BetterDWFB

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Building a BetterFull Back

1) Choosing a Full Back

2) Full Back Coaching Strategies

3) Taking Advantage of a Gifted FB

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Some basic assumptions You are coaching a youth football team

You have all the usual limitations that youth football presents :

limited practice time

limited attention spans

limited personnel choices

weight/position restrictions

You run at least these 8 basic plays:

1- Power (Toss) 2- Trap

3- Counter 4- Sweep (Lead, Buck, Jet)

5- Wedge 6- G (Belly)

6- PA Pass (Toss action) 8- Straight Drop Back Pass

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Choosing a Full Back

Is he a Runner or a Blocker?

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He‟s a Blocker First

The DW is built on the Toss play, therefore we need a strong blocker at theFB position.

Our downfield and flank attacks require effective blocking from theFB position.

Most Sweep, Pass, and Counter plays require Fill or Reach blockingskills from the FB.

PassPass SweepSweep

Sweep/Counter

Sweep/ Counter

The FB‟s Kick Out is an integral part of the Power play. Without it, we gono where.

He must be able to block many different types of athletes with equaleffectiveness.

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The DW can not exist forever on Power, Counter, and Sweep. At somepoint you will need a good Trap, Wedge and/or G play to take advantage ofa given defensive technique or alignment.

He‟s a Runner First

A strong running game from the FB position commands the entire

defensive front‟s attention- making his fakes much more effective.

A good fake is worth two good blocks

The Power play is powerful and effective by design.. It does notnecessarily need a blocking “specialist” at the FB spot to make it

go. It merely needs an adequate kick out block…this can be

taught.

A strong running game from the FB position relieves pressure onyour WB‟s. Defenses must shift some of their focus to the more

immediate threat from the FB.

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So…. Is he a Runner or a Blocker?

In a perfect world, he is great at BOTH. But the DoubleWing can support one or the other if it has to.…You should

never put “just a blocker” here if you have a kid on the team

that can do both.

In my world, he is a Runner

….who must block effectively if he wishes to remain a Runner.

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What do I look for when selecting a Full Back? INSTINCT- This above all else. I can‟t coach it, so when I find it, I

put it at FB.

That “thing” that some kids have that makes other kids miss tackles.

Have your kids play some kind of fun “team” game (like Deer Hunter or Keep Away) and watch them. The instinctive athletes are usually

obvious in these kinds of games.

Athlete Type-

1st- Athleticism. Can he play with strength, speed, and balance? 2nd- Blocking Ability. Is he aggressive and coachable enough to

adequately handle his blocking assignments? 3rd- Size. The relevance will vary w/ each athlete but a good startingpoint would be for the average DE in your league to outweigh the FB by nomore than 30% (this assumes a weight restricted ball carrier league)

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I must use my best athlete at the FB position andresist the temptation to put him at WB or QB.

That‟s a LOT to hope for in a youth athlete… These kinds of

kids don‟t grow on trees and I‟m usually lucky to get one or two

of this kind of athlete.

so this usually means one thing:

** Instinct, Athleticism, Blocking Ability, and Size **

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A great runner will threaten more potential points ofattack from the FB position than he will from the WB

position.

….But this is not a bad thing

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Your great runner can hit 7 possible points ofattack from the Full Back position using just 4basic plays .

2-Trap4-G 3-Trap 5-G-PA Pass

1-Wedge

7-PA Pas

9 when you consider that Trap can be run at 4different holes (2,3,4,5)

TrapTrap

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Your best athlete can only hit 3 potentialpoints of attack from the WB position….

And it takes 4 of your 8 basic plays to do

it.

Sweep

Pass

“Off Tackle”

Power/Counter

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My best runner will threaten more potential points ofattack from the FB position than he will from the WB

position.

….But This is not a bad thing

Defenses can more easily overload a WB‟s limited

number of potential points of attack.

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BB

E T T

C

T T EB

C

Defenses can more easily overload a

WB‟s limited number of potential points of

attack than they can a FB‟s. Making

easier to negate your stud player.

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My best runner will threaten more potential points ofattack from the FB position than he will from the WB

position.

….But This is not a bad thing

Defenses can more easily overload a WB‟s limited

number of potential points of attack.

Usually, my best athlete will be more than capable ofrunning and blocking with equal effectiveness.

Even if my best athlete doesn‟t block as well as he runs, it will be

easier for me to teach him to block well than it would be to teach a“pure blocker” to run well.

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Overall Restricted- All players must be at or below a given weight or

all players must fit within a given weight range. -AN D- and there are no specific restrictionson player size by position. Usually, all teams possess relative parity in size.

Weight Restricted Leagues

These sort of restrictions are actually an advantage for a DW Full Back because player

size, and therefore Defensive End size, is limited by the rules.

Restricted by Position- Unlimited weight league. There are no limitations on

player size -EXCEPT- for Ball Carriers. These positions will normally have a max weightthey can play at.

In these leagues you will have some limitations on whether or not your best runner can

play the FB spot. - If your best runner is an 85 lb. kid in a league full of 150 lb. DEs - He‟s probably

not going to work as a FB.

Figure 25-30% weight differential with the average DE in your league as the

baseline size requirement for your FB. (It‟s not as bad as you think)

Never fail to give a gifted runner who‟s a small kid a chance to try the spot if he‟s“snarly” enough….There are some awfully tough small kids out there.

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Even if my best athlete plays both WB spots COMBINED (flopping him) Ican only give him 6 potential points of attack from the base set of plays. - Thatsame kid at FB hits a minimum of 7 potential points of attack from the same

base set of plays.

I think of my FB in the same terms an I formation coach would think of hisTail Back. I want the Full Back to be an equal threat to hit any spot along thefront at any time.

Final thoughts on selecting a Full Back

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FB Coaching Strategies

Improving your Full Back‟s running ability

Building Explosion and Speed

Teaching the “moves”

Play Mechanics

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Frog Leaps and Bunny Hops:

Done as group drills early in the season or as team conditioning later on.

Builds leg and lower body strength. Builds power- either from a set position or when delivering a blow on the move.

Teaches players how to “uncoil” their bodies during contact to develop maximumkinetic energy.

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Squeeze Drill

Done with all Running Backs over the coarse of the entire season.

Teaches Runners how to be “All shoulder pads and knees” when running in traffic. Teaches ball security. Teaches how to take (and deliver) a blow when running with the ball.

S D ill

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coach

Squeeze Drill

Waiting players

1 yard

Gauntlet w/ 6-8 players

3) A ball carrier will attempt to run down the middle of the Gauntlet. Making sure to keep his bodywrapped over the ball and to expose only “shoulder pads and knees”…he should meet the

Squeezers squarely, making sure to keep his shoulder pads lower than those of the Squeezers.

“Squeezers”

2 yards

2 yards

1) The “Gauntlet”- Arrange 6-8 players 1 yard apart from each other and facing in. Theyshould all be on one knee without sticking their feet or legs into the running lane. Theymay use one or both hands to attempt to strip the ball from the runners grasp. They areNOT to attempt to tackle or knock the runner down.

2) Two “Squeezers” align 2 yards behind the Gauntlet and 2 yards apart from each other.

Each has a hand shield. They are each to take a SINGLE step inside and attempt to“squeeze” the runner and prevent him from passing between them.

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Resistance Running


Develops a Runner‟s speed and acceleration. Teaches runners to stay “behind their shoulder pads”





Squeeze Drill


Teaches Runners how to be “All shoulder pads and knees” when running in traffic. Teaches ball security. Teaches how to take (and deliver) a blow when running with the ball.

R i R i

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runner

20 yards

1) Mark 2 lines 20 yards apart. Use any type of resistance harness, fit under the arms andacross the chest plate of the shoulder pads. Allow 10 ft‟ of rope for the coach hold on to.

2) The Runner should lean his weight against the harness and then attempt to sprint

forward. Making sure to use good form- keep the upper body “quiet” and “out in frontof the feet”

The coach should offer enough resistance that the runner is just able to movehimself ahead.

runner

3) When the runner hits the 10 yard mark. Release the tension on the harness without

actually dropping the leads and allow him to sprint the rest of the way.

runner

Resistance Running

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The best moves are the ones my Runners can use instinctively.

The best moves rob little or no up field momentum from a Runner.

The best moves are the ones that my Runners can learn easily.

I teach just 2 basic moves to my Runners …

Stiff Arm- Simple, effective, versatile, and easy to teach and use. You may

find that your tall kids have more success with it than the shorter kids do.

Cut Back- Also simple and effective, but even more versatile than the Stiff

Arm. Generally speaking, just about all runners can to use this move to

enhance their game.



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Why do I avoid teaching moves like the Spin & Juke Step?

*** Because these moves are much more INSTINCT dependant. I can teach aRunner how to do a spin move but teaching him the instinct for using it is notso easy.

*** Because these move are more likely to rob up field momentum from a Runner,

especially if not used exactly right.

*** Because these moves take much longer for the average player to masterthan the Cut Back or Stiff Arm does.

However…If I have a kid that has the natural instinct and

ability to use the Spin or Juke, I will almost never discouragehim from using them…I just won‟t burn up a lot of practice

time trying to teach the rest of my Runners to do it like hedoes.

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The Stiff Arm

1) Teach it to ALL of your ball carrying players.

2) Teach it to be used for “re-directing” a Tackler‟s momentum instead of for

delivering a direct “blow” to the Tackler. (Use the Tackler‟s own momentum

against him.)

3) Teach it using a “Thumb Down” position with the hand.

4) Start small- teach it using the Stiff Arm drill before moving on to add livetacklers.

Stiff A D ill

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Traffic Cone

Waiting Players

Runner

Stiff Arm Drill

1) 2 cones are set 10 yards apart from each other on any yard line. The coach puts himself over

the inside cone and is holding a “Heavy Bag” style tackling dummy (if a Heavy Bag is not

available, a regular tackling dummy will do). A Runner places himself 5 yards away from theinside cone, holding a ball in his outside arm. On the coaches signal he takes off headingstraight for the outside cone.

Traffic Cone

Think of this as if the runner is “pushing himself” away from

the bag… instead of pushing the bag away from him.

2) The coach will heave the bag at the Runner, alternating between knee high and shoulder highthrows. He should vary the angle at which he throws the Bag as well.

3) The Runner should attempt to use his inside hand (thumb down) as the “lever” with

which to use the bag‟s own momentum to deflect it away from his body. If any part of the

bag touches any part of the runner, he is “tackled”.

Stiff A D ill

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Traffic Cone

Waiting Players

Runner

Stiff Arm Drill

Traffic ConeTackler

When my Runners show they have mastered the mechanics of the Stiff Arm, I replacethe Bag with a live tackler and run the drill with full contact or thud mode.

<Stiff Arm Clips here>

Depending on what part of the body the tackler has exposed tothe Runner- The ideal aiming points for a Stiff Arm are:

1- Top of the helmet (not the facemask)

2- Top of the shoulder plate

3- Chest plate

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The Cut Back

1) Teach it to ALL of your ball carrying players.

2) Practice it in a variety of drills and situations.

3) Spend equal amounts of time practicing it in both directions.

Triangle Drill

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Triangle Drill

Traffic ConeTraffic Cone Tackling Dummy

8-10 yards

5 yards

3 yards

1) 3 Tackling dummies stood on end and arranged in a 3x5 triangle. 2 traffic cones areset 8-10 yards outside the center dummy. The coach stands in front of the centerdummy holding a blocking shield.

2) The Runner starts from 5 yards in front of the triangle. As he approaches the first twodummies the coach should quickly step into one or the other “gap”- making sure toprotect himself w/ the shield in case the runner goes the wrong way.

3) The Runner should cut AWAY from the coach and through the opposite „side‟ of the

triangle. We want him to bend his path back up field and around the traffic cone oncehe‟s completed his cutback.

Runner

Cut Back Drill

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Traffic Cone

Tackler

RunnerSide Line

Cut Back Drill

Any Yard Line

(also a great defensive drill).

1) This is a live (full contact) drill, though it can be done in “Thud” mode also. Place a traffic cone 3

yards away from the sideline on any yard line and a second one 20 yards away from the first,along the same yard line. A Runner and a tackler align over the inside cone facing each other,and on opposite sides of the line.

2) On the coach‟s signal the Runner takes off and is free to use any move he can (juke, changespeeds, shoulder fake, etc.) to force the tackler to over run his pursuit. If he does force theover-pursuit, he should immediately cut back to the tackler‟s inside. If he can‟t, he should turn

the run up field as soon as he hits the cone set near the sideline.

3) The tackler‟s job is to prevent any up field move at all by the Runner. His first job is to avoid

over pursuing, his next job is prevent the up field cut by the Runner.<Cut Back Clips here>

3 yards20 yards

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Play Mechanics


There are some techniques that don‟t necessarily have to be used to insure a

good FB, but they do add form and function to the position. Taken individuallythey might seem insignificant, but collectively they are a hallmark of a wellcoached FB.

There are many, many aspects to the Full Back‟s specific play mechanics. I‟ll

address one of my favorite ones:

The Cross Over Step -

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Fine Points


The Cross Over step puts a little bit of polish on the FBposition.

Teach the Cross Over step for all plays where your FB opens in the samedirection as the motion call.

It takes very little time to teach.

It gives the QB and pulling lineman an extra foot or so of clearance bygetting the FB‟s hips turned away from them.

It helps put the FB on a proper „banana‟ path to the DE.

It gives a more uniform look to all of your plays, enhancing yourmisdirection by giving a consistent “Power look” for the first few steps of

every such play.

<Cross Over Clips here>

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Improving your Full Back‟s blocking ability

Improving the basic skill

Making the Kick Out more effective

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FB Coaching StrategiesImproving the basic skill

I make liberal use of the Pancake Drill (Pit Blocking). It‟s one of the best drillsfor working on the different techniques involved in blocking.

I can get many full contact reps in with little chance of injury. It has many variations that can be used to emphasize many different skills.It teaches players to “finish” blocks.

The player‟s love this drill.

Pancake Drill

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Pancake Drill

1 yrd.

BlockerDefenderTackling Dummies

1) A defender aligns 1 yard in front of a row of 6 tackling dummies laid down as shownabove. A blocker sets him self a yard or two from the defender in whatever stance isbeing practiced at the time.

2) The blocker will execute whatever technique is being practiced at the time. The objectbeing to “finish” the block by driving the defender into the pads on the ground.

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I make liberal use of the Pancake Drill (Pit Blocking). It‟s one of the best drillsfor working on the technique of blocking.


The player‟s love this drill. Head Placement is everything. More often than not, all a FB has to do is makesure his head placement is correct to insure a decent block.

I stress Head Placement in every blocking drill. I want the FB to place his helmet inside defender‟s helmet on Kick Out and

Lead blocks, and outside the defender‟s helmet on Reach and Pass blocks.

<Head Placement Clips here>

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I make liberal use of the Pancake Drill (Pit Blocking). It‟s one of the best drillsfor working on the technique of blocking.


The player‟s love this drill. Head Placement is everything. More often than not, all a FB has to do is makesure his head placement is correct to insure a decent block.

I stress Head Placement in every blocking drill. I want the FB to place his helmet inside defender‟s helmet on Kick Out and

Lead blocks, and outside the defender‟s helmet on Reach and Pass blocks.

Don‟t forget the Feet! More than 75% of a player‟s power comes from his lower

body. Moving the feet after initial contact is imperative if the FB wishes to get anymovement on the man he is blocking. I know my FBs aren‟t keeping their feet moving when they hit, bounce

back, then recoil and deliver another hit… A sure sign of lazy feet.

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Making the Kick Out more effective

Teaching Kick Out mechanics:

Take the correct path. “Banana route”… Go toward the LOS before going down it.The Crossover step helps with this.

“Head in the hole”- like I said before, Head Placement is everything .

Turn up field if no one shows for the Kick Out. Don‟t over extend and lead the WB

and pullers too far outside.<Kick Out clips here>

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Pancake Drill

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Pancake Drill

2 feet

4 Yards

1) A traffic cone is set 1 yard in front of the tackling dummies. A second cone is placed 4 yards away and2 yards deeper than the first cone. A third cone is set 2 ft. x 2 ft. to the outside of the second cone. The

blocker aligns in a 3 pt. stance next to the deepest cone. The defender stands next to the first coneand in front of the tackling dummies while holding a hand shield.

2) On the coach‟s signal, his first step is to be a crossover step with the backside foot making sure to steptoward the LOS. He should bend his path around the second cone so that his path arcs toward thedefender. He should aim for the defender‟s INSIDE shoulder. The correct Head Placement here is to

have his helmet INSIDE of the defender‟s helmet.

3) As always- I insist that the FB keep his feet driving and finish the block by driving the defender into thepads.

Have the defender turn sideways and brace against the hit. This provides good practice against acommon DE technique.Bring in one of your lineman and have the players practice their Kick Outs against larger players.

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Making the Kick Out (EVEN MORE) effectiveThese techniques can be easily adapted into your basic play mechanics toimprove your Full Back‟s Kick Out blocks. Whether you are trying to improve

sub-par blocking abilities or simply trying to give your FB every possibleadvantage, these two little tricks can make a world of difference.

- Brush By‟s are used to “temporarily distract” a Defensive End. That is: we do

not want to directly impede his up field momentum. Instead, we just want tointerfere with it a little. The goal is to pass so close to him that he must first (if

even for just a split second) divert his attention to the player executing the brushby and away from the approaching FB. This simplifies the FB‟s block since the

DE can no longer focus all of his efforts on defeating the Kick Out .

Brush by‟s should be employed by the WBs primarily, but since I sometimes

run my Power plays very tightly, the TEs should know how to do it also.

<Brush By clips here>

The “Brush By”- Using the threat of a “Down” or “Reach” block tomake the Kick Out easier.

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Making the Kick Out (EVEN MORE) effective

“Bench, Bend, & Dig”- For whatever reason, a FB will sometimes find

himself stalemated on his Kick Out. When ever the FB finds himself in asituation where his block has been negated, we want him to:

“Bench” - Extend his arms fully (as in a “bench” press) and push the DE

away.

“Bend” - Arch his body into the DE (roll the hips) while extending his arms for

maximum leverage.

“Dig” - Dig in with his feet and attempt to drive his legs.

Defeating the “Stalemated” Kick Out

<QB double DE clips here>

Making the Kick Out when all else fails

Get help for the FB. (Have the QB double team the DE)

<Stalemated Kick Out clips here>

Taking Advantage of a Gifted

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Taking Advantage of a GiftedFB

Getting him the ball in open space

Enhancing your existing FB plays

Taking Advantage of a

Gifted

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Throw him the ball! - The FB is the hardest single receiver to account for in the

DW. Since I put my best kid at FB, I want to take advantage of this by finding ways tothrow him the ball in places where he can do the most damage.

I make him the second option on my PA passes instead of the third.It takes an exceptional youth QB to quickly read 3 receivers anyway,I might as well reduce the number of „reads‟ he needs to make while

improving the chances of getting the ball to my best kid.

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1

2

(3)

Make the FB option number 2 on your Play Action pass.

Option #

Option #


Gifted

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I design pass routes intended to clear out a specific zone for him. I sometimes

use my TE‟s and WB‟s to “run off” defenders and slip the FB in underneath them.



I make him the second option on my PA passes instead of the third.It takes an exceptional youth QB to quickly read 3 receivers anyway, I mightas well reduce the number of „reads‟ he needs to make while improving the

chances of getting the ball to my best kid.

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Design pass routes intended to clear out a specific zone for theFB.

B

E ET T

CS

B B B

C

WB WB

TE

<FB Pass clips here>


Gifted

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I use plays that others might not ever consider. Plays like a Full Back Sweep are

practical additions to my playbook when my FB is a fast runner





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<FB Sweep clips here>

88 FB Sweep


Gifted

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I put him in motion to expand my options w/ him. (also adds a nice twist to some

of my other plays)




practical additions to my playbook when my FB is a fast runner.

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<FB Motion clips here>

FB Motion.

Taking Advantage

of a Gifted

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I put him in motion to expand my options w/ him. (also adds a nice twist to some

of my other plays)

I will cross train him to play WB occasionally to run Sweeps or down field Passes.




practical additions to my playbook when my FB is a fast runner


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The G Play: Hit the hole HARD. The Cross Over step should be employed to help the FB

keep his shoulders as square as possible. Cross over, then plant the second stepand hit the hole.

Practice having the FB bend the G play outside just after he clears the first level

of the D. This can make for some big gains if you can get a decent block on theplay side LB by your play side WB.

Use Heavy (Tackle Over) formations to create defensive bubbles. Use thisrandomly and don’t over use it …..If you practice aligning in Heavy formation as

you break the huddle instead of shifting to it, you‟ll have better odds odds of catching the defense off guard.

You can also use a “Wings On” call to gain a similar advantage.

<G clips here>


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The Trap Play:

PATIENCE , PATIENCE, PATIENCE! Don‟t rush this play. Teach the FB to use

the pulling G as his “Go” cue. As soon as the G‟s butt crosses his face, then hecan go. ..Once he does go, go hard and fast ! Traps generally do not do well withFBs that do not accelerate well from a standstill. <see Bunny Hops & Frog Leaps>

Don‟t Advertise- Stay low and don‟t „pop up‟ prior to taking the handoff.

Focus on getting the LBs blocked. Always use your play side WB and TE toblock LBs. Don‟t send either one of them after a Safety, or any defender aligned

deeper than the play side LB, or the MLB in a one LB defense.

Wouldn‟t you prefer to have your FB running one-on-one against a Safetyrather than a LB???

<Trap clips here>


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The Wedge Play:

Keep the knees high- Step “On or Over” anything that gets in the way.

-AND- Always be on the lookout for seams that might develop in the Wedge. TheWedge can be a big yardage play.

<Wedge Clips here>

There isn‟t much a FB can do to improve the Wedge play other

than:

….But in the end, a great Wedge

IS ALL ABOUT THE PLAY OF YOUR LINE

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Building a Better

Full Back

This presentation is posted at:

www.The-Endzone.netFollow the “Offensive Resources” link

Questions or comments-

CoachThurman@The Endzone net

Kevin S. Thurman

Documents

BetterDWFB