willing to
work, sacrifice, cooperate and do what he possibly can to aid the team
in victory. It is our duty as coaches to explain and show our boys the
advantages of being winners, and to impress upon them the absolute
necessity of it so they will put forth the much needed effort to
accomplish the objective. It is important for the players to understand
that football is not an easy game; nor is achieving fame an easy task.
However, anything worth doing, is worth doing right. Therefore let’s do
it right and be winners.

We refer to “the little extras” a boy must give in order to be a winner.
These little extras really make the difference between good and great,
whether it be on an individual or a team basis. When a boy puts into
practice what you have been preaching about giving that extra effort when
he is dog tired, going harder, rising to the occasion and doing what is
necessary to win, then you are making progress and he is on the way to
becoming a winner both individually and for his team.

There is nothing else I would rather see than when our boys are in their
goal line defense, and they have supreme confidence they will keep the
opposition from scoring. Every boy is taking it upon himself personally
to do what is necessary to stop the ball carrier from scoring. When a
coach has a team thinking like this, he will have a winner, and the boys
will be winners when they get out of school.

_Our Boys Must Have the Desire to Excel_

We talk about the importance of particular aspects of coaching, such
as full cooperation, long contracts, and other phases connected with
coaching, but in the final analysis the success or failure of your
program depends on the performance of the boys on the playing field.
The game is generally won by the boys with the greatest desire. The
difference in winning and losing is a very slight margin in a tough ball
game. The same applies to two players of equal ability, except that one
is great and the other is average. What is this slight margin? It’s the
second and third effort, both individually and as a team. The boy who
intercepts a pass or blocks a punt, or who gets his block then goes and
knocks down another opponent is the individual who wants to excel. He
will make the “big play” when it counts the most. He and others will give
us “the winning edge.” These are the deciding factors in a tough ball
game.

_You Must Beat Your Opponent Physically_

The teams that win consistently are the ones in the best physical
condition. As a result they can play better football than their
opposition in the fourth quarter. We also believe and teach our boys they
must be more aggressive and “out-mean” our opponents if they expect to
win consistently.

We may not be as smart and as tricky as our opposition, so we have to
out-work ’em. If our boys are in top physical condition, if we “out-mean”
and physically whip our opponents by hard blocking and tackling, and we
are consistent in doing it, we’ll win a lot of football games. Football
is a contact sport, and we must make the initial contact. In order to be
a winner a boy must whip his man individually, and the team must beat the
opponent physically.

_Genuine All-Out Desire for Team Victory_

Unity is the sound basis for any successful organization, and a football
team is no exception. Without team unity you cannot have winners. We
believe and coach team victory. Our goal is to win every game we play. We
go into every game believing we will win it. Obviously we don’t win all
of them, but we never go into a game believing we cannot come out of it
the winner.

In order to have a winner, the team must have a feeling of unity; every
player must put the team first ahead of personal glory. The boy who plays
for us must be willing to make sacrifices. Victory means team glory for
everyone. Individual personal glory means little if the team loses.

_Must Be a Leader and a Good Student_

In order to have winners your boys must be leaders both on and off the
field. They should be good students, too. As was indicated previously,
if your contract will give you sufficient time to work with the “solid
citizens,” they will stay with you even if the going gets tough, and
eventually they will be winners.

_You Can’t See Into the Heart of a Boy_

Most coaches take pride in their ability to pick out boys with athletic
ability. I am no exception. However, you can never be absolutely certain
about a boy because you cannot see what is inside of his heart. If we
could do this, we would never make a mistake on a football player. We
have seen it occur frequently where a player was pitiful in his freshman
year, and the coaches almost give up on his ever improving. However,
through determination, hard work, pride and desire the boy would finally
develop and would play a lot of football before he graduated.

My assistant coaches have a favorite story they like to tell about a
player we had at the University of Kentucky. We had started our first
practice session in the fall of 1948 when a youngster walked out on the
field. His appearance literally stopped practice. He had on a zoot suit
with the trouser legs pegged so tightly I am certain he had difficulty
squeezing his bare feet through the narrow openings. His suspenders drew
up his trousers about six inches above his normal waist line. His long
zoot coat extended almost to his knees. His “duck tail” hair style
looked quite unusual. He was standing in a semi-slump, and twirling a
long chain around his finger when one of my assistants walked over and
asked him if he wanted someone. His answer, “Yeah. Where’s the Bear?”

He found me in a hurry. Our first impression was that he would never
be a football player, but he was issued a uniform anyway. I figured he
wouldn’t have the heart for our type of football and would eliminate
himself quickly from the squad. To help him make up his mind in a hurry I
instructed one of the coaches assisting me to see that he got plenty of
extra work after practice. The boy’s name was difficult to pronounce, so
we started calling him “Smitty.”

Despite “Smitty’s” outward appearance, he had the heart of a competitor
and the desire to show everyone he was a good football player. He
worked hard and proved his point. In his senior year he was selected
the outstanding player in the 1951 Sugar Bowl game when we defeated the
University of Oklahoma. After graduation he played for several years with
the New York Giants as a fine defensive end. I shall always have the
greatest respect for him.

Other coaches probably have had similar experiences where a boy with
questionable ability has made good. If a boy has a great desire to play
football, regardless of his ability, and you work with him, he is likely
to make tremendous progress toward fulfilling his objective.

GOOD ORGANIZATION—A BIG FACTOR IN BUILDING WINNERS

Without good organization our thoughts or plans of any kind would be
absolutely useless. Good organization is a must if a team is to operate
at maximum efficiency. There are many plans of organization that are
good, and I am not saying mine is the best, but I believe my plan is
sound and this is what really counts.

It always has been my practice to observe people who are successful in
a particular field, and try to determine what makes their operation
successful. There is little originality remaining in the field of
coaching. Consequently we have gotten many of our ideas from other
people. As Frank Howard of Clemson College put it, “If we get something
from one team, it’s called stealing; but if we get ideas from several
different teams, it’s called research.”

_Use the Ant Plan_

I borrowed my plan of organization from some ants in Africa. I realize
this sounds ridiculous and far fetched; nevertheless, it’s the truth. It
is interesting how it all came about.

While I was in the Navy in Africa, one hot, humid afternoon I was sitting
under a tree feeling sorry for myself. I started to watch some ants
building an ant hill. At first I was amused, but as I watched I became
very interested. What at first appeared to be confusion was actually a
carefully organized plan as the ants all worked toward their objective of
building a home. The longer I watched the more obvious it became that all
of the ants were working, many in small groups here and there. There was
no inactivity, no wasted motion. There was unity and there was a plan. It
appeared the ants had planned their work and they worked their plan.

With the ant plan in mind, we try to organize our practice sessions so
that we have everyone working and no one standing around idle. We work
in small groups and this eliminates inactivity. As a result we feel that
we can get more work done in a shorter period of time. Consequently we
believe the less time a player spends on the practice field, the higher
will be his morale.

I did not have to watch the ants to learn the value of teamwork and
cooperation, although this was evident in their activity. The main lesson
I learned from them was the value of small group work in order to keep
everyone busy.

There are many other factors that must be taken into consideration when
organizing the program, and I shall discuss the subject more fully in
Chapters 3 and 10. Planning and organization are the backbone of a
successful team. Planning a practice so that you get maximum results from
the players and the assistant coaches requires a great deal of time. The
importance of this cannot be emphasized too greatly.

CONCLUSION

Winning theories vary from coach to coach, but our philosophy toward
building a winner consists of the following factors: (1) a hard working
staff that is dedicated to football; (2) players with a genuine desire
to excel, to “out-mean” the opponent, and be in top physical condition;
(3) a strong organization and a sound plan; (4) mental toughness in
both staff and players; and (5) the full confidence of the school
administration. In addition, you must teach sound football. Your boys and
your staff must have confidence in your type of football. I shall discuss
our methods fully in later chapters.

CHAPTER 3

Making the Most of the Coaching Staff

I am a firm believer in the old saying, “A head coach is no stronger
than his assistant coaches.” In order for any head coach to have a good
program he must surround himself with a staff of good assistant coaches.
This does not mean that every coach must have six or eight assistants. In
some cases the head coach may not have more than two or three assistants.
The principles are the same, however, regardless of the number of
assistant coaches. I have been fortunate in having an excellent group of
assistants every place I have coached, and I want to give credit to them
for any measure of coaching success I may have had in the past.

ASSISTANT COACH: TYPE OF MAN

There are many characteristics I am seeking in an assistant coach. I
shall not attempt to list them in the order of importance because I think
they all belong at the _top_ of the list. Briefly, the desirable traits
and characteristics I am seeking in an assistant are as follows:

1. He should be dedicated to the game of football.

2. He should be willing to work hard and to make personal
sacrifices.

3. He should be an honest person.

4. He should have a sound knowledge of football.

5. He should have a great deal of initiative.

6. He should be a sound thinker.

7. He should be tough mentally.

_A Dedicated Person, Hard Worker, Loyal_

The first trait, “Be dedicated to the game of football,” is a _must_ for
_all_ coaches, assistants as well as head coaches. Don’t ever try to fool
yourself or anyone else. If you are not truly dedicated to your work, and
you dread spending many hours every day working and planning on building
a good football team, then you are in the wrong business. I’ll guarantee
there is no easy way to develop a winning team. If it were an easy task,
all of us would be undefeated and “Coach of the Year.” Unfortunately
one team generally wins and the other loses, and if it is the latter it
doesn’t make a coach’s job any easier. If you will look at the consistent
winners, you will find behind them a group of coaches who are dedicated
100% to their work.

Regardless of whether it’s the college or high school level of
competition, there are coaches and teams that win year after year. The
real reason for this success, other than good material, is the coaches of
these particular teams are dedicated to the extent that they “want” to
do what is necessary to win. There is a big difference between “wanting
to” and “willing to” do something to be a winner. Frankly, I don’t like
the word “willing” in connection with an assistant coach. First, if the
coaches are _not_ willing, they should _not_ be coaching. Coaching is not
an 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. job. The assistant who is “willing” to work a little
extra is not the one I want on my staff. The assistant who “wants” to do
what is necessary in order to get the team ready to play, regardless of
the time element involved, is the man whom I want to assist me.

A head coach cannot expect his assistants to be dedicated to their work,
unless he leads by example. The head coach must work harder, longer, and
be more dedicated to his work than any of his assistants, if he expects
to have a good, hard-working staff and winners.

Another qualification I consider a must for all assistant coaches is
their 100% loyalty to the head coach’s plan. It is very important for a
coach and his staff to know they have mutual trust and loyalty to each
other. These characteristics are obvious, and an assistant coach who does
not possess them commits professional suicide.

_Initiative and Ambition_

An assistant coach should have a great deal of initiative and ambition.
I prefer to have my assistants study the game all ways and always. They
should constantly try to improve themselves. There is no corner on the
brain market and a person advances in his field through hard work and his
own initiative.

It is a must that all coaches be good “mixers.” They must be able to get
along with each other, the head coach, the players, and the people in the
community. On the college level a coach must know how to recruit, and
most of the time the successful recruiter is a good mixer. He must sell
your product—the school, the team, the coaching staff, etc.—to athletes
and their parents, and his job will be easier if he has this type of
personality.

_Honesty and Integrity_

It is an absolute must that all coaches be honest with themselves, the
people for whom they work, and the others with whom they come in contact.
If I cannot trust a person, I do not want him around. Along this same
line, we like our coaches to be active in their church work. We emphasize
to our players the value of attending church, and we like our coaches to
set a good example for everyone.

_A Sound Thinker With a Good Understanding of the Game_

In order for a coach to be competent, he must be a sound thinker and
possess a good knowledge of the game of football. I have mentioned this
previously. I expect my assistants to study, plan, discuss and try to
come up with ideas that might aid us in winning a football game. We are
going to toss around all ideas in our staff meetings before we adopt any
of them, but your brand of football can become stale and unprogressive if
the coaches do not study the game.

DIVISION OF COACHING DUTIES

Morale on a squad is very important. The morale of a coaching staff is
very important, too. I feel the latter group will influence the former
group, consequently I am vitally concerned about my assistants having
good morale. With this thought in mind, I try to delegate duties and
responsibilities so the assistants enjoy their work. Each man is really a
specialist, or he can do some phase a little better than another coach.
Therefore it’s just common sense to permit him to work at the specialty
in which he is going to excel. He will not only have more enthusiasm
for his work, but his enthusiasm will be reflected in the players’
work. There is no substitute for enthusiasm. Under such conditions the
players learn more quickly and the coaches are able to do a better job of
coaching.

_Assistant Coaches Direct Group Work_

I do not think it advisable for a head coach to do group work with one
of his assistants. If an assistant is directing a group and the head
man comes over to help out, he takes the lead away from the assistant.
As a result the assistant coach is likely to lose his initiative—the
very trait you want him to develop. Secondly, the players are likely
to give the head coach all of their attention, and this isn’t fair to
the assistant working with the same group of boys. Thirdly, I do not
think it is desirable to suggest changes, make corrections or reprimand
an assistant on the field. I feel the proper time to get the matter
straightened out is after practice, and not while the players are around.
I always try to avoid situations which are not conducive to good team and
staff morale because you’ve got to have good morale in order to build a
winner.

_The Coaching Specialist_

I think it is important for my assistants to specialize in either
offensive or defensive football. I feel they can do a better job of
coaching if they devote most of their time and effort toward one aspect
or the other. We still want them to be cognizant of the opposite phase,
however, as the defensive coaches must understand offensive football,
and vice versa for the offensive coaches. In fact, from time to time I
will put an offensive coach with the defense so he can learn more about
this particular phase of the game. I believe it would be advisable for a
high school coach, with possibly only a staff of two, to follow the same
plan—one offensive coach and the other on defense.

Immediately after practice every day during the season I meet with my
staff. I have little patience with the assistant who wants to hurry away
from practice immediately. I want my staff members to meet in the staff
room so we can discuss all phases of the day’s practice schedule while
it is still fresh in our minds. Evaluation of personnel goes on all the
time. Therefore, I want my assistants to list on the blackboard the work
schedule for the next day for their particular group of boys. In addition
I want their suggestions and comments as to the type of teamwork needed.
Now I am in a better position to do a more intelligent job of setting up
the practice schedule for the next day since I have been made aware of
our individual and team needs, strengths and weaknesses. We have found
this procedure very helpful, and I encourage my assistants to express
themselves. I shall explain our procedures more fully in Chapter 10.

_Delegating Responsibility_

The head coach must delegate responsibility to his assistants in order
to have a more effective plan of operation. The head coach must let each
assistant know what he expects from him. An explanation of duties and
responsibilities in the beginning is likely to eliminate misunderstanding
later on. Secondly, a person with some responsibility is likely to do
a better job than the individual who doesn’t have any. I have found it
gives the assistant more confidence in himself and more pride in his work
if he has been given a certain amount of responsibility.

As I mentioned previously in Chapter 2, in order to get the most from
your staff, they must be completely sold on your plan for building a
winner. Of course, the head coach must believe in his own plan 100%,
along with the assistants, and he cannot make any compromises if he
expects to be successful.

_A Good Coach Is a Good Teacher_

We stress the point frequently that coaching is teaching of the highest
degree, and a good coach is a good teacher. It is not what you and your
assistants know about football that is going to win the games, but rather
what you are able to teach your players. In order to give our coaches an
opportunity to improve their coaching techniques, we have them get up
at staff meetings and explain and demonstrate various points. The other
coaches will pretend they do not understand the coach who has the floor,
and he must explain and answer the questions to our satisfaction. We have
found this method gives the coaches a lot of confidence and they do a
better job of coaching on the field.

CONCLUSION

In order for the head coach to get the maximum from his assistants, he
must set a good example. Since others will follow a leader who actually
leads, rather than one who merely tells what to do, I believe a head
coach must work longer, harder, and stay a jump ahead of his assistants
and the other coaches in the profession. He must be dedicated to the game
of football, well organized, sound in his thinking, and have the ability
to delegate authority and responsibility to his assistants if he expects
to build a successful program.

CHAPTER 4

Defense: Our Kind of Football

We believe _defense_ is one of the most important phases of football.
As a matter of fact, we work on defense more than we do on offense. We
feel if we do not permit the opposition to score, we will not lose the
football game. While in reality most teams actually score on us, we still
try to sell our players on the idea that if the opposition does not score
we will not lose.

If you expect to have a good defensive team, you must sell your players
on the importance of defensive football. Our players are enthusiastic
about defensive football. I believe we do a good job of teaching
defensive football because the staff and players are sold on what we are
trying to do. Defense is our kind of football.

DEFENSIVE OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of defensive football is to keep the opposition
from scoring. We want our players to feel their ultimate objective is to
keep the opposition from crossing our goal line.

A more functional facet of the primary object is to keep the opposition
from scoring the “easy” touchdown, which is the cheap one, the long pass
or the long run for six points. While a singular long run or a long
completed pass may not actually defeat us, it is very likely if either
play breaks for the “easy” touchdown we _will_ be defeated.

Secondly, our kicking game must be sound, which I shall discuss fully
in Chapter 6. We must be able to kick the ball safely out of dangerous
territory. Providing we do this, and eliminate the “easy” touchdown, we
believe our opposition’s own offense will stop itself 65% of the time
through a broken signal, a penalty, or some other offensive mistake.
Therefore, if my boys are aggressive while on defense, we’ll probably
keep our opposition from scoring about 25% of the time they have the
ball. The remaining 10% will be a dog fight. Therefore, we must instill
in our defensive men a fierce competitive pride that each player is
personally responsible for keeping the opposition from scoring.

_The Offensive-Minded Defense_

Our next objective is to sell the players on the idea our defensive unit
can and will score for us. There are more ways to score while on defense
than on offense; consequently, the odds favor the defense. If statistics
are kept on the defensive team’s performance, and the defensive team is
given credit for all scores made by running back a punt, recovering a
fumble or any other defensive maneuver where they either score or get
the ball for their offense inside of the opposition’s 25-yard line,
which results in a score, the players can be sold on the idea of the
offensive-minded defense.

Previously I mentioned the importance of good morale in building a
winner. In order to sell a boy on defense you must create good morale.
Therefore, we sell our boys on the idea that playing defense is the
toughest assignment in football. We try to see that our defensive players
get most of the recognition and favorable publicity. If our defense makes
a goal line stand, and we win the game, we try to give most of the credit
to our defensive players.

_Sell Them On Defensive Football_

We want to make our defensive players believe that when the opposing
team has the ball inside our 3-yard line they aren’t going to score—they
can’t score—they must not score! If a team believes this, it’s almost
impossible for the offense to score. In 1950 our defensive unit prevented
opposing teams from scoring on 19 occasions from the 3-yard line. The
morale of the defensive players was outstanding. They thought it was
impossible for another team to score on them even though they had only
three yards to defend. I recall in our game with Oklahoma University in
the Sugar Bowl, the Sooners got down to our 3-yard line. We were caught
with three or four of our best players on the bench, and I was trying
to get them back into the game quickly. As Jim McKenzie, who had been
replaced, came off the field, he said, “Don’t worry, Coach, they will
never score on us.” And they did not score! When I see such evidence
as this, I know our players believe what we tell them, and “we are in
business!”

I do not believe you can teach defensive football successfully unless
you are able to present a clear picture to your players of what you are
trying to accomplish. Our objective is to limit the offense to as small
an area as possible. By limiting their attack, we can hem them in and
catch them. We attempt to build a fence around the ball, and around the
offensive operation. I want my players to have a good picture of exactly
how we are going to build this fence, and what we hope to accomplish,
both of which will be explained later.

_Defense Is a Personal Challenge_

Defense is a phase of football I have always considered very interesting
because every play is a personal challenge. When a team is on defense,
the players are challenging the offensive players in relating to an area
of ground or field. Every man on defense should believe, “I am not going
to let the offense score.” If you expect to be a winner, either as a
player or a coach, you must believe in this philosophy 100%. Your play
must be sound, and you must believe in it.

Offensive football is assignment football, while defense is reaction
football. One mistake on defense can cost a team a football game.
Consequently there cannot be errors on defense. By being sound, and in
order to eliminate errors, I mean you must always have the strength of
your defense against the strength of the offense. The defensive players
must be positioned in such a way that the team as a whole can handle any
situation that might arise.

DEFENSIVE AXIOMS

There are numerous defensive alignments, just as there are different
points-of-view or theories toward how defense should be played.
Regardless of the differences and a coach’s particular plan, the
following “musts” are considered basic axioms if a defense is to be sound:

1. The defense _must not_ allow the opponent to complete a long
pass for an “easy” touchdown.

2. The defense _must not_ allow the opponent to make a long run
for an “easy” touchdown.

3. The defense _must not_ allow the opposition to score by
running from within your 5-yard line.

4. The defense _must not_ allow the opposition to return a
kick-off for a touchdown.

5. The defense _must not_ allow the opposition to average more
than 20 yards per kick-off return.

6. The defense _must_ intercept two passes out of every 13
passes attempted.

7. The defense _must_ average 20 yards per return on each
interception.

8. The defense _must_ return three interceptions for touchdowns
per season.

9. The defense _must_ force the opposition to fumble the ball
on an average of three and one-half times per game.

10. The defense _must_ recover an average of two and one-half
fumbles per game.

These 10 basic axioms are extremely important, and must be applied if a
team is to be sound defensively.

_Defense—A Team Proposition_

A good sound defense is one that has every player on defense carrying
out his assignment. Then it is impossible for the offense to score. Note
that I said _every_ player, which makes defense a team proposition and
eliminates the individual defensive play. By this I mean every defense is
coordinated and a player just doesn’t do what he wants to do. I do not
mean suppressing an individual’s initiative or desire to excel while on
defense, as long as the entire defense is a coordinated unit. We try to
instill in every boy that he is personally responsible to see that our
opposition does not score. When individual players and a team accept this
responsibility, I feel we are making progress and beginning to build a
winner.

_Gang Tackling—A Defensive Must_

During all phases of our defensive work we elaborate frequently on the
importance of gang tackling. We like to see six or seven of our boys in
on every tackle. Such tactics are not only demoralizing to ball carriers
and wear them down physically, but represent sound football. It is
difficult for the ball carrier to break loose and score when half a dozen
men are fighting to get a piece of him.

We want the first tackler to get a good shot at the ball carrier, making
certain he does not miss him. We want the other defenders to “tackle the
ball,” and make the ball carrier fumble it so we can get possession of
the football. We are trying to get possession of the football any way we
can. Frankly we want the first man to the ball carrier merely to hold him
up, and not let him get away, so we can unload on him. You can punish a
ball carrier when one man has him “dangling,” and the others gang tackle
him hard. I am not implying we want our boys to pile on and play dirty
football merely to get a ball carrier out of the game. First, we do not
teach this type of football as it is a violation of the rules and spirit
of the game. Second, piling on brings a 15-yard penalty. We cannot win
when we get penalized in clutch situations.

OUR DEFENSIVE NUMBERING SYSTEM AND TERMINOLOGY

After coaching for a number of years, and always trying to find something
that would make football easier to understand for the average player, I
came upon a system of defensive numbering that has proven very valuable
to me since then. In the past I have used many different defenses. I
always employed the technique of giving each defense a name. Most of the
time the name had little in common with the defense, and this confused,
rather than helped, the players. After discussing the possibility of the
numbering system with my own and other college and high school coaches,
while at Texas A & M in 1956 I finally come across a feasible plan
for numbering defensive alignments. I must give credit to O. A. “Bum”
Phillips, a Texas high school coach, for helping work out the solution as
he experimented with the numbering system with his high school football
team.

In the numbering of our defense now, we give each offensive man a number,
as well as the gaps between the offensive linemen. Figure 1 is an example
of our defensive numbering system.

[Illustration: FIGURE 1]

Accompanying each number is a particular “technique,” which will be
explained shortly. If a defensive player lines up in a 2 position,
he will play what we call a “2 technique”; a 3 position plays a “3
technique,” etc. Therefore, from end to end of the offensive line we can
line-up our defensive men and each position has a particular technique.

Who calls the defense? How is it called and what does it mean? Who
is included in the call? Each linebacker calls the defense for his
particular side of the line. He controls his guard, tackle and himself,
but he does not control the end on his side of the line. The latter is
controlled by the defensive signal caller in the secondary who gives a
call for the 4- or 5-spoke defensive alignment.

Each linebacker calls two numbers. The first number tells his guard where
to line up and his accompanying defensive technique. The second number
gives the same information to the defensive tackle.

As an example, if the linebacker calls, “26,” the guard will play a 2
technique and the tackle a 6 technique. If the caller said, “59,” the
guard would play a 5 technique and the tackle a 9 technique. When the
linebacker tells the guard and tackle which techniques to play through
his oral call, then he lines up in a position to cover the remaining
gaps. As an example, Figure 2 illustrates a 26 call, and the linebacker
must take a position between his guard and tackle so he can fill the
gap(s) not covered by the other front defenders. You can see by this
example the linebacker is in a position to help out over the offensive
tackle position, and also on a wide play to his side of the line.

[Illustration: FIGURE 2]

Figure 3 illustrates the position of the defensive right guard, tackle
and linebacker when the call is 59. The linebacker is now in a position
to help out on a play that is in the middle of the line.

[Illustration: FIGURE 3]

One point I failed to mention, if we are playing a 4-spoke defense, which
will be explained and illustrated shortly, we assign one defender to
play “head on” the offensive center, and he does not figure in any of the
calls. He lines up the same every time, as is illustrated in Figure 4.

[Illustration: FIGURE 4]

When we play a 5-spoke defense, which will also be explained shortly,
the two linebackers assign one player to the area inside the offensive
guards. As an example, if we are playing a 5-spoke defense and the call
on the right side is 59, the call on the left side must be a one as the
first digit, such as, _1_7, _1_6, _1_5. Figure 5 illustrates a 59 call on
the right, and a 17 call on the left, with one man playing a 1 technique
in order to keep from having a large gap between the two guards.

[Illustration: FIGURE 5]

You can quickly observe that by having our players learn only a few
numbers and their accompanying techniques, we can line up in numerous
defensive alignments merely by calling two numbers. Figures 6 and 7 are
examples of 59 and 39 defensive calls, which are 4-spoke defenses with a
man in a 0 technique, and are commonly referred to as the Oklahoma and
Eagle defenses, respectively.

[Illustration: FIGURE 6]

[Illustration: FIGURE 7]

Figure 8 illustrates a 25 call, with a 0 technique, and is a 9-man front
defensive alignment.

[Illustration: FIGURE 8]

Figures 9-11 are 5-spoke defenses representing 26, 37, and 13 calls,
which are commonly referred to as a wide tackle 6, a split 6, and a gap 8
alignment, respectively.

[Illustration: FIGURE 9]

[Illustration: FIGURE 10]

[Illustration: FIGURE 11]

These defenses, Figures 6-11, have the same call to each side. Each side
is actually independent of the other as far as the calls are concerned.
To eliminate any confusion, merely designate which side (left) is to
call first, and the other linebacker (right) can adjust on his call
accordingly so there is not a large gap in the middle of the defensive
line. The linebackers must be especially aware of this if we are
employing a 5-spoke defensive alignment.

The signal caller should never call a defense involving two successive
numbers, such as 2-3, 7-6, as this will leave too much territory for him
to try to cover (see Figure 1). The caller is always responsible for
having a man in, or capable of covering, every gap.

It is very simple for the defensive signal caller to change the guard and
tackle assignments even after he has given them a position to line up
in and its accompanying technique. The caller merely adds a zero (0) or
a one (1) to the end of the number he has called. As an example, if he
gives the call 37 and he wants the players in the 3 technique to charge
one-half a man toward the inside, he will say, “30.” If he wants this
defender to charge one-half a man to the outside, he would say, “31.”
This second call is given to only one player at a time, but he can
change both of their techniques by saying, “31—71,” or “30—70,” etc.

_Advantages of a Defensive Numbering System_

Our present method is the simplest one I know of for getting players into
various defenses quickly with a minimum amount of talking. We feel it
eliminates much confusion. We have found the players take a great deal of
pride in learning only a few techniques, which they are able to execute
well. We know it makes our job easier as coaches, and we can do a better
job of coaching the boys. As a coaching point, when a coach talks to a
tackle, as an example, he talks in terms of a particular technique (6,
7, etc.), and the player understands him immediately. When the coaches
are discussing plays, or in a staff meeting, we identify the particular
technique immediately, and everyone understands each other. We have also
found the method useful when making out the practice schedule as I merely
specify, “Tackle coach work on 6 technique,” etc.

Employing a defensive numbering system requires the defensive signal
callers to be alert. They do not merely call several numbers. They must
be aware of the tactical situation at all times, and call a sound defense
according to a tactical and strategical planning. As an illustration, a
good short yardage call would be 13, and sound passing situation calls
would be 36, 37, 39, 59 (see Figures 1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11). I spend at
least several minutes every day with my defensive signal callers. It
is the linebackers’ responsibility to see that we line up in a sound
alignment every time.

PLAYING OUR DEFENSIVE TECHNIQUES

As illustrated in Figure 1, and mentioned earlier, our techniques and
defensive positions are numbered from 0-9 on both sides of the defensive
line, numbering from inside-out (with certain exceptions noted, Figure
1). I now wish to explain in detail each particular technique, although
there is only a slight difference between several of them. As an example,
when playing the 2 technique, a defender lines up head on the offensive
guard, and when playing a 4 technique he is head up on the offensive
tackle. Consequently these techniques are similar.

_The 0 Technique_

As illustrated in Figure 12, the defender lines up head on the offensive
center. Depending upon the situation, the distance he lines up off the
football will vary. On a short yardage situation, he will line up close
to the center’s head. On a long yardage situation, normally he will be
about one yard off the ball. He will use either a three- or a four-point
stance, with one foot staggered. His technique is to play the center’s
head with a quick hand shiver on the snap of the ball. When he makes
contact with the center, he brings his back foot up so his feet are even
with each other. If the quarterback goes straight back to pass, the 0
technique man is responsible for the draw play, and then he rushes the
passer. If it is a run instead of a pass play, he will keep the center
away from his blocking surface, not permitting himself to be tied up in
the middle of the line, and he will pursue the ball taking his proper
angle depending on the type of running play.

[Illustration: FIGURE 12]

_The 1 Technique_

The main job of the player(s) employing the 1 technique is to control the
offensive splits, forcing the guards to keep their splits to a minimum,
as illustrated in Figure 13. He is also responsible for keeping the
center off of the defensive linebacker. If both guards are playing in
this technique, as illustrated in Figure 13, only one will “slam” the
center, and the other will take a long step toward his guard, playing him
from inside-out. He must always be aware of the trap coming from the
inside, however. If the play is a back-up pass, he is responsible for the
draw first, and rushing the passer second. If it is a running play, he
will slam the center or guard and then pursue the football.

[Illustration: FIGURE 13]

_The 2 Technique_

The 2 technique is similar to the 0 technique, and is illustrated in
Figure 14. One difference is the guard is head on the offensive guard,
instead of on the offensive center. The distance he lines up off the
ball in a staggered stance will be determined by the tactical situation.
On the snap of the ball he plays the guard with a hand shiver, and
immediately locates the football. If it is a back-up pass and there is no
man in a 0 or 1 technique, he will look for the draw play first, and then
rush the passer. If it is a running play, he will look first toward the
inside for a trap, and then pursue the football.

[Illustration: FIGURE 14]

_The 3 Technique_

The 3 technique is similar to the 1 technique, and is illustrated in
Figure 15. The 3 man is responsible for keeping the offensive tackle’s
split cut down, and on occasion to keep the offensive guard or tackle
from blocking the defensive linebacker. He, too, lines up with the feet
slightly staggered, and about one foot off the ball. Depending upon the
defense, when the ball is snapped, he will play either the guard or
tackle with a quick flipper or shiver, preferably with the hands. He is
to watch for the trap at all times. If the play is a straight drop back
pass, he will rush the passer from the inside. If it is a running play,
he will pursue the football.

[Illustration: FIGURE 15]

_The 4 Technique_

The 4 technique man lines up head on the offensive tackle and about one
to one and one-half feet off the ball, and is illustrated in Figure 16.
He will have his feet slightly staggered, and on the snap of the ball he
is to play the offensive tackle with a quick hand or forearm flipper.
If it is a running play toward him, he must whip the offensive tackle,
be ready to stop the hand-off, and help out on the off-tackle play. If
it is a straight back pass, he will rush the passer from the inside. If
the play goes away or to the far-side, he will control the offensive
tackle and pursue the football. On his angle of pursuit he should never
go around the offensive tackle, but pursue the football going through the
tackle’s head.

[Illustration: FIGURE 16]

_The 5 Technique_

The 5 technique man lines up on the outside eye of the offensive tackle,
as illustrated in Figure 17, with the feet staggered (outside foot back
in most cases). On the snap of the ball he employs a forearm flip charge
into the tackle. As he makes contact, his back foot is brought up even
with his front foot. He has 75% off-tackle responsibility, and he should
never be blocked in by only one man. If it is a straight back pass, he
should rush the passer from inside-out. If the play comes toward him,
he should whip the tackle and make the play. He must be certain to keep
the offensive blocker in front of him at all times as the 5 man will
be eliminated from the play very easily if he tries to go around his
blocker. If the play goes away from him, he must pursue the football. He
is instructed not to cross the offensive line of scrimmage when employing
a 5 technique.

[Illustration: FIGURE 17]

_The 6 Technique_

The 6 technique player lines up head on the offensive end, as illustrated
in Figure 18. If the end splits too far, the 6 man is to “shoot the gap.”
He is primarily responsible for keeping the offensive end from releasing
quickly on passes, and he must keep the end from blocking the linebacker.
He is responsible for the off-tackle play. Consequently he must not be
blocked in or out. The game situation will determine how far he lines
up off the ball, but it will usually vary from one to three yards. If
the play is a straight back pass, he is responsible for rushing the
passer from the outside-in. If the passer runs out of the pocket, the 6
man must not permit him to get to the outside. He must either tackle
the passer or force him to throw the football. If the play comes toward
the 6 man, he whips the end with a flip or shiver charge, and helps out
both inside and outside. He never crosses the line of scrimmage unless
it is a back-up pass. If it is an option play toward him, he must make
the quarterback pitch the ball or he must tackle the quarterback. If the
flow goes away from him, he trails the play. He should be as deep as the
deepest man in the offensive backfield so he can contain the reverse play
back to his side, not permitting the ball carrier to get outside of him.

[Illustration: FIGURE 18]

_The 7 Technique_

The 7 technique player lines up splitting the inside foot of the
offensive end, as illustrated in Figure 19. He is responsible for forcing
the end to reduce his offensive split. We want him to line up with his
outside foot staggered, and he must never be blocked out by the offensive
end. He has 75% inside responsibility and 25% outside responsibility.
When the ball is snapped, he uses a hand or forearm flipper charge on
the offensive end and brings his back foot up even with his front foot.
His main responsibility is to whip the offensive end, and to close the
off-tackle play. If the play is a straight drop back pass, he is the
outside rusher and he must not permit the quarterback to get outside of
him. If the play goes away from him, he is to trail the ball carrier.
He plays just like the trail or chase man on the 6 technique. He should
be as deep as the deepest offensive backfield man so he can contain any
reverse play coming back to his side of the line. He should not let such
a play get outside of his position.

[Illustration: FIGURE 19]

_The 8 Technique_

When we speak of a man playing an 8 technique, as illustrated in Figure
20, we are speaking of a “true end,” or a defensive end who lines up
outside of the offensive end. The 8 man will be from one and one-half
to three yards outside of the offensive end’s normal position, with
his inside foot forward, and his shoulders parallel with the line of
scrimmage. If it is a straight back pass, the defensive end, without
taking his eyes off the passer, will turn to his outside, and using
a cross-over step will sprint to his outside trying to get width and
depth to play the ball to his side. His depth should be 8-10 yards deep,
similar to a linebacker’s position covering the flat. He stops running
when the quarterback stops to set up. When the ball is thrown, he sprints
for the ball.

If the play comes toward the 8 man, we want him to cross the line of
scrimmage about two yards, getting set with his inside foot forward,
shoulders parallel with the line of scrimmage, and playing the outside
blocker. He is the outside contain man, and he must not permit the ball
to get outside of him. He never makes the quarterback pitch on option
plays. If it is a running pass toward him, he is the outside contain
and rush man. If the flow goes away from him, he must make sure it is
not a reverse play back to his side before he takes his proper angle of
pursuit, which is through the area where the defensive safety man lined
up originally.

[Illustration: FIGURE 20]

_The 9 Technique_

Figure 21 illustrates where the defensive men line up when playing a 9
technique, splitting the outside foot of the offensive end. He should
line up 14 inches off the line of scrimmage, with most of the weight on
his outside foot which is back. When the ball is snapped, the 9 technique
man will take a short step with his inside foot toward the offensive end,
and at the same time he will deliver a hand or forearm shiver to the head
of the offensive end. If the offensive end blocks in and the play comes
toward him, the 9 man immediately looks for the near halfback or the
trapper expecting to be blocked by either offensive man.

If a running play comes toward him and the quarterback is going to
option the football, he must make the quarterback pitch the ball. If the
quarterback is faking the ball to the fullback, the 9 man must “search”
the fullback for the ball first. The 9 technique man never crosses the
line of scrimmage. If the offensive play is a straight back pass, the 9
man delivers a blow to the end, and drops back two or three yards looking
for the screen or short pass. He is in a position to come up and make
the tackle if the quarterback gets outside of your outside rusher and
the quarterback decides to run with the football. If the flow goes away,
he is the trail man and has the same responsibilities as the 6 and 7
technique men, which I explained previously. The most important coaching
point is that the man playing the 9 technique must deliver a good blow to
the offensive end on every play.

[Illustration: FIGURE 21]

OUR DEFENSIVE STANCE

We are not too particular about the stance our defensive players employ,
but on the other hand we are not so indifferent that we ignore how they
line up defensively. We want them to be comfortable, but at the same
time the linemen must be in a position so they can uncoil, make good
contact, and be in a good position so they can move quickly. We never
permit a man to take a stance in which he gets too extended and loses
most of his hitting power. There are a few basic techniques we insist our
defensive players use. These techniques vary to some extent from position
to position. The defensive stance for linemen, linebackers, and the
secondary is as follows:

_Guards_—The defensive stance our guards take is very similar to the
stance we use offensively. We like them to be in a four-point stance with
their feet even and spread about three inches wider than their shoulders.
The weight must be slightly forward, and their tail slightly higher than
their shoulders. Their back is straight, and their shoulders are square.
Their hands are slightly outside of their feet, elbows relaxed, with
thumbs turned in and forward of the shoulders slightly.

_Tackles_—The defensive stance our tackles take is very similar to the
stance we use offensively. We want our tackles to use a four-point
stance, having their inside foot staggered back slightly. Their feet
should be a little wider than their shoulders. The weight must be forward
slightly, and the tail should be slightly higher than the head. Just
like the guards’ stance, we want their back straight and their shoulders
square. Their neck must be relaxed, but their eyes must be focused on the
man opposite or on the ball. The hands are slightly outside of the feet,
elbows relaxed, and the thumbs turned in and forward of the shoulders
slightly.

_Ends_—The defensive ends line up with their inside foot forward and
perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. We want our ends standing up in
a good football position. The knees are slightly bent, as is their body
bent forward slightly at the waist. They must have their eyes on the
quarterback, but still be able to see the offensive halfback and end
closest to them on their side. When the action starts toward an end,
we want him to come across the line and make contact with the outside
blocker. The shoulders should remain parallel with the line of scrimmage
upon contact with an offensive back.

_Linebackers_—We want our linebackers to be standing with their feet
even and parallel with each other. They should be in a good football
position—tail down, back straight, slight bend at the waist, weight on
the balls of the feet, knees bent, and coiled to the extent that when a
guard or tackle fires out on the linebacker the defensive man can whip
him. Our linebacker takes a step forward with the inside foot toward the
blocker who is firing out at him. We want him to drop his tail and hit on
the rise when making contact. He then brings his back foot up even with
his forward foot so that he will be in a position to move laterally.

_Halfbacks_—Our defensive halfbacks line up in their regular position
which is three yards outside of the offensive end in a 3-deep defense,
and on the inside shoulder of the offensive end in a 4-spoke defense. We
want our halfbacks to have their outside foot back with the inside foot
pointing perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. The outside foot is
about 14″ behind the front foot, and pointing out at a 45 degree angle.
The halfback’s knees should be flexed slightly, and he must be in a good
football position. His arms should be in a cocked position. He must face
the quarterback. His first step is backward and outward.

_Corner man_—The corner man lines up in his regular position about four
yards wide and two and one-half yards deep, with his feet parallel and
even about 18″ apart pointing directly toward the offensive quarterback.
He should be in a good football position, weight on the balls of the
feet, arms cocked, etc. He should _not_ rest his hands on his knees. From
a good football position he can rotate quickly and properly, or he can
come forward and meet the play if it comes toward him.

_Safety_—The safety man lines up a little deeper than the other backs. He
should face slightly the wide side of the field or the strong side of the
offensive backfield. He has his outside foot back, and he is permitted
to stand a little straighter than the other deep backs. He, too, is in
a good football position watching the quarterback. His first step is
backward and outward, and he must be able to cover a pass from sideline
to sideline.

OUR SURPRISE DEFENSE

We never send our boys into a football game without trying to prepare
them for every conceivable situation that might arise during the
contest. We must try to anticipate every situation, and counteract with a
sound defense. A situation might be very unusual, and we cannot actually
defense it properly until the coach in the press box tells us exactly
what the opposition is doing. Then we can work out the proper defense on
the sideline and send it in. In the meantime the boys must have something
they can counteract with immediately or the opposition is likely to
score with its surprise offense. Consequently our signal caller will
yell, “_Surprise Defense_,” when he sees an unusual offensive formation,
and the boys will react accordingly. Our rules for covering a spread or
unusual offensive alignment are as follows:

1. If one man flanks, our halfback will cover him.

2. If two men go out, our halfback and end will move out and
cover them.

3. If three men go out, our halfback, tackle and end move out
and cover them.

4. If four offensive men go out, we put out the halfback, end
and tackle, and our linebacker goes out half-way. The alignment
for the linebacker would be a yard deeper and a yard wider than
he usually lines up.

5. If five men go out on the offensive team, we put out our
halfback, end, tackle, linebacker half-way, and the defensive
guard. If they put more than five men out, we do not change our
alignment.

6. If there is any doubt about how to meet strength with
strength, we start with the outside man and put a defender on
every other offensive man.

7. The safety man will always play in the middle of the field
or in the middle of the eligible receivers.

8. A defensive end must never be flanked by one offensive man
unless he can beat the flanker through the gap and into the
offensive backfield.

9. A tackle should never be flanked by two offensive men unless
he can beat the nearest opponent.

10. The initial charge of the players who are left on defense
is to the outside, unless there is a concentration of offensive
backs. Should the latter be the case, then the defensive charge
will be normal.

11. The greater the offensive team splits its line, the farther
off the line of scrimmage the defenders must play.

Figures 22-23 illustrate two examples of spread formations, and the
application of our _surprise defense_ coverage rules.

[Illustration: FIGURE 22]

The first offensive man who flanks to our right (Figure 22), will be
covered by our defensive right halfback. The second to our right will
be covered by our right end. The first man flanked to our left will be
covered by our offensive left halfback; the second man out, by our left
end; the third flanker, by our left tackle; the fourth flanker will be
covered by our left linebacker, who will move out half-way. The fifth
man flanked to our left will be covered by our left guard. The remaining
players will meet strength with strength. Our right guard will play on
the outside shoulder of the offensive right guard, and the defensive
right tackle will play on the outside shoulder of the offensive left
guard, as illustrated in Figure 22.

We instruct our defensive players to force the offensive players to come
to them. We do not want our men off the line of scrimmage to penetrate,
leaving gaps in the defense. We want our men to be in a good football
position so they can pursue the ball quickly.

Figure 23 illustrates another example of the application of our
_surprised defense_ rules in covering a spread offense.

[Illustration: FIGURE 23]

OUR VICTORY DEFENSE

I think it is very important for a team to be able to go into a “_Victory
Defense_” when the occasion warrants its use; for example, when you
have a slim lead with little time remaining before the termination of
the first half or the game. We will go into a 5-man line if we have the
game won and our opponents are not close to our goal line. Under such
circumstances we can afford to permit the opposition to get a first down
or two, but we cannot afford to let them complete the long pass or the
long run for a touchdown. We believe our victory defense is sound, and
we are playing sound defensive football when we employ it. Figure 24
illustrates the victory defense we used eight times in one year, and we
intercepted our opposition’s intended forward pass on seven of the eight
occasions.

[Illustration: FIGURE 24]

The individual and team duties and responsibilities when we employ our
_Victory Defense_ are as follows:

_Middle Lineman_—Sole responsibility is to look for the screen pass
and/or for the draw play.

_Ends and Tackles_—Line up on the outside shoulder of the offensive ends
and tackles. If the offensive end(s) splits, we will adjust on them with
our three deep backs. We want our defensive ends to shove the offensive
ends to the inside, holding them up if possible, and then look to the
inside for a trap block or for a screen pass. Should neither of these
occur, the ends are to contain the passer, not permitting the ball to
get outside either of their respective positions. They should play loose
and proceed with caution, rather than rushing hard into the offensive
backfield.

The defensive tackles should play back off the line of scrimmage with
their feet even and parallel. Each tackle must keep his man in front of
him, not permitting the offensive tackles to block them in or out. When a
pass develops, the tackles must rush the passer, making certain to stay
in front of the football.

_Linebackers_—Line up about six yards deep and at a spot opposite where
the defensive end ordinarily would line up. By lining up wide, we hope
to funnel the offense toward the middle of our formation. By this I mean
we want them to direct their attack toward the inside and we don’t want
them to turn the corner, to get outside or to kill the clock by running
out-of-bounds.

_Halfbacks and Safety_—We want our halfbacks to be at least 12 yards deep
and well outside the offensive formation. We want our safety man at least
12 yards deep and in the middle of our defensive alignment. The three
backs will play their regular defense.

_Best Defensive Player_—The next step in setting up our _Victory Defense_
is to station our very best defensive football player 10 yards behind the
middle safety man. His sole responsibility is to keep the offensive team
from scoring. He must always stay between the ball and the goal line. We
do not want him to come forward and break up a pass. Nor do we want him
coming up to make the tackle. We want him to fight off blockers and make
certain the ball carrier does not score should our defense break down and
the opposition move downfield toward the goal line with a long run or a
completed pass. When the ball is thrown, we want every man on the team
to go for the ball _except_ our deepest man, our best defensive football
player. He remains 10 yards behind the ball at all times in case there is
a tip and the opponent might catch it and score. His sole responsibility
is to keep the opposition from scoring when we are using our _Victory
Defense_.

OUR GOAL LINE DEFENSE

Our goal line defense is very simple, and I am certain many other coaches
use the same goal line defense, as illustrated in Figure 25. Perhaps
there are a number of goal line defenses that are better than ours, but
we have faith and believe in our goal line defense, and I believe this
is 50% of the battle. When we go into our goal line defense, we want our
boys to be so sold on what they are doing that they are not going to
let the opposition score. Each man is going to take it upon himself to
see that they do not score over his particular defensive area. Playing
goal line defense is a terrific challenge. There is not much territory
remaining, and the big questions are, “Who is going to come out on top?”
and “Who will end up with the ball when the dust settles?” If we give our
team a sound plan and teach it to them well, and they believe in it and
in us, we will do all right.

[Illustration: FIGURE 25]

Figure 25 illustrates our goal line defense, and the individual and team
duties and responsibilities are as follows:

_Ends_—The defensive ends line up in a four-point stance as close to the
line of scrimmage as they can get, just shading the outside eye of the
offensive ends. On the snap of the ball the defensive ends will charge
low and hard through the tail of their offensive ends, trying to get
approximately one yard deep into the offensive backfield. If the flow
comes toward his side and the quarterback has the football, the defensive
end tries to force the quarterback to pitch back to the off-halfback.

_Tackles_—The defensive tackles line up on the outside eye of the
offensive tackles, and they aim for a spot one yard deep in the offensive
backfield behind the inside foot of the offensive tackles. Each tackle
is responsible for the hand-off play to his side, making the tackle or
forcing the dive play to the inside so our middle linebacker can make the
tackle.

_Guards_—The defensive guards get their spacing by lining up on each
other, but theoretically they will line up on the inside eye of the
offensive guards. They are responsible for sealing-off the middle of
the line, and for keeping the offensive center from blocking the middle
linebacker. They aim for a spot about one yard behind the offensive
center’s position. They must get to this spot using a low, hard submarine
charge.

As illustrated in Figure 26, if our six linemen carry out their defensive
assignments using a low, hard charge and get to their predetermined
spots, we will form a wall.

[Illustration: FIGURE 26]

_Middle Linebacker or Defensive Center_ (see Figure 25)—He is responsible
for making any play that occurs between the offensive tackles. He should
make the tackle on a hand-off, on a play up the middle, and help on the
off-tackle play. On a back-up pass, he will drop off covering a short
zone. If the play starts wide, the middle linebacker will pursue the
football. He should be one of the best defensive football players. Figure
27 illustrates the defensive position and responsibilities of the middle
linebacker on our goal line defense.

[Illustration: FIGURE 27]

_Inside Linebackers or Fullback and Right Halfback_ (see Figure 25)—They
are responsible for the off-tackle play and the quick containing of the
quarterback on the option play (Figure 28a). If the flow goes away, they
check for the counter play before they pursue the football. On a running
pass toward one side or the other, as illustrated in Figure 28b, one
linebacker will cover the flat and the other his hook spot. On a back-up
pass they will cover the short one-quarter zones or areas.

[Illustration: FIGURE 28a]

[Illustration: FIGURE 28b]

_Outside Linebackers or the Left Halfback and the Quarterback_ (see
Figure 25)—They are responsible for the wide play. They must not permit
the play to get outside of them on their particular side of the defensive
alignment. When the offensive play starts, both outside linebackers will
“read” the offensive end closest to them, and the flow of the offensive
backs. It is important they diagnose a running pass correctly, because
the offensive end to the on-side must be covered correctly if his route
is deep. (The outside linebacker must cover the deep man whether it’s an
end or a back.) If the play is away, the backs will revolve toward it.

The two inside and two outside linebackers (Figure 25) play 4-spoke pass
coverage on all passes, which will be explained in greater detail in
Chapter 5, “Pass Defense.” Our automatic “Thunder,” which is very good
versus this particular situation, will also be explained later.

A SPLIT-T DEFENSE

There are a number of good defenses versus a T team with a straight-up
T backfield. I will go over several of the defenses we have used more
frequently than others. Figure 29 illustrates our 59 call or the Oklahoma
5-4 defense versus the T formation. The individual and team duties and
responsibilities are as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 29]

_Ends_—The defensive ends play a 9 technique, and on this particular
defense both ends’ assignments and techniques will be identical. They
will not penetrate beyond the line of scrimmage unless the flow is away.
When the flow goes away, the off-side defensive end becomes the trail man.

_Tackles_—The defensive tackles play a 5 technique, which I discussed in
detail earlier in the chapter. They will never cross the line except on
a straight drop back pass, and then both tackles will rush the passer.
Otherwise the tackles whip their respective opponents (tackles) and
pursue the football.

_Middle Guard_—The middle guard plays a 0 technique, always alert for the
screen pass or the draw play. On the snap of the ball, the middle guard
should whip the offensive center and then go to the ball.

_Linebackers_—The inside linebackers will line up on the outside eye
of their respective offensive guards, and “read” through them into the
offensive backfield. If the offensive guards or tackles fire out, the
linebackers whip them and go to the football. If the flow goes away,
the off-side linebacker will check the counter play, and then pursue
the football. On a drop back pass each linebacker will cover his short
one-quarter pass zone or area.

The defensive secondary will play its regular 4-spoke defense, and
revolve on the plays after the offense shows what they are going to do
(or from a predetermined call, which will be explained shortly). The
4-spoke secondary will be discussed and illustrated in Chapter 5, “Pass
Defense.”

Figure 30 illustrates our 27 call or a wide tackle 6 defensive alignment
versus the T formation.

[Illustration: FIGURE 30]

We use a 6-2 alignment frequently because we can stunt easily or we can
play it straight versus a long yardage situation, and we can jump from
it into another defensive alignment without too much difficulty. The
linebackers control their particular units, as I explained earlier. The
individual and team duties and responsibilities are as follows:

_Guards_—The guards will play a tough 2 technique, then pursue the
football. On a drop back pass they are responsible for the screen pass in
the middle, the draw play, and rushing the passer.

_Tackles_—The tackles will play a tough 7 technique. They are responsible
for the off-tackle play to their respective side. If the play goes away,
the tackle is the trail man. On back-up passes, the tackles rush the
passer from the outside.

_Ends_—The defensive ends play an 8 technique, and they are the contain
men if the flow comes their way. If the ball goes away, the off-end
drops back and pursues through the area where the safety lined up
originally. On back-up passes they will cover the short one-quarter pass
areas or zones.

_Linebackers_—The linebackers line up on the inside eye of the offensive
tackles, and play their regular positions. If the play comes toward
them, the linebacker whips the blocker with a flipper and plays the ball
carrier. When flow is away, he checks the counter play and then pursues
the football. On pass plays they will cover their short one-quarter pass
zones.

_Secondary_—The defensive secondary will play their regular 3-deep
coverage, which will be explained in the next chapter. On wide-running
plays the halfback must come up to the outside and turn the play back
inside. The safety man comes up to the inside, playing inside-out, and
the off- or far halfback revolves and becomes the last safety man.

Figures 31-34 illustrate several of our defensive stunts from a 6-2
alignment which we have employed with success in the past.

In Figure 31 the linemen pinch, sealing-off the inside, and the
linebackers cover outside.

[Illustration: FIGURE 31]

In Figure 32 the guards loop to the outside over the offensive tackles,
and the linebackers fill inside the offensive guard splits.

[Illustration: FIGURE 32]

Figure 33 illustrates a simple X-pattern between the defensive ends and
tackles.

[Illustration: FIGURE 33]

Figure 34 illustrates the tackles pinching, and the linebackers replacing
them at the line of scrimmage over the offensive ends.

[Illustration: FIGURE 34]

OUR DEFENSE VERSUS AN UNBALANCED LINE

We do not adjust a great deal to an unbalanced line, and our adjustments
are relatively simple. We merely move our defensive line over one whole
man, and then revolve the secondary toward the weak side, as illustrated
in Figure 35.

[Illustration: FIGURE 35]

When we do this, we carry out our same assignments, which I have
explained already. The only difference is that our middle guard lines
up on the offensive strong side guard, instead of on the center. If we
are playing a 3-deep defense, we would adjust with our linemen. Then
we consider the strong guard as the middle of the offensive line (the
center), and we play our regular defense.

ADJUSTMENTS VERSUS BACKS AND ENDS FLANKED

When we have a defense called and the opposition comes out and lines up
with a back or an end out, we can play it one of two ways. If it is a
floater out or an end split, we will adjust slightly with our secondary,
and we will drop the defensive end off the line a little. The remainder
of the defensive linemen will play the defense that has been called. If a
flanker is put out to one side or the other, we will revolve our 4-spoke
secondary toward him and leave the linemen in their regular positions,
or we will shift our line toward the flanker one whole man. These
adjustments will be explained and illustrated more fully in Chapter 5,
“Pass Defense.”

In making our game plans, which will be discussed in Chapter 10,
“Planning For a Game,” we will always have a definite call that our
signal caller will use in the situations discussed above relating to our
adjustments versus backs and/or ends flanked out. As an example, we may
tell our signal caller to shift our defense _away_ from ends out and
floaters, but shift _toward_ flankers and an unbalanced line. These calls
will depend upon the information we secure from scouting our opponents.

OUR DEFENSES VERSUS THE SINGLE WING OFFENSE

Defensing the single wing offense has always created problems for us
because we feel we must meet strength with strength, and then we get
hurt to the weak side. Figures 36-37 illustrate two defenses which we
believe are sound, and we have used them successfully against the single
wing offense. Of course, personnel makes the defense as we all know, and
a linebacker like Jack Pardee whom I had at Texas A & M made all of our
defenses sound.

Figure 36 is a defense which I feel is especially good versus the single
wing offense. The duties of the defenders are as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 36]

_Strong Side End_—The end lines up one to three yards outside of the
wingback, “reading” him and the offensive end. If the flow comes toward
him, the strong side end comes across hard about three yards into the
offensive backfield, and he turns everything in, as he is the contain
man. When he makes contact with the outside blocker, the defensive end’s
shoulders must be parallel to the line of scrimmage. If the flow goes
away from him, he drops back and pursues the ball carrier. On a straight
drop back pass, he will cover the short one-quarter area.

_Strong Side Tackle_—He lines up on the outside eye of the offensive end,
and on the snap of the ball he charges through the head of his man. He is
to penetrate the offense about one yard. If the flow goes away, he trails
the play. On a straight drop back pass he rushes from the outside.

_Strong Side Guard_—He lines up on the outside eye of the offensive guard
and on the snap of the ball he tries to penetrate through the head of
the guard, trying to seal-off the middle. If the flow goes away, he will
pursue the ball. On a straight drop back pass he rushes from the inside.

_Weak Side Guard_—He has the same alignment and assignment as his strong
side guard, only he is on the other side of the defensive line.

_Weak Side Linebacker_—He plays in front of the offensive weak side
end and keeps him from getting out quickly on a pass play. If the flow
comes toward him, the weak side linebacker whips the end and then “plays
football.” If the flow is away, he will pursue the ball. On a straight
drop back pass he will cover the short flat one-quarter pass zone or area.

_Weak Side End_—He lines up about two yards outside of the offensive weak
side end. If the flow comes toward him, he will come across the line
playing his 8 technique, which I have explained before. He cannot permit
the play to get outside of his position. When he makes contact with the
blocker, his shoulders must be parallel with the line of scrimmage. He
will trail the play if the flow goes away from him. He rushes the passer
on a drop back pass action.

_Middle Linebacker_—He lines up in front of the center. He varies his
position as at times he will be close, and other times off the offensive
center’s position. He keys the blocking back, who is the offensive
quarterback, and the middle linebacker goes to the football. He drops
back and covers the short one-quarter area on drop back passes.

_Strong Side Linebacker_—He lines up approximately behind the strong side
tackle, and he reads the wingback, end and quarterback. When the flow
comes toward him, he comes up and plays it tough. When the flow goes away
from him he pursues the football. He covers a short one-quarter area
versus the straight drop back pass.

_3-Deep Secondary_—They play their regular 3-deep coverage, which will be
discussed in detail in the next chapter.

Figure 37 illustrates another of our 6-2 defensive alignments versus the
single wing offense. The individual assignments are the same as those
just described, except that the guards play slowly.

[Illustration: FIGURE 37]

We employ a number of defensive stunts when we play against a single
wing team. We have been quite successful in the past with the stunts
illustrated in Figures 38-41. There are other stunts which may be used,
of course, but we have found the four stunts illustrated (Figures 38-41)
satisfactory and adequate.

[Illustration: FIGURE 38]

[Illustration: FIGURE 39]

[Illustration: FIGURE 40]

[Illustration: FIGURE 41]

CONCLUSION

There are many defenses that are good versus various offensive
formations. The important point is to have a defense you and your players
believe in, and which is sound in all respects. Each player must take
pride in himself and his defensive ability. He must personally feel he
is not going to permit the opposition to score. He must accept it as a
personal challenge to himself. He must eliminate the long run and/or
the long pass for the “easy” touchdown, pursue relentlessly and tackle
viciously in order to be sound both individually and as a team while on
defense.

Other phases of defensive football, such as defending against the on-side
kick and the field goal attempt, will be discussed in detail in Chapter
6, “Our Kicking Game.” The drills which we use for our defensive ends,
interior linemen, linebackers, the secondary, and for the team will be
illustrated in Chapter 11. Pass defense will be discussed in its entirety
in Chapter 5.

CHAPTER 5

Pass Defense: Objectives and Tactics

An intercepted pass will probably get the defensive team out of a tight
spot quicker than any other play in football. An intercepted pass also
can change the complexion of a game very quickly. We recognize the fact
that a team which is difficult to pass against is a difficult team to
defeat. Therefore, in order to be “tough” defensively pass defense is one
phase of football which we _must_ work on every day. If we can either
eliminate a team’s passing game or hold this phase of their offense to a
minimum gain, we will definitely have the edge over our opposition.

Basically, good pass defense is merely being in the proper position and
going for the football when it is in the air. Our most important coaching
point is, “When the football is in the air, _it belongs to us and we must
get it_!” Pass defense requires more individual desire by the players
than any other phase of the game of football. If a boy has tremendous
desire and the ability to play defensive football, you place him in a
spot where it is possible for him to intercept the pass if it comes near
his area, and you will have a winner.

PASS DEFENSE OBJECTIVES

Pass defense is so vital that one simple defensive mistake can cost your
team a football game. In order to have a good football team, the play in
the defensive secondary must be sound.

The primary objective of pass defense is to keep the opponent from
scoring, and secondly, to get the football. We stress these points all
the time. On every play we want each player trying to get possession of
the football for our team.

Pass defense consists of the following phases:

1. Rushing the passer.

2. Holding up the receivers.

3. Covering the areas or zones.

We have found it difficult to do a good job of _all_ three of these
phases at the same time.

_Rushing the Passer_

Rushing the passer is a good element of surprise, especially with an 8-
or 9-man line. Overloading one side of the line is a sound tactic, too,
because you have more men rushing than the offense has blocking, and the
quarterback must get rid of the ball quickly. If the quarterback has
sufficient time to spot his receivers, then throw to one of them when he
breaks to get open, it is difficult for the defense to cover the pass
properly.

The men rushing the passer must have their hands up high, forcing the
passer to release the ball higher than he does normally. Such tactics
keep the passer from throwing the fast, straight, bullet-like pass, which
is the hardest for the defenders to break up. Secondly, the rushers with
their hands high cause the pass to remain in the air longer because of
its upward trajectory as it is released. Consequently this gives the
defensive secondary time to release from their areas and sprint to the
spot where the ball is descending.

The man who has the outside rush, and whose responsibility it is to
contain, must get his hands high. He should _not_ leap off the ground in
an effort to tackle the passer, as he must be in a position to contain
him in the event the passer tries to get out of the pocket and/or runs
with the football.

When we are rushing the passer, we want our _players_ to know they _must
not_ permit the passer to throw the football. In a definite passing
situation when we decide to overload a zone and rush more men than the
opposition has blockers, we acknowledge the fact we are sacrificing
coverage in our secondary. Therefore, we must put on a strong rush, and
we cannot permit the ball to be thrown.

Figure 42 illustrates an overload on the right side of the offensive
line. Analyzing the illustration and assuming it is a passing situation
when we overload, if the opposition does throw a drop back pass, we are
in good shape because we have more rushers than they have blockers. If
the opposition runs to their right, which would be our left, again we
are sound defensively because they are running into our strength. In
other words, we are 66⅔% correct before the play even starts. If the
opposition goes to their left (our right), we are not strong, but by our
right side hitting and sliding to the outside, as illustrated in Figure
42, we will not be hurt.

[Illustration: FIGURE 42]

There are many ways of rushing a passer, but we do not expect to do a
really good job of rushing unless we out-number the blockers. Then, when
we have a pass rush called, our boys know they cannot permit the passer
to throw the ball, as I cited previously.

_Holding Up Receivers_

We work on detaining the receivers at the line of scrimmage, but we
probably do not devote enough time to this phase of pass defense. The
purpose of this defensive tactic is to give your linebackers time to get
to their defensive areas before the receivers get to them. It also gives
your defensive halfbacks time to get their width and depth and get set
up in their respective pass coverage zones. We hold up receivers several
different ways as illustrated in Figures 43-45.

Figure 43 illustrates the tackle playing head up on the offensive end in
order to detain him.

[Illustration: FIGURE 43]

Figure 44 illustrates the defensive end and linebacker pinching-off the
offensive end, making it difficult for him to release for a pass.

[Illustration: FIGURE 44]

Figure 45 illustrates a third method of holding up an eligible receiver,
merely by placing the linebacker in front of the offensive end so he can
“whack” him as he releases from the line of scrimmage.

[Illustration: FIGURE 45]

_Covering the Areas_

We cover the areas on pass defense and not the eligible receivers. We
want our players to be in the middle of their areas in a good football
position, and as soon as the ball leaves the passer’s hand, we want our
boys to forget about everything else _except intercepting the pass_.
We want our defenders to play _through_ the receiver _for_ the ball.
They should never go around the receiver, unless it is a short pass.
They should go for the ball at the highest point they can reach, and
never catch the ball low if they could have intercepted the pass at a
greater height. Our logic is that if a defender is waiting for the ball
to come down so he can handle it at his chest or waist, the intended
receiver has time to come in front of our defender and catch the pass
for a completion. Whereas if our defender will go back when the ball is
thrown, plant, and come toward the opponent’s goal line intercepting the
ball with arms and fingers extended upward, the intended receiver can’t
possibly take the ball away from him. This, of course, would depend upon
the type of pass that was thrown.

OUR FIVE-SPOKE PASS DEFENSE

The 5-spoke or 3-deep, as it is commonly referred to at times, is a very
sound defense in the secondary. Let me explain exactly what I mean by a
5-spoke defense. We compare the perimeter of our defensive secondary to
one-half of a wheel, which may have 5 spokes or 4 spokes. The principles
are basically the same, as you will see shortly. I shall discuss the
5-spoke defense first, however.

Figure 46 illustrates our 5-spoke defense. At the end of each of the
imaginary spokes is a defender. The distance between the defenders
depends on their individual ability. The spokes can be lengthened or
shortened, but they should not be brought closer together or there will
be a vulnerable area in the defensive secondary, as will be illustrated
shortly. When the spokes of the wheel are lengthened, the players
automatically become farther apart, depending upon the distance of the
defenders from the football.

[Illustration: FIGURE 46]

As illustrated in Figure 46, there are defensive men stationed at the
ends of the spokes at points 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The defensive end located
at 1 is able to cover the area from point F to A; the halfback at point
2 can cover the area from A to B; the safety at point 3 can cover the
area from B to C; the halfback at point 4 covers C to D; and the end at
point 5 can cover the area from D to E. If the length of the spokes is
decreased, the area to be covered will not be as great. Conversely, the
longer the spokes, the greater the area to be covered by the defensive
secondary. If we stretch a wire from F to A to B to C to D to E, the area
enclosed will represent the space in which we should be able to contain
our opponents, as illustrated in Figure 46.

We want our players to assume that the half-wheel will revolve clockwise
and counter-clockwise, but the defenders must always remain at their
points at the end of the spokes keeping the same relative distance
from each other in order for the defense to be sound. If the offensive
team runs to their left, the wheel should revolve to our right,
counter-clockwise, as illustrated in Figure 47. It would be just the
opposite if the play were run to our left—revolve clockwise. If it were a
running play up-the-middle, the spokes of the wheel would be shortened as
the defensive men would converge on the ball carrier, keeping their same
proportionate relationship to each other.

[Illustration: FIGURE 47]

Figure 48 illustrates a vulnerable area in the defensive secondary as the
result of the safety man being out of position versus a back up pass. His
course should be straight back, covering the deep middle zone, so that he
is approximately equidistant from his halfbacks. Should the error occur,
as illustrated in Figure 48, our pass defense will not be sound.

[Illustration: FIGURE 48]

The length of the spokes will be determined by the distance of
the defenders from the passer. As an example, if the passer goes
back to throw off of a drop back action, the spokes would stretch
proportionately. The defenders would have time to cover more distance if
the passer is attempting to throw deep because the ball must remain in
the air longer in order to reach its receiver. Conversely, if the passer
attempts to throw a quick pass from only a yard or so off the line of
scrimmage, the receivers will not have time to get deep, consequently
the length of the spokes will not be lengthened but will be shortened
proportionately as the defenders converge on the ball as it is thrown.

Figure 49 illustrates the initial depth and width of the ends and the
3-deep secondary in the 5-spoke defensive alignment when the ball is in
the middle of the field between the hash marks.

[Illustration: FIGURE 49]

Figure 50 illustrates the width and depth of the ends and the 3-deep
secondary in the 5-spoke alignment when the opposition has the football
on the defensive right hash mark and the wide side of the field is to our
left. It would be just the opposite if we were on the defensive left
hash mark and the wide side of the field was to our right.

[Illustration: FIGURE 50]

_Keys for the 5-Spoke Defenders_

Our 5-spoke defenders key as follows:

_Ends_—Our defensive ends look through the tail of the offensive ends and
read the whole backfield, especially the back nearest to the defensive
end.

_Halfbacks_—They look through the offensive end to their side and read
the whole backfield. It is very important that the halfbacks know at
all times where the football is; consequently, they should watch the
quarterback closely.

_Safety_—The safety looks through the center, reading the quarterback and
the whole offensive backfield. He, too, must know where the football is
at all times.

_Linebackers_—They line up on the tackle or guard, depending upon the
particular front alignment we are employing at the time, and read the man
in front of them. They should watch the entire backfield, too.

Figure 51 illustrates the positions and keys of the linebackers and the
5-spoke defenders.

[Illustration: FIGURE 51]

_Dividing the Areas_

We divide the areas in our defensive secondary into four short
one-quarters and three deep one-thirds. The short one-quarters are
covered by the ends and linebackers, and the halfbacks and safety cover
the three deep thirds, as illustrated in Figure 52.

[Illustration: FIGURE 52]

Our short one-quarter areas extend back 16 yards from the line of
scrimmage because we are trying to force the passer to throw the football
higher to his receivers behind our front line. We think that our
linebackers can get back approximately 12-14 yards, but we always tell
them we want them to cover 16 yards so they will hustle and work hard to
get depth on their pass coverage. If we said only 12 yards, they might
only get back to a depth of 10-12 yards, which would not be sufficiently
deep to cover their zones.

If our inside linebackers drop back 16 yards and our corner linebackers
drop to 8 yards, if all four of these defenders are in a football
position and ready to move, they should be able to touch any ball that
is thrown in this area. There may be a ball thrown in front of our
linebackers, but a completed pass in this area normally will not defeat
us. We believe if the passer goes back seven or eight yards, and our
rushers can make him release the ball at a higher angle over their
extended arms and fingers, it will be difficult for the passer to throw
in front of the linebackers. Consequently if they hustle and get to the
depth I have indicated, they should be in a good position to intercept
any ball thrown into their zone. We instruct our men in the short
“fourths” to tip the ball when possible, providing they cannot intercept
it, as one of our deep backs is likely to intercept a deflected pass.
Incidentally, at times we will not have a defender in every “fourth,” or
only two of the “fourths” will be covered. At other times we’ll have an
extra man in one of the “fourths.”

After our linebackers get back to their positions, we want them to assume
a relaxed position with the feet almost together, knees slightly bent,
and ready to move in the direction indicated by their keys. We adopted
this stance after making a study of Jackie Robinson’s relaxed and always
ready-to-move position on the baseball field. We do not want our players
to waste time and motion running in a circle getting to the football.

We can play only three men back in the deep zones. Therefore, we divide
our deep zones into “thirds.” A pass should never be completed in one of
the deep zones if the line rushes hard forcing the passer to release the
ball higher than usual, if the 3-deep men cover their zones properly, and
if they see the ball leave the passer’s hand and hustle to intercept it.
Of course, teams do complete passes on us in these areas, but we do not
believe it should ever happen. Each of the 3-deep men is a “guardian” of
his particular area of the field, left, middle and right one-third.

The “thirds” will vary in size. As an example, if the football is over
on the offensive team’s left (our right) hash mark, the defensive right
halfback’s third would be smaller than the left halfback’s one-third,
as illustrated in Figure 53. The right halfback’s one-third is smaller
because of field position, and secondly because the ball has a relatively
shorter distance to travel if thrown in this area of the field.
Conversely, if the ball were thrown in the left halfback’s area, the ball
would be in the air longer on a deep pass and both defender and receiver
would have farther to go to get to the ball. Therefore, the defensive
left halfback’s “third” would be larger and farther removed from the ball
on the opposite hash mark.

[Illustration: FIGURE 53]

OUR PASS COVERAGE

We normally want a man in every area on our pass coverage, unless we
decide for one reason or another not to cover one of the “fourths,” as I
indicated previously we sometimes do. The defender _must_ intercept or
knock down any and all passes thrown in his area. The defenders do not
play man-to-man in their areas, but each man covers a zone. If he will
play in the middle of his zone or area, when the ball is thrown he can go
to it. If a defender plays a man instead of his zone, the decoy can take
him out of his area permitting another receiver to catch the ball. Then
our defense is not sound. Therefore, we stress zone coverage, and playing
the ball—not the man.

_Coverage of Straight Drop Back Pass_

We consider a pass that is thrown from between the offensive tackle
positions as a straight drop back pass, as is illustrated in Figure 54.

[Illustration: FIGURE 54]

Figure 55 illustrates our coverage of the zones versus a straight drop
back pass. The defenders’ duties and responsibilities are as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 55]

_Defensive Right End_—Turns to his outside, sprints back and out to a
depth of 10 yards. He then sets up and faces the passer. He covers a
short one-quarter zone. When the ball is thrown, he sprints for it.

_Defensive Right Linebacker_—Using a cross-over step, he turns to the
outside and sprints back trying to get a depth of 12-14 yards. He must
set up when the passer sets up. He keeps his distance with his other
linebacker to the inside. When the ball is thrown, he sprints for it.

_Defensive Right Halfback_—His first step is backward and outward, and
he continues to go back covering his deep one-third zone. He should not
get closer than eight yards to the sideline. When the ball is thrown, he
sprints for it.

_Defensive Safety_—He should favor the wide side of the field when he
retreats to cover his middle one-third zone. If no one is coming into his
area, he should favor the side with two receivers out. When the ball is
thrown, he sprints for it.

_Defensive Left Halfback_—His first step is backward and outward, and he
continues to go back covering his deep one-third zone. He should never
get closer than eight yards to the sideline. When the ball is thrown, he
sprints for it.

_Defensive Left Linebacker_—He turns to his outside and sprints back,
using a cross-over step, and tries to get a depth of 12-14 yards.
However, he must set up when the passer stops and sets up. He keeps his
distance with the linebacker to the inside. When the football is thrown,
he sprints for it.

_Defensive Left End_—He turns to his outside and sprints backward and
outward to a depth of 10 yards, and faces the passer. He covers a short
one-quarter zone. When the football is thrown, he sprints for it.

_Coverage of an Action Pass_

Figure 56 illustrates our coverage versus an action pass. The defenders’
duties and responsibilities are as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 56]

_Defensive Right End_—He crosses the line of scrimmage and contains the
passer very quickly. He must make the passer throw the football quickly.
We do not want the passer to be able to hit the deep receiver.

_Defensive Right Linebacker_—He plays the run first. After he sees the
offensive end releasing, and when he knows that a pass is developing, he
sprints out and covers the flat.

_Defensive Right Halfback_—His first step is back and out. He starts off
slowly at first, then covers faster and faster. He will cover the deep
one-third of the field on his side. He must be as wide as the widest
receiver, unless the receiver is within eight yards of the sideline. Then
he will play an inside-out position on the receiver.

_Defensive Safety_—His first step would be back and out, favoring the
wide side of the field. His area of responsibility is the deep one-third
of the field. He must always be as deep as the deepest receiver. When the
ball is thrown, he will sprint for it.

_Defensive Left Halfback_—His first step will be back and out when he
sees the flow is going away from him. He should turn to the inside and
get depth as he covers his area of responsibility, which is the deep
one-third of his side of the field.

_Defensive Left Linebacker_—When he sees the flow going away from him,
he will play the counter first, then start to pursue the football. When
he sees a pass developing, he sprints back to his spot and covers the
short one-quarter zone.

_Pass Defense Versus Broken Backfield (Straight Drop Back Pass)_

Figure 57 illustrates our pass coverage of a straight drop back pass
when the offense has a broken backfield. The defenders’ duties and
responsibilities are as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 57]

_Defensive Right End_—He should line up slightly wider, and he goes back
to his spot about 10 yards deep. He will get a little greater width when
a man is flanking him.

_Defensive Right Linebacker_—He should play a little looser, but still
cover his spot about 12-14 yards deep.

_Defensive Right Halfback_—He should line up slightly wider, about one
and one-half yards outside of the flank man. He will still cover his
regular one-third deep zone.

_Defensive Safety_—He should line up in a position where he will be in
the middle of the eligible receivers. He will face out, and he will cover
the deep middle one-third of the field.

_Defensive Left Halfback_—His alignment does not change and he has the
same deep one-third area.

_Defensive Left Linebacker_—His alignment does not change and he has the
same short one-quarter area, which is about 12-14 yards deep.

_Defensive Left End_—His alignment and assignment does not change. He
will have the same width and depth, and cover the short one-quarter area.

_Pass Defense Versus Action Pass With Broken Backfield_

Figure 58 illustrates our pass coverage of an action pass (to our
left) from a broken backfield. The defensive players’ duties and
responsibilities are as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 58]

_Defensive Left End_—He plays a little wider than usual, and he has one
of two options depending upon which defense has been called. He either
rushes and contains the passer quickly or he will drop off and cover the
short flat area. When the latter occurs, the tackle has the outside rush
and contain responsibility then in place of the defensive end.

_Defensive Left Linebacker_—He plays his regular position. He plays
the run first, but when he sees a pass develop, he covers his short
one-quarter area. If the defensive end is going to contain the passer,
the linebacker will check for the run first and then cover the short flat.

_Defensive Left Halfback_—He lines up on the outside shoulder of the
widest man and on the snap of the ball he steps back and out. He plays
his regular position, and his area of responsibility is the deep
one-third to his side of the field.

_Defensive Safety_—He lines up in the area where he will be splitting
the eligible receivers. His area of responsibility is the deep middle
one-third.

_Defensive Right Halfback_—His first step is toward his outside. As soon
as he sees the flow going away from him, however, he turns and gets depth
still covering the deep one-third area to his side.

_Defensive Right Linebacker_—He will play the counter when he sees the
flow going away from him. When he sees a pass develop, he will cover his
short one-quarter area.

_Defensive Right End_—The back who is flanked out does not alter the
defensive right end’s responsibility. He will start pursuing the ball
until he recognizes a pass, then he will cover his short one-quarter area.

_Pass Defense Versus End Out_

We cover the split end, illustrated in Figure 59, exactly the same way
that we would cover a back out. If the play is an action pass away from
the end out, we would cover it as we cover a regular action pass.

[Illustration: FIGURE 59]

_Pass Defense Versus a Flanked Back and a Split End to Opposite Sides_

Figure 60 illustrates our defensive alignment versus a flanked back and a
split end out to opposite sides. Our coverage depends on whether it is an
action or a straight back pass we are defending against.

[Illustration: FIGURE 60]

_Versus the straight drop back pass_, we cover this like our regular drop
back coverage. Our ends drop off and cover their short one-quarter areas,
and the linebackers cover their short one-quarter areas. The defensive
halfbacks line up outside of the widest man to their side unless he is
closer than six yards to the sideline. They cover their deep one-third
area, always staying as deep as the deepest receiver. The defensive
safety man would line up in a position splitting the eligible receivers.
He faces the wide side of the field, and as the receivers come downfield
he would cover the deep middle one-third of the field.

_Versus the action pass_, the ends play their regular defense versus
a man out toward them. If the flow comes toward the end, he comes up
containing the passer quickly forcing him to throw the football. The
end away from the action will start his angle of pursuit through the
area where the defensive safety man lined up originally. When he sees a
pass develop, he tries to get back to the off-side one-third area. The
defensive halfback on the side of the action covers his deep one-third
area, unless he receives an oral signal from his safety man. The halfback
away from the side of the action takes his steps back and out, and then
sprints to a position where he can cover the off-two-thirds of the field.
He must get his width and depth first. The defensive safety will start
in the direction of the action, and then try to get in a position so
that he can cover the deep one-third of the field. When he gets in this
position, the defensive safety man gives an oral signal which releases
the defensive halfback to go up and cover the short one-quarter area.
If the safety cannot get in this proper position, he does not give the
signal and we have two men covering the deep one-third area.

PASS DEFENSE BY POSITIONS

_Defensive End_ (Flow toward a defensive end)—After lining up in his
proper stance and position, when he sees the action coming toward him
he crosses the line of scrimmage approximately two yards deep in the
offensive backfield. His inside foot should be forward, and his shoulders
parallel to the line of scrimmage, as he plays off the outside blocker.
He must contain the passer quickly. He cannot permit the passer to get
outside of his position. On certain defenses he will drop off and cover
the short flat, especially when a back is flanked to his side of the
field.

_Defensive Ends_ (Versus drop back pass)—After lining up in his proper
stance and position, when he recognizes a drop back pass, he turns to
his outside and sprints, using a cross-over step, to a spot 10 yards
deep. He never takes his eyes off the passer. When the passer gets set to
throw the ball, the defensive end must stop and set up, even if he has
only gotten five yards deep. He must get into a good football position
quickly, which is tail down, head up, back straight, weight on the balls
of the feet, knees slightly bent and feet even. When the passer steps
in one direction as if to throw or fake the pass, we want the end to
start in that direction, even if he “takes the fake.” Should the latter
occur and the passer not throw the football, then the end must bring
himself under control quickly and sprint for the football when the passer
releases it, regardless of where it is thrown.

_Defensive End_ (Flow away from a defensive end)—After taking his proper
stance and position and he recognizes the play going away from him, he
commences his angle of pursuit through the area where the defensive
safety man lined up originally. When he sees a pass develop, he stops
and still facing the passer and wide side, he tries to get back into a
position to help out in the deep off-one-third. He gets as deep as he can
and puts his hands high. Consequently the passer must throw the ball high
and get it over him. Since the ball is thrown higher, it stays in the air
longer and gives our defensive halfback who is covering that third of the
field time to react and sprint for the football. When the ball is thrown,
the end must sprint for it.

_Defensive Linebackers_ (Versus straight drop back pass)—If, after lining
up in their proper position and stance, they recognize the play as a
straight drop back pass, the linebackers will turn to their outside and
by using a cross-over step they will sprint back trying to get to a depth
of 12-14 yards. They should never take their eyes off the passer. As soon
as he gets set to throw, the linebackers should set up in a good football
position regardless of their depth at the time. The linebackers must take
the first passing fake of the quarterback or they will never be able to
knock down the short passes. When the ball is thrown, they both must
sprint to it.

_Defensive Linebacker_ (Flow pass toward a linebacker)—After the
linebacker has lined up in his proper stance and position and recognizes
the flow is coming toward him, he must expect a running play first. The
hole he must check will depend upon the defense that has been called.
After he has checked for a run but sees a pass developing, he must
turn to his outside and sprint for his short one-quarter area using a
cross-over step, or he will sprint to the flat on his side and cover
this area. He, too, must get set when he sees the passer get set, and he
takes the first fake. If the ball is not thrown, he regains his balance,
position, etc., and sprints for the ball when it is thrown.

_Defensive Linebacker_ (Flow away from the linebacker)—From his proper
stance and position when he observes the flow going away from him, he
steps in and checks the counter play and then starts his pursuit for the
football. When he recognizes a pass developing, he will plant and try
to get back to his short one-quarter area by using a cross-over step.
He will continue to go back to his one-quarter area still facing the
direction of the flow. He is trying to get to a depth of 12-14 yards.
However, he must come under control and maintain a good position when the
quarterback gets set to pass. He then plays his regular pass defense. He
must try to maintain his proper distance between his other linebacker
as a short one-quarter area will be vulnerable if they move too close
together. When the ball is thrown, he sprints for it.

_Defensive Halfbacks_ (Versus straight drop back pass)—After the
defensive halfbacks have lined up in their proper stance and position
and the ball is put into play, their first step is back and out. Each
halfback starts toward his deep one-third zone as he sees the straight
drop back pass develop. Although they commence slowly, the longer the
passer holds the ball, the faster and deeper they cover their one-third
areas. The deep men do _not_ take the passing fake, such as the ends and
linebackers must do. When the ball is put into the air in his area, the
halfback must sprint to intercept the pass. It is very important that the
halfbacks take the shortest and straightest line to the football once it
leaves the passer’s finger tips.

The defensive halfback will never get closer than eight yards to the
sideline when he is covering a deep one-third of the field. As he gets
close to the sideline and the passer is still holding the football, the
defensive halfback will bend away for the sideline but still remain in a
position to see it.

If the ball is thrown deep over his head, the halfback is permitted to
turn his back (whirl around) on the passer and go after the football.
We feel he can cover more ground and get to the ball faster using the
whirl around method than if he plants, pivots, keeps his eye on the ball,
and then goes after it. This is the only time we will permit a 3-deep
defender to take his eyes off the football.

_Defensive Halfback_ (Flow pass toward a defensive halfback)—After the
halfback has lined up in his regular position and he recognizes an action
pass or a running pass coming toward him, he starts back and out. His
area of responsibility is the deep one-third to his side of the field.
He must always be as deep as anyone in his area, and he must be in a
position so that he can cover his whole zone. If the football comes into
his zone, he is responsible for it. He must play the ball at the highest
possible point he can reach it safely. He must not get closer than eight
yards to the sideline because this cuts down his ability to cover the
entire one-third, his responsibility. When the ball is thrown, he must
sprint for it.

_Defensive Halfback_ (Flow pass away from the halfback)—After lining up
in his proper position and stance and recognizing the flow is starting
away from him on the snap of the football, his first step is back and
out. He must get his width in case of a roll-out pass. On his third
step he will plant, pivot to his inside, and get depth covering his
one-third to his side of the field. Regardless of flow or action his pass
responsibility is the deep one-third of the field that he lines up in.

_Defensive Safety_ (Versus straight drop back pass)—After the safety
has lined up in his proper position and stance and he sees the ball has
been put into play, his first step is back and out, favoring the wide
side of the field. He starts running slowly, but the deeper he goes, the
faster he runs. He cannot permit a receiver to get behind him. He must
be as deep as the deepest receiver anywhere on the football field. His
responsibility is the deep middle one-third, and if the ball is thrown
in his area, he must play the ball and _not_ the receiver. We instruct
the safety man to be deep enough so that he must come forward to play
the football in the air instead of running backward to play it. If the
ball is thrown in one of the deep one-third areas to his right or left,
he does _not_ sprint for the ball. Instead he sprints for a spot between
the place where the ball will come down and the opposition’s goal line.
In case the opponent catches the ball, he will be in a position to tackle
the receiver. If the ball is tipped into the air, the safety man should
be in a position to catch the ball. He must remember that he is the
safety and it is his duty to stop the opposition from scoring if they get
past the other 10 defensive men.

_Defensive Safety_ (Flow pass in any direction)—After the safety has
lined up in his proper position and stance and sees the flow pass
develop, his first step is back and out toward the flow. His area of
responsibility is the deep middle one-third of the field, but he goes
back facing or favoring the flow. He must get as deep as the deepest
receiver and be in a position to cover the middle one-third, as well as
be in a position to help out on deep passes from sideline to sideline.
He must remember he is the safety, and he _must_ prevent the touchdown
regardless of where the ball is thrown.

_All Defenders When the Ball Is Thrown_—When the ball is thrown to any
deep one-third area, the procedure is the same. Let’s assume the play
is a straight drop back pass and it is thrown into our defensive right
halfback’s one-third zone area, as illustrated in Figure 61. If he is in
the proper position, he will give an oral signal while the ball is still
in the air. His signal tells the other defenders he is going to touch the
football, and they should get set in the event it is tipped into the air.
The safety will get between the halfback and the opposition’s goal line.
He should assume a good football position and be alert for the tipped
football from his halfback. The defensive ends, linebackers and the other
defensive halfback will be sprinting for the football. When they hear the
right halfback’s oral signal, they will stop about five yards away from
him, get into a good football position, and watch for the tip. If our
defender intercepts the football, his teammates will turn around quickly
and block aggressively for him. The technique as I have described it is
illustrated in Figure 61.

ADVANTAGES OF THE 5-SPOKE PASS DEFENSE

The advantages of the 5-spoke pass defense are as follows:

1. When playing a team that quick kicks frequently, we have
a man in position to field the kick without weakening our
defense.

[Illustration: FIGURE 61]

2. The 3-deep men only have one position to learn on defense.
The defensive right halfback is always the defensive right
halfback, etc.

3. When the offense flanks backs and splits ends, it is easy
to adjust our defensive backs. Instead of revolving, they
simply loosen up or line up wider and still play their regular
positions.

4. There is always a defender in each of the deep one-third
areas without revolving into the areas.

5. It is easier to cover the running pass because there is no
point of indecision.

6. On a straight drop back pass, there is a defender in every
deep one-third area and one in every short one-quarter area.

7. We can get fast containment versus the action pass because
ends line up in a wide position initially.

8. It is easy to teach because we delegate a definite area of
responsibility on every occasion.

9. It is a very good defense against the long pass because of
the deep centerfielder or safety man.

10. Keying is cut to a minimum because there is no revolving
necessary in order to get a man in the deep safety position.

THE 4-SPOKE PASS DEFENSE

The 4-spoke or 2-deep defense is also a very good pass defense. I believe
it requires a little better athlete to play some of the positions in a
4-spoke as compared to the 5-spoke defense. I would probably be using
the 4-spoke defense if it were not for the fact that a number of teams
we play quick kick frequently. This was a major factor in my changing
from the 4-spoke defense which we used successfully at Texas A & M to the
5-spoke defense which we now use at the University of Alabama.

_Advantages of the 4-Spoke Defense_

The advantages of the 4-spoke defense are as follows:

1. When playing a 9-man front, the extra man is always where
you need him.

2. You can stunt a great deal in your secondary and give the
passer problems.

3. It is a good defense against a Split-T offense.

4. Tremendous pursuit can be obtained from this formation
because the linemen all play an outside technique.

5. You can predetermine your rotation; consequently, you remove
any indecision.

6. You use the same coverage with your goal line defense,
merely tightening up the defense and the secondary.

7. You put quick pressure on the passer by using your 9-man
front advantageously.

8. The defensive keys are definite.

The principle of the 5-spoke pass defense and the 4-spoke pass defense
is basically the same with the exception you have only four spokes or
four men in the outer perimeter of your secondary. The spokes run from
an imaginary center with a defender placed on the end of each spoke, as
illustrated in Figure 62.

These spokes can all be lengthened or shortened, as was explained
previously for the 5-spoke defense. They must move as a unit or team,
however, or there will be vulnerable areas in the secondary. We run an
imaginary line from defender to defender, considering the lines as a
rubber band, as illustrated in Figure 63. The rubber band can stretch,
but it should not break.

[Illustration: FIGURE 62]

[Illustration: FIGURE 63]

In Figure 63 the spokes have lengthened, the rubber band has stretched,
and the defense is still sound. The defenders, although they are farther
apart, have all kept their proper spacing with each other. Although they
are farther apart, the time that is required for the ball to travel the
extra distance will permit the defenders to cover the space between them.

In Figure 64 the defensive right halfback has taken the wrong route,
causing a large gap in the secondary and we are extremely vulnerable
should a pass be thrown into the area where the rubber band has broken.

[Illustration: FIGURE 64]

_The 4-Spoke Alignment_

Figure 65 illustrates the depth and width of the secondary defenders in
the 4-spoke defensive alignment when the ball is in the middle of the
field between the hash marks. The defensive corner man will line up about
four yards wide and about two and one-half yards deep. They key or read
the offensive halfback closest to them, and the nearest end. The reaction
of the corner man will be determined by his keys (offensive end and near
halfback). He will “read” the following situations:

1. If the end blocks in and the backs come toward the corner
man, he should come up and contain the play quickly.

2. If the end comes out and does not block and the backs start
toward the corner man, he should turn to his outside, sprint
back eight yards and get set to cover his short one-quarter
area.

3. If the end comes out and does not block and the back starts
away from the defensive corner man, he should sprint back and
get in a position to cover the deep one-third zone.

[Illustration: FIGURE 65]

The deep backs or twin safeties line up on the inside shoulder of the
offensive ends about seven and one-half yards deep. They should keep a
relative position to each other. The safeties should look through the
offensive tackles to the halfbacks. The flow of the offensive backs will
determine largely the direction the defensive safeties should go, who
must react on the snap of the ball. The twin safeties should react to the
following situations:

1. On a straight drop back pass, the safety starts deep to his
outside until he gets an oral signal from his corner man. This
signal sends him to the middle one-third area.

2. If the football or the action of the offensive backs goes
away from the safety, he should go to the middle one-third zone.

3. If the flow comes toward him, he covers the deep one-third
area to his side of the field.

_4-Spoke Pass Coverage Versus Straight Drop Back Pass_

Versus the straight drop back pass, as illustrated in Figure 66, the
linebackers, corner men and twin safeties will react as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 66]

_Defensive Left Corner Man_—On the snap of the ball the defensive corner
man is in a position to observe both the end and the halfback nearest
to him. If the end releases and the halfback is coming toward him, the
corner man must turn to his outside and sprint to a position eight
yards deep. He sets up in a good football position and covers his short
one-quarter area. He never takes his eyes off the passer, and should the
ball be thrown into his area he intercepts the pass.

_Defensive Left Halfback_ (Safety)—After he lines up in his proper
position, the defensive halfback upon recognizing a straight drop back
pass developing, immediately looks to see which side has two eligible
receivers. He then starts to his outside and goes deep, unless he
receives an oral signal from his corner man releasing him from his deep
one-third area. As shown in Figure 66, the defensive left halfback covers
the deep one-third area to his side of the field.

_Defensive Right Halfback_ (Safety)—After lining up in his proper
position and stance, the defensive right halfback, upon recognizing the
drop back pass, covers the deep one-third zone. Should he receive an
oral signal from his corner man, he is released from covering the deep
one-third to his side and he now covers the deep middle one-third. He
should receive the signal on his third or fourth step, if the corner man
gives it. The safety then plants his foot and turns to the inside, always
facing the passer, while he sprints to the middle one-third if he is
released from his other responsibility by his corner man.

_Defensive Right Corner Man_—On the snap of the ball, when the defensive
corner man observes the drop back pass developing, and the end and
halfback release to his side, he starts to his outside in order to cover
his short one-quarter area. If the near halfback stays in and blocks, and
only the end releases, the corner man gives an oral signal to his safety,
the defensive right halfback, who covers the middle one-third, and the
corner man covers the deep one-third area on his side.

_Defensive Linebackers_—The defensive linebackers play exactly like the
linebackers on a 5-spoke defense, which I explained previously. The only
difference is the area which they line up in (see Figure 55 and Figure
66). On the 4-spoke pass defense the linebackers play the straight drop
back pass and the action pass exactly as they do on a 5-spoke defense,
which I explained previously.

_4-Spoke Pass Defense Versus the Action Pass_

Versus the action pass, as illustrated in Figure 67, the 4-spoke
defenders react as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 67]

_Defensive Right Corner Man_—He lines up in his regular position and
observes the type of play developing. When he sees the offensive end to
his side releasing downfield and the action is coming toward his side,
he is alert for a pass. He then turns to his outside and sprints to his
short one-quarter area, which is about eight yards deep. He should be in
a good football position so that he can cover his zone properly. He must
try to stay wider than the widest man in his area, unless he is closer
than six yards to the sideline.

_Defensive Right Halfback_—After lining up in his proper position, when
the action starts toward his side, he sprints to his outside getting
depth and tries to get into a position so that he can cover the deep
one-third area, as illustrated in Figure 67. He should be as deep as
the deepest man in his area, and when the ball is thrown, he plays the
football and not the receiver.

_Defensive Left Halfback_—When he sees the flow going away from him, upon
receiving an oral signal he will turn to his inside and start for an
angle of pursuit through where the safety man would have lined up if it
were a 3-deep defense. On his third or fourth step he should see a pass
developing, and then he must start for the deep middle one-third of the
football field.

_Defensive Left Corner Man_—On the snap of the football as the defensive
left corner man sees the flow of the backs going away from him, he
immediately knows only one man can come to his side as a receiver.
Therefore, he must sprint back to cover the deep one-third area, usually
covered by his defensive left halfback in a normal situation. He gives
an oral signal to his halfback, which releases him from his normal
responsibility.

_Defensive Linebackers_—The defensive linebackers play the action pass on
the 4-spoke defense exactly as they do on the 5-spoke defense, which was
explained previously.

_4-Spoke Pass Defense Versus the Roll-Out Pass_

Figure 68 illustrates the 4-spoke pass defense versus the roll-out pass.
The box-wing defenders must react as follows:

[Illustration: FIGURE 68]

_Defensive Right Corner Man_—When the defensive right corner man observes
the near offensive end release and the flow starts toward him, he sprints
back to his area eight yards deep. When he sees the quarterback roll away
from him, as illustrated in Figure 68, he turns to his inside and gets
into a position so he can cover the deep one-third of the field to his
side. He must react quickly as his responsibility changes from a short
one-quarter to a deep one-third pass coverage when the play starts toward
him and then the quarterback rolls away from his position.

_Defensive Right Halfback_—On the snap of the ball if the defensive right
halfback sees an action pass coming in his direction, he starts back
and out to a position where he can cover the deep one-third area to his
side of the field. On about his eighth or ninth step, he should be able
to recognize a change in the offense’s direction and the flow is going
away from him. He immediately turns to his inside and still watching the
passer he sprints to the deep middle one-third of the field. He, too,
must react very quickly and sprint in order to cover the deep middle
area. The time it takes him to react and change his direction will be an
important factor in determining whether or not he breaks up the pass.

_Defensive Left Halfback_—When the defensive left halfback sees the flow
going away from him, he should receive an oral signal from his corner
man releasing him from his deep off-one-third responsibility. After he
hears his signal, he will sprint to a position where he can cover the
middle one-third area. As he is running to his area, he observes that
the quarterback is now rolling out to his side. Therefore, the halfback
must plant, pivot and try to get into a position to cover the deep
one-third area on his side of the field. If he sees he can cover this
area satisfactorily, he will give an oral signal to his corner man which
tells the latter to go up and cover the short one-quarter area. If he
sees that he cannot get into a good football position to cover his area,
the defensive halfback will _not_ give a signal. Then we will have two
men covering the deep one-third area, and the short one-quarter area will
not be covered in such a situation.

_Defensive Left Corner Man_—By reading the offensive backs, the defensive
corner man observes the flow going away from him. He immediately turns
to his inside and yells an oral signal to his defensive halfback, which
tells the latter the corner man will cover the deep off-one-third area.
As he is sprinting toward his area, he observes the quarterback reversing
his action, and the play is now coming toward him. He turns to his
outside and stays in a position to cover the deep left one-third (Figure
68) until he hears an oral signal from his halfback releasing him from
his deep responsibility. If he does not hear a signal, he will continue
to go back and cover the deep one-third zone. If he hears a signal, he
is released from his deep responsibility, which is now assumed by the
halfback, and the corner man covers his short one-quarter area. If the
offense is going to complete the pass, we want them to catch it in the
short area rather than in the deep zone. Therefore, the deep one-third
coverage has preference over the short one-quarter zone. At times we
might end up with two defenders in the same deep zone, but we would
rather do this than leave the deep zone uncovered. If this were the case,
then our defense would not be sound. Once again our first objective of
defensive football is to eliminate the “easy” or “cheap” touchdown pass.

_4-Spoke Coverage Versus a Flanker Set_

Figure 69 illustrates a 4-spoke coverage versus a straight drop back
pass from a flanker set. As you can observe, the entire perimeter of the
defensive secondary is revolved to the left. If the offense were strong
to their left, our secondary would revolve to our right versus a flanker
set left.

In Figure 69 the _left corner man_ goes up on the line of scrimmage, and
from his new position he carries out the same assignment he would if
he lined up in his normal position of two and one-half yards deep and
four yards wide. In his new position he can contain a running play very
quickly. If a straight drop back pass developed, he would turn to his
outside and still cover his short one-quarter area.

The _defensive left halfback_ carries out the same assignment by
covering the deep one-third of the field to his side, but he lines up
outside of the flanker instead of on the inside shoulder of the offensive
end.

[Illustration: FIGURE 69]

The _defensive right halfback_ moves over and plays the safety position.
When the straight drop back pass develops, he covers the deep middle
one-third of the field. As he goes back to cover his area, he faces
toward the strong side of the offense.

The _defensive right corner man_ revolves from his regular corner
position back to a defensive halfback. He lines up about three yards
outside of his offensive end, and when the pass develops, he covers the
deep one-third of the field that he has lined up in.

The _linebackers_ play their regular technique, sprinting to their usual
spots to play their regular pass defense.

_Action Pass With a Flanker_

Figure 70 illustrates 4-spoke coverage versus the action pass from a
flanker set.

The defensive secondary again revolves to the strong side of the
offense, as illustrated in Figure 70. If we do not have a stunt on in
our secondary, which I shall cover later in this chapter, our secondary
would play it exactly as we do the straight back pass, explained above.
The _left corner man_ reads his keys and goes back to cover his spot. He
must be ready to come up if the passer chooses to run with the football.
The _left halfback_ covers the deep one-third to his side. The _right
halfback_, who has revolved to the middle, plays and covers the deep
middle one-third. The _right corner man_, who has also revolved back to
the defensive halfback position, covers the deep one-third to his side of
the field.

[Illustration: FIGURE 70]

_4-Spoke Coverage Versus a Floater_

Figure 71 illustrates 4-spoke coverage versus the straight back pass from
a floater set.

[Illustration: FIGURE 71]

When the offense lines up in a floater set, illustrated in Figure 71, our
secondary does not revolve but merely loosens up a little. The defensive
_corner man_ to the side that the back is flanked (our right) lines
up a little wider and a little deeper. On the snap of the ball, if a
back-up pass develops, he drops off to eight yards depth, and covers his
one-quarter zone. The _defensive right halfback_ lines up wider and he
still covers the deep one-third area to his side. The _defensive left
halfback_ lines up in approximately his regular position because he must
be able to cover the deep one-third zone to his side of the field. On
this particular play as he sees a back-up pass develop, and only one
receiver is out to his left, he anticipates receiving a quick release
signal from his corner man. Should this occur, he now covers the deep
middle one-third of the field. Otherwise he covers his deep side zone, as
indicated above. The _left corner man_ lines up in his regular position
and sprints into a position to cover the deep one-third area on his side
of the field when he sees his nearest offensive back blocking and only
one receiver is coming out to his side. He gives the defensive halfback a
quick release signal on about his second or third step.

_Action Pass With a Floater_

[Illustration: FIGURE 72]

Figure 72 illustrates 4-spoke coverage versus the action pass from a
floater set. The entire secondary plays the action pass exactly the same
as a drop back pass if the action is toward the back who is flanked. It
would be played in a slightly different manner if the action is away
from the back who is flanked, as illustrated in Figure 72. In such a
situation the _left corner man_ would sprint to a position eight yards
deep and set up immediately to cover the short one-quarter zone. The
_left halfback_ sprints to a position back and out so he can cover the
deep one-third of the field to his side. The _right halfback_ plants,
turns to his inside, and sprints to a position to cover the deep middle
one-third of the field. The _right corner man_ turns to his inside,
sprints back and out, and gets in a position to cover the deep one-third
of the field when the action starts away from him.

PREDETERMINED ROTATION

When identifying our different defenses, we decided to number all of our
4-spoke defenses in the 40 series as far as the secondary was concerned.
I mentioned in a previous chapter that we have a defensive signal caller
for the secondary, as well as for the defensive line. We decided that
4-spoke and 40 had something in common (the 4’s), and would be easy for
our players to remember. Consequently a 4-spoke defense is in the 40
series.

In addition, we gave our right and left corner men numbers. Our objective
was to eliminate indecision as the second digit, when called, gave the
corner man a definite responsibility, as will be illustrated shortly.
Therefore, it was possible for the secondary to do a good job of rotation
merely by watching the flow of the offensive backs.

As an example, let’s assume our defensive signal caller says, “40,” which
is our regular 4-spoke defense. Therefore, our secondary will revolve
according to the flow of the offensive backs, and the corner men will
read the end and halfback nearest to them in order to ascertain whether
they go up or drop back.

However, we will do more than play a straight 40 defense. By numbering
our corner men, we can predetermine the rotation. Our right corner man is
given the even numbers 4 and 8, and the left corner man the odd numbers 5
and 9. Therefore, we can call 44, 45, 48 and 49 defenses from the 4-spoke
alignment. Now 44 and 48 mean two different things, as does 45 and 49.
However, 44 and 45 are the same, only to opposite sides of the line, and
the same holds true for 48 and 49.

_Defensive Calls 44-45 for Secondary Rotation_

When our defensive signal caller calls, “44,” our secondary will
have a predetermined rotation to our right, _unless_ the flow of the
offensive backs is to our left. Then we will play regular and disregard
the predetermined call. Let’s assume 44 was called and the flow of the
offensive backs was to our right. We have already predetermined our
rotation. Regardless of whether it is a pass or a run, our defensive
right corner man must come across the line of scrimmage and contain
the passer quickly, as illustrated in Figure 73. Our defensive right
inside linebacker knows the corner will contain quickly, so he is now
responsible for the short one-quarter area the corner man usually covers
on a flow pass toward him (Figure 73). If the corner man was hesitant
before, he need not be under these conditions as he knows he will contain
without fail on a 44 predetermined call when the flow is toward him.

[Illustration: FIGURE 73]

If the flow was away from him on a 44 call, as illustrated in Figure 75,
the predetermined call is “off,” and he revolves back and covers his
regular position. Both situations would be reversed if the call was “45.”

Defensive call 44 is also good versus a straight back pass, as
illustrated in Figure 74. The same is true of defense 45. The only thing
that erases the predetermined call is when the flow is away from the
second digit called, i.e., away from 4 or 5.

[Illustration: FIGURE 74]

[Illustration: FIGURE 75]

_Defensive Calls 48-49 for Secondary Rotation_

We use the call 48 and 49 when we want a sure rotation, say, to the wide
side of the field. When our right corner man hears “8” and the left
corner man hears “9,” he knows he must go across the line of scrimmage
regardless of the flow of the play. If the flow of the play is away from
him, as illustrated in Figure 76, he will trail the play. If the play
is a straight back pass, as illustrated in Figure 77, he will rush the
passer hard. Figure 78 illustrates the flow of the play coming toward
the right corner man. His job is to contain the play then. The remaining
three backs know they are going to go to a 3-deep secondary regardlessly.

We ordinarily will use such a stunt only toward the wide (right) side of
the field (Figure 76-78). The element of surprise is very good, and it
eliminates indecision on the part of the secondary.

[Illustration: FIGURE 76]

[Illustration: FIGURE 77]

[Illustration: FIGURE 78]

_Defensive Calls 38-39 for Secondary Rotation_

Another predetermined rotation is 38 and 39, and is similar to 48 and 49,
respectively, as one corner man rushes regardless of the situation. We
use 38 or 39 when we do not wish to call 48 or 49. If the offense sets
a flanker to one side, and we want our secondary to revolve toward the
flanker and the corner man who is now up on the line of scrimmage to
rush regardlessly, we would call 38 or 39. The first digit, “3,” tells
our secondary to revolve to a 3-deep toward the flanker. The second
digit, “8” or “9,” indicates the right or left corner man, respectively,
is going to fire into the offensive backfield. Figures 79-80 illustrate
call, “38,” versus a running play and a straight drop back pass,
respectively.

[Illustration: FIGURE 79]

[Illustration: FIGURE 80]

STUNTING IN THE DEFENSIVE SECONDARY

A team must be sound in its defensive secondary in order to be a good
football team. All of us use certain basic principles, but we must be
careful we do not “type” ourselves as this could be very costly if the
opponents pick up our maneuvers while scouting our team.

One of the basic principles we try to teach our quarterback when we
are discussing different phases of the passing game is where _not_ to
throw the football. While we might not complete the pass, as long as
the opposition does not intercept it, we are not in too bad a position.
Everyone knows the effect an interception can have on both the offensive
and defensive teams.

In order to do an intelligent job of telling our quarterbacks where
_not_ to throw the ball, we must know the maneuvers of the opponent’s
defensive secondary on action passes and on drop back passes. However, we
always give our opponents credit for being as smart or smarter than we
are. They, too, teach their quarterbacks where _not_ to throw the ball.
Consequently we try to make their job even more difficult by using some
stunts in our secondary.

After we started to experiment, we found these stunts were actually
serving a two-fold purpose. Not only was it confusing the opponents but
it was also helping us to eliminate some problems of indecision that
our corner men were having on certain occasions. By giving each man a
specific assignment and by letting his assignment be determined by the
flow of the offensive back and not by keying different positions, this
greatly reduced our mistakes.

When we are using a particular stunt in our secondary, we never want
to weaken our coverage at any point. To the contrary, we think we are
strengthening it when we stunt. We have used four stunts successfully
from time to time. We call our stunts “Thunder,” “Robber,” “Gangster,”
and “Lightning.” After carefully analyzing these stunts, we came to the
conclusion we were usually having two or three men exchange assignments,
having defenders come from different angles, but still covering all the
regular areas.

“_Thunder_”

“Thunder” is the name we have given to a stunt that will be between our
defensive right halfback and right corner man, which will constitute one
team, and our defensive left halfback and left corner man which will
constitute a second team. Each team will be completely independent of
the other team. What the stunt really amounts to is that the halfback
and corner man will exchange assignments completely unless the flow goes
away from them. For example, let’s say the offense runs an action pass
to their right side. With an action pass of this type, our left corner
man would ordinarily drop back eight yards deep and cover the short flat
area. With “Thunder” called, however, he will turn to his outside and
sprint back and cover the deep one-third of the field to his side. The
left defensive halfback, who ordinarily would cover the deep area on this
particular type pass, will come forward and outside and cover the short
area the corner man would ordinarily cover. Not only have we given the
quarterback an entirely new picture to look at, but we have strengthened
our coverage by having our halfback come forward through the hook zone,
going to the flat area. “Thunder” is illustrated in Figure 81.

I mentioned earlier that one of the advantages of these stunts was that
it takes away any point of indecision for our corner men. When we are
using our regular coverage and the flow goes away from our corner man, he
will sprint to his outside and cover the deep one-third area, but when
the flow comes toward him he has to key the offensive end and determine
if he is blocking, slamming, going down field to block or to catch a
pass. The action our corner man takes will largely depend upon the action
the offensive end takes. When we have “Thunder” called, the corner man
knows on the snap of the ball, regardless of what kind of play the
offense will run, he will sprint back and cover the deep area to his side
of the field. (Figure 81.)

The signal caller in our secondary can call “Thunder” for our right side
only, left side only or both sides at the same time. If he calls it for
both sides at the same time, then the direction in which the offense
operates will determine which side of our defensive secondary will play
“Thunder.”

[Illustration: FIGURE 81]

“_Robber_”

“Robber” is another of our stunts that serves a two-fold purpose of
eliminating indecision and is an element of surprise.

Our “Robber” will be someone playing defensive right or left halfback,
depending upon our game plans. However, we will _never_ have “Robber”
called on _both_ sides at the same time.

For example, let’s say our defensive left halfback will be our “Robber,”
as illustrated in Figure 82. On the snap of ball, regardless of the
flow, our left corner man will sprint back and cover the deep third
of the field to his side, our defensive right halfback will cover the
deep middle of the field, and our right corner man will cover the deep
one-third to his side of the field. On the snap of the ball, our “Robber”
can go anywhere he thinks the opponents will run. This is a very good
element of surprise because we will get an additional defender at the
point of attack and he can be very reckless due to the fact that he does
not have any designated responsibility. We expect our “Robber” to try to
second-guess the opponent’s quarterback. When a pass play develops, he
is in a very good position to break up the short passes.

We do not use this as a steady diet, but we gain considerably by having
the “Robber” pursue the ball recklessly.

[Illustration: FIGURE 82]

“_Gangster_”

“Gangster” is a stunt we particularly like with a 4-5 defense or any
9-man front defense where our linebackers will line up a little wider
than ordinarily.

This stunt will be performed by three men—a corner man, linebacker,
and halfback. For example, we will use our defensive left side, as
illustrated in Figure 83. On the snap of the ball, regardless of the
flow, our left corner man will sprint back and cover the deep third area
to his side of the field (the halfback ordinarily covers this area). The
left linebacker will cover the short flat to his side of the field (the
corner man ordinarily covers this area). The left halfback will come
forward and cover the hook spot (the linebacker ordinarily covers this
area). The remaining backs will cover their regular area.

The main advantage of this stunt is that by having our halfback come
forward we are in a good position to stop all short passes in the hook
zone. He is going forward and covering the same area our linebacker
usually covers. Our linebacker has to key, sprint back, and set up,
before he can get ready to go forward. You can see that we have
definitely strengthened our coverage at this point and it is equally
sound in the other area. We will only call “Gangster” to one side at a
time.

[Illustration: FIGURE 83]

“_Lightning_”

“Lightning” is a stunt between our linebacker and corner man only, and
is illustrated in Figure 84. We first started using this stunt for the
sole reason of eliminating any point of indecision for our corner man. It
is a very simple stunt. As an example, if the flow goes toward the side
on which we have called “Lightning,” the corner man will come across the
line of scrimmage very fast and contain the ball carrier. He does not
have any pass responsibility at all if the action comes toward him. The
linebacker to his side will cover the short flat area if a running pass
develops. Our corner man is coached to contain the passer so fast that a
receiver does not have time to get very wide and our linebacker does not
have any trouble covering the short flat area. The remaining backs will
cover their regular areas. The call, “Lightning,” will be _off_ if the
flow goes away from the side we have called it on, or if a straight drop
back pass develops.

We can call “Lightning” on both sides at the same time.

[Illustration: FIGURE 84]

We do not use a stunt on every play, but with our regular coverage and
using a stunt occasionally we can give the opposition’s quarterback a
number of problems. He is looking at a number of different “pictures”
when we employ these defensive tactics. Secondly, we feel it helps us
because any indecision our corner men might have is eliminated when we
stunt.

CONCLUSION

The basic principles of pass defense are: when the ball is in the air,
your secondary men must sprint for the football, play through the
receiver for the ball and not around him, and play the football at
the highest point possible. If your defenders will apply these basic
principles along with an aggressive attitude that the ball belongs to the
defenders when it is in the air, you will have a good defensive secondary.

In a later chapter I shall explain and illustrate our drills for the
defensive secondary.

CHAPTER 6

Our Kicking Game Techniques

The over-all kicking game is probably the most important phase of
football. In considering the work to be done on the practice field, I
probably place more emphasis upon the kicking game than any other coach.
I feel I cannot have a sound football team unless we have an extremely
sound kicking game. We thought the kicking game was important during the
period when we played two-platoon football, but now it is more important
than ever before under the present rules governing the game of football.

THE PUNTING GAME

I am certain our players are “sold” on the kicking game, and take
pride in it. If a player takes pride in something, he will do it well.
Incidentally, we work on our kicking game every Tuesday during the
regular season. Previously we waited until Thursday to work on our
kicking game, but we found our boys were tired the day of the football
game, probably as a result of so much running on Thursday. We use the
kicking together with our kick-return game in our pre-season practice as
a conditioner. We feel we can get sufficient running from our kicking
game to get our players in good physical condition. At the same time we
are developing this important phase of the game.

_The Punter_

Instead of merely talking to our players about their individual kicking
game assignments, we go on the field and rehearse everything over and
over again. This is also true of any unusual situations that might
confront the punter at various times during the game. We also time our
punters. I believe it is possible to over-coach the kickers, however, and
this is not desirable. I know from past experience. When we tried too
thoroughly to coach our kickers, we found we were probably doing more
harm than good. At least, we were not getting the desired results in
comparison to the amount of time we were devoting to their instruction.
As an illustration, I had Bob Gain at Kentucky, an All-American tackle,
who as a freshman was a terrific kick-off man. By taking only three
steps he could boot the ball out of the end zone when he kicked-off.
Unfortunately we over-coached him and by the time he was a senior he
would run 10 yards on his approach, and could only kick the ball 35 yards
on the kick-off.

Another illustration relates to Clayton Webb, a very fine punter whom
I had at the University of Kentucky. As a freshman he could “hang” the
ball in the air for a relatively long period of time when he punted. Yet
during his senior year I felt we had coached him down to a 29.4-yard
average on his punts. Consequently we now do very little coaching of the
kickers.

We like to have our punters use the step-and-a-half method, taking the
first (half) step with the kicking foot, then a full step with the
non-kicking foot. We ask our punters to hold the ball 18 inches in
front of the hip over their kicking foot. We watch our kickers closely,
time them, and try not to over-coach them if they are kicking well in
practice. However, we do have a meeting with our kickers to review every
situation that might confront them in a game. We want our punters to
know what to do under such conditions, always taking into consideration
the tactical situation. Merely talking about these problems is not
sufficient training for the punters. They must be placed in various
confronting situations and must have the opportunity to react to them on
the practice field if they are to perform with proficiency in a game. An
example will illustrate my point.

One of my former assistants at the University of Kentucky played under an
extremely intelligent football coach, a Phi Beta Kappa honors graduate.
The coach had gone over many situations on the blackboard, but had never
taken time to actually rehearse them under game-like conditions. This was
a typical situation: Assuming that a team had the lead in the game, if
on the third down that team was forced to kick from behind its own goal
line, should the punter receive a poor snap from his center and be unable
to kick, he should pick up the football and either run with it or throw
an incomplete forward pass. The team was playing Michigan State, and the
score was 7-6 in the fourth quarter. The other team was backed up to its
own 2-yard line. The punter said that as he lined up to punt he knew
exactly what to do if he received a bad pass from his center. The pass
was poor, the punter picked up the ball and threw it up into the stands.
Unfortunately the play was not an incomplete forward pass, but was ruled
a safety as the ball went out of the end zone _behind_ the goal line, and
Michigan State won, 8-7. I am not criticizing the punter nor his coach
as both are extremely capable men, but merely citing what can occur if
a kicker is merely _told what_ to do but is not given actual experience
under game-like conditions practicing it.

Our procedure is to put the ball on our 2-yard line, inform our kicker of
what could occur, then give him the “works.” We load up and rush hard,
give him a bad pass, etc., and our punter must react properly to the
situation, always being cognizant of the tactical situation.

Since I have been coaching, one of the few punts we have had blocked was
at Texas A & M when we were playing Rice Institute. The situation was as
follows: third down, senior punter, poor pass from center. Instead of
attempting to run with the ball, since we still had fourth down in which
to kick, my punter tried to kick then. The result was a blocked punt. In
fairness to the boy, I must assume the responsibility for the blocked
punt. We had not done a good job of coaching the punter since he did not
react to the situation properly. Nevertheless, the mistake was costly.

_The Center_

The most important person in our kicking game is our center. We believe
if he can snap the ball back to our punter at a distance of 13 yards with
a perfect pass in six-tenths of a second, we won’t get our kicks blocked.
I believe about 98% of all blocked kicks have resulted from imperfect
passes from the center to the kicker. Incidentally, as a coaching point,
if the center makes a poor pass, your kicker should inform him of this.

In timing the center’s pass, we have had very few centers who could snap
the ball in less than six-tenths of a second. I recall, however, there
was a center at the University of Georgia who could get the ball back to
the kicker in four-tenths of a second. This is the exception rather than
the rule, however.

We time our centers in their work every day. As a point of interest,
the coaches are not with the centers when we are timing them. We put a
defensive man over our centers as we want our centers to pass the ball
and then block a man, rather than keep their heads down, watching the
ball going back to the punter.

_Timing the Punter_

We want our punters to get the ball away within one and three-tenths
seconds from the time the ball hits their hands on the pass from center,
until their foot makes contact with the ball. Gene Henderson, one of
my kickers at Texas A & M, could get the ball away in one second. Babe
Parella at Kentucky could also get the ball away in a second when
punting. Here once again these are more exceptions than the rule.

I stated previously we wanted our kickers to use the step-and-one-half
method of punting. We are not too concerned if he doesn’t follow this
method, _providing_ he kicks well. Nor are we too concerned about his
method of holding and dropping the ball and other individual techniques,
_providing_ he kicks well and gets the ball away in one and three-tenths
seconds or less. If our kicker is a 3-step kicker, who kicks well and can
get the ball off in the prescribed time limit, we merely move him back
an extra yard. Frankly, we don’t believe we’ll ever get a kick blocked if
the center gets the ball back in six-tenths of a second or less, and the
kicker’s time does not exceed one and three-tenths seconds (total time of
one and nine-tenths seconds), _providing_ the defensive men are bumped
and not permitted to have a straight run directly at the kicker.

When talking about the punting game, one must realize the importance of
the length of time the ball is in the air _over_ the field of play. We
want our kicker to be able to kick the ball in such a manner that it will
remain up in the air and _over_ the playing field for a period of four
seconds or more. Consequently a kick of four seconds’ duration in flight
will be about a 40-yard punt. We are not interested in an 80-yard punt,
as we cannot adequately cover such a long kick. The following example
will illustrate my point.

I had a player at one time who could literally kick the football a
country mile. Yet his kicking was very erratic. I recall he kicked the
football 78 yards _out-of-bounds_ in a game against Tennessee, and later
in the fourth quarter he kicked the ball 80 yards _over_ the end zone
line. In another football game, he kicked the ball 70 yards, _out-kicking
his coverage_, and the opposition returned it for the game-winning
touchdown against us. My point is that he was too good a kicker for us.
The _average net gain_ is the most important thing in punting, not the
total distance the punter kicks the ball. A punt 40 yards from the line
of scrimmage with no return is a 40-yard kick. A 60-yard punt returned 50
yards is a net punt of 10 yards. We are interested only in the _net gain_
of the play.

If the kicked ball can remain in the air for four seconds and if it takes
one and nine-tenths seconds to get the punt away, there is a total period
of time of five and nine-tenths seconds expended. If our linemen block
for one second on the line before releasing to cover the punt, they will
have approximately four and nine-tenths seconds to cover the ball. A
fast lineman can get downfield a good distance in four and nine-tenths
seconds, though I don’t know of anyone who can cover 60 or 70 yards in
this period of time. As you can see, this sort of thing allows a team
time to get the ball, set up a wall, get a couple key blocks and run
one back for a long gain or a touchdown merely because the punter has
out-kicked his coverage. Therefore, we are not interested in how far
the punter kicks the ball, but we are vitally interested in how far the
opposition returns our punts. I shall discuss this particular phase of
the kicking game in greater detail shortly.

_Practicing the Punting Game_

During the regular scheduled practices, we work on our defensive kicking
game at least one period two days a week, and sometimes three days a
week. These periods never have a time limit, and they are our last drill.
Our reasoning is two-fold. First, the boys are tired and in order to get
proper execution and coverage we insist they give that “little extra,”
which I feel is so important in order to build a winner. Secondly, the
boys know there is no time limit and we are going to work on this phase
of our football program until we do it to my satisfaction. Therefore,
they strive extra hard to get perfect execution and coverage so we can
end practice. We feel if the boys can learn to execute the kicking game
perfectly while they are tired, they will do it perfectly during the
actual game.

OUR SPREAD PUNT FORMATION

Before discussing the techniques of our spread punt, I would like to tell
you how we adopted it. I related previously that Tennessee defeated my
1946 Kentucky team with a punt return. In 1947 a number of teams hurt us
badly by returning our punts. In 1948 the University of Mississippi ran
back punts for 258 yards and two touchdowns.

Our Mississippi game bothered me a great deal. At the time we were
using only the tight punt formation. I was searching for another type
of formation which would give us better coverage. I had never used the
spread punt, but we had played against Tulane and Vanderbilt, both
of whom had employed spread punt. Woody Woodard, while at Southern
Methodist University, had an exceptionally fine punting game, and I
was considering changing to his system. However, while coming back
from Chicago one weekend with “Scrappy” Moore of the University of
Chattanooga, he sold me on trying the spread punt. He gave me his spread
punt blocking rules. I adopted them, and since 1949 we have used the
spread punt formation. The results have been very favorable as far as
we are concerned. As an illustration, we made a study of our punting
game and we found that during the season we went for eight games without
having our punts returned one inch. For the entire season our punts
were returned only one and four-tenths yards. During our 1950 season,
the average yards returned per game from our punts was four-tenths of
a yard, and we recovered five mishandled punts. The following season
our opponents returned our punts for an average of one and four-tenths
yards per punt, and we recovered three mishandled punts. Since we tie
our kicking game in with our defensive game very closely, you can see
that spread punt coverage has been much more satisfactory for us than
the tight punt formation and coverage which we employed prior to 1949. I
shall discuss our spread punt coverage shortly.

_Spread Punt Line Splits_

The main advantage of using spread punt formation is that the defensive
team has a difficult time holding up your coverage. A team can cover its
punt much wider. If a team can spread its men across the field as they
are covering a kick, it is very hard for the receiving team to return the
ball for a sizeable gain.

The splits in our offensive line are determined largely by the size of
the men. We want our guards to be split about one and one-half yards from
the center. These splits also will be determined by the physical size of
our backfield men whom we place in the gaps to each side of the center,
two yards deep. If the back is a small man, then the guard will cut down
his split to approximately one yard. Conversely, if the back is a large
person, the guard can widen his split to approximately one and one-half
yards. Our tackles will split from their guards one and one-half to two
yards. Each tackle must be able to block the second man outside of his
guard. Our ends can split out as far as they wish, providing they can
block back all the way to the tackle if a situation arises warranting it.
The ends usually split out about two yards, as illustrated in Figure 85.

Our up-backs line up in the seams between the guard and center, about
two yards deep, as was explained previously. The personal protector will
line up five yards deep, and will be on the right side for a right-footed
kicker, and on the left side for a left-footed kicker. His depth will be
13 yards. The type of spread punt we employ is illustrated in Figure 85.

[Illustration: FIGURE 85]

_Spread Punt Blocking Rules_

We do not believe a defensive lineman will ever get a straight run at the
spot where the kicker’s foot meets the football if our players occupy
their proper positions, unless the defensive man comes from the outside
of our protection. For this reason, we feel it is not necessary for our
players to block for more than a second before going down under the punt.
Our players are instructed to count, “One thousand and three,” then
release downfield covering the kick.

The rules which our players use in protecting our punter apply to the
blocking of any man who is within one yard of the line of scrimmage. We
do not feel an opposing player can block a kick if he is more than one
yard off the line of scrimmage, even though we do not block him. Our
spread punt blocking rules are as follows:

_Center_—The center should make a perfect pass to the kicker, snap up his
head quickly, and cover the kick immediately. We do not want him to block
anyone.

_Guards_—Our guards will block the first man to their outside, and they
must keep their inside foot stationary. If a guard steps laterally with
his inside foot as he blocks, he will leave a hole through which a
defensive man can sprint and block the kick. After he has blocked the
first man to his outside for a period of one second, which I explained
above, he covers the kick downfield.

_Tackles_—If there are two men lined up between the tackle and his
adjacent guard, he will block to his inside. If there are not two men
between his position and his adjacent guard, he will block the first man
to his outside. After he has blocked for one second, he will cover the
kick.

_Ends_—Each end will block the first man to his outside, _unless_ there
are two defensive men between him and his adjacent tackle. If there are
two men between his guard and tackle, he will block the first man to his
inside.

_Up-Backs_—The up-backs block anyone coming over their territory between
the guard and center. If no one comes through their territory, they delay
slightly and cover the kick.

_Personal Protector_—He looks up and down the line for the most dangerous
man to the kicker, and then blocks him as he rushes.

These spread punt blocking rules apply to any defense and provide the
most protection at the spot where the ball will be kicked. The basic
principle for the linemen in carrying out their assignments is never to
move the inside foot. If the lineman makes contact with the defensive man
and throws him off-balance, then he can cover the kick immediately. The
up-backs take a good stance with a wide base and uncoil at anyone coming
through the inside gaps. The personal protector can use any type of block
he wishes, but we prefer the butt block or the cross-body block when
protecting the kicker.

_Spread Punt Coverage_

We want the first man down under the punt to dive at the safety man’s
Adam’s apple, really “unloading” on him if possible. He may leave his
feet if necessary in order to accomplish his objective. For illustrative
purposes, Figure 86, let’s assume that our center is the first man
down under the punt. We want him to try to beat the football down the
field, and tackle the safety man high when he touches it, or force the
safety man to fair catch the football. We want our guards to go down and
assume positions indicated in Figure 86. Our left end and right tackle
will go down and set up five yards outside of the safety man, and five
yards away from him. We set our right end out about 10 yards, and he
is our “sprinter.” His assignment is to sprint straight for the safety
man, and force the safety to fumble the ball, if possible. His line of
direction has a second purpose, too. Since he is in an excellent position
to catch the football should the punter fake the punt and pass, the
defense must adjust to him and cannot merely permit him to run a diagonal
course downfield every time we have a punting situation. If the defense
continuously ignores him and doesn’t adjust to him when he covers punts,
sooner or later we are going to hit him with the pass for a sizeable gain.

It is not possible for a coach to get the type of coverage on kicks, as
illustrated in Figure 86, unless he stresses the fact to his players that
it is extremely important for them to spread out in order to maintain
proper positions in “spreading the net” for the receiver. They must
sprint at top speed in covering kicks. We do not want our left end and
right tackle to make any tackles in our punt coverage, as they merely
turn the runner into the other men. We want our six men to go down and
get set in a football position three yards from the football and then
guard the safety man. In assuming a good football position, we mean a
position in which the player’s eyes are on the safety man, his tail
is down, back straight, and his feet apart. If we have six men down on
the safety man, guarding him, he will have no place to run. We want
to drive the safety man back and forth, searching for a place to turn
upfield, and then we’ll move in on him. We refer to this as our _One-Six
Formation_. We want our up-backs to go downfield and take the positions
of linebackers behind our six-man coverage, as illustrated in Figure 86.
They must be in a position to defend against the return up the middle. We
want our personal protector and punter to take halfback positions to the
outside behind the one-six-two coverage formation (Figure 86).

[Illustration: FIGURE 86]

We spend a great deal of time giving our players practice in executing
their assignments on blocking and covering from spread punt formation.
I can assure you that merely talking about their assignments and
responsibilities will not obtain the desired results. I think we do a
good job of covering punts simply because we work on this important phase
of the kicking game so much.

As I mentioned previously, we do our kicking work last, not setting
a definite time limit on it. When our players are covering punts, we
blow a whistle and everyone stops. We want to find the players in their
proper positions when covering the kick. If they are not covering to our
satisfaction, we merely do it over and over again until we get the type
of coverage we want. The boys actually put the pressure on each other to
get perfect coverage, consequently we generally spend about 10 minutes
instead of 20 minutes covering punts.

OUR TIGHT PUNT FORMATION

The only time we kick from a tight punt formation is when we are backed
up inside of our own 3-yard line and it is impossible for us to kick
from a spread formation since our kicker cannot get the sufficient depth
of 13 yards which we think is necessary. Therefore, we always tell our
quarterback we should _never_ kick the ball from behind our own 3-yard
line. His objective is to get us out to at least the 3-yard line so we
can employ spread punt. Assuming we can’t get out to the 3-yard line,
then we will have to use tight punt formation. When we are definitely
going to kick the ball out-of-bounds as we do on occasion, we kick from
tight formation.

Because I feel we cannot cover the kick very well from tight punt
formation, the quarterback will always designate in the huddle the
direction the punter is going to kick the ball—“Punt from tight punt;
kick to our right.” This tells our linemen in which direction they should
sprint after they have blocked their men. It also affects the blocking
assignments of our ends. Figure 87 illustrates our tight punt formation
and coverage on a kick to our right. Our blocking rules are as follows:

_Interior Linemen_—Our interior linemen will line up in a tight formation
with very little splits. They all have one blocking rule—inside gap N/T
over, which means they will block a man if he is in their inside gap; if
there is no one playing that position, they will block the man playing
over them. They must all block for one and one-half counts, when using
the tight punt, then release and cover the kick quickly.

[Illustration: FIGURE 87]

_Ends_—The ends will be split out about two yards, and they have definite
assignments. If the quarterback indicates in the huddle the kick will
be to the right, then the right end does not have a blocking assignment
but he must cover the kick immediately. He must get good width and make
certain the ball carrier does not get outside of him. The end playing the
position on the opposite side will block the defensive end. If the kick
is to the left side, the ends merely exchange assignments.

_Up-Backs_—They will line up about two yards deep and in positions behind
their respective offensive tackles. Their assignment is to keep their
inside foot in place and block the first man who shows outside of our
offensive tackle. They must make the defensive man come to them. They are
going to protect their area.

_Personal Protector_—He lines up about one and one-half yards behind the
right up-back, and his assignment is to block the second man outside of
our offensive tackle or the first man outside of our up-back. When he
makes contact with the defensive man, he forces him to his outside. He,
too, must keep his inside foot in place. If we are going to kick the ball
to our left after the ball has been snapped, he will cross over and block
the first man who shows outside of our left up-back. He covers wide to
the side he blocks on.

_Kicker_—The kicker is back nine yards, and after he kicks he immediately
covers to the side opposite he kicked the ball.

The tight punt coverage is practically the same as we use on our spread
punt, but the linemen are so close together it is difficult for them to
cover wide. Our center cannot leave quite as quickly as on spread punt
and we hold our blocks a little longer. Otherwise everything is the same
on the two punt formations.

OUR QUICK KICK FORMATION

The quick kick is a tremendous offensive weapon which we now employ
frequently, depending upon our particular opponent. We think the quick
kick has helped us win a few football games in the past, and I suspect
it will continue to aid us in the future if we execute it properly.
Consequently we will continue to spend time practicing and coaching the
quick kick. Since we quick kick frequently, this makes our short passing
game more effective as our opponents must play their safety man deeper
than usual.

We try not to tip-off when we intend to quick kick. We try to make the
formation look exactly like our regular running formation. One slight
difference is that we line up our backs slightly deeper than usual
and slightly to their right, as illustrated in Figure 88, if the left
halfback is quick kicking.

[Illustration: FIGURE 88]

_Quick Kick Rules and Coverage_

Our quick kick rules and coverage are very simple, and are as follows:

_Ends, Guards and Tackles_—They block the man on their inside gap, and if
no man is there, they block the man over them. They are trying to form
a completely new line of scrimmage on their first charge about one yard
straight ahead. It is very important these six men penetrate the defense
on their initial charge, in order to give the kicker adequate room to
kick the football.

_Center_—The center’s first responsibility is to make a good snap to the
person who is going to kick the football. Then he blocks the man in the
off-gap—no one there, blocks man over him. As an example, if we have a
right-footed kicker, the center will block to his left, as illustrated in
Figure 88. If the kicker is left-footed, the center would block to his
right.

_Quarterback_—The quarterback acts as if he is going to receive a
hand-back pass from his center. However, he takes a wider leg spread than
usual in order to permit the center to pass the ball directly through the
quarterback’s legs to his left halfback (Figure 88). His blocking rule is
to block the on-gap, i.e., the right gap for a right-footed kicker, as
illustrated in Figure 88, and the left gap for a left-footed kicker.

_Right Halfback_—He has no blocking assignment as he covers the quick
kick immediately.

_Fullback_—He will move over to his right slightly, and his assignment
is to block the first man who shows outside of our offensive right end.
He will step up to meet him, giving the kicker adequate room to kick the
ball.

_Left Halfback or Kicker_—He lines up a little deeper than usual and
moves over about a foot to his right. When the kicker catches the
football, he will rock his weight back to his right foot, leaving his
left foot in place, and pivoting his body to the right. He then takes
a step with his left foot in about a 45 degree angle to the sideline,
and at the same time he will drop the ball (pointing straight down the
field) and kick the ball trying to make contact with it over the arch
of his right foot. After he hits the football, he legswings toward the
goal line. This action will make the ball go end-over-end and cause it to
continue rolling toward the goal line upon hitting the ground.

The quick kick must come as a complete surprise to the defense or it will
not be effective. If the defense knows you are going to quick kick, it
will be more effective to employ spread punt and kick the football. You
would get better protection and coverage from spread formation, though
the element of surprise is not present.

OUR PUNT RETURN

We have never done what I would consider an outstanding job of returning
our opposition’s punts. One reason for this is that it is awfully easy
to overlook this particular phase of the kicking game. I am planning to
devote more time on punt returns from now on.

We feel about punt returns about the same as we do pass defense—you must
either rush or return, and it is difficult to accomplish both at the same
time. Therefore, we try to do one or the other, depending upon the game
situation.

We use a punt return to our left and one to our right, and a return up
the middle to keep the kicking team honest. All of these returns have
proven satisfactory from time to time.

_Punt Return Left_

When we are going to return the punt left or right, we line up in a
strong side defense. Consequently there is no indication of whether we
are returning the punt right or left, or rushing the punter trying to
block the punt.

Figure 89 illustrates our punt return left. Our return rules are as
follows:

_Left End_—He comes across the line of scrimmage about five yards deep
into the offensive backfield, and makes certain the kicker does not get
outside of him in the event the latter tries to run with the ball. After
he sees the kicker punt the football, he turns and swings in behind his
right guard in forming the wall. He will be the fourth man in line and
he must keep his proper distance from his guard. The length of the kick
will determine how far downfield he will go before he sets up. He blocks
anyone who is in his area trying to break through the wall.

[Illustration: FIGURE 89]

We have an imaginary post three yards outside of our defensive left end,
and we want all of our players to swing wide and go around this spot
before going back downfield. If all of the players do this, our entire
line will be running in approximately the same path and our wall will be
set up correctly.

_Left Tackle_—As soon as he crosses the line of scrimmage, he will turn
to his left, go around the imaginary post, and head quickly downfield
becoming the first man in the wall. His block will be a key one,
springing loose the safety man. His depth depends on the distance the
punter kicks the ball.

_Middle Guard_—He follows the same course as the left tackle. He will
be the second man in the wall, and he must maintain the proper distance
between the first man and himself. When he gets into position, he will
block anyone who is in his area trying to break through the wall.

_Right Guard_—Same course as the left tackle, only he follows the middle
guard around the imaginary post and back downfield becoming the third man
in the wall. He should keep his proper distance from our middle guard.

_Right Tackle_—He will rush the punter from the outside, making certain
the punter actually kicks the ball. Then turning to his left, he will
swing wide, as illustrated in Figure 89, becoming the fifth man in the
wall. He must keep his proper distance from our defensive left end who
will be the fourth man, as I explained previously.

_Right End_—He will rush the kicker from the outside making certain he
actually kicks the ball. He will then turn to his left, and start around
the imaginary post. He will be the sixth man in the wall, and he should
maintain a proper distance between his right tackle and himself.

_Right Linebacker_—The right linebacker will come back to his outside and
block the most dangerous pursuer threatening the safety man. He usually
blocks the offensive left end as he covers the punt downfield.

_Left Linebacker_—He will come back fast to his outside, and his
responsibility is to block out the offensive right end. The others are
blocking toward the wide side of the field. He is the only man blocking
toward the sideline.

_Halfbacks_—They will handle the short kick to their side of the field.
Otherwise they are personal protectors for the safety man if he fields
the kick. They block the most dangerous pursuer who is in a position to
tackle our receiver.

_Safety_—It is very important that the ball is handled in the air and not
permitted to strike the ground and bounce around. Assuming the safety
man catches the football, he should start straight up the field in order
to give his wall time to form and to draw the pursuers into the middle
toward him. Then he swings in behind his wall on the sideline.

_Our Middle Punt Return_

Our return up the middle is very similar to our man-to-man kick-off
return (Figure 94), in that we assign one man to block one man at the
line of scrimmage. Each defensive man is supposed to stay with his
offensive man, as illustrated in Figure 90. We use the same defensive
alignment as when we are going to return the ball to our right or left
(Figure 90).

[Illustration: FIGURE 90]

[Illustration: FIGURE 91]

If we want to be in a balanced defensive alignment, and we know they have
a slow offensive lineman, we will line up in a straight 6-2 defense.
Figure 91 illustrates our alignment and hold-up return if we know the
offensive center is slow. We merely let him go, and our interior linemen
and linebackers hold-up the offensive ends, tackles and guards. Our ends
rush the kicker from the outside, making certain he kicks the football.
The interior linemen and linebackers use the same techniques our
offensive backs use when they are protecting the passer. When they feel
they are losing their men, then they will go into a cross body block. Our
halfbacks will be the personal protection for the safety man. The safety
will field the ball in the air and start upfield. If he sees a hole, he
will break for it on our middle return.

OUR KICK-OFF AND ITS COVERAGE

The kick-off is a very important phase of the defensive kicking game
because of the number of times it is used in a game. As you know, the
kick-off comes at the start of the game, at the beginning of the second
half, and after a team has scored. It is a terrific advantage to get a
deep kick-off with good coverage, and tackle the ball carrier inside
of his 20-yard line. It is important to eliminate the long run on the
kick-off return for several reasons. First, a long run has a demoralizing
effect on the kicking team, and gives the receiving team both a
psychological and a strategical advantage. With respect to the latter
point, if the receiving team gets beyond its 30-yard line, it can open up
with its entire offensive attack immediately. Conversely, if the kicking
team keeps the receiving team deep in its own territory, the receiving
team is forced to run a limited offense, punt the ball or gamble in order
to get out of its own territory.

_Two Types of Kick-Offs_

We employ two different kinds of kick-offs, depending upon the particular
opponent we are playing. As an illustration, if we know the opposition
has two dangerous runners playing deep, we will kick the ball in such a
manner that it strikes the ground and bounces around making it difficult
for either man to control. This tactic also gives us time to cover the
kick properly. On the other hand, if our scouting report reveals the
safeties are only fair runners, then we will kick the ball high in the
air and end-over-end. Of course, if we had a place kicker who could boot
the ball out of the end zone every time, our kick-off strategy would be
simple and our problem would be solved. Kickers with such ability are
difficult to locate.

I suppose our coverage on the kick-off is like that of most other
football teams. We want our men back five yards from the ball in a
3-point stance, all facing toward the football. Our quarterback stands
one yard to the side of the ball and a yard off the ball on the 39-yard
line with his arms raised ready to give the starting signal to the men
watching him. When the kicker approaching the football gets to a point
where the men covering the kick-off cannot get off-side, the quarterback
will drop his arms as a signal for the men to start forward together. We
want everyone but the safeties to cover the kick quickly. Each man is to
protect his own area, and then go to the cut-off point. We instruct our
ends to be certain no one gets outside of them.

We have two safeties not including the quarterback. If the ball is kicked
down the middle, the quarterback is the safety. If the ball is kicked to
our right, our quarterback and left halfback will be safeties. If the
ball is kicked to our left, the quarterback and our right halfback will
be safeties, as illustrated in Figure 92. When our safeties drop out, our
other men will converge slightly to close the gaps. The safety men cover
slowly, and should always be in a position to tackle the ball carrier
before he can score.

Figure 92 illustrates the fullback kicking the ball. If a player other
than the fullback is the kick-off man, he and the fullback would merely
exchange places in the line up.

[Illustration: FIGURE 92]

It is very important that our men going down to cover the kick-off keep
their proper distance from the men on each side of them. If we have two
men covering the kick close together, a good block by the receiving team
could eliminate both of them, and then our coverage would not be sound.

OUR KICK-OFF RETURN

I explained previously the advantages of returning the kick-off. I like
to get this psychological and strategical “jump” on our opposition when
we receive the kick-off; consequently, we attach much importance and
significance to returning the kick-off. We work hard on our returns. We
want a good return so that if we must surrender the ball by punting to
the opposition, we’ll give it to them back in their 3-down zone. By this
I mean they must make a first down in their first three plays or they
will be forced to kick the ball back to us on the fourth down. If we get
a poor return and cannot move the ball and must punt it from deep in
our own territory, we might give the ball to them immediately in their
4-down zone. Now we have increased their chances of scoring by 25% merely
because we did not get a good kick-off return.

_Our Kick-Off Return Right_

Figure 93 illustrates our kick-off return to our right with the men on
the receiving team blocking their “numbers” downfield, as indicated.
Each man on the kicking team is numbered from one through seven from the
outside-in, except the last four men on the opposite side of the kicking
line, i.e., the men on our extreme left in Figure 93. If we know from
scouting reports who the safety man will be, we do not give him a number.
If we don’t know who the safety man is, we instruct our players—if your
man turns out to be a safety, regardless of where you line up, then you
will block the first man to your inside. The deep back who does not
receive the ball will head upfield and block the most dangerous man
threatening the ball carrier.

[Illustration: FIGURE 93]

_Our Middle Kick-Off Return_

We think our middle kick-off return is very simple and actually takes
very little work to perfect it. What we are trying to accomplish is to
wall off the opposition in a solid line. This gives our ball carrier time
to pick up speed and we let him break where the hole opens up.

In our alignment, illustrated in Figure 94, our front line is about 12
yards in front of our back line. When the ball is kicked, our front line
will drop back six yards and get into a good football position, keeping
their eyes on the men they are going to block. When we are using this
type of return, we commence counting from the outside-in on both ends of
the line. The end men are not blocked because we know they are taught
to stay outside. If our scouting report shows they converge and other
men cover the outside, then we will change our assignments to handle the
situation.

[Illustration: FIGURE 94]

We want our blockers to use the same block that our backs use when
protecting the passer. We want them to remain on their feet until they
feel they are losing their man. Then they go into a crotch block. The
deep back who does not field the ball will get in front of the ball
carrier and lead interference. The back who receives the kick-off will
start straight up the field attempting to gain as much yardage as
possible. When he sees daylight in the line in front of it, he breaks for
the opening at his discretion.

If the kicking team places the football on the hash mark to kick-off and
we are employing a middle return, we will count the end man closest to
the football and block him, and disregard the two farthest men from the
ball on the opposite end of the line.

OUR ON-SIDE (SHORT) KICK

The on-side kick, i.e., legal short kick, is one of the best weapons
a team can have when you must gain possession of the ball after a
touchdown. We work on the on-side kick, practicing it every week. If an
on-side kick helps us to win one football game, then it is well worth
all the time we have spent on it.

Previously I mentioned our 1955 game with Rice where we were behind
12-0, with three minutes remaining to play in the game. We scored on
a running play, kicked the extra point, and with the score 12-7 we
still needed a touchdown to win the football game. Having rehearsed the
on-side kick during the week, as we lined up for the kick-off, we knew
our strategy would be a short kick. We recovered the ball successfully
on the on-side kick, then scored with a long pass, and converted the
point-after-touchdown, making the score 14-12. Rice attempted to get
back into the game by passing as time was running out. We intercepted a
pass, scored again, and won the game 20-12. You can see why we are firm
believers in the on-side kick.

Figure 95 illustrates our on-side kick to the left. We line up in our
regular kick-off alignment. When the kicker approaches the ball, instead
of driving through with the toe of his kicking shoe, he kicks the
football with his instep. He merely tries to get a piece of the ball,
sort of punching it left or right so we can go down and cover it quickly.
The end, tackle and center (Figure 95) do not try to recover the ball,
but try to wedge in front of it and wall off the area so the men on the
receiving team cannot get possession of the football. Our halfback comes
down fast and his assignment is to recover the football (behind the
wall). When we kick the ball to the left, as illustrated in Figure 95,
the quarterback will swing in behind the halfback in the event he misses
recovering the ball and the opposition is trying to advance the kick-off.

[Illustration: FIGURE 95]

We also try an on-side kick down the middle with the tackles and guards
(see Figure 95) forming a wall in front of the kicker, who tries to
recover the football.

When we try an on-side kick to our right, the principles are the same
with our end, guard and tackle forming the wall while the right halfback
tries to recover the ball.

DEFENDING AGAINST AN ON-SIDE KICK

We also work on defending against the on-side (short) kick because we
know the opposition will attempt to use it against us. The last year
I was at Kentucky, we were playing Cincinnati and I knew they would
attempt an on-side kick. I sent 11 players into the game with the sole
responsibility of recovering the kick and not permitting Cincinnati to
get the football. I wish I could report that we were successful, but
Cincinnati recovered its on-side kick. However, our boys at least knew
we had worked on defending against the on-side kick and we were not
surprised when the opposition used it.

When we are expecting an on-side kick, we want to get our best ball
handlers up close to the restraining line so they can field the ball.
Figure 96 illustrates our receiving alignment defending against the
on-side kick. Our halfbacks and quarterback are at the 45-yard line, with
the fullback deep and the ends in their usual alignment. We put our five
interior linemen close to the restraining line for two reasons. First, we
do _not_ want them to handle the football. Second, we want them to block
or wall off for the man who is going to field the ball. Our quarterback
is our surest ball handler so we place him in the middle, hoping he
will be the one to field the ball. Note the halfbacks are inside of the
end men on the restraining line in front of them. If the ball is kicked
to our left, our front men sprint quickly to a point in front of the
football where they can block the men on the kicking team before they
can recover the football. The halfback on the left side is instructed
_not_ to try to advance the football, but merely to fall on it and get
possession of the football. The quarterback and right halfback swing in
behind the left halfback in the event he mishandles the football. If the
kick were to our right, the right halfback would handle the ball with
the other two backs backing up the right halfback. If the ball is kicked
down the middle, we want the quarterback to fall on the ball, with the
two halfbacks swinging in behind him in the event he mishandles the ball.
Our five front men would block in front of the ball for their quarterback.

[Illustration: FIGURE 96]

OUR EXTRA POINT AND FIELD GOAL PROTECTION

Our extra point and field goal protection are the same with the exception
that on the latter we must cover the kick. Our point-after-touchdown and
field goal attempt blocking rules are as follows:

_Center_—Our center’s main responsibility is to make a perfect snap to
the holder, and then he braces himself and holds his ground. We actually
try to get our center to grab the ground with his hands so that he cannot
be knocked backwards. Should the latter occur, the center would leave a
hole in the line. The center must hold his ground, and he should keep
both feet stationary.

_Guards, Tackles, Ends_—The other six linemen have exactly the same
blocking rules. The guards and tackles do not take splits, so the line
from tackle to tackle will be tight. The ends will split approximately
six inches. None of these men can move their outside foot. It must remain
stationary. They will line up looking in at the football. On the snap of
the ball, the guard will step with his inside foot toward the center.
He will put his head in front of the center’s leg, with his neck firm
against it. The guard must keep his outside leg stationary as the tackle
will put his head and neck firmly against the guard’s leg. The end will
use the same technique putting his neck against the tackle’s outside leg.
We are trying to build a solid wall so the opposition cannot penetrate it
and get to our kicker. We are trying to force the opponents to rush from
the outside, rather than permitting them to rush inside.

_Up-Backs_—The up-backs line up about a yard deep and a yard inside our
offensive ends. They are in a position where they can reach out and touch
the tail of our end on their respective sides. The up-back’s assignment
is to keep his inside foot in place and force the rushers to go wide. He
cannot move his inside foot, and he must not be knocked down. On a field
goal attempt he has wide responsibility to his side of the field. He will
leave as soon as he hears the thud of the ball.

_Holder_—The holder lines up about six yards and one foot deep and his
responsibility is to place the ball on the tee in a good position,
permitting our kicker to get his foot into the ball.

Figure 97 illustrates our place kicking formation. The whole operation
for the extra point or field goal attempt should take only one and
three-tenths seconds. If it takes longer than this, it is likely the kick
will be blocked.

We have our extra point and field goal kickers out 20 minutes early
every day practicing their specialties. We have a set of goal posts
approximately one-half as wide as the regulation width that our kickers
practice kicking through.

[Illustration: FIGURE 97]

DEFENDING AGAINST A FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT

When we are trying to rush a field goal attempt, we never rush from both
sides at the same time, and we always play our 3-deep pass coverage. The
only exception is that our safety will line up a little deeper so he can
handle the ball if the situation warrants it. We are always as conscious
of the fake field goal attempt and pass as we are of the actual place
kick.

We only rush from one side at a time, and it will probably be our
right side if the kicker is right-footed. We overload to that side, as
illustrated in Figure 98, trying to get one of our fastest ends in there
to block the attempted place kick.

[Illustration: FIGURE 98]

CONCLUSION

I think the kicking game is very important as it is tied in closely with
our defensive football. You must be sound in all phases of the kicking
game, as neglecting any one phase can cost you a football game. In order
to have a winner, our kicking game must be sound.

CHAPTER 7

Our Offensive Running Game

The number one objective of offensive football is to score. If we cannot
score, then the only alternative is to kick. We never want to surrender
the ball to our opposition outside of the 4-down zone other than by
kicking it to them. We cannot possibly win the tough football games if we
lose the football by fumbles, interceptions, blocked kicks, or anything
else other than by kicking the ball to our opponents.

BASIC PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS OF OFFENSIVE FOOTBALL

Offense is based on two primary principles, running with and/or passing
the football. They go hand in hand and complement each other in all
respects. A team must pass sufficiently in order to keep the opposition
from putting all of its strength on or relatively close to the line of
scrimmage. A team also must be able to advance the football with its
ground game so the opposition does not have to defend against only one
phase of the game, the passing attack.

The main requirements for playing offensive football are: (1) explosive
speed, and (2) a real desire to carry out the specific assignment,
whether it be to block, run or fake. Offense is a game of skill and
perfection, and many hours must be spent working on it.

_A Sound Offense_

A sound offense is one in which each play is designed to gain ground,
and if executed perfectly there is a good possibility for a long gain
and/or scoring a touchdown. If the offense is going to operate at maximum
efficiency, the bad play must be eliminated completely. The _bad_ play is
one that does not gain yardage. If the offense is based on the 4-yard per
play or short thrust offense, such as Oklahoma has used so successfully
in the past under Bud Wilkinson, it is clear to see how a bad play can
stymie the offensive attack.

The sound attack also utilizes the best personnel available, such as the
best ball carriers carrying the ball, the best blockers for blocking, and
so on. If you will analyze your offensive attack, you are likely to learn
this does not always occur. The best blocker might be carrying the ball
more often than your best ball carrier, who in turn might not be a strong
blocker.

We had a fine team at Texas A & M in 1956, but when I look back over the
season I now realize I did not utilize my backs to maximum efficiency.
Our quarterback, Roddie Osborne, was a very fine football player, and
like the great ones he enjoyed running with the football. Roddie did
a terrific job of running with the ball, but we had other outstanding
backs, such as All-American John Crow, All-American Jack Pardee, and
Lloyd Taylor, a great competitor. When the season was over and we
tabulated our final statistics, we found Roddie had carried the ball
nearly as many times as the combined carries of Crow, Pardee, and Taylor.

In order to maintain maximum results with the offense, it must be
presented to the squad so they all have a complete understanding of what
you are trying to accomplish and how it is going to be done. Unless the
players have a thorough picture and understand the reasoning behind your
offensive attack, maximum efficiency is impossible.

I firmly believe that the simpler the offense, the better. The fewer
things a boy has to do and remember, the better he will execute the
fundamentals you have taught him. If executed well, the player will have
more confidence in what he is doing and his own ability. Consequently
the greater the chance the offensive attack has of being successful.

OUR OFFENSIVE TERMINOLOGY

To be sure that we are all talking the same “language” and can understand
each other readily, we have adopted the following offensive terminology:

_Flow_—Direction in which most of the backs start.

_On-Side_—Lineman on side of point of attack.

_Off-Side_—Lineman on side away from point of attack.

_Near Back_—Halfback on side of flow.

_Far Back_—Halfback away from side of flow.

_On-Back_—Of the two remaining backs in the backfield, the back
toward call.

_Off-Back_—Of the two remaining backs in the backfield, the
back away from call.

_Point of Attack_—Spot where ball crosses the line of scrimmage.

_Over_—Defensive man over any part of the offensive man.

_Cut Off_—Shoot the head and shoulder past the defensive man,
destroying his correct pursuit angle to the football.

_Set_—Fake pass protection block.

_Slam_—Entertain defensive man with shoulder and forearm.

_N/T_—No one there.

_Position Lateral_—Getting self in position to receive lateral
from the man with the football.

_Covered_—Designates offensive man with a defensive man over
him on L.O.S.

_L.B._—Linebacker.

_M.L.B._—Middle linebacker.

_L.O.S._—Line of scrimmage.

_Man on L.O.S._—Defensive man down in 3- or 4-point stance on
the line of scrimmage.

“_6_”—Right end.

“_7_”—Left end.

_Club_—A vicious running head and shoulder block attacking the
defensive man’s upper extremities from the blind side. This
block is used in the area approaching the point of attack.

_Color_—First man approached with different color jersey.

_Motion_—Back leaving before snap of the ball.

_Ice_—Receiver going to outside or inside and becoming a
possible receiver after making his block or when no one shows.
Yell “Ice” when open.

_Trail Junction Blocker_—Ball carrier straddling the outside
leg of junction blocker. Stay close to him.

_Pursuer_—Defensive man pursuing the ball carrier.

_Gap_—Space between two offensive men.

_Flare_—Call to tell a back to run a flare route.

_Drive Man_—Man who does the driving on a two-on-one block.

_Post Man_—Man who stops the progress of the defensive man on a
two-on-one block.

_Odd Defense_—Offensive guards not covered.

_Even Defense_—Offensive guards are covered.

_Box Defense_—Only two deep men in the secondary.

_3-Deep Defense_—Three deep men in the defensive secondary.

_9-Man Front_—Box defense.

_8-Man Front_—Three deep defense.

_Position Ball_—Bring ball immediately into belly, elbows in,
ball in fingers.

_Drive Block_—A vicious head and shoulders block and turn
opponent.

_Climb Block_—A brutal drive block.

_Chop Block_—Open field block on men in the secondary by
throwing your body (extended) at his throat.

_Crack Back_—A vicious low reverse body block.

_Groin Block_—A low drive block with upward action aimed at
defensive man’s groin.

_Fill_—Protect the area to your inside.

_Shoot Out_—Springing from your original stance, hitting on
your hands and feet running (used to get downfield).

_Against the Grain_—Direction in the secondary opposite the
flow.

_On Linebacker_—Denotes (on-side L.B. N/T M.L.B.).

_Position_—Getting to a spot between the man you are to block
and the ball carrier.

_Roll Back_—Position and block defensive man from blind side.

_Eagle_—Call to tackle and guard to switch assignments.

_Head On_—Man nose on nose.

We want all of our players and coaches to understand and use our
offensive terminology. One or two words either explains the descriptive
action we want or identifies some segment of the offense or the
opposition’s defense. The terms are simple, meaningful and descriptive.

OUR OFFENSIVE STANCE

The offensive stance is very important. It is difficult enough trying to
attain maximum results when they are lined up in their proper stance,
but it puts your players at a distinct disadvantage and handicaps them
greatly if you permit them to assume a stance that is improper and
incorrect. Therefore, we put first things first, and try to coach our
players always to take the proper stance.

_Offensive Stance for Linemen_

The stance for the linemen, with the exception of the center, is
basically the same, with allowances being made for various physical
characteristics, which vary from individual to individual. The inside
foot is forward, the feet staggered in an arch to toe relationship. The
tackles and ends exaggerate the stagger from heel to toe since they are
further removed from the center and quarterback.

The feet should not be spread wider than the individual’s shoulders,
with the weight of the body concentrated on the balls of the feet. The
heels should be slightly in, with the cleats on the heel of the forward
foot almost touching the ground. The ankles should be bent slightly. The
knees should be bent slightly more than 90 degrees, and turned slightly
in. The tail is even or a little higher than the shoulders, and splitting
the forward and rear heels. The back is straight, shoulders square, neck
relaxed, and eyes open keeping the defensive linebacker in line of sight.
The hands are placed down slightly outside of the feet, elbows relaxed,
and thumbs in and slightly forward of the shoulders.

_Offensive Stance for Center_

The center lines up in a left-handed stance with the feet even and
slightly wider than the shoulders. The weight is on the balls of the
feet, heels turned slightly in, with the cleats on the heels of the shoes
almost touching the ground. The knees are slightly in and bent a little
more than 90 degrees. The tail is slightly higher than the shoulders and
about two inches in front of the heels. The center places his left hand
inside his legs down from between his eye and ear almost directly under
the forehead, with the fingers spread and the thumb turned slightly in.
The shoulders are square, the back is straight, the neck is relaxed,
and the eyes looking upward. His right hand grasps the football like
a passer. He should reach out as far as possible without changing his
stance. The center is coached to place the ball on his tail as quickly
as possible with a natural turn of the arm. He should drive out over the
ball with his head coming up and tail down, keeping his shoulders square
as he makes his hand-back to the quarterback.

_Quarterback’s Stance_

The quarterback is coached to get into a football position with the feet
slightly wider than the shoulders, weight on the balls of the feet, heels
and knees turned slightly in, knees bent slightly, and a natural bend at
the waist in order to be in a good position to receive the ball from the
center as he snaps the ball on the hand-back. The elbows must be bent and
in close to the body.

The quarterback’s right hand goes up in the center’s crotch. He turns it
slightly to the right. At this spot he applies pressure with the hand
to his center’s tail. The left hand must be in a comfortable position,
making slight contact with the right hand, and it is used to trap the
ball and to assist the right hand in taking the football from the center.

_Halfback’s Stance_

The feet of the halfback should not be wider than the shoulders, and
staggered in a heel to toe relationship with each other. The weight
should be on the balls of the feet, but will vary slightly depending
upon the direction the halfback must move in carrying out his particular
assignment. With the snap of the ball he should throw himself in the
direction he is going, and he should not use a cross-over step.

His knees should be bent a little beyond 90 degrees, with the knees
and heels turned slightly in, and the tail a little higher than the
shoulders. The halfback’s shoulders should be square, with his head and
eyes in a position to see the defensive linebacker on the opposite side
from him. The inside hand should be down, slightly forward and inside of
the knee with the thumb turned a little to the inside. The body weight
should be forward slightly.

_Fullback’s Stance_

The fullback lines up with the feet even and a little wider than his
shoulders. The cleats on the heels of his shoes should touch the ground.
The heels and knees are turned slightly in with the weight on the balls
of the feet. The head and eyes are in a relaxed position, but where
they can see the second man standing outside of the offensive end. The
hands are directly in front of each foot with the thumbs turned in. The
shoulders are square, the back is straight, the tail is directly above
the heels, with the weight slightly forward, but not to such an extent he
cannot start quickly in a lateral direction to either side.

OFFENSIVE LINE SPLITS

The use of intelligent line splits by the offensive guards, tackles and
ends must be mastered in order to realize the full potential of our
basic offensive attack. Without proper line splits, it is impossible for
the offense to function at 100% efficiency. Therefore, we must present
line split theory and coach our linemen in such a way they will have a
clear understanding of why and when we want to move in, out or remain
stationary. Mastering the intelligent use of line splits is one of the
most important single duties of the offensive linemen. (The other is a
quick offensive charge together on the starting count.)

_The Pre-Shift Position_

When the linemen leave the huddle and come up to the line of scrimmage in
a pre-shift position (hands on knees in a semi-upright stance), the basic
split rule for the guards is to split one full man. The tackles and ends
will split slightly more than one full man. As the linemen go down into
their offensive stance, each man (except the center) will move in, out or
remain stationary, depending upon the particular defensive alignment and
the individual’s split rules.

_Our Basic Split Rules_

Our offensive basic split rules are as follows:

EVEN DEFENSE:

1. Guards—full man; don’t move.

2. Tackles—man over you, split one-half man. If no one is there, use a
common sense split which would be to cut the split down on a wide play
and take a maximum split on an inside play.

3. Ends—Line up a little over a full man split, and use the common
sense split rule which would depend upon the play. Never move more than
one-half man either way.

ODD DEFENSE:

1. Guards—Take a full man split, but never so wide that if a man should
jump into the gap between the guard and center, you could not cut him
off. After taking the proper split, then apply the common sense split
rule.

2. Tackles—If there is no inside linebacker:

(a) Wide play called—split in one-half man.

(b) Inside play called—fake split and don’t move. Inside
linebacker: Split out one-half man.

3. Ends—Take good wide splits and apply common sense rule, never split
more than one-half man either way.

In order to split intelligently it is important to determine first of all
if the defensive man will move with you when you move (Figure 99a), or
whether he is keeping his spacing on his own defensive man (Figure 99b).
You are attempting to determine as quickly as possible if your defensive
man is taking a variable or a static position. Figures 99a-b illustrate
variable and static spacing, respectively, by the defensive linemen.

[Illustration: FIGURE 99a]

[Illustration: FIGURE 99b]

Do not ever emphasize that you are splitting to get good blocking angles,
but you split in order to isolate a defender. If the defender splits when
the offensive man splits, you can isolate him. If his split is static, a
good blocking angle will be the result. Your linemen should _never_ split
merely to get the angle, however. It will also help the linemen if they
have a clear picture of where the ball crosses the line of scrimmage (the
critical point of attack), and from where the ball is being thrown on a
pass play. Then, too, there is no set rule that will cover all defensive
situations and the offensive men must be able to apply the common sense
split rule along with the basic split rule.

Figure 100 illustrates the pre-shift position of the right side of the
offensive line and the application of the guard’s, tackle’s, and end’s
split rules. From the pre-shift stance and position, the offensive men
are allowed to split one-half man either way, according to the defense.
The inside always must be protected. A defensive man must not be allowed
to penetrate or shoot the inside gap as he is likely to stop the
offensive play for a loss.

[Illustration: FIGURE 100]

If the defensive man will move with the offensive man, then the offense
should be able to isolate one man and the point of attack should be
directed toward him. Figures 101a-b illustrate the center’s man and
the offensive right tackle’s man being isolated respectively, and the
critical point of attack being directed at the isolated defenders.

[Illustration: FIGURE 101a]

[Illustration: FIGURE 101b]

It is very important for the offensive lineman to know his main objective
in proper line splitting is either (1) to spread the defense out, or
(2) to isolate a man. The main objective is _never_ to split in order
to get a good blocking angle. This latter misconception can destroy any
advantage we gain by splitting the line.

OUR SNAP COUNT

In order for a team to operate at maximum efficiency offensively all of
the players must get off with the ball at the same time. They must uncoil
as a unit and strike the opposition as quickly as possible. The only
advantage the offense has over the defense is the former knows where the
play is going and when the ball will be snapped. In order to maintain
this advantage the offense must strike quickly as a unit. Should the
defense penetrate the offense or the offense not get off on the ball
together, the offense loses its advantage over the defense.

The offense’s advantage hinges on its ability to get off on the ball
together. Whether or not the offense can do this well will depend upon
their first initial movement, which in turn depends upon the snap count.

At one time or another I believe we have used just about every imaginable
snap count. We have found that our line gets off better as a unit,
without leaning, and hits quicker when we employ a sound snap count. The
quarterback can say what he likes if we are going on the first sound.
While in the huddle, the quarterback will give the play and then cue the
action with the first sound, second sound or the third sound. We use the
same word for our sound snap count, but the emphasis is placed on the
first, second or third sound. For example, if the quarterback calls,
“24 on the second sound,” the team lines up in its offensive position,
and the quarterback says, “Go!” Since this is the first sound, the ball
is _not_ centered. Then the quarterback commands, “Go!” for the second
sound, the ball is centered and the team moves as a unit. The quarterback
can wait between his first and second commands since our snap count is
non-rhythmic. Such a measure not only keeps the defense off guard, but it
also keeps the offense constantly alert.

_Automatics_

It is not my purpose to discuss the automatic versus the non-automatic
systems of signal calling. In the former the quarterback can use the
automatic system or change the play at the line of scrimmage. In the
latter he runs the play that was called in the huddle and does not change
it at the line of scrimmage. There are advantages and disadvantages to
both systems. A strong argument that is advanced for the non-automatic
system is that it gives the linemen time to analyze their block and
mentally pick out the person they are supposed to block as they approach
the line of scrimmage. The people who favor the non-automatic system
maintain they have fewer broken signals, and fewer bad plays than the
teams using the automatic play change.

While I am not stressing the merits of one system over the other,
frankly, I would never send my players into a football game without
several plays which could be automaticked at the line of scrimmage. It is
just common sense to realize certain plays are not good against certain
defenses, and it is useless in most instances to run a play directly
toward the strength of a defense when you need to gain yardage in order
to sustain your offensive drive. Therefore, we always have a trap play,
an end sweep, and a look pass as our automatics. Since they are few in
number, our automatics are easy to learn and they allow the quarterback
to change his play at the line of scrimmage if he wishes to do so.

Our automatic system is very simple, and there is very little confusion
when we change our plays. As an example, while we are in the huddle,
the quarterback will call play, “18,” and the players will break from
the huddle and go to the line of scrimmage. After the quarterback gets
the players down into their offensive positions and he sees he wants
to change the play on automatic, he will repeat the original play,
“18.” This will alert the players, and they know the next number they
hear will be the new play that will be run instead of play 18. After
the quarterback has repeated the original play, and has called another
number, “24,” as an example, everyone on the offensive team knows the
new play will be 24, and the snap count always remains the same.

_Faking the Automatic_

If the quarterback wishes to fake an automatic so the opponents cannot
catch on to what he is doing, this can be done very simply. As an
example, let’s say the quarterback called the play, “30,” in the huddle.
At the line of scrimmage he decided to fake or dummy the automatic. At
the line he will say any number other than the one he called in the
huddle. This notifies the boys it is a fake automatic and they will not
pay any attention to the next number he calls as they are going to run
the play which the quarterback called originally in the huddle.

By using this two number system we can always play the automatic or fake
it, and it is impossible for the opponents to catch on because they do
not know the play the quarterback called in the huddle originally. It
is impossible to use the automatic if the quarterback has elected to
run the play on the _first_ sound. The majority of the time when we are
going on the first sound we will be hitting fast and straight away, and
an automatic will not be necessary. If the quarterback thinks there is
any chance he might want to change the play for any particular reason, he
would _not_ run the play on the first sound.

THE OFFENSIVE HUDDLE

The entire offensive operation starts with the huddle; therefore, it is
very important to insist that proper huddle techniques are carried out
properly. It is not too important the way the men are spaced or lined
up in forming the huddle, as long as everyone can see, hear, and get to
their proper offensive positions with as little confusion as possible. It
is a must, however, for the quarterback to use the proper techniques in
calling his plays and in controlling the huddle.

_The Quarterback Controls the Team_

A quarterback should never allow any talking in the huddle, unless he
asks a question and wants specific information. Therefore, he should
stand out of the huddle until it is completely formed. This will give
any player an opportunity to come and give specific information to the
quarterback without talking in the huddle.

The quarterback should not just call a signal, but on certain occasions
he should make a few extra comments while in the huddle. He should be
forceful, and above all he must be confident. The team will run the play
the way the quarterback calls it. Occasionally he should single out the
man called on to make the key block and inform him the team is depending
upon him. After the quarterback has called the play, and someone wants to
check the signal, the quarterback should not merely repeat the signal but
the entire play over again.

The quarterback must know the tactical situation at all times. If a
substitute comes into the game, the quarterback should always ask if
there are any instructions from the coach. The quarterback must always
be conscious of the 25 seconds between plays, and he should use it to
his advantage, whether to speed up or slow down the game. Training the
quarterback will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter 9.

THE QUARTERBACK’S TECHNIQUES

I spoke previously of the quarterback’s stance. It is very important for
him to take the same stance every time. The center must know where to
place the ball every time. Centers and quarterbacks should work with each
other frequently giving them as much practice as possible. Each center or
quarterback has particular traits, and by the centers and quarterbacks
working with each other they get to know one another better, thus
eliminating bad exchanges between them.

The quarterback should have his head up and always look straight ahead,
while observing the defense at all times. He should be as comfortable and
as relaxed as possible, and he should never look down when receiving the
ball from his center.

_Taking the Snap-Back_

On the snap of the ball, the quarterback should dip his hips so his
hands will follow the tail of the center as he charges. This technique
will also help the quarterback push off. The quarterback will take the
ball with his right hand, using the left as a trapper, as was explained
previously. He should make certain he has the ball, and he should not
fight it, before withdrawing his hands from the center’s crotch. As soon
as the quarterback has possession of the ball, he should bring it into
his “third hand,” his stomach. Such a procedure will help prevent a
fumble. He then wants to push off and execute his techniques as quickly
as possible.

The quarterback must always be cognizant of the fact he cannot score
without the ball; consequently, he wants to make certain he has
possession of it before pulling out of there. If he gets in a big hurry,
he is likely to drop the ball to the ground. I have seen this occur many
times.

_After Receiving the Snap_

After receiving the snap, the quarterback will operate in one direction
or the other by using a pivot or a cross-over step. The theory and
techniques are basically the same.

First, the quarterback must know the defensive alignment as this will
determine how far he should pivot, or if he needs to take a position
step. After he has recognized the defense and he has taken the first
short jab step or pivot step, he should have the ball in close to his
body until he is ready to hand-off.

The head is the first part of the body around if using the pivot step,
and also the first to move in the direction the quarterback is taking
if the cross-over step is used. After the head is pointed in the right
direction, the steps can be adjusted to avoid running into the ball
carrier. The quarterback should not wave his arms or his body up and down
as he should maintain the same level throughout the entire operation. The
quarterback should never flash (show) the football; he always operates
under control.

_Making the Exchange_

It is important for the quarterback to know each man with whom he must
make an exchange, including his speed, strong and weak points. He should
look at the target, the far hip, of the man to whom he is going to hand
the football, and he should be very quick with the exchange. He should
try to make the hand-off with the same motion he would use if he were
dealing cards quickly.

_Quarterback Faking_

The faking of the quarterback is very important. He should always
remember to carry out his fakes realistically. Incidentally we sometimes
give the ball to the man who is supposed to be doing the faking. We have
found it helps our faking as the man is not certain whether or not the
quarterback is going to give the ball to him.

When attempting a fake, it is very important for the quarterback to
look at the man he is faking to, and not merely swing his arms in a
half-hearted fake. He should go through the same motions he uses when he
actually gives the ball to the faker. His fakes must be realistic for the
offense to be effective. The quarterback should remember he never stops
moving while on offense, except when faking to set up a drop back pass.

BALL CARRYING TECHNIQUES

Every team wins or loses a great percentage of its games due to the
manner in which the backs and ends carry the football. All players, not
only the backs, should be drilled in the proper mechanics and techniques
of carrying a football properly as it is possible on occasions an
interior lineman will have an opportunity to run with the ball.

The outstanding characteristics or strength of each ball carrier is
likely to be different as one might possess outstanding speed, another
is a nifty, shifty runner, and the third is solid on his feet, possesses
power, and is capable of running over the opposition. Every ball carrier
must utilize his natural talents, and should practice diligently to
become as versatile as possible. Regardless of the individual style of a
runner, the most important point is for him to hold on to the football
and not fumble it.

Good habits, careful handling, and the execution of proper techniques
will prevent fumbles on ball exchanges. When a player has the ball in
his possession and fumbles it, he has committed the unpardonable sin in
my estimation. The ball carrier should remember to have one point of the
football in the palm of his hand with the fingers around the end of the
ball, and gripping it tightly. The other end should be in the crook of
his arm, which should force the football up close to his body.

If the football is carried properly, and the ball carrier is determined
to hang on to it, the football should never be lost due to a fumble. The
ball is the most valuable object on the football field. Consequently if
the ball carrier fails to hang on to the ball, he is letting down his
entire team. Once a player has control of the ball and fumbles it, this
is no accident. It is either carelessness or lack of courage. I can’t
build a winner with this type of player. In a close game a fumbled ball
can be the deciding factor in winning or losing.

A ball carrier should remember his primary objective is to gain ground;
if possible, to score. Therefore, he should move directly toward the
opposition’s goal line as quickly as possible, unless there is a definite
reason for doing otherwise. There are always exceptions to the rules, and
a ball carrier may not be running toward the opposition’s goal because he
might be trying to make better use of a blocker, dodge an opponent, get
to the opening, time the play properly, or he might have some other valid
reason. There will be times when top speed and the correct direction will
not be sufficient to get the job done.

_Open Field Running Techniques_

When a ball carrier is in the open field, he should always keep the
tackler guessing. He should not tip-off whether he is going to try to
outrun him, run through him, or dodge him, until he is close enough to
the tackler to give him the fake and then get by him. The ball carrier
should never concede he is down, and he should always keep fighting to
gain ground until the whistle stops the play.

The ball carrier should always realize and know exactly where he is
on the field, and just what he must do in order for the play to be
successful. In a majority of cases, a ball carrier should be concerned
only with running for a touchdown.

_The Importance of Proper Mental Attitude_

The basic difference between ordinary and great athletes is mental
attitude. As far as football players are concerned, the ordinary ball
carrier will try to make a touchdown, but he will be satisfied with a
five or six yard gain. The champion athlete, the All-American back,
is dissatisfied when he fails to score. He is always going for the
opposition’s goal line. The ball carrier actually does not succeed in
his objective unless he runs for a touchdown on every play (except for
occasional tactical situations), and he should never be made to feel he
has accomplished his objective unless he scores.

A ball carrier must be made to realize when he does a poor job of
carrying the ball, the effort of the other 10 men has been wasted. The
ball carrier must always be aware of the yardage necessary for a first
down and for a touchdown. When the ball carrier has possession of the
football, he must realize he has the control of the game in his hands.

OUR BLOCKING TECHNIQUES

Blocking techniques are basically the same for all linemen. The blocks
the backs are called upon to execute are basically the same, too.
Therefore, we will not discuss the techniques of each position, but
merely discuss techniques and procedures as a whole.

_The Drive Block_

The drive block or the one-on-one block was developed primarily for a
fast hitting attack, and is one that we use on many occasions. All blocks
consist of the following steps: (1) the approach, (2) the contact, and
(3) the follow through.

APPROACH:

1. Approach with short, controlled step. First step should be with the
outside foot, and it should not go beyond the forward foot. The knees
should be bent at this time.

2. Split the opponent’s course with the first step, and aim the nose
guard at the middle of the opponent’s target.

3. Keep the eyes on the target at all times.

4. Uncoil off the forward foot. Do not duck the head during the uncoil.

CONTACT:

1. Strike a jarring blow with the forehead.

2. Bring the head up as contact is made. (The body will follow the head;
this will help arch the back.)

3. The drive should be forward, then upward. The object is to knock the
opponent off-balance, thus depriving him of his traction; this will make
him easy to move out of the play.

4. Bring the feet up fast with short, choppy, digging steps, but still
keeping the knees bent.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

1. Stay on feet with the knees still bent and keep driving.

2. Keep the feet well spread and under the body.

3. Charge through the opponent.

4. Keep the body between the opponent and the path of the ball carrier.

The most important single step in the drive block is keeping the feet
driving the instant contact is made.

_The Reverse Shoulder Block_

This block is used primarily when the blocker already has position on a
hard charging lineman.

APPROACH:

1. Aim the far shoulder for the opponent’s far hip. This will help allow
for the opponent’s charge.

2. Shoot the head and shoulders in front of the defensive man.

3. This movement must be sharp and on a straight line.

4. Take a short positive step with the inside foot.

CONTACT:

1. Uncoil off the near foot.

2. Strike a good blow on the opponent’s hip, squeezing with the neck and
head in the stomach.

3. Bring inside foot up to help cut off penetration.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

1. Bring the legs up fast and keep them driving.

2. The charge of the defensive man will put the blocker in a perfect
blocking position.

3. Keep the body weight into opponent.

4. If and when the opponent attempts to spin out, go into a crab position
around the outside thigh to prevent pursuit.

_Blocking Linebackers_

The percentage of time the offense can block the linebackers will
determine to a great extent how successful the offense will be. If the
linebackers are blocked, the defense will usually break down.

APPROACH:

1. Get off on snap of the ball.

2. Whenever possible release to the inside to block an inside linebacker;
to the outside when blocking an outside linebacker.

3. Stay low, don’t run in a circle, but take the shortest route to the
linebacker.

4. Get to the point of attack in position to block before the linebacker
can get there to defend it.

5. Keep your body between the linebacker and the ball carrier.

CONTACT:

1. Split the linebacker right down the middle with initial block.

2. Thrust the body forward and upward, hit the linebacker on the rise and
elevate the shoulders on contact.

3. Strike the blow with a low fundamental position, hit with forehead and
forearm.

4. Make contact off top of the feet. Keep the feet underneath the
blocker, thus making it impossible for the blocker to follow-through
properly if he lunges or leaves his feet before or while making contact.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

1. As soon as contact is made with the linebacker, continue the leg
drive. The initial blow should knock him off balance and the leg drive
should keep him this way.

2. Keep the weight into the linebacker.

3. Gain position follow through. The blocker should continue to strive
for position to eliminate any possibility of the linebacker being in on
the tackle downfield.

_Downfield Blocking_

The approach of the downfield block will vary with the play called and
position of the defensive secondary men. The approach we will discuss
will be centered around attacking the defensive halfback.

The downfield block is a definite characteristic of all good football
teams, and it is virtually impossible to have many long runs without good
downfield blocking.

APPROACH:

1. Release rapidly on the line of scrimmage.

2. Sprint shallowly just beyond the line of scrimmage.

3. When approaching the designated person to block, aim for a spot in
front of his original position; this eliminates running behind the
halfback when he comes up to make the tackle.

4. The blocker must have a clear concept of the point of attack and the
prescribed path of the ball carrier.

5. The blocker should make the defensive man commit himself before he
starts to make contact.

CONTACT:

1. Once the defensive man has committed himself in a specific direction,
the blocker then starts his contact.

2. The blocker will get as close as possible to the defensive man (about
two yards) and spring off his inside foot, thus swinging his outside
elbow and arm toward the head of the opponent. This will cause a lifting
motion and make it possible for the blocker to extend the entire length
of his body in a horizontal position.

3. The blocker must aim his body at the opponent’s throat, trying to make
contact with his hip.

4. The defensive man will not allow him to hit him in the throat, but by
aiming there he may hit him around the knees.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

1. The follow through will consist of keeping the body extended as long
as possible and jumping up and trying to make another block.

_The Post-Lead Block_

The post-lead block, or two-on-one block, is used to insure the blocking
of the most dangerous defensive man, and at the same time give the ball
carrier the feeling of confidence that he can concentrate his efforts
on whipping the one defensive man to the inside or outside of the man
being double-teamed. With this in mind, the blockers are more conscious
of turning the defensive man away from the play rather than drive him
straight down the field. By using this same method, it makes it possible
to cut off the pursuit.

APPROACH:

(Post Man)

1. Drive straight at the defensive man with a short controlled step.
First step is with the outside foot.

2. Aim the nose guard at the middle of the target.

3. Keep the eyes on the target at all times.

4. Uncoil off the forward foot.

(Drive Man)

1. Take a position step with the inside foot and then a good step with
the outside foot to get squared away.

2. From this new position aim the nose guard at the middle of the
opponent and use as an apex. From this position the middle of the
opponent would be below the armpit and just above the waist.

3. Keep eyes on target all the way.

CONTACT:

(Post Man)

1. Strike a good blow with the forehead.

2. Drive straight through the opponent to stop his charge.

3. Hit on the rise and keep the pressure applied, keeping the knees bent
at all times.

(Drive Man)

1. Strike a jarring blow with the forehead below the armpit of the
opponent.

2. After good contact, slide head past body and continue applied pressure
with the inside shoulder.

3. Keep the tail down, head up, and feet under the body.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

(Post Man)

1. After good contact and feet are well up under the body, turn the tail
toward the drive man.

2. Keep pressure applied, feet moving in short, choppy steps, and drive
man down the line.

(Drive Man)

1. Keep pressure with shoulder and neck, and do not let man spin out to
outside.

2. Keep the tail to inside and do not allow defensive man to split.

3. Keep feet moving in short, choppy steps and move man down the line.

4. Force defensive man into pursuit to help eliminate it.

_The Trap Block_

APPROACH:

1. It is important to take the same stance as if going straight ahead,
but just before the ball is snapped, the weight is shifted to the outside
foot.

2. Take a quick, short, 6-inch step with inside foot and point toe
directly toward spot to be trapped.

3. Never raise the body up. Stay down and in a semicoiled position.

4. Drive off the forward foot, still taking short steps.

5. Anticipate the person to be trapped, to be filling the inside or
floating in the hole.

CONTACT: (see below)

FOLLOW THROUGH:

The contact and follow through are exactly the same as on our drive
block, which I explained previously.

_The Pass Protection_ (_Drop back pass_)

This technique is used by the guards and tackles when protecting the
passer on a straight dropback pass. It is good to go from a pre-shift
position when using this type of block.

APPROACH:

1. Take a short step backwards with the inside foot, then a longer step
backwards with the other foot.

2. While doing this, turn the tail slightly to the inside and remember
the inside gap must be protected.

3. After the second step backwards, the blocker should be in a good
football position (tail down, head up, knees bent, back straight, and the
body in a cocked position ready to strike a blow).

CONTACT:

1. Look at the man to be blocked, make him come to the blocker. When
close enough, spring and butt him with the forehead, trying to make
contact with him at the numbers.

2. After contact is made and the charge of the offensive man has been
stopped, the blocker will take a step back, regain his football position
and make contact again.

3. At all times the blocker will be forcing the defensive man to the
outside.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

1. When the blocker sees that he can no longer strike a blow with his
head, due to the position of the defensive man, he will fake a blow with
his head, then slide it and his body in front of the defensive man.

2. He will lock him with his leg and at the same time apply pressure with
his body.

3. At all times the blocker will be in a crab position and working his
feet around to force the defensive man to the outside, thus keeping him
away from the passer.

_The Crack Back Block_

This block is used primarily by the ends when they are blocking an inside
linebacker. It can also be used by anyone who might be blocking directly
in front of the ball carrier.

APPROACH:

1. Release from line of scrimmage as quickly as possible and run straight
at linebacker.

2. Aim slightly above the knees of the linebacker.

3. Get within a yard and a half before going into block.

CONTACT:

1. Throw outside arm with a quick, jerky motion in front of linebacker.
This quick motion will cause the head and shoulder to get in front of
defensive man.

2. Release off of inside foot to start block.

3. Make good solid contact with the outside hip just above the defensive
man’s knees.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

1. After contact is made, go into a four-point position with the arms
extended, and tail high into the air.

2. Work the feet around and force the defensive man to go in front of
blocker’s head.

3. Do not let defensive man get out behind the blocker’s feet because
this will allow him to pursue the ball from a proper angle.

4. Keep tail up and feet working.

_The Junction Block_

This block is used primarily by the fullback when he is blocking a true
end or a corner man on a wide play.

APPROACH:

1. Aim for a spot about a yard in front and outside of man to be blocked.

2. Run low and hard at spot.

CONTACT:

1. Extend the head and shoulders in front of and past the defensive man.
(The blocker’s head is pointing downfield.)

2. The blocker will use his inside leg and hip to catch the outside leg
and hip of the defensive man.

3. The blocker will then have his head and shoulders past the defensive
man and his inside leg firmly against the outside leg of the defensive
man, with his hands down and his tail up.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

1. Force defensive man to go inside by keeping feet moving and driving
downfield.

2. Do not extend body and fall flat on the ground.

3. Do not let man spin to blocker’s outside.

4. Keep pressure on defensive man as long as possible.

_The Roll Block_

This block is used when a small back, in particular, is trying to block a
true end or corner man on the ground.

APPROACH:

1. Aim for a spot about a yard in front and outside of the man to be
blocked.

2. Run low and hard at spot.

CONTACT:

1. With the head pointed at the outside hip of the defensive man, the
blocker will get about a yard and a half from him. As the blocker
springs, he will drop his inside shoulder and turn his head down and to
the outside.

2. The blocker will hit the outside leg of the defensive man with the
part of his shoulder pad that covers the scapula of his inside shoulder.

FOLLOW THROUGH:

1. After contact has been made with the back of shoulder, the blocker
will roll to his inside and give a corkscrew effect.

2. Stay as high as possible (around the knees) and make two or three
complete rolls in the corkscrew fashion, trying to knock the legs out
from under the defensive man.

3. At all times the blocker must keep his head pointing downfield or no
less than a 60 degree angle.

NUMBERING THE DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENTS

[Illustration: FIGURE 102a]

In making our blocking rules or assignments for all of the players
versus all different defensive alignments, there are several factors to
take into consideration. The rules must be simple, and secondly, they
must be brief. We have used several different kinds of rules, such as,
“Inside gap, over, linebacker,” and others. This was a good method, but
it amounted to quite a bit of memory work for the players because the
majority of the blocks were all different and the players were required
to learn a number of different sequences. Trying to adhere to the theory,
“the simpler, the better,” we started numbering the defensive men as
illustrated in Figure 102a versus the 5-4 defensive alignment; 102b
versus the wide tackle 6; 102c versus the gap 8 defense; and Figure 102d
versus the Eagle defense.

[Illustration: FIGURE 102b]

[Illustration: FIGURE 102c]

[Illustration: FIGURE 102d]

We start counting with the man over the center and number him zero, and
from there go both left and right numbering every man within two yards
of the line of scrimmage, as illustrated in Figures 102a-b-c-d. We also
number the men in the secondary. We do this by merely continuing with our
numbering beyond the end lineman in the direction the ball is going to
go, as illustrated in Figure 103a versus the Oklahoma 5-4 defense, and
Figure 103b versus the wide tackle 6-2 defensive alignment.

[Illustration: FIGURE 103a]

[Illustration: FIGURE 103b]

_Application of Our Blocking Rules_

By numbering the defensive men it is simple when making out the blocking
rules to assign each man a number, and the offensive man merely learns
which numbered man he will block. There will be certain plays in which a
particular position must have one or two options. As an example, a rule
might read, “#3 unless outside, then, #2.”

The following are examples of blocking rules by numbers:

_Regular Block_—straight ahead

On-E #3
On-T #2
On-G #1
C #0, off-side
Off-G #1
Off-T #5
Off-E #6

_Trap Block_—

On-E #3
On-T L.B.
On-G Slam man #1 or #2, N/T #0
C Off-side
Off-G Trap
Off-T 1st outside guard
Off-E #6

_Counter Block_—

On-E #6
On-T #2
On-G #1
C #1, N/T #0, N/T off-side
Off-G #1
Off-T #2
Off-E #3

By using this particular method it is also very easy to incorporate the
backs into the blocking scheme. When using the back to the side the ball
is going, in order to have a backfield man block a particular defensive
player, we merely add two zeroes to the number which has been assigned
to the defender, and the back gets this man. As an illustration, if we
want our halfback to block the #3 defensive man, the halfback’s block
is 300; and the #4 man, the block would be called 400. Several complete
illustrations would be as follows:

_300 Block_—

Off-E #6
Off-T #5
Off-G #1
C #0, N/T off-side
On-G #1
On-T #2
On-E slam #3, then #5
H.B. #3

_400 Block_—

Off-E #6
Off-T #5
Off-G #1
C #0, N/T off-side
On-G #1
On-T #2
On-E #3
H.B. #4

_Under Block_—

Off-E #6
Off-T #5
Off-G #1
C #0, N/T off-side
On-G #1
On-T #2
On-E #3
H.B. #4

_Over Block_—

Off-E #6
Off-T #5
Off-G #1
C #0, N/T off-side
On-G 1st man on line of scrimmage
On-T 2nd man on line of scrimmage
On-E 3rd man on line of scrimmage
H.B. 1st inside linebacker

ATTACKING THE DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENT

Probably like many other football teams, we have too much offense.
However, in order to do an intelligent job of planning our attack versus
the numerous defensive alignments, one must have sufficient offense since
not all plays are good against all defenses.

Regardless of one’s offense, the first approach is to establish a good
sound middle attack that is based on the trap, fullback hand-off, and
a pass off of the same action. Unless a team can force the defense to
respect the inside power and force the defensive linebackers and guards
to stay “at home,” it is almost an impossibility to perfect the outside
attack. After we establish the inside attack, then we want to run far
enough inside the defensive end to cut down his quick containment. The
next step then is to perfect the wide attack and the corner passes, in
order to have a well-rounded offense. Bootleg passes, reverses, and
an occasional trick play are also needed in order to keep the defense
“honest,” and to make the above-mentioned plays more effective.

GOING WIDE

It is an offensive _must_ for a team to be able to go wide and to get the
long gainer. Occasionally all of us get a good gainer from the inside
attack, but most long gainers are from passes or some form of wide attack.

Previously we operated on the assumption if we could gain four yards on
each play we would score with a sustained drive. Statistics will prove a
team will generally stop itself by some error, or the defense will stop
the offense, before the attack can make four consecutive first downs or
gain 50 yards, a majority of the time. Consequently a team must perfect
its wide game.

There are several ways of going wide, but regardless of the manner
attempted, the defensive end or corner man must be eliminated either by
blocking him, optioning him, or throwing the football over his area.

_The Run-Pass Option_

When trying to get wide against a corner man, the run or pass option is
one of the best methods to employ. Figure 104 illustrates the on-guard
blocking #1, on-tackle #2, and the fullback blocking the #3 man. The
near halfback and the on-end will run their pass routes. The #4 man is
not blocked, and the passer is going to option from him. As soon as the
passer has possession of the ball, he watches the #4 man. If he comes up
to tackle the passer, the latter throws to the open receiver. If the #4
man drops back to play pass defense, the passer is instructed to turn
upfield and run with the football. If our passer feels he can gain at
least four yards on the play, we want him to run with it most of the
time. The play is much better against a team that uses a 9-man front than
against an 8-man front alignment.

[Illustration: FIGURE 104]

_The Quarterback Option_

There are several kinds of option plays, but the one designed to get wide
is the two-way option, in which the quarterback either keeps or pitches
to the far halfback, depending upon the reaction of the defensive man
from whom he is optioning.

The blocking rules on the quarterback option play are very simple, as
illustrated in Figure 105. The offensive guard and tackle to the on-side
block their numbers, respectively. The on-end will block to his inside,
N/T (No One There) halfback, and the fullback will block the #4 man with
a junction block. The quarterback must watch his man all the time in
order for the play to turn the corner successfully. He _must_ option the
#3 man and _not_ permit the latter to option the quarterback.

[Illustration: FIGURE 105]

_The Three-Way Option_

[Illustration: FIGURE 106]

The other option play, illustrated in Figure 106, is the three-way option
with the quarterback playing the #4 defender. This option is in the same
series with the outside belly play. The quarterback has the option of (1)
giving the ball to the fullback, who will hit off-tackle, (2) keeping
the ball himself, after faking the fullback off-tackle, or (3) faking
the off-tackle play and optioning off of the #4 man by pitching back to
the far back running wide, after the defender plays the quarterback. The
on-guard blocks #1, on-tackle #2, on-end #5. The fullback is responsible
for making #3 tackle him, and the quarterback must watch #4 man.

_Changing Offensive Blocking Assignments at the Line_

Since there are numerous defensive alignments and we cannot always
anticipate where our opponents will line up, and due to the inherent
limitations of the number rule blocking system, we use a _change-off_ for
our blockers. As an example, Figure 107 illustrates a defensive alignment
where the offensive tackle could not block his man (#2) on a play going
wide. Therefore, the offensive tackle merely calls, “Tiger,” or any other
code name, and this alerts the end that he and the tackle are exchanging
blocking assignments (Figure 107).

[Illustration: FIGURE 107]

[Illustration: FIGURE 108]

Figure 108 illustrates an exchange of blocking assignments between the
tackle and guard, as the code, “Eagle,” has been called by the tackle.
Ordinarily the guard’s block is #1 and the tackle’s block is #2, but
as Figure 108 illustrates, it would be difficult for the guard to
sustain his block on a play going wide. Therefore, “Eagle,” or any other
appropriate code word, changes the blocking assignments between the
guard and tackle. On certain occasions the center and guard can exchange
assignments, too, by using a code call.

CONCLUSION

My objective has been to present each phase of our offensive running
game, which can be utilized against the various defensive alignments. Our
offensive passing game will be discussed in Chapter 8. My philosophy is
to keep the offense simple, be sound in our coaching, and never settle
for anything less than perfection in its execution!

CHAPTER 8

Our Offensive Passing Game Techniques

The passing game is one of the two main weapons of offensive football.
In order for your passing game to be successful, you must sell this
phase of football to your players, and then have good protection, good
receivers, and a good passer. These essentials of a good passing game
go hand-in-hand, and no combination of any two is any value without the
third.

THE PASSER

It is beyond the wildest expectation of any optimist to hope for a good
passing game without a good passer. Therefore, select an individual who
has the natural ability to throw. There are certain things one can and
cannot teach a passer.

It was my good fortune to have Vito “Babe” Parilli at Kentucky, one of
the finest natural passers in modern-day football. Since his motion was
natural, we coached him very little, other than on the basic mechanics
of grip, holding the ball, etc. I feel it is possible to over-coach the
passers, just like the kickers.

_The Grip_

Assuming a boy has natural throwing ability, the first coaching point to
teach is the grip. It is generally preferred for the passer to grip the
ball with the point of his little finger touching almost in the center
of the lace. We feel if the points of any of his other fingers touch the
lace, he will be gripping the ball in the center (the roundest part of
the football), consequently limiting his ability to get a good grip of
it. A passer definitely cannot throw the ball properly if he grips it
with the point of the forefinger, middle or third finger touching the
lace. The grip is very important. The passer should not grip the ball
as tightly in inclement weather as he ordinarily does under more ideal
playing conditions.

When employing the T formation, the quarterback is required to fake
with the football, and then set up to pass. Therefore, he must always
bring the football back into his stomach after every fake. When the
quarterback’s forearms are touching his hips in a relaxed position, he is
able to keep the football closer to his body and it is easier to hide.
During the faking of the ball, the quarterback should shift his entire
weight toward the back, rather than toward the extension of the arms and
the extended football. This, too, is very helpful to aid in hiding the
football after the faking is completed.

The quarterback should be ready to throw the football the instant he
gets back and sets up. The ball should be held with both hands until
the passer is ready to release it or fake a release. This procedure
will insure the passer of being in a relaxed position, which is vitally
important. After the passer has set up to throw the ball, it should be in
a cocked position by the passer’s ear. This position enables the passer
to save time as he prepares to release the football.

_The Release and Delivery_

Releasing and delivering the football are next. If the passer has learned
the grip and how to hold the football as explained elsewhere, then the
release and delivery will come more easily. The passer must release the
ball with a snap of the wrist. Very few passers have a good, natural
wrist snap. Consequently there are few good natural passers. The wrist
snap can be developed by drills, and we use several different types.

In delivering the football, which is actually part of the release, the
passer, except in rare instances, should step _toward_ the intended
receiver as he throws the football. Not only will the passer be more
accurate, but he will be going in the correct direction to cover his
pass in case of an interception, when he steps and throws in the same
direction. If he steps in one direction and attempts to throw in another
or attempts to throw across his body, the passer is throwing from an
awkward position and throwing against his own weight.

_The Footwork_

Perfecting the passer’s footwork is very important. He must know the spot
from which he is going to throw the ball prior to his actual passing.
It is especially important for the protecting line and backs to know
the spot from which the passer is going to throw. They cannot do an
intelligent job of protecting him unless they know and unless he makes
certain he actually throws from that spot. When throwing from the pocket,
the passer must retreat straight back, set up as quickly as possible, and
stay inside the pocket formed by his linemen and remaining backs.

The running or optional pass is one of the best passes in modern-day
football. It should be perfected by those teams who base their attack
partially on wide plays. There are no definite rules or steps for the
passer on the running pass, because all athletes are a little different.
What might be right and proper for one passer on his fifth and sixth
steps would be wrong and improper for another passer due to individual
differences. Nevertheless, the passer should have the ball up and in
a position ready to throw it by the time he reaches a spot directly
behind the area where his offensive end lined up originally. He should
start upfield as quickly as possible. This not only makes the play more
effective, but it also puts him in a position to run if the defensive man
drops back to cover the pass (see Figure 104).

_Individual Passing Principles and Techniques_

Passing is one phase of football in particular that needs constant
practice and close attention. It is also one phase which is overlooked
and underworked by teams that do not have natural passers. The following
individual principles and coaching points should prove helpful in
teaching a boy with natural throwing ability how to be a better passer:

1. Push off with the left foot (right-handed passer).

2. Hide the ball on the way back to set up.

3. Set up quickly.

4. Get at least seven yards deep on most drop back passes.

5. Be under control when you set up, and be sure to be in a
good position to throw the football.

6. Look straight downfield.

7. Stay in your pocket while throwing.

8. Keep the arm cocked, and the ball high at all times.

9. Step in the direction of your pass.

10. Throw the ball out-of-bounds or hold it if no receiver is
open.

11. Know the pass routes.

12. Know the receivers.

13. Know the weak and the strong defenders.

14. Know when to drive the ball or pull the string on it.

15. Don’t throw interceptions.

PASS ROUTES

A good passing game is based on the following primary objectives:

1. To flood an area, that is, to have more receivers in a
particular area than there are defenders.

2. To get a one-on-one situation, and let the offensive man
outmaneuver the defensive man by using various cuts or patterns.

_Flooding An Area_

Flooding an area is perhaps the easiest and surest way of having a
receiver open or in a position to catch the ball. The basic thinking in
this particular type of passing game is to assign two or three receivers
to a particular area, as illustrated in Figures 109-111, making it
impossible for one or even two defenders to cover the receivers if they
stay spread out and run their routes properly.

[Illustration: FIGURE 109]

[Illustration: FIGURE 110]

[Illustration: FIGURE 111]

_Offensive Pass Cuts_

There are numerous offensive sets a team can employ in order to force the
opposition to cover using a man-on-man coverage. When using different
sets and formations, I think it is more advisable to teach all of the
eligible receivers pass cuts, rather than having them classified under
pass patterns which would affect the whole team. As an example, the
quarterback could call a formation that would set the left halfback
right and split the left end out. He could then call a pass pattern to
his right which would be a pattern to flood a particular zone, and at
the same time call a particular cut for the left end who will try to
outmaneuver the defensive right halfback—who might be forced to cover
him alone. Figures 112-115 illustrate several individual pass cuts, such
as, sideline, deep, out, drive, circle, stop, Z-in and Z-out.

[Illustration: FIGURE 112]

[Illustration: FIGURE 113]

[Illustration: FIGURE 114]

[Illustration: FIGURE 115]

PASS RECEIVING

A football team can have a great passer and good cuts and patterns, but
unless the receivers do their jobs correctly the passing game is of
little value. The pass receiving phase is broken down into the following
six basic maneuvers: (1) the release, (2) the approach, (3) faking, (4)
running, (5) catching the ball, and (6) running with the ball.

_Release_:

To be a good and consistent receiver, the first prerequisite is clearing
the line of scrimmage. A good receiver should never be held up at the
line of scrimmage. He must work on this important phase of the passing
game in order to perfect it. Every time an end releases downfield on
running plays, he should experiment on techniques which will aid him
later on pass plays. No two defenders are the same. What is successful
against one might not be successful against another defender.

_Approach_ (Man-for-man coverage):

Straight Line Approach:

1. Run at three-fourths speed.

2. Run at a specific point of the defender’s body.

3. Force the defender back, attempting to get him to turn in the opposite
direction of your final break.

4. Make a good fake and step in the opposite direction of your final
break.

_Weave Approach_:

1. Run at three-fourths speed.

2. Run an irregular course.

3. Through the change of direction force the defender to change his feet.

4. The number of weaves will be determined by the cuts called and the
depth in which the ball is to be caught.

5. Give the impression that each weave is to be the final cut.

_Faking_ (types):

1. Head fake—accompanied by a short jab step in the opposite direction of
the final break.

2. Roll step—fake one way and roll off back foot directly toward the
defender.

3. Change of direction.

4. Hook.

5. Hook and go.

_Run_ (immediately after faking to receive the ball):

1. Run under control and relaxed.

2. By running three-fourths speed, the receiver is able to adjust to
poorly thrown balls.

3. Keep the arm action parallel to the leg action, until ready to catch
the ball.

4. While running, turn only the neck and head. If the body is turned at
the waist, the receiver will be slowed down considerably.

_Catching the Ball_:

1. Relax completely as the ball comes toward the receiver. Relax
particularly the fingers.

2. Follow the ball with the eyes all the way into the hands.

3. Catch the ball in and with the hands.

4. Never attempt to trap the ball next to the body.

5. Eliminate all thought from the mind except catching the football. All
great receivers concentrate to such a degree they are actually unaware of
the presence of the defenders.

6. A ball thrown directly at chest level or higher should be caught with
the thumbs in. If the ball is thrown below the chest level, the thumbs
should be turned out.

7. Always try to get the body in front of the ball on short passes.

8. A ball thrown on the outside and away from the receiver should be
caught with the thumbs out.

9. When attempting to catch a long pass, never allow the inside arm to be
in a position to blind you from seeing the football.

10. Catch the ball and tuck it away before running with it.

11. Every pass thrown to a receiver belongs to him, and he should exert
every effort to catch it.

12. If the receiver cannot possibly catch the football, he should not
permit the opponent to catch it. This is a cardinal rule.

_Running_ (after catching the ball):

1. As soon as the ball is caught, take it firmly in the hand, tuck it
under the arm, and most important, do not fumble.

2. Drop the inside shoulder expecting immediate contact.

3. Turn upfield to score.

CONCLUSION

Offense is based on two primary principles, running with and/or passing
the football. The passing and running games supplement and complement
each other. Neither phase is of particular value, however, unless the
quarterback knows when, where, why and how to use each phase, along with
the kicking game. Training the quarterback will be discussed in Chapter
9.

CHAPTER 9

Training the Quarterback

All outstanding football teams have two distinct characteristics in
common—a great fighting spirit and a great quarterback. A smart, capable
quarterback is the greatest single asset a football team can possess.
Success in a football game is determined mainly by the selection of
plays. Poor selection of plays will destroy team morale and nullify the
finest of teamwork.

Quarterback generalship is simply the application of good common sense.
It consists of two parts—knowing what to do and making the team do it.
If a team has confidence in its quarterback, it is likely the plays
selected will be successful. If a team does not have confidence in its
quarterback, it is likely the plays will not be successful. The “right”
quarterback inspires confidence. One manner in which the quarterback
builds confidence is through the selection of proper plays. I do not mean
to imply the “right” quarterback can grab-bag any play and make it work.
If he is wrong frequently as the result of his grab-bag selection of
plays, his teammates will lose confidence in him.

THREE TYPES OF QUARTERBACKS

There are basically three types of quarterbacks. There is the quarterback
who makes positive mistakes, due to his total disregard for the basic
principles of generalship. He does not know his offense, and has
little understanding and knowledge why his plays are not effective.
He is unaware of what the defense is doing. Generally he calls plays
quickly—any play to get the team out of the huddle. He destroys team
morale and spirit. His team generally loses badly. He is not coachable. I
cannot build a winner with this type of quarterback, and I consider him
highly undesirable.

The quarterback who works to avoid mistakes is a second type of
individual. He does what he is told and taught, but from a tactical and
mechanical standpoint only. Generally he lacks initiative. He tends to be
conservative in his quarterbacking. His errors and mistakes are not the
glaring, positive type, as in the first case cited. Although he is not
brilliant in his quarterbacking, he is dependable.

The third type of quarterback is the one every coach is seeking. He
directs his team to maximum results. He is a student of the game. He is
logical in his thinking, and bold in his action when necessary to win the
football game. He is confident, which in turn gives his team confidence
in him and the offense. He is a winner through preparation, and he will
give you winners through his action and leadership. Unfortunately there
are few such quarterbacks of this particular type. Consequently you must
take what you have and develop what you’ve got. Regardless, however, a
good quarterback must be a natural leader, be smart, have initiative and
resourcefulness, be unselfish, have a good voice, and good mechanical
ability. If your quarterback either lacks the ability to select the
proper plays, or does not have the natural ability to inspire your team
to do its best on every play, it is not likely you will have a winner.

From time to time I have been blessed with smart quarterbacks—and we
have had winners then. I attribute much of this success to my backfield
coaches who have spent considerable time with the quarterbacks teaching
them the what, when, why and how of offensive football, and a knowledge
of defensive football so they can do an intelligent job of field
generalship. As I indicated previously, without proper play selection it
is almost impossible to win the tough football games.

FIELD POSITION

Of the many factors that go into selecting a play, probably the most
important single factor is field position. To aid our quarterback in his
play selection, we divide the field into different areas and zones, as
illustrated in Figure 116. Each zone is given a name, and there are some
very important “musts” concerning each area.

[Illustration: FIGURE 116]

We divide the field into the following areas and zones, with the most
important coaching points listed as follows:

_The “Must” Zone_ (Goal Line to 3-Yard Line)

In this zone we _must_ move the ball out at least to the 3-yard line so
it will be possible to kick from spread formation. Our kicker stands
back 13 yards deep when we kick from our spread kick formation.

_The Three-Down Zone_ (3-Yard Line to 25-Yard Line)

1. Normally we will kick on third down with five yards or more to go.

2. We _must_ make a first down with three plays.

3. We do not like to punt while in this zone. If we can hold the football
until we get past the 25-yard line, we can put the opposition in their
three-down zone with a 40-yard kick.

4. Run trap plays.

5. Anticipate a goal line defense occasionally.

_The First Down Zone_ (20-Yard Line to 40-Yard Line)

We must make a first down so we can continue to control the ball when we
reach the Free Wheeling Zone.

_The Free Wheeling Zone_ (40-Yard Line to 40-Yard Line)

1. Easiest part of the field to score from.

2. Go into our game planned offense.

3. It is a guessing game until you make a good gain, then you should
be a play ahead of the defense. Once you gain this advantage, keep the
pressure on the defense.

_The Scoring Zone_ (40-Yard Line to 20-Yard Line)

1. Try to score with a trick play or a scoring play which you have set up.

2. You may use a play the scouting report indicates should work.

3. Figure on four downs to make the 10 yards.

_The Gut Zone_ (20-Yard Line to 4-Yard Line)

1. Must “out gut” them.

2. Do not lose ground.

3. Try to get five yards or more on first down.

4. Pass on first down or waste down.

5. Must maintain control of the football.

_The Self-Scoring Zone_ (4-Yard Line to Goal Line)

1. Minimum handling of the football.

2. Score yourself if you have a play per yard.

3. Do not pull linemen.

4. Give the football to the best ball carrier.

5. Must score.

_Our Three MUSTS_:

Our quarterback must continuously remind our team of three very important
principles affecting our offense, which are as follows:

1. We _must not_ get a penalty.

2. We _must not_ break an offensive signal.

3. We _must_ get our men (blocks).

After your quarterback is thoroughly familiar with the zones and their
relationship to each other, then you can do an intelligent job of
instructing and teaching him which plays should be run in the various
zones. Consequently he will have a better understanding of field position.

RECOGNIZING AND ATTACKING DEFENSES

When working with our quarterbacks “picking” a defense, we never tell
them to attack the opposition’s weakness but merely to run away from
their strength. The only time your quarterback really needs to know how
to recognize a defense and its strengths and weaknesses is when he is
changing plays at the line of scrimmage. Otherwise your quarterback will
call specific plays in certain zones or areas according to your scouting
report and game plans.

There are two basic defensive alignments, which are _even_ and _odd_. If
there are defensive men playing over our guards, we call this an _even_
defense. If there are no defensive men playing over our offensive guards,
we call this an _odd_ defense.

With respect to the secondary, there are two alignments. They are
_3-deep_ and _box_. If there is a safety man, it is a _3-deep_ secondary
and an 8-man defensive front. If there is no safety man, it is a _box_
defense and there are nine men in close proximity to the line of
scrimmage, or a 9-man front.

_Recognizing and Attacking an 8-Man Front_

After the quarterback has determined whether the defense is odd or even,
and the secondary is 3-deep or box, he should then look and determine
the number of men who are playing outside of his offensive end. By
doing this he can determine if the strength of the defense is inside
or outside. If there are two or more men outside of his offensive end,
as illustrated in Figure 117, the strength of the defense is wide.
Consequently the quarterback should run inside plays, away from the
strength of the defense. As illustrated in Figure 117, by looking through
the inside and outside lanes it is easy to see these defenses are
fundamentally the same.

[Illustration: FIGURE 117]

You can definitely run against an 8-man front, as illustrated in Figure
117, because by splitting properly the defense has only two men outside
of the offensive ends. Consequently you can run wide. Or the defense must
have four men or less inside your end, in which event you can run inside
with your basic offensive attack.

The defensive team playing a gap 8 defense, as illustrated in Figure
118, is trying to get penetration by shooting the gaps. The quarterback
must recognize what the opposition is attempting to do, and he must
eliminate the bad play. Consequently he should work slightly off the line
of scrimmage in order to avoid being tackled before he can hand-off. The
strength of the defense is inside. Consequently the quarterback must run
the corners. The game situation and field position will determine which
play the quarterback will call. The quarterback should never throw a
counter pass or a back up pass versus the gap 8 defense because all the
defenders cannot be blocked. He stands a better chance of scoring if he
selects a corner pass. The block or action pass is very good because it
helps to eliminate the bad play.

[Illustration: FIGURE 118]

_Recognizing and Attacking a 9-Man Front_

If it is not a 3-deep secondary, then it is a 9-man front. All 9-man
fronts are basically the same, as I have illustrated in Figure 119.

The quarterback wants to run at the man who is isolated in the defense,
and in most cases it is the defensive man over the offensive center’s
area. The attack can go wide, too, but the offensive team must do an
intelligent job of splitting in order to draw the defense in tight. If
the offensive guards take wide splits and the defensive men move out
with them, the defensive man over the center will be isolated and the
quarterback can direct his attack toward the middle.

[Illustration: FIGURE 119]

The corner passes versus a 9-man front, with the quarterback exercising
his option of running or passing, are excellent because of the pressure
exerted on the corner man. If he drops off to cover an area for the pass,
the quarterback must run with the football. If he rushes to contain the
passer, the short flat is open for a pass.

It is very important to teach your quarterbacks the different defenses,
and the strength of each defensive alignment. As I mentioned previously,
we teach the quarterbacks to run away from the strength of the various
alignments. The quarterback must also be aware of the fact that he does
not have to whip the entire defense, but only the weak area in the
defense. If a defensive man is isolated or if there is not a defensive
man on the line in a particular area, we consider this the weak part of a
defensive alignment.

_Playing the Game on a Blackboard_

We have a number of meetings with our quarterbacks going over strategy
and game situations and drilling them in the principles of quarterbacking
and field generalship. It is difficult to expect a quarterback to make
the correct decision at a critical time in a game unless he has been
drilled to react to such a situation. With this in mind, for years I have
used the procedure of having our quarterback coach and the quarterbacks
play a game of football on the blackboard.

In order to explain our procedure more clearly, let’s assume it is early
September and we are preparing for our opening game with the University
of Georgia. We have been drilling our quarterbacks daily on the defenses
we expect Georgia to use in various parts of the field. We have been
drilling them on how to attack these particular defenses with our
offense. With this basic information, we are now ready to work with the
quarterbacks at the blackboard playing our football game.

A coach goes to the blackboard and draws a diagram of a football field,
along with the defenses we expect Georgia to use on the hash mark, in the
middle of the field, on the goal line, and in a short yardage situation.
On the board the coach will also list the backfield personnel, so the
quarterback will have an opportunity to use his men properly. To digress
for a second: the quarterback uses the wrong judgment if he calls for
sweeps with a slow backfield, does not employ the best blocker to block,
etc. The quarterback must know his offensive personnel thoroughly.

The coach then explains to the quarterbacks, who are observing what he
is writing on the blackboard, the condition of the field, wind, and the
other tactical factors. It is now time to play the game with a particular
quarterback.

The coach will select a quarterback and say, for example, “Georgia
kicked-off to us and we returned the ball to the 25-yard line on the
right hash mark.” The coach will plot the position on the diagram. The
quarterback will then take into consideration the defensive alignment we
expect Georgia to employ in this particular section of the field, and the
quarterback must call a play accordingly. If he makes what the coach
considers a good call, the coach will say, “You made four yards on the
play. It is now second and six.” If the quarterback makes a bad call, the
coach will say, “You lost three yards on the play,” and he will explain
why the call was a poor one. If the quarterback takes too long in calling
his play, he receives a five yard penalty. When the quarterback makes a
very good call, the coach gives him a long gain or a touchdown.

By using this game, a quarterback can learn to call plays by anticipating
defenses in areas all over the football field. He also learns to use his
personnel properly. We have found this game at the blackboard has helped
our quarterbacks tremendously.

While one quarterback is playing the game, the other quarterbacks are
listening. If the boy at the board fails to make a first down, he must
punt, and the coach appoints another quarterback to take over. After each
play the coach will plot the position of the ball on the diagram, and
the players learn to know which defenses to expect. We have found, with
other things being equal, the quarterback who has the mental ability to
sustain the ball for a long drive and a touchdown will usually be your
best quarterback.

We also spend quite a bit of time going over situations. The coach will
cite a specific situation, and then say, “What would you do in this
situation?” The situations are usually the clutch ones, and should the
quarterback select the wrong answer in the game it is likely to lose the
contest. Even though you drill the quarterbacks there is no fool-proof
method of making certain they will always make the right decision. The
following example will illustrate my point.

Early in September during our 1959 season, our backfield coach, Phil
Cutchin, was going over situations with our quarterbacks and said, “We
are playing the University of Houston (our second game). We are ahead by
six points. There are five minutes remaining to play. We are on our own
18-yard line. It is a first-and-10 situation, and Houston is playing a
5-4 defense. What would you do?” One quarterback said quickly, “Coach, I
would throw a corner pass into the sideline.” Phil answered, “Yes, and
they would intercept the pass, return it for a touchdown, kick the extra
point, and we would lose the game, 7-6.” The quarterback saw his mistake
and said he was glad we had gone over this particular situation.

Three weeks later the same quarterback was faced with almost the
identical situation, except that we were ahead by three points. The other
factors were the same as previously cited. What did the quarterback do?
He threw the corner pass into the sideline, and Houston intercepted it.
Fortunately Houston did not score! The point I am trying to make is your
quarterbacks will still make mistakes even after you have worked with
them.

THE QUARTERBACK’S GUIDE

In order for a quarterback to be outstanding, he must be cognizant of
certain pertinent information relating to his offense, the opposition’s
defense, tactical and strategical information, and the principles of
quarterbacking and field generalship.

_Offensive, Defensive and Tactical Information_

The following information is of value and significance to the quarterback:

_Information a Quarterback Must Know About His Own Offense_:

1. Know your teammates thoroughly, including your best ball carrier, your
best blocker, best pass receiver, best faker, etc.

2. Know all of your plays and everyone’s blocking assignments.

3. Know where every receiver is on every pass pattern.

4. Know your best play and pass against every defense.

5. Know and understand how each play fits into a series.

6. Know and remember the plays that are working—keep running them.

7. Know the reasons for the proper line splits.

8. Know the plays the players have the most confidence in.

9. Know the best plays for special situations—draw, screen, etc.

10. Know how to stop the clock.

_Information a Quarterback Must Know About the Defense_:

1. What defense are they playing?

2. Who is making the tackles?

3. Are they stunting their defenses?

4. What type of pass coverage do they use?

5. Do the linebackers run through?

6. Are the ends crashing?

7. Who is tackling the passer?

8. Who is the best defensive man?

9. Which man can we isolate?

10. How quickly does the secondary revolve?

_Information a Quarterback Must Know About the Game_:

1. Time left to play is a big factor.

2. Time outs left.

3. Weather and field condition.

4. Know which down it is at all times.

5. Field position.

6. What yard line the ball is on.

7. Which zone the ball is in.

_Game Strategy_

The following game strategy information is of value and significance to
the quarterback:

_General Information_:

1. Always know score, time to play, yards to go and down.

2. Know your field zones, and avoid giving the ball to the opposition in
the 4-down zone.

3. You are playing for a victory, but remember a tie is better than a
defeat.

4. Know your own personnel and each man’s capabilities.

5. Know all there is to know about your opponents by studying scouting
reports and movies.

6. Know your offense, including the blocking assignments.

7. Be able to recognize any defensive alignment.

8. Understand the importance of field position.

9. Know when not to pass.

10. Know when to kick.

11. Use the wind intelligently.

12. Know when not to try for a score.

_When To Kick_:

1. When in doubt.

2. Normally for every touchdown lead you have, you should kick a down
earlier.

3. Kick early with a strong wind or against a weak offense. From 40 to
40-yard line, kick straight away and high. Inside 40-yard line kick out
of bounds.

4. When score is even, or you are ahead, always make safe kick to 3-down
zone.

5. Kick early on a wet field; let the opponents handle the ball.

_When Not To Pass_:

1. When the opponent expects a pass.

2. When you have two downs to make six yards or less.

3. In your own territory, just before half-time.

4. When backed up and you are ahead.

_Type Of Pass To Throw_:

1. On long yardage, throw short passes or to third man out. Draws,
screens.

2. On first down, play passes.

3. On waste downs, play passes, long passes, and screens.

4. When time is short, throw near sideline.

5. When in doubt, throw optional passes.

_On Wet Field_:

1. Play conservatively and kick early.

2. No difficult ball handling.

3. Avoid bad places on field, also wide plays and cut backs.

4. Do not be afraid to pass.

5. Doubt the wisdom of a quick kick.

_When Not To Try For Score_:

1. Just before half time, behind your own 40-yard line.

2. When you are running clock out.

3. When you are preparing to give a safety.

4. When you have one down to make first down—go for first down.

_When To Try To Score In One Play_:

1. When you have mental edge on opponent following a block kick, a
recovered fumble, or an intercepted pass in the opponent’s territory.

2. Just before half-time in the opponent’s territory.

3. On waste down in opponent’s territory.

_When To Run Your Best Ball Carrier Behind Best Blockers_:

1. When you must have a first down.

2. In four down zone going in for a score.

3. Clutch down in danger zone, coming out.

4. Save your best ball carrier in the free wheeling zone.

5. Do not use him first play after a long run.

_What To Do On Clutch Down_:

1. Fake and give.

2. Some kind of an optional play.

3. Best ball carrier behind best blocker.

4. Waste man effectively.

5. When trying to save time, tell ball carrier to go out of bounds.

_Scoring Area_:

1. Waste man effectively.

2. Best ball carrier behind strongest blockers.

3. First down inside three—run ball yourself. No ball handling.

4. Make sure that on fourth down you will have the ball in the middle of
the field where you can try any type of a scoring play.

_What To Run on Waste Down_:

1. Safe, long gainers.

2. Fake-give, or optionals are normally effective.

_When To Speed Up Offense_:

1. When you are behind.

2. Inside the opponent’s 15-yard line.

3. When you have the wind to your back.

_When To Slow Down Your Offense_:

1. When you are trying to kill time.

2. Just before the half in your own territory and you are ahead.

3. Fourth quarter, if more than one touchdown ahead.

4. When the wind is against you.

_Free Wheeling Zone_:

1. Try for long gainer.

2. Use sideline intelligently.

3. Use wind intelligently.

4. Use best ball carrier as decoy.

5. Utilize various formations.

6. Try long gainer on first down and second down and go for first down on
third down.

7. Call trick plays that have been set up earlier.

8. Try to keep ball in middle of field.

_Quarterbacks Must Remember_:

1. Poor field position calls for conservative plays.

2. When you are ahead and the game is drawing to a close, play slowly,
conservatively, and very deliberately.

3. When you are behind and the game is drawing to a close, play faster,
be more reckless, and get the ball out of bounds to stop the clock.

4. When you are in scoring territory, you _must_ score. Any yardage
gained without scoring is of slight value only.

5. Any yardage you make deep in your own territory which does not serve
to get the team into the free wheeling zone is of slight value.

6. If you are ahead by 11 points and there is not more than five minutes
remaining to play and there is a strong wind against you, it is smart to
take a safety instead of trying to punt out from inside your 10-yard line.

7. Time works with you when you are ahead; against you when your team is
behind in score.

8. Figure what the defense would normally expect in any given situation,
and then do the opposite.

9. If a play fails, you must know why.

_Tips for Quarterbacks_:

1. You must have genuine confidence in yourself and your ability.

2. You must have the confidence and respect of your team.

3. You must have personality and leadership; then exercise it.

4. You must know the ability of your own personnel.

5. Play the percentages for ultimate team victory. Consequently you must
study scouting reports and have a clear picture of the game plan. You
must be able to recognize defenses immediately, and be able to direct
your attack away from the strength of the defense. You should think with
the defensive signal caller by putting yourself in his place. Remember it
is a guessing game until you make a gain. After a gain you should be one
play ahead of the defense.

6. Eliminate bad plays as they will defeat us. Any play that does not
gain is a bad play. Only a fumble or a penalty can stop our offense if
you eliminate the bad plays.

7. Run more offensive plays by getting out of the huddle quickly.

8. After a penalty or a time out, have your play called and the team
ready to play at the line of scrimmage. Do not follow this procedure when
trying to run out the clock.

9. Try to score in one play after a break in an effort to demoralize
the defense. Should you follow this procedure several times and not be
successful, discontinue it; otherwise, you will demoralize your own team.

10. _Never_ try to score just before the half from deep in your own
territory. Run out the clock and get a fresh start the second half.

11. When you are behind, _never_ try to score in one play. Play the game
as if it were a tie contest; otherwise, you can be out of the game before
you realize it.

12. Normally we like to pass on first down and on a waste down. On short
yardage, throw play passes. On long yardage, throw in front of the deep
men.

13. First down is your important call. If you make five yards or more,
you have the advantage. If you fail to make four yards, the defense has
the advantage.

14. On clutch downs and short yardage, run fake gives because the defense
must go to the first fake under such circumstances.

15. Remind your line to tighten up on the goal line, and do not call
plays that require linemen to pull as the defense may break through and
throw us for a loss.

16. Do not pull a play out of the hat. If you are in doubt, run an option
run-pass.

17. We will rehearse weekly every situation possible, such as saving
time, killing time, giving up a safety, side line offense, etc., so that
you will automatically make the right decisions in the game.

CONCLUSION

It is virtually impossible for a quarterback to know and do everything
correctly. However, a coach must work with his quarterback, and the
individual must spend many additional hours studying and preparing
himself so he will be able to handle any situation that arises. It is an
absolute must for your quarterback to be well prepared if you expect to
have a successful football team. If you are rebuilding a football team,
it is very important for you to pick your quarterback first, find out
what he can do well, and then build your offense around him.

CHAPTER 10

Planning for a Game

Planning for any phase of football is important, but planning for a
particular game is vitally important. I tell my players our staff will
study, prepare and plan one hour for every minute the players are on the
practice field. Then we actually spend this much time in our practice and
game preparation. The typical fan has little conception of the amount of
time we spend planning for a single football game.

OUT-OF-SEASON PLANNING

Our planning commences in early summer when I assign each assistant coach
to a particular game opponent for the coming season. If we do not have as
many coaches as we have football games, several assistants will have to
double up and prepare for two opponents.

Each coach will secure as many movies as possible on his particular
opponent and break-down the films. He also familiarizes himself with the
returning personnel, and studies each player’s characteristics, strengths
and weaknesses. The coach will observe the returning quarterback’s
movements in particular, looking for tip-offs. Does he look at his
receiver all the way downfield? Does he have a favorite pass route? Does
he have a favorite receiver? Does he favor action or drop back passes?
Does he like to operate to his left or right? Such information, along
with additional scouting information, helps us get a “book” on the
quarterback.

It is important to know the opposition’s strongest and weakest positions
on offense and defense. The coach looks at the films, and attempts to
get as much reliable and valid information as possible from them. Then
when the coach (scout) sees his opposition in the fall he will do a
better job of scouting them because he is familiar with the offense,
defense, and the returning personnel.

IN-SEASON PLANNING

During the season we like to see an opponent play at least three times.
We feel we can do a better job of planning after we have a fairly clear
understanding of what our opponents are likely to do. We want to have a
fairly definite idea of what our opposition will do offensively in the
following situations:

1. First down and 10 yards to go.

2. Second down and long yardage.

3. Second down and short yardage.

4. Third down and long yardage.

5. Third down and short yardage.

6. Fourth down and short yardage.

7. Unusual and special situations.

Conversely, we want to find out what our opposition will do defensively
versus the above situations.

In order to give you a run-down of our procedures, let’s consider a
typical week preceding Saturday’s game.

_Sunday’s Schedule_

The coaching staff will meet together early Sunday morning and go over
the film of Saturday’s game. While the assistant coaches are studying and
grading the film, I will meet with the assistant coach who scouted the
team we will be playing this coming Saturday. In addition to receiving a
thorough scouting report from him, I want his recommendations offensively
and defensively of what we should do against the opponent. The scout will
then complete his report as he will present it to the squad members on
Monday night.

In the meantime the other assistant coaches have completed their grading
of the film, and then we discuss personnel. As the result of game
performance, we commence to make plans as to the personnel we will be
using in the upcoming game.

_Monday’s Schedule_

On Monday morning the scout will give his report to our entire staff. He
then answers questions relating to the opponent we will be playing on
Saturday. After we have fully discussed the opposition from every aspect,
our defensive coaches will have a separate meeting and make plans to set
up the defenses which they would like to use. The offensive coaches have
a similar meeting, and map out their strategy versus all of the various
defenses the opposition has used in various situations. We recognize the
fact that some plays are good only against certain defenses and not all
plays are successful against all defenses. Therefore, we try to limit our
offense to the best possible plays against our opposition’s anticipated
defenses. Of course, we must have a valid, reliable, comprehensive
scouting report in order to make our plans. We also understand and
recognize the fact that some teams will change practically their entire
offensive system from game to game. However, this gives such teams only
one week to perfect a new “favorite” series, and this is almost an
impossible feat.

All of our coaches will meet together again around 10:30 A.M., with the
defensive coaches making their recommendations for Saturday’s opponent.
The strategy is discussed at length before a decision is reached. Let me
digress for just a second to say that once we have made our decisions,
we will stick with them tenaciously for fear of confusing our players by
changing defenses later in the week.

The procedure is repeated again, this time with the offensive coaches.
All coaches, regardless of position or whether they specialize in offense
or defense, will enter the discussion. We have found following such a
procedure helps us do a better job of coaching, and some of our best
suggestions relating to offense have come from our defensive coaches, and
vice versa, defensive suggestions have come from the offensive coaches.
We are always open to suggestions!

After we have made our plans, we can then make out our work schedule
for Monday afternoon. Although I usually make out the remainder of
the schedule for the week each night after practice, you can see the
necessity of waiting until Monday in order to make out the day’s work
schedule.

After lunch we will have a short squad meeting. First, we go over last
Saturday’s game discussing both the good and bad points. Then we will
inform the squad of our plans for this coming Saturday’s game, and change
assignments, make adjustments, etc., at this time.

The boys who do not have late afternoon classes meet at 3:30 P.M., and
we go over last week’s game movie. Each coach will sit with the players
whom he has graded and discuss their performance in the film. If time
permits, we like to have the ends and backs meet in one group and the
interior linemen in another group for separate viewings of the film. We
feel such a practice is highly desirable and eliminates the confusion
that generally occurs when all of the players view the game film at the
same time.

On Monday and Friday our regular practice commences at 5:30 P.M.,
since our boys take their laboratory classes on these two days. It is
impossible to set up a practice schedule if key personnel are absent due
to late labs every day of the week.

The boys who played in Saturday’s game will be out in sweat clothes for
approximately 45-50 minutes. They will stretch and loosen up, before we
spend most of the time learning and rehearsing the defenses they will
be using for this coming Saturday’s opponent. Our procedure is to have
the “red shirts” come out of the huddle and line up in the different
offensive formations we expect to face, and our defense will adjust
accordingly. For the last 15 minutes of the session a scrub team will run
the opposition’s favorite plays about half speed so the regulars will
have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the offense. Then the
boys in sweat clothes take several short sprints and we send them to the
showers.

The boys who did not play in last Saturday’s game have a good workout
emphasizing and practicing fundamentals. At times we terminate Monday’s
practice session with a short scrimmage against the freshman squad.

After a late dinner on Monday night, we have another squad meeting where
the scout will give a complete oral report to the players on our upcoming
opponent. He will discuss personnel, favorite plays, passes, defenses,
kicking game, and any additional pertinent information relating to the
opposition. He then hands out a comprehensive typed scout report to the
squad members. Frankly, I do not believe a boy can do an intelligent job
of playing without studying his scouting report.

_Tuesday’s Schedule_

We will have a staff meeting early on Tuesday morning in order to set
up the practice schedule for the afternoon. A typical Tuesday practice
session will last approximately one hour and 35 minutes, plus the last
period which does not have a specific time limit for the reasons I
explained previously.

Our schedule is generally set up so that the first five minutes the
linemen will be firing out and hitting the big sled or seven dummies, and
the backs will be having a fumble drill or working on stance and starts.
Our exercises and agility drills precede this drill for the linemen and
backs.

The second period will usually be 20 minutes in duration, which will vary
from week to week according to our needs. A typical period will have our
first team secondary working on pass defense against a scrub team who
will be throwing the opponent’s passes. At the same time, in another
area we will have our first and second team guards and tackles working
on defensive techniques. Our backs will be divided into two groups. One
group will work on our polish drill, and the other on the secondary
drill. Our third and fourth lines will be working as teams on blocking.

At the termination of the previously mentioned 20 minute period, we
exchange the backs and linemen, and the coaches repeat the drills again
with their new groups.

Our next period will be working on individual techniques by positions
for approximately 15 minutes’ duration. During this time our coaches
generally work on weaknesses or correct errors which they observed
in last Saturday’s game film. Or they will work by positions on
recommendations which were made at Monday’s coaches’ meeting.

Our team drills and “team learning” are next on Tuesday’s practice
schedule. The first and third teams will work on our offense for
Saturday’s game. The first team will run about three plays to one
compared to the third team. During this time the second team will work on
defense against the scrub team, which will be running the opposition’s
plays and passes. At the termination of 20-25 minutes the first and
second teams will change around, with the first team working on defense,
and the second and third teams working on offense. This period continues
for 20-25 minutes.

The first and second teams will work on the kicking game next. As I
stated previously, we use our kicking game as a conditioner and at the
same time doing something functional with respect to perfecting our
protection and coverage. When they do it properly, normally this phase
of the practice schedule lasts 10-12 minutes. If not executed to our
satisfaction, the period is longer in duration. While the first two units
are working on their kicking game, the third team will usually be working
on their defensive play. After completing their 20 minutes’ defensive
drill, they must have their kicking game practice.

After we have set up Tuesday afternoon’s schedule we will amend offensive
and defensive plans if necessary. We generally spend the remainder of
Tuesday morning evaluating player personnel.

After lunch we will have a short squad meeting for about 15-20 minutes if
we have amended our offensive or defensive plans or if we are going to
make any changes of any nature involving the offense or defense.

Some time after lunch and before our specialists take the field at
3:10, with our regular scheduled practice commencing at 3:30 P.M., our
defensive coach will meet with our defensive signal callers and our
offensive coach will meet with our quarterbacks, and go over defensive
and offensive plans and strategy, respectively.

After practice we will have a brief staff meeting again and we will
review our entire practice schedule. At this time I want my assistant
coaches to make recommendations for the next day as I want to work on the
schedule at night for the following day. I discussed our procedures in
Chapter 3.

_Wednesday’s Schedule_

The procedure is the same as previously—staff meeting and set up the
afternoon’s practice schedule, which will be about one hour and 30
minutes, excluding the last drill which is not timed.

After setting up the exercises and the agility drills, we will have
our linemen firing out, the same as on Tuesday, and the backs will be
polishing plays.

The next 25 minute period will be first team on defense against the scrub
team, and they will practice defense over the field. The scrub team will
run the opposition’s plays and tendencies, and the defense is full speed
with the exception of tackling the ball carrier. During this time, on
another field our second and third teams will be running our offense
versus the opposition’s defenses.

During the next period the first and second teams will exchange and
repeat the same drills listed above.

The next period will usually be 20 minutes’ duration with the third team
working on defense over the field, and the first and second teams working
on special situations such as quick kicks, passes, etc.

The next period will be devoted to our kicking game. We also usually have
a few goal line drives on Wednesday.

Our Wednesday’s practice schedule will vary more than the other days
because we spend about 20 minutes on group drills and about six minutes
full speed on goal line defense, and phases of this nature.

After Wednesday’s schedule is completed and out of the way, the staff
will usually go to the projection room and view films of this week’s
opponent.

After lunch we will again have a short meeting and inform the squad of
any changes we have made or plan on making. We will also discuss the
previous day’s practice.

The defensive signal callers and the quarterbacks will meet separately
with their respective coaches for about 20 minutes, which is our usual
procedure daily during the football season.

After Wednesday evening’s dinner we have a squad meeting and go over the
film of the opponent we will be playing on Saturday.

_Thursday’s Schedule_

Thursday morning we will again have an early staff meeting and we set up
the afternoon practice schedule first.

After five minutes of firing out for the linemen as units, and the backs
working on stance and starts or a quick fumble drill, we will have three
25 minute periods where we will stress learning and perfection more than
body contact.

We will have three different groups working at the same time. The first
unit will be working on offense versus the opposition’s defenses, over
the field. The second unit will be working on their defenses versus the
opposition’s offense, being run by the scrubs over the field. The purpose
of this is to check our defensive signal caller to see that he is calling
the correct defense in various sections of the field. In a third area we
will have the third team working on all phases of the kicking game, such
as quick kicks, spread punt, punt returns, on-side kick, etc.

At the termination of the 25 minute period, the teams will change. The
first unit will go to the defensive drill; the second unit to the kicking
drill; and the third unit will go to offense.

When the second 25 minute period has terminated, we will change for the
third period. Following such a procedure gives each unit 25 minutes of
offense, of defense, and on the kicking game. Then we send the players
to the showers because we do not want them to leave their game on the
practice field and be tired on Saturday.

After Thursday’s schedule is set, the staff will spend the remainder
of the morning discussing the progress which has been made to date in
preparation for our forthcoming opponent. We also discuss personnel at
this time.

After lunch we will have a very short meeting, merely taking time to
discuss or review our defensive game plans. Our defensive signal callers
and quarterbacks will meet as usual, as I mentioned previously. Our
regular practice session will commence at 3:30 P.M.

The coaches meet after practice, as is our usual procedure. We do not
meet with the squad on Thursday evening after dinner, however.

_Friday’s Schedule_

Since Friday’s practice schedule will not be longer than 30 minutes’
duration, we do not have to spend much time in setting it up. We will
work as a group and have a short, snappy workout in sweat clothes, going
over all of the situations that are likely to occur during the game.
After we rehearse kick-offs, returns, on-side kicks, and a couple of goal
line drives, we send the boys in. As I stated previously, due to Friday
afternoon labs, our practice session will commence at 5:30 P.M.

A typical Friday evening dinner menu, if we are playing on Saturday
afternoon, would be as follows:

Tomato soup
Fruit cocktail cup
14 ounce choice sirloin strip, medium well done
One-half baked potato mashed, topped with American cheese
Green beans
Assorted bread (but no hard French bread)
One pint of milk or iced tea
Vanilla ice cream, one dip.

After dinner we will go to a movie as a group or we go some place where
we will all be together. At 10 P.M. the team will return from the movie
to the dormitory or hotel where they are staying. Lights will go out and
players will be in bed by 10:20 P.M. the night before a game.

_Saturday’s Schedule_

On Saturday morning the football managers will telephone the players in
their rooms at 8:30 A.M. The boys who want coffee or juice will be served
at 9 A.M. The pre-game meal will be served at 10 A.M., and will consist
of the following:

11-12 ounce choice sirloin strip, well done
Green peas
Dry toast, two slices (no butter)
Honey
Hot tea (no cream).

We will have a squad meeting at 10:30 A.M., and leave for the stadium at
12:10 P.M., preparing to meet our opposition at 2 P.M. During the squad
meeting we will go over all tricky situations that might arise during the
game. After the meeting the defensive and offensive coaches will meet
with the signal callers and quarterbacks respectively, and review our
final game plans.

After we arrive at the stadium, we send our passers out to warm up
about 31 minutes before game time, and the backs and ends will come out
about 26 minutes before game time. Our linemen start warming up about
30 minutes before the game. As 2 P.M. approaches, we always feel we
are ready and we have done the very best we can to get ready for our
particular opponent.

I failed to mention a procedure we follow which we think is highly
desirable. During the week of the game, the assistant coach who scouted
Saturday’s opponent lives in the football dormitory with the players.
From 7:30-10:00 P.M. nightly, when we do not have squad meetings, he will
show films of the opposition in the dormitory. He will answer questions
and give the players any information they are seeking on our opposition.
We find our players do a better job when they understand _why_ we ask
them to do something. On the field many times we do not have the time
to explain _why_. The assistant in the dormitory does have the time to
explain _why_ and as a result the players do a more intelligent and
better job of playing.

GRADING THE GAME FILM

Grading the game film is a very definite part of our planning. If we do
not know who is doing what during a game, we can’t do an intelligent job
of planning and coaching. I am sold on our grading system, and we feel
that through the study of films we can determine who to play, and also
who _not_ to play, in critical situations. Knowing this information in
advance has won a number of football games for us.

Our procedure for grading films is for one coach to take one position
and grade every player in that position offensively and defensively. It
is possible for a player to get one of three possible scores, plus (+),
minus (-), or ungradable (U), on each play. Our criteria is as follows:

_Plus_ (+)—If the boy carries out his assignment and gets his job done
properly, his coach will give him a plus. His technique of execution
might not be the way he was taught, but we are concerned with the fact
either he did or did not do his job.

_Minus_ (-)—If the player failed to carry out his assignment and/or his
man “whipped” him, then he is graded minus (for the particular play).

_Ungradable_ (_U_)—If a player is not shown in the picture or he does not
have the opportunity to help out on the play, he is ungradable and would
receive (U). An example would be the defensive right end when the play
goes away from him and in all probability he will not have an opportunity
to take part in the play.

After getting a grade for each play, like symbols are added together,
and the total number of offensive (or defensive) plays participated in
to determine percentages. Divide the sum total of plus and minus signs
into the total number of plus signs in order to arrive at the percentage
of plays that got the job done. We have found that a player must grade
at least 61% on offense and on defense in order to be a winning football
player.

We grade the offense and defense separately. If a player consistently
makes a good grade on defense and a poor grade on offense, we know either
we have to play him only on defense or we must give him more offensive
work.

We have several other expressions, which we have borrowed from baseball
terminology, that we use in our grading system. They are as follows:

_RBI_—Stands for runs batted in, and means something extra good, such as
intercepting a pass, causing or recovering a fumble, blocking a punt,
throwing a key block—a real clutch play. These are what we call the “big
plays” and they are the ones that win the tough games for you. If your
team does not make many big plays, you will not win many tough games.
We place a great deal of emphasis on the big play. Frankly, we would
rather have a boy make three or four RBI’s, even though his grade is only
50-55%, rather than have a boy get 65-68% and never make any big plays.

_Errors_—If a player busts an assignment, gets a penalty, misses a tackle
in open field, permits a receiver to get behind him, fumbles the ball, or
commits some act of a similar negative nature, we consider this bad and
he is given an error. A player who consistently makes two or three errors
per game simply cannot play for us. His play will cost you more ball
games than you will ever win with him. Consequently, we watch the errors
column very closely when we are grading film.

CONCLUSION

Coaching football is a race against time. Time lost on the practice field
can never be regained. We attempt to utilize every minute possible in
preparing for our opponents and our practice sessions.

CHAPTER 11

Our Drills

There are many good football drills. Since we place a great deal of
emphasis on defensive football, it is only natural our drills for the
most part emphasize individual and team defensive techniques.

DRILLS FOR THE SECONDARY

The following drills are used to teach individual and team techniques for
the defensive secondary:

_Defensive Cuts Drill_ (6-8 men):

With a defensive man standing in a good football position, the coach will
move the ball back and forth, and the player will plant, pivot to the
inside and sprint in the direction the coach is pointing the football. He
will then throw the football and the defensive man will sprint to catch
it. The Defensive Cuts Drill is illustrated in Figure 120.

[Illustration: FIGURE 120]

_Intercept Drill_ (8-10 men):

Eight or 10 secondary men will line up behind each other. One player at
a time will run toward the coach who will throw the football directly at
the player, or to either side of him. The defensive man should intercept
the pass, as illustrated in Figure 121.

[Illustration: FIGURE 121]

_Tip Drill_ (8-10 men):

Following the same line up and procedure described previously for the
Intercept Drill, instead of the player catching the football he tips it
back to another player who is training him, who intercepts the pass. The
Tip Drill is illustrated in Figure 122.

[Illustration: FIGURE 122]

_Running the Line Drill_ (6-8 men):

A defensive man will line up straddling a line about 35 yards long,
facing the coach. On a command from the coach, the player will start
backwards using a cross-over step but keeping his eyes and head on the
coach. He will try to change direction as many times as possible, always
using a cross-over step, keeping his eye on the coach (passer), as he
zigzags properly from one side to the other down the 35-yard line.
(Running the Line Drill is not illustrated by diagram.)

_Covering Third-and-Fourths Drill_ (2 complete defensive secondaries):

The entire secondary can be set up in a 4-spoke or 5-spoke defense,
as illustrated in Figure 123. A coach, simulating a passer, will stand
facing the unit. He will simulate either an action pass or a drop back
pass, and the men must react properly to the simulated backfield action.
When the ball is thrown, all defenders must sprint for it. The ball is
placed on either hash mark and in the middle of the field and a full
offensive backfield may or may not be used to establish flow for the
defensive secondary’s proper reaction.

[Illustration: FIGURE 123]

_Dog Fight Drill_ (For defensive halfbacks and corner men) (6-8 men):

Place a defensive halfback or corner man in his regular position. A pass
receiver runs a direct route in front of the defensive man’s regular
position. A coach or passer throws the ball, and we want the defender to
play full speed through the receiver for the football, as illustrated
in Figure 124. It is merely one-on-one and gives both the receiver and
defender practice fighting for the ball.

[Illustration: FIGURE 124]

_Dog Fight Drill for Safety Man_ (8 men):

We put a safety man in the middle of the field and receivers on each hash
mark. On a signal from the coach, the receivers start down the field and
the passer drops back with the football. The safety man must stay in the
middle of the field as he gets depth in order to be in a position to
cover both receivers. When the ball is thrown, the safety man sprints
full speed for the interception, as illustrated in Figure 125.

[Illustration: FIGURE 125]

_Outside Drill_ (15-25 men):

We set up a skeleton offensive unit of ends, center and a complete
backfield versus the defensive ends and secondary, as illustrated in
Figure 126. The offense works full speed running its outside plays and
passes, and the defense is drilled in stopping the wide attack.

_Big Tip Drill_ (2 complete secondaries):

The entire defensive perimeter is used in our Big Tip Drill, illustrated
in Figure 127. A coach will establish flow by running to his left or
right simulating backfield action, and the defense must react and rotate
accordingly. The coach will then pass the ball, simulating an action
pass, and the defender nearest to intercept the ball will yell an oral
signal indicating he is going to tip it. The other defenders get in a
good football position, and look for the tip. As the first man tips the
ball, the defender nearest to it will intercept it and return the pass.
The others will head downfield as blockers.

[Illustration: FIGURE 126]

[Illustration: FIGURE 127]

_Tackling Drill in the Secondary_ (8-10 men):

Figure 128 illustrates a drill which we use on the sideline, teaching
our backs to utilize the sideline properly as the “twelfth man.” The
dots represent shirts which are placed six yards from the sideline. The
defensive tackler (T) gets in a good football position, which I have
described previously, and makes the ball carrier come to him. The ball
carrier may take any course or use any individual tactic he wishes to
evade the tackler, as long as he stays inside of the six-yard area. We do
not want the tackler to meet the ball carrier head on, but we want him
to approach his man from an angle, keeping leverage on the ball carrier
in order to force him out of bounds. The tackler should keep his head in
front of the ball carrier, and should try to butt the football with his
helmet.

[Illustration: FIGURE 128]

DRILLS FOR THE DEFENSIVE ENDS

The following drills are used to teach individual and team techniques for
the defensive ends:

_Peel-Off Drill_ (10-12 men):

Figure 129 illustrates a good drill to teach reaction and to protect his
area, which we use for our defensive ends. The end assumes his normal
defensive position. The first backfield blocker attempts to block the
end, then the second, and finally the third blocker. As soon as the first
man leaves, the second starts, and then the third blocker leaves, giving
the defensive end experience in playing one blocker at a time but in
rapid succession.

[Illustration: FIGURE 129]

_“Reading” Drills_ (8-12 men):

Figure 130 illustrates a “Reading” Drill which we use for our defensive
ends. The end has to play properly the block of the offensive end,
pulling guard, on-side halfback and/or the fullback. These are the
situations he will face in a game. This drill teaches quick reaction and
play recognition for the defensive ends.

[Illustration: FIGURE 130]

_All Secondary Drills_:

Since we consider our ends as part of our defensive secondary, as I
explained previously, they will take part in all of the drills explained
and illustrated in Figures 120-128, if feasible.

DRILLS FOR THE DEFENSIVE INTERIOR LINEMEN

The following drills are used to teach individual and team techniques to
the interior linemen:

_Butt Ball Drill_ (8-10 men):

An offensive man is given a football and told to run a straight line
laterally back and forth, carrying the ball on the side he is moving
toward. The defensive man must be in a good football position moving back
and forth with the offensive man, butting the football with his forehead.
He bounces back and forth and keeps butting the football trying to knock
it out of the ball carrier’s arm. The tackler’s head should be up and his
back straight. (The Butt Ball Drill is not illustrated by diagram.)

_4-on-1 Drill_ (6-8 men):

Figure 131 illustrates four offensive blockers playing one defensive
man. The coach stands behind the defensive player, and indicates by hand
signal the starting count and the blocking assignments of the offensive
men. The defensive man must react to the various blocks—double team,
wedge, trap, etc., and fights pressure.

[Illustration: FIGURE 131]

_A & M Wave Drill_ (9-12 men):

On a signal, the offensive men will uncoil on the defensive men,
illustrated in Figure 132. The defenders must control the blockers with
their hands and forearms, locate the ball and pursue in the direction the
coach points or runs with the football.

[Illustration: FIGURE 132]

_3-on-3 Drill_ (16-24 men):

The offense runs a hand-off to the right or left halfback, or to the
fullback. The coach, standing behind the defensive team, indicates which
back will carry the football. The defensive man varies his techniques
from head on, inside, outside or linebacker. If the play is in one
defensive man’s area, he must whip his blocker and make the play. The
other two defenders take proper pursuit angles on the ball carrier. The
drill is full speed both ways, and we do not want the men stopping until
they hear a whistle. Figure 133 illustrates our alignment for the 3-on-3
drill.

[Illustration: FIGURE 133]

_Middle Drill_ (14-25 men):

The middle drill is similar to the previous drill, only the interior
linemen are used offensively and defensively, as illustrated in Figure
134. The defensive alignments are changed around and the offense runs all
situations. At times we use the down marker and chains simulating down
and distance when doing this drill.

[Illustration: FIGURE 134]

_7-Man Spin-Out Drill_ (8-12 men):

Figure 135 illustrates a player moving from a good defensive position
hitting the sled, spinning out, and hitting every other pad on the
machine. If moving to the right, we want the players to hit the sled with
the right shoulder, keep a tight arc, spin out correctly, and deliver a
good blow to the alternate pad. We drill the players right and left as we
want to give them practice spinning out both ways.

[Illustration: FIGURE 135]

_Circle Drill_ (5-7 men):

One player gets in the middle of a circle about five yards in diameter
in a good football position. On a signal from the coach the middle man
starts moving his feet, body crouched, pivoting slowly. The coach will
call out a boy’s name who is on the outside of the circle, who will rush
in facing the defender and deliver a shoulder blow. The defender should
step with the foot closest to the rusher and deliver a forearm shiver
or shoulder blow to the man. He should play only two or three men, and
then get out of the circle, permitting another of the men to move to the
middle. Figure 136 illustrates our circle drill.

[Illustration: FIGURE 136]

_Leverage Drill_ (8-12 men):

Figure 137 illustrates our Leverage Drill and we have two groups going
at the same time in opposite directions. Four blockers are lined up one
behind the other, with the defensive man lined up on the outside shoulder
of the blocker facing him. On a command by the coach, the defender must
play the first blocker with a shiver and the other blockers one at a time
with the forearms, shoulders and hands as he retreats and reacts, not
permitting himself to be hooked from the outside and blocked in.

[Illustration: FIGURE 137]

_Explode Drill_ (9 men):

The offensive men will line up with their inside knee on the ground,
and the defensive man in the gap between the two offensive men, as
illustrated in Figure 138. The defensive player will explode and uncoil
on his count with his tail down, head up, and feet moving after bringing
them up under him after his initial contact. The coach will give him a
hand signal, and the defensive man must spin out properly, ending up in
a good football position. It is important for the defensive man to get
under the offensive men on his initial charge. We also let the blockers
go full speed and teach the defensive man to react from a two-on-one
block.

[Illustration: FIGURE 138]

_Defensive Reaction Drill_ (14-18 men):

With the interior linemen from tackle to tackle, we place defensive men
head on the center and tackles, as illustrated in Figure 139. A coach
will stand behind the defensive men, facing the offensive men, and
give hand signals indicating starting count and blocking patterns. The
defensive men must react and pursue the football properly.

[Illustration: FIGURE 139]

_Alabama Wave Drill_ (8-12 men):

Four men line up facing a coach, in a good football position, feet
moving as illustrated in Figure 140. The coach points to his right and
the players using a cross-over step must react in that direction. He
then points in another direction and the players stop, plant and start
in this direction as quickly as possible. The drill is not only a good
conditioner, but teaches quickness, too.

[Illustration: FIGURE 140]

_Rushing the Passer Drill_ (12-16 men):

Using the two-man Crowther sled, two defenders explode into the machine
with a good hard blow on the snap of the football, spin out laterally,
and rush the passer playing through two blockers (X), as indicated in
Figure 141. The defensive men must hit with the inside shoulder before
spinning out to play through the blockers at the side and rear of the
sled.

[Illustration: FIGURE 141]

_Gauntlet Drill_ (10-12 men):

We are primarily concerned with the tacklers in this drill. Two rows of
jerseys five yards apart is the area the ball carrier (X) is permitted
to run with the football. The tacklers (T) are five yards apart one
behind the other. The ball carrier tries to get by the tackler, and the
coach is checking on the latter’s football position—bend at the knees,
back straight, hit on the rise, and follow-through. If the coach stands
behind the ball carrier, he will be in the best position to observe the
tacklers, making certain they do not close their eyes on contact, etc.
Figure 142 illustrates our Gauntlet Drill.

[Illustration: FIGURE 142]

_Defensive Bucker_ (4-6 men):

The individual Bucker Drill, not illustrated by diagram, is used when we
work in small groups. It teaches the correct form for delivering a blow
with the hands, shoulders or forearms. A coach or manager moves the ball
to simulate the start of a play, and the defensive man reacts and moves
quickly on the sight of the ball.

DRILLS FOR THE LINEBACKERS

The following drills are used to teach individual and team techniques to
our linebackers:

_All Secondary Drills_:

Since our linebackers are a part of our defensive secondary, every drill
relating to pass defense mentioned and illustrated previously, are also
used for our linebackers.

_Eye-Opener Drill_ (8-12 men):

Figure 143 illustrates four large dummies, a line of ball carriers (O)
and a line of tacklers (X). The ball carrier either fakes at one hole and
goes through the next one, or goes through the first hole trying to beat
the tackler. The linebacker tries to keep leverage on the ball carrier,
trying to meet him in the hole. The tackler must be careful he does not
over-run the ball carrier.

[Illustration: FIGURE 143]

_Eye-Closer Drill_ (12-15 men):

Figure 144 illustrates our Eye-Closer Drill with the offense running
its middle attack and the linebackers in particular reacting to every
situation they are likely to encounter in a game.

[Illustration: FIGURE 144]

The linebackers also take part in the following drills which I have
discussed and illustrated previously:

1. Defensive Bucker Drill.

2. Gauntlet Drill.

3. Middle Drill.

4. Pursuit Drill.

5. Wave Drill.

6. Peel-Off Drill.

DEFENSIVE DRILLS FOR THE TEAM

When we have defensive drills for our entire team, it is usually
three-quarters full speed, or as we commonly refer to it, full speed
except for tackling.

We also have drills in which our linemen run half-speed and the defensive
secondary, full speed. At times one side of the line will be full speed
and the other half-speed. The offense is operating full speed and does
not know which side of the defensive line is full speed and which side is
half-speed.

Our game condition scrimmages are about the only time our entire
defensive unit will play full speed, with the exception of full speed
goal line defensive scrimmages occasionally. We learn and rehearse our
defenses as a team, but seldom scrimmage full speed as a team.

CONCLUSION

We think our drills are functional in nature, and this is why we use
them. I cannot see the value of employing drills which are not functional
and which do not adhere to the individual and team techniques we will use
in a game. We want to drill and rehearse the players in practice the way
we want them to perform in a game.

CHAPTER 12

Those Who Stay Will Be Champions

Quitting comes easy for many people. Many do not want to pay the price
to be a winner. It requires little effort to be a loser—and anyone who
tries can be most successful. The “solid citizens” who finish my “course”
will be better men as a result of having stuck it out. The boy who sets
his mind to do what is required of him in order to be a winner is not
only the type of boy we are looking for, but he will get the most from
the program. Those who stay will be champions and will become winners not
only on the football field but in life itself.

Walter D. Wintle’s poem about a person’s state of mind has a great deal
of meaning to it. We have the poem posted in various places throughout
our building so our boys can read it from time to time. The poem is as
follows:

_It’s All in a State of Mind_

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you won’t;
If you like to win, but don’t think you can,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost;
For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in a state of mind.

For many a game is lost
Ere even a play is run,
And many a coward fails
Ere even his work is begun.

Think big and your deeds will grow,
Think small and you’ll fall behind;
Think that you _can_ and you _will_;
It’s all in a state of mind.

If you think you are out-classed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise;
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the fellow who thinks he can.

We must inspire our boys to the degree they think and know they are
capable of doing what it takes to win. Teaching the boys how to
accomplish this is extremely gratifying and one of the rewards of
coaching.

From time to time I have been asked, “Coach, what has been your greatest
thrill as a football coach?” Trying to single out the “greatest thrill,”
or even one of my greatest thrills as a coach, is very difficult for me
to do. The game of football has been thoroughly rewarding to me.

I recall one thrill in particular, the day our 1956 team at Texas A & M
defeated the University of Texas, 34-21, in Austin. You like to win ’em
all, but the real thrill is the story behind this particular game.

It actually started in the spring of 1954 when I first went to Texas A
& M. The Aggies had not won the Southwest Conference Championship in 15
years. We hoped to remedy this situation in time, so we commenced our
building program that spring.

In the fall we took our players to Junction, a small place in South
Texas, for pre-season training. The work was hard and the weather was
hot, and many boys dropped by the wayside. Many did not want to pay the
price to be a winner.

That fall I imagine those who had not remained for early season practice
felt they had made a wise decision since we won only one football game.
Those who stayed, although beaten in every game except one, seemed more
determined than ever to prove their point. They fought their hearts out
in every game and although beaten they won the admiration and respect of
everyone for their courage. While it was disappointing to lose, I felt
deep down in my heart if those boys stayed, they would be champions by
the time they were seniors.

The following year we had a good team, but we lost the final game of the
season to the University of Texas, and with it we lost the Conference
Championship. So close, yet so far was the elusive championship and a
victory over Texas.

From the beginning of the 1956 season the determination of the senior
group was evident. Consequently we went into the final game of the season
with Texas in Austin, undefeated. There was more to it than just a mere
football game. The Aggies had not beaten the University of Texas in
Austin for a period of 33 years. In fact they had never beaten Texas in
Memorial Stadium, the site of the 1956 battle.

The afternoon of November 29, 1956 could mean a great deal to this group
of boys who started setting their sights at Junction in 1954. The public
was aware of the fact these boys could win the Southwest Conference
Championship, have an undefeated season, and break the “jinx” at Memorial
Stadium. They probably were not aware the stakes were higher. These
boys had a chance to prove to themselves that they were men; they could
and would do what it takes, no matter how tough it may be, to become
champions.

The greatest thrill was not in the final score, 34-21. The thrill was
watching those boys work, grow, develop and rise from a season in 1954
where they won only one game to an undefeated season in 1956. These boys
paid the price to become champions. They were champs then, and they will
always be champions, because they know, understand, and are willing to
do what they must do to be successful. The boys who started at Junction
as sophomores are as follows: Don Watson, Lloyd Hale, Jack Pardee, Gene
Stallings, Bob Keith, Dennis Goehring, Dee Powell and Bobby Lockett. As
for the boys who dropped out because the going was too tough, who can
remember their names?

... For out in the world you’ll find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in a state of mind....

Index

A & M wave drill, 222-223

Action pass:
coverage of, 75-77
from broken backfield, 78-79
from flanker set, 4-spoke coverage versus, 96-97
from floater set, 4-spoke coverage versus, 98-99
4-spoke pass defense against, 92-93

Africa, 16

Against the grain, 143

Aggies, 232, 233

Agility drills, 209

Alabama wave drill, 226-227

Ant plan, 16-17

Assistant coach, 203, 204, 212
group work, 21
responsibility, 22
specialist, 21-22
type of man, 18-20

Automatics, 151-152
faking, 152

Backs:
flanked out, defense adjustments versus, 56-57
in victory defense, 47

Bad play, 141

Ball carrying techniques, 155-157
mental attitude and, 157
open field running, 156-157

Baltimore Colts, 3

Baseball terminology, 214

Berry, Ray, 3

Best defensive player, in victory defense, 47-48

“Big plays,” 214

Big tip drill, 218-219

Blocked kicks, 114, 115

Blocking techniques, 157-166
blocking linebackers, 159-160
crack back block, 164-165
downfield, 160-161
drive block, 157-158
junction block, 165
pass protection, 163-164
post-lead block, 161-162
reverse shoulder block, 158-159
roll block, 165-166
trap block, 162-163

Box defense, 143, 190

Bucker drill, 228

Butt ball drill, 222

Butt block, 120

Center, 114
extra point and field goal blocking rules, 137
in goal line defense, 49-50
offensive stance for, 145
in quick kick formation, 125
spread punt blocking rules, 119

Champions, 231-234

Chop block, 143

Church, 20

Circle drill, 224-225

Clemson College, 16

Climb block, 143

Club, 142-143

Coach:
assistant (_see_ Assistant coach)
backfield, 187, 195-196
dedication, 10
defensive, 21-22, 208, 212
head (_see_ Head coach)
high school, 22
long term contract, 9-10
mental toughness, 10
necessity of a plan, 11
offensive, 21-22, 205, 208, 212
qualifications, 10
quarterback, 194
staff, 11
and winning team, 9-11

Coaching:
division of duties, 21-23
over-coaching kickers, 112
rewards of, 232
teaching and, 23
(_see also_ Planning for a game)

Color, 143

Conerly, Charlie, 2

Corner man:
defensive stance, 43
left, defensive:
4-spoke pass defense versus action pass, 93
from flanker set, 96-97
from floater set, 99
4-spoke pass coverage versus straight drop back pass, 91
from flanker set, 95
from floater set, 98
4-spoke pass defense versus roll-out pass, 95
right, defensive:
4-spoke pass defense versus action pass, 92
from flanker set, 97
from floater set, 99
4-spoke pass coverage versus straight drop back pass, 91
from flanker set, 96
from floater set, 97-98
4-spoke pass defense versus roll-out pass, 94

Cotton Bowl, 3

Courage, example of, 4-7

Covered, 142

Covering third-and-fourths drill, 216-217

Crack back, 143

Crack back block, 164-165

Cross-body block, 120

Crow, John, 141

Cutchin, Phil, 195

Cut off, 142

Dedication:
coach, 10
players, 12

Defenders, pass defense by, 85

Defense, 24-61
axioms, 27
errors, 26
gang tackling, 28
goal line, 48-51
importance of belief in, 61
limiting offense, 26
numbering system, 28-34
advantages of, 34
objectives, 24-27
offensive-minded, 25
pass (_see_ Pass defense)
personal challenge, 26-27
philosophy of, 26
reaction football, 26
scoring, 25, 26
signal callers, 33, 34
6-2 alignment, 53-56
split-T, 51-55
stance, 41-43
surprise, 44-46
team proposition, 27-28
techniques, playing of, 34-41
versus backs and ends flanked, 56-57
versus single wing offense, 57-61
versus unbalanced line, 56
victory, 46-48

Defensive alignment:
attacking, 171
even, 190
numbering, 166-171
odd, 190

Defensive bucker drill, 228, 230

Defensive coach, 21-22, 208, 212

Defensive cuts drill, 215

Defensive ends, drills for, 220-221

Defensive football (_see_ Defense)

Defensive interior linemen, drills for, 222-228

Defensive reaction drill, 226

Defensive secondary:
drills for, 215-220
stunting in, 105-110

Desire to excel, 13

Dietzel, Paul, 2

Dog fight, 25

Dog fight drill, 217
for safety man, 218

Downfield blocking, 160-161

Drills, 215-230
for defensive ends, 220-221
for defensive interior linemen, 222-228
defensive, for team, 230
functional, 230
for linebackers, 228-230
for secondary, 215-220
(_see also under_ Name of Drill)

Drive block, 143, 157-158

Drive man, 143

Eagle, 144

“Easy” touchdown, 24, 25, 27, 61

8-man front, 143
recognizing and attacking, 190-192

8 technique, 40

Ends:
blocking rules:
extra point and field goal, 137-138
spread punt, 119
tight punt formation, 123
defense versus single wing offense, 58
defensive stance, 42
in 5-spoke defense, 70
flanked out, defense adjustments versus, 56-57
goal line defense, 49
left, in punt return, 127-128
left, defensive:
coverage of action pass from broken backfield, 78
coverage of straight drop back pass, 75
from broken backfield, 78
pass defense by, 81-82
in quick kick formation, 125
right, in punt return, 128
right, defensive:
coverage of action pass, 76
from broken backfield, 79
coverage of straight drop back pass, 75
from broken backfield, 77
6-2 alignment, 53-54
in split-T defense, 52
in victory defense, 47

Errors, 24, 26

Even defense, 143

Explode drills, 225-226

Extra-point, blocking rules, 137-138

Eye-closer drill, 229

Eye-opener drill, 229

Far back, 142

Field goal:
blocking rules, 137-138
defending against attempt, 139

Field position, 187-190

Fighting spirit, 186

Fill, 143

Films, of game, 203, 204, 206, 212
grading, 213-214

First down zone, 189

5-spoke defense, 31, 32, 33, 66-73
(_see also_ 5-spoke pass defense)

5-spoke pass defense:
advantages of, 85-86
dividing the areas, 71-73
principle of, 87

5 technique, 38

Flanker set:
4-spoke coverage versus straight drop back pass from, 95-96
4-spoke coverage versus action pass from, 96-97

Flare, 143

Flooding an area, 179-181

Flow, 142

Football:
American way of life, 3-4
intrinsic values of, 4-7
winning, theory of, 8-17

Four Horsemen, 1

4-on-1 drill, 222

4-spoke defense, 30-31
(_see also_ 4-spoke pass defense)

4-spoke pass defense:
advantages of, 87-89
alignment, 89-90
in 40 series, 99
principle of, 87
versus action pass, 92-93
from flanker set, 96-97
from floater set, 98-99
versus flanker set, 95-97
versus floater set, 97-99
versus roll-out pass, 93-95
versus straight drop back pass, 90-92
from floater set, 97-98

4 technique, 35, 37

Free wheeling zone, 189

Fullback:
in goal line defense, 50-51
offensive stance for, 146
in quick kick formation, 125

Fumbling, 27, 28

Gain, Bob, 112

“Gangster,” 108-109

Gang tackling, 28

Gap, 143

Gap 8 alignment, 32

Gauntlet drill, 227-228, 230

Gilmer, Harry, 2

Gipp, George, 3

Goal line defense, 48-51
challenge of, 48

Goehring, Dennis, 233

Going wide, 171-174
change-off for blockers, 174
quarterback option, 172-173
run-pass option, 172
three-way option, 173-174

Grange, Red, 1

Groin block, 143

Guards:
blocking rules:
for extra point and field goal, 137-138
for spread punt, 119
defense versus single wing offense, 58
defensive stance, 42
goal line defense, 49
middle:
in punt return, 127
in split-T defense, 52
in quick kick formation, 125
right, in punt return, 128
6-2 alignment, 53
versus single wing offense, 59

Gut zone, 189

Hale, Lloyd, 233

Halfbacks:
defensive, pass defense by, 83-84
defensive stance, 43
in 5-spoke defense, 70
left:
4-spoke coverage versus action pass from floater set, 99
in goal line defense, 51
in quick kick formation, 125-126
left, defensive:
coverage of action pass, 76
from broken backfield, 79
coverage of straight drop back pass, 75
from broken backfield, 77
4-spoke pass defense versus action pass, 93
from flanker set, 97
4-spoke pass defense versus roll-out pass, 94
4-spoke pass coverage versus straight drop back pass, 91
from flanker set, 95-96
from floater set, 98
offensive stance for, 146
in punt return, 128
right:
4-spoke coverage versus action pass from floater set, 99
in goal line defense, 50-51
in quick kick formation, 125
right, defensive:
coverage of action pass, 76
from broken backfield, 79
coverage of straight drop back pass, 75
from broken backfield, 77
4-spoke pass defense versus action pass, 91-92
from flanker set, 97
4-spoke pass defense versus roll-out pass, 94
4-spoke pass coverage versus straight drop back pass, 91
from floater set, 96, 98
6-2 alignment, 54
in victory defense, 47

Head coach, 18, 23
delegation of responsibility, 22, 23
example, 19
group work, 21
(_see also_ Coach)

Head on, 144

Henderson, Gene, 114

High school coach, plan for, 22

Holder, in extra point and field goal attempt, 138

Howard, Frank, 16

Huddle, offensive, 152-153

Ice, 143

Inspiration, 232

Intercept drill, 215-216

Intercepting passes, 27, 62, 66, 105

“It’s All in a State of Mind,” 231-232

Junction block, 165

Keith, Bob, 233

Kicker:
blocking rules for tight punt formation, 124
over-coaching, 112
in quick kick formation, 125-126

Kicking, in defensive football, 24-25

Kicking game techniques, 111-139
extra point blocking rules, 137-138
field goal attempt:
blocking rules, 137
defense against, 139
kick-off, and its coverage, 130-137
kick-off return, 132-134
on side (short) kick, 134-136
defending against, 136-137
place kicking formation, 138
punting, 111-116
punt return, 126-130
quick kick formation, 124-126
spread punt formation, 116-122, 126
tight punt formation, 122-124

Kick-off, 27, 130-137
coverage, 130
types, 130-132

Kick-off return, 27, 132-134
middle, 133
right, 132

L.B., 142

LeBaron, Eddie, 2

Left end (_see under_ Ends)

Left halfback (_see under_ Halfbacks)

Left tackle (_see under_ Tackles)

Leverage drill, 225

Lewis, Tommy, 3

“Lightning,” 109-110

Linebackers:
blocking by offense, 159-160
defensive:
4-spoke defense versus action pass, 93
4-spoke pass coverage versus straight drop back pass, 91-92
pass defense by, 182-183
defensive stance, 42-43
drills for, 228-230
in 5-spoke defense, 70
4-spoke coverage versus straight drop back pass from flanker set, 96
inside, in goal line defense, 50-51
left, in punt return, 128
left, defensive:
coverage of action pass, 76-77
from broken backfield, 78-79
coverage of straight drop back pass, 75
from broken backfield, 78
middle:
in goal line defense, 49-50
defense versus single wing offense, 58
outside, in goal line defense, 51
right, in punt return, 128
right, defensive:
coverage of action pass, 76
from broken backfield, 79
coverage of straight drop back pass, 75
from broken backfield, 77
6-2 alignment, 54
in split-T defense, 52
strong side, defense versus single wing offense, 59
in victory defense, 47
weak side, defense versus single wing offense, 58

Linemen:
blocking techniques, 157
defensive interior, drills for, 222-228
interior, blocking rules for tight punt formation, 122
middle, in victory defense, 47
offensive stance for, 144-145
spread punt blocking principle for, 119
warm up time, 212

Line splits, 146-150
basic rules, 147-150
pre-shift position, 147

Lipscomb, Gene “Big Daddy,” 2

Lockett, Bobby, 234

Long term contract, value of, 9-10

L.O.S., 142

McKenzie, Jim, 26

Man on L.O.S., 142

Meals, pre-game, 211, 212

Michigan State University, 113

Middle drill, 223-224, 230

M.L.B., 142

Moore, “Scrappy,” 117

Morale:
coaching squad, 21
for defense, 25, 26
squad, 21
team, 186

Motion, 143

“Must” zone, 188-189

Nagurski, Bronco, 2

Near back, 142

New York Giants, 2, 15

9-man front, 143
recognizing and attacking, 192-194

9 technique, 41

Notre Dame University, 3

N/T, 142

Numbering system for defense, 28-34
advantages of, 34

O’Brien, Davy, 2

Odd defense, 143

Off-back, 142

Offense:
advantages over defense, 150
assignment football, 26
main requirements of, 140
mistakes, 25
objective, 140
primary principles of, 140
sound, 141-142

Offensive coach, 21-22, 205, 208, 212

Offensive football (_see_ Offense)

Offensive-minded defense, 25

Offensive passing game techniques, 176-185
passer, 176-179
pass receiving, 183-185
pass routes, 179-182

Offensive running game, 140-175
attacking defensive alignment, 171
ball carrying techniques, 155-157
basic principles of, 140
blocking techniques, 157-166
going wide, 171-174
huddle, 152-153
line splits, 146-150
numbering defensive alignments, 166-171
quarterback’s techniques, 153-155
requirements of, 140
snap count, 150-152
stance, 144-146
terminology, 142-144

Off-side, 142

On-back, 142

One-six formation, 121

1 technique, 35-36

On linebacker, 143

On-side, 142

On-side (short) kick, 134-136
defending against, 136-137

Organization, in building winning team, 15-17

Osborne, Roddie, 141

O technique, 35

“Out-mean,” 13, 17

Outside drill, 218

Over, 142

Owens, Jim, 2

Pardee, Jack, 6, 57, 141, 233

Parella, Babe, 114

Parilli, Vito “Babe,” 176

Pass coverage, 73-81
of action pass, 75-77
from broken backfield, 78-79
of end out, 79
of flanked back and split end out to opposite sides, 80-81
of straight drop back pass, 74-75
from broken backfield, 77-78
zone coverage, 74

Pass cuts, 181-182

Pass defense, 62-110
coaching point, 62
5-spoke, or 3-deep, 66-73
advantages of, 85-86
4-spoke pass defense, 87-89 (_see also_ 4-spoke pass defense)
individual effort in, 62
objectives, 62-66
pass coverage, 73-81 (_see also_ Pass coverage)
phases:
covering areas, 63, 66
holding up the receivers, 63, 64-65
rushing the passer, 63-64
by positions, 81-85
predetermined rotation, 99-104
principles of, 110
stunting in the defensive secondary, 105-110
versus action pass with broken backfield, 78-79
versus broken backfield, 77-78

Passer, 176-179
footwork, 178
grip, 176-177
passing principles and techniques, 178-179
release and delivery, 177-178
rushing of, 63-64
warm up time, 212

Passes (_see under_ Name)

Passing, principles and techniques, 178-179
(_see also_ Passer)

Passing game:
essentials of, 176
primary objectives, 179
(_see also_ Offensive passing game techniques)

Pass protection, 163-164

Pass receiving, 183-185

Pass routes, 179-182
flooding an area, 179-181
offensive pass cuts, 181-182

Pass rush, 64

Peel-off drill, 220-221, 230

Penalties, piling on, 28

Personal protector:
spread punt blocking rules, 119, 120
tight punt formation blocking rules, 123-124

Phillips, O. A. “Bum,” 29

Piling on, penalty for, 28

Place kick, blocking, 139

Place kicking formation, 138

Planning, 16

Planning for a game, 203-214
grading game film, 213-214
in-season planning, 204-212
out-of-season planning, 203-204
week preceding game, 204-212

Players:
dedication, 12
desire to excel, 13
leaders, 14
physical condition, 13
“solid citizens,” 10, 14, 231
traits necessary, 12
type, 11

Point of attack, 142

Position, 144

Position ball, 143

Position lateral, 142

Post-lead block, 161-162

Post man, 143

Powell, Dee, 234

Practice, 206, 207-209, 210, 211
time essential, 214

Punt (_see under_ Kicking game techniques)

Punter, 112-114
timing of, 114-116

Punting, 111-116

Punt return, 126-130
left, 126-128
middle, 128-130

Pursuer, 143

Pursuit drill, 230

Quarterback:
characteristics of, 187
faking, 155
field position, 187-190
in goal line defense, 51
greatest asset, 186
guide for, 196-202
in huddle, 152-153
making the exchange, 154-155
offensive stance for, 145-146
option, 172-173
passing, 105
playing game on blackboard, 194-196
in quick kick formation, 125
after receiving snap, 154
recognizing and attacking defenses, 190-196
stance, 153
taking snap-back, 153-154
team confidence in, 186
techniques, 153-155
tips for, 201-202
training of, 186-202
types of, 186-187

Quick kick formation, 124-126
surprise element, 126

RBI, 214

“Reading” drill, 221

Receivers, holding up, 64-65

Reverse shoulder block, 158-159

Rice Institute, 3, 5, 6, 113, 135

Right end (_see under_ Ends)

Right guard (_see under_ Guards)

Right halfback (_see under_ Halfbacks)

Right tackle (_see under_ Tackles)

“Robber,” 107-108

Robinson, Jackie, 72

Rockne, Knute, 1

Roll back, 144

Roll block, 165-166

Roll-out pass, 4-spoke pass defense against, 93-95

Rose Bowl, 1

Rotation, predetermined, 99-104

Running game (_see_ Offensive running game)

Running the line drill, 216

Run-pass option, 172

Rushing the passer drill, 227

Safety man:
defensive:
coverage of action pass, 76
from broken backfield, 79
coverage of straight drop back pass, 75
from broken backfield, 77
pass defense by, 84-85
defensive stance, 43
in 5-spoke defense, 70
in punt return, 128
6-2 alignment, 54
in victory defense, 47

Scoring, on defense, 25

Scoring zone, 189

Scout, 204, 207
(_see also_ Coaching)

Scout report, 207

Scrimmages, 230

Secondary:
alignments, 190
defensive, drills for, 215-220
6-2 alignment, 54
in split-T defense, 52-53, 54
3-deep, defense versus single wing offense, 59

Secondary rotation, defensive calls for, 100-104

Self-scoring zone, 189-190

Set, 142

“7,” 142

Seven Blocks of Granite, 1

7-man spin-out drill, 224

7 technique, 39

Shoot out, 143

Signal callers, 34, 35
in adjustments versus backs and ends flanked, 57

Signal calling, automatic versus non-automatic, 151-152

Single wing offense, defense versus, 57-61

“6,” 142

6 technique, 38-39

6-2 alignment, 53-56
versus single wing offense, 59, _Fig. 37_

Slam, 142

Snap count, 150-152

Sooners, 2, 26

Southern Methodist University, 116

Southwest Conference Championship, 232, 233

Split, 6, 32

Split-T defense, 51-55

Spread punt formation, 116-122, 126
advantages, 117
blocking rules, 118-120
coverage, 120-122
line splits, 117-118

Staff meetings, 22, 23
(_see also_ Planning for a game)

Stagg, Amos Alonzo, 2

Stallings, Gene, 6, 233

Stance:
defensive, 41-43
(_see also under_ Offensive running game)

Straight drop back pass:
coverage of, 74-75
from broken backfield, 77-78
from flanker set, 4-spoke coverage versus, 95-96
from floater set, 4-spoke coverage versus, 97-98
4-spoke pass coverage versus, 90-92

Strategy, planning of, 205

Sugar Bowl, 15, 26

“Surprise defense,” 44-46

Tackles:
defense versus single wing offense, 58
defensive stance, 42
extra point and field goal blocking rules, 137-138
goal line defense, 49
left, in punt return, 127
right, in punt return, 128
6-2 alignment, 53
in split-T defense, 52
spread punt blocking rules, 119
in victory defense, 47

Tackling drill in the secondary, 219-220

Tackling, gang, 28

Taylor, Lloyd, 6, 141

Teaching, coaching and, 23

Team:
drills, 208
defensive, 230
“learning,” 208
unity, 14

Teamwork, defense and, 27-28

Texas A & M, 29, 57, 87, 113, 114, 141, 232
1955 football team, 5-6

3-deep defense, 143

Three down zone, 189

3-on-3 drill, 223

3 technique, 36-37

Three-way option, 173-174

“Thunder,” 51, 106-107

Tight punt formation, 122-124
blocking rules for, 122-124
kicking from, 122

Time schedules, pre-game, 211-212

Timing:
centers, 114
for extra point, 138
for field goal attempt, 138
punters, 114-116

Tip drill, 216

Touchdowns:
“easy,” 24, 25, 27, 61
interceptions and, 27

Trail junction blocker, 143

Trap block, 162-163

Tulane University, 116

“Twelfth man,” 219

2-deep defense (_see_ 4-spoke pass defense)

Two-on-one block (_see_ Post-lead block)

Two-platoon football, 111

2 technique, 34, 36

Unbalanced line, defense versus, 56

Unity, feeling of, 14

University of Alabama, 87

University of Chattanooga, 117

University of Cincinnati, 136

University of Georgia, 114, 194

University of Houston, 195, 196

University of Kentucky, 14, 112, 113, 114, 116, 136, 176

University of Mississippi, 116

University of Oklahoma, 15, 26, 141

University of Tennessee, 115, 116

University of Texas, 232, 233

Up-backs:
extra point and field goal blocking rules, 137-138
spread punt blocking rules, 119-120
tight punt formation blocking rules, 123

U. S. Navy, 16

Vanderbilt University, 116

“Victory defense,” 46-48

Watson, Don, 6, 233

Wave drill, 230

Webb, Clayton, 112

Wide tackle, 32

Wilkinson, Bud, 2, 141

Winning:
intrinsic value of, 4
theory of, 8-17

Wintle, Walter D., 231

Woodard, Woody, 116

Wright, Jimmy, 6

Zone coverage, 74

Zones, 187-190

*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Building a championship football team" ***

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