Coach Horl

O-Line Back Block Drill - Lead Step and Closing Space: When the defender is off the blocker, a lead step with the near foot is used to close the space between them. - Eliminating Penetration with Head and Hand Placement: To prevent the defender from penetrating, the blocker should drive their helmet "screws" into the defender's near breastplate or the V of the neck and place their near hand on the defender's far breastplate. - Independent Hand Placement: Mastering a back block requires "independent hands," where the hands are placed at different levels rather than moving together. - Preventing the Cross-Face: To stop the defender from crossing the blocker's face, the blocker must place their backside (far) hand on the defender's hip. - Backside Leg Positioning: The backside leg should be kept high to further assist in eliminating the defender's ability to cross-face. - Avoiding Poor Technique: Inefficient technique involves avoiding contact, leaning with the head instead of using hands properly, or crossing over the feet, which compromises the block's effectiveness. Steve Farmer, O-Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator, Univ of Louisiana @CoachSFarmer #GlazierClinics