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3-5-3DEFENSIVE LINE
TECHNIQUES AND DRILLS
THOMAS COUSINS
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NO
TACKLING, RUNNING AND BEING TOUGH
SHOULD BE A PART OF ANY GOOD DEFENSE.
WE STILL READ BLOCKS, WE JUST DO IT ON
THE RUN.
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YES SINCE OUR LINEMEN NEVER TAKE ON AN
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN HEAD UP WE NEED TOTEACH WHAT WE CALL READING ON THERUN.
WE TEACH ATTACKING A MAN WITH EITHER
A RIP OR BY ATTACKING THE INSIDE CHESTPLATE
THE BIGGEST THING WE WORK ON ISFIGHTING PRESSURE WITH PRESSURE ANDNOT GETTING WASHED UP FIELD.
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ESSENTIALS OF DEFENSIVE LINE PLAY
1. GET OFF- YOU MUST EXPLODE OFFTHE BALL AND CROSS THE FACE OF THE
MAN YOU ARE LINED UP FROM.
2. PURSUIT- WE STRESS RUN, RUN, RUN.
3. TACKLING- WORK SOME ASPECT OFTACKLING EVERYDAY.
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What do we want to
accomplish?
1. We want to make our defensive lineman moreproductive in the areas of tackling, pressureand pursuit.
2. We want to run drills that are specific to whatwe do.
3. If a drill is not football specific- dont do it.
4. We want to put our defensive linemen in real-life, game type situations.
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DEFENSIVE LINE FUNDAMENTALS INTHE3-5-3
1. ALIGNMENT
2. STANCE
3. SLANT/ STEPS
4. ENGAGEMENT/ BLOW DELIVERY
5. READ/ PRESSURE
6. PURSUIT
7. TACKLE
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ALIGNMENT WE WILL WORK ALIGNMENT EVERYDAY.
WE WILL LINE UP THREE DIFFERENT
WAYS WITH OUR TACKLES.
IN BASE THEY WILL HEAD UP
IN JET THEY WILL BE IN A WIDE 5 AND A
WIDE 9
IN GOALLINE THEY WILL BE IN 4TECHNIQUES.
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ALIGNMENT BASE
T N T
TACKLES AND NOSE WILL BE HEAD UP AND AS
TIGHT TO THE BALL AS POSSIBLE
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ALIGNMENT JET
T N T
TACKLES WILL BE JETTED 1 YARD OUTSIDE OF
THE TACKLE AND TIGHT END. NOSE WILL BEHEAD UP AND AS TIGHT TO THE BALL AS
POSSIBLE
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ALIGNMENT GOALLINE
T N T
TACKLES WILL BE IN 4 TECHNIQUES. NOSE
WILL BE HEAD UP AND AS TIGHT TO THE BALLAS POSSIBLE
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STANCE
OUR STANCE IS A THREE POINT STANCE WITH FEET ASCLOSE TO PARALLEL AS POSSIBLE.
WEIGHT ON THE BALLS OF THE FEET, KNEES IN AND HEELSOFF THE GROUND
HEAD- TURN YOUR HEAD AND LOOK DOWN THE LOS AT THEBALL.
ARMS- FRONT ARM SHOULD BE WELL IN FRONT OF THEHEAD. FREE ARM IS COCKED BY THE FACEMASK READY TOSTRIKE.
BACK- BUTT MUST BE HIGHER THAN HEAD.
WEIGHT- 60% OF WEIGHT IS ON FINGERTIPS. YOU ARE A
COILED SPRING READY TO EXPLODE. FEET SHOULD BE NO WIDER THAN SHOULDER WIDTH.
DL NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO STEP WITH EITHER FOOT- LEFT ORRIGHT.
HEAD IS TURNED LOOKING AT THE FOOTBALL
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SLANT/STEPS GET OFF INITIAL MOVEMENT MUST BE SIDEWAYS AND UP AT A
45% ANGLE.
LIKE A SPRINTER COMING OUT OF THE
BLOCKSCREATE FORCE.
BACK FLAT
NUMBERS OF YOUR JERSEY OVER YOUR KNEE.
BULL YOUR NECK.
AIM FOR THE HIP OF THE MAN YOU ARE SLANTINGACROSS.
FOLLOW QUICKLY WITH THE 2NDAND 3RD STEPS
STAY LOW AND MAINTAIN LIFT LEVERAGE.
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SLANT/STEPS DRILLS
T N T
VERY SIMPLE DRILL DONE WITH FLAT DUMMIES ON THE
GROUND
COACH GIVES A LINE CALL (IN, OUT, SLANT STRONG, SLANTWEAK, PINCH) AND A STRENGTH CALL.
COACH SNAPS THE BALL AND LOOKS FOR FOOTWORK,
EXPLOSION, FLAT BACK, AND ARM RIP IN GET OFF BY THE
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN.
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Pressure drills Get some.
Part of our hoop drills we do everyday.
The defensive lineman will run two hoops in a figureeight.
Around the first hoop- he will rip with his inside arm,against other players punching at him.
Around the second hoop he will rip with his otherarm against other players punching him.
He will finish the drill by strip tackling a dummy.
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READ/ PRESSURE
WE WILL READ ON THE RUN- IF AN OFFENSIVELINEMAN PRESSURES US WE WILL PRESSURE
BACK BY EITHER CROSSING HIS FACE ORGOING BACKDOOR.
WE CANNOT GET WASHED UP THE FIELD, BYFIGHTING PRESSURE WITH PRESSURE ANDNOT GETTING MORE THAN 1 YARD UP THE
FILED WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS. IF WE SLANT AND OUR MAN TRIES TO CUT US
OFF, WE WILL FLATTEN DOWN THE LOS ANDPURSUE TO THE BALL.
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READ DRILLS- BACKDOOR
Backdoor
Purpose- to recreate when a defensive linemanis following a trapping offensive lineman or hasripped into a gap and feels pressure from adown block..
The offensive lineman will fit on the DLs hipwho will then in turn go backdoor to make atackle.
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Backdoor
Ol will fit up on the hip of a defensive
lineman. The DL will grab the hip of
the offensive lineman and go
backdoor- pursuing flat down the lineof scrimmage.
T
R
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PURSUIT
WE MUST FIND THE BALL AND TAKE GOOD ANGLES TOINTERCEPT THE BALL CARRIER.
WE EXPECT 11 HATS TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY. YOUWILL NOT GET GOOD PURSUIT UNLESS YOU STRESSRUNNING TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY IN PRACTICE.
WE RUN EXTRA AFTER PRACTICE FOR LOAFS- NOTGETTING 11 PEOPLE TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY.
WE HAVE NEVER DONE PURSUIT DRILLS ALONE, WEINCORPORATE THEM INTO INSIDE, SKELLY, TEAM ETC.
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PURSUIT
T N TTHE MAIN DRILL WE USE TO TEACH PURSUIT IS THE FLOW DRILL
ON BALL MOVEMENT DL WILL PERFORM A RIP TO ASSIGNED GAP
WHEN THEY GET TO 1 YARD THE COACH WILL POINT TO THE
RIGHT, LEFT OF UP FIELD. THE DL WILL PLANT AND HUSTLE THAT
WAY.
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Pursuit drills
Rabbit
A hoop drill we do everyday
Two players will line up on a hoop. One player
will get a three yard head start.
The two players will run a figure eight, if playertwo catches player one, the drill is over.
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Rabbit
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TACKLING
WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN NOT MISSINGTACKLES.
WE WORK SOME ASPECT OF TACKLINGEVERYDAY IN PRACTICE.
WE NEVER GO HALF SPEED DURING
DEFENSIVE PRACTICE. WE ARE ALWAYSLIVE, NO DUMMIES, NO PADS, NO SHORTSMONDAY- THURSDAY.
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Tackling
We feel that there are 6 basic elements to everytackle. We work these 6 elements into everytackling drill we do.
1. Feet- never gather, always run through the target.2. Eyes- always on numbers
3. Head placement- always up and across the ball.
4. Chest- lead with your chest not your head.
5. High cloth- throw arms up and around
6. Hip roll- act like you have a quarter in your cheeksand you dont want it to fall out.
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Tackling drills
Slip Drill
Purpose: to recreate a defensive lineman
slipping off an offensive lineman and makinga tackle.
OL and DL will fit up as if the were engagedwith a block. The running back will then run
tight to either hip of the offensive lineman.The defensive lineman will have to createseparation and find the ball carrier.
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ANGLE TACKLING
T T
THIS IS THE MAIN TACKLING DRILL OUR DL DOES
THE DL LINES UP ACROSS FROM ANOTHER LINEMAN AND ON
COMMAND RIPS BY THE OL -THE RUNNING BACK WILL RUN EITHER
RIGHT OR LEFT NEXT TO THE OL. IF THE RUNNING BACK COMES TO
THE SAME SIDE THE DL SLANTED TO THE DL PERFORMS A PROPERANGLE TACKLE. IF THE RUNNINGBACK RUNS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE
THE DL SLANTED TO. HE MUST PLANT, FLOW BACK TO THE RUNNING
BACK AND MAKE THE TACKLE.
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Closing
We feel that by putting our defensive
linemen in real-life, game type situationswe will increase production as a unit.
We have seen a steady increase in the
productivity of our defensive linemen inthe three years since we have introduced
this concept.