How To Beat The Bigger Line

[ukmarine 0]

I have a game this weekend with a team who's line is a lot bigger than mine. I do have an advantage in that I have three running backs who haven't been caught all season. they are too fast. I just have to get the play off, somehow, so that these backs can do their stuff. Any suggestions?

[CoachSteve 0]

small line - fast backs

zero splits on the line and sweep like a big dog!

You could also look at Wedge blocking - I think JAG (somewhere out here) uses that....I was looking at his double wing site this morning and watching some videos and looking at pictures of SAB blocking. I believe he incorporates wedge blocking as well....

His site is at: Gregory Double Wing

[CoachSteve 0]

oh, I forgot to add - sprinkle in some misdirection if you can get the time out of your line.

[jag1872 0]

Coach,

What do you run? I, Wishbone, T, Wing-T,..etc?

Small lines need to be aggressive, need to get off the ball fast and need a leverage and angle advantage to account for the weight difference.

I don't think you will have the time to teach wedge or sab blocking by this weekend. Maybe wedge if you fully understand it but most coaches that teach it the first time take nearly two to three weeks to get it implemented since it requires a lot of work on footwork and proper mesh.

Jack

[ukmarine 0]

we run a version of the wing. Our high school coach is a wing-t guy but he runs those plays out of the shotgun. We try to do it as well. However if we can't get the shotgun down, then we will run the straight Wing-T. I have heard of the wedge blocking and would love to learn it. I am a really good teacher and these kids are smart(for the most part). I had also thought of the zero splits on the line. We almost always sweep anyway. No matter what the play call the kids run to the open field and get going. Thanks for the tips. If anyone has any info on the wedge blocking that I could read or look at, please let me know thanks.

[jag1872 0]

Coach,

You can go to my website click on Articles and view my presentation on the Wedge Blocking Scheme. Also you can view my article on the SAB blocking scheme as well.

Jack

[CoachSteve 0]

I just want to throw out another free plug for Jack - I highly reccommend his stuff on SAB blocking. There is a power point presentation out there somewhere which is great. Now, if I could just get Jack to learn Blender (a 3D modeling and animation tool) and create some great AVI's!!!

[jag1872 0]

Coach,

In a true Wing-T you have to play with split as the wing-t uses the splits for blocking angles. With that said I am sure you have had to modify the system a bit for the really young age group. I use 6" splits but I know the SAB scheme has been used by Wing-T teams that use 2-2-3 splits.

My suggestion would be start really simple. I know of several 5-6 teams that run nothing but wedge (see the instructional DW Article on my site) and have won several championships doing so. Just remember that at that age theyare like kittens.....they will chase anything that moves...so misdirection is a killer.

Jack

[jag1872 0]

Steve,

My wife would probably chuck the computer out of the house if I spent any more time then I already do on football

Jack

[CoachSteve 0]

The weather around here is getting very nice in the evenings - perfect for working outside!!

Just kiddin' around. I have some plans to make some training books/chalktalk/video stuff on DVD. I sketched some of it out right before the season but have put it on hold for now. My original intent was to create a comprehensive DVD/CD that I could distribute to my team next year. Some things may be changing though and as each day passes, it is looking like I will move down to a younger team next year (my son's team). Only time will tell though.

[jag1872 0]

I am in the process of developing a DVD set for the Triple B and a DVD on Dynamic Warm Ups for Youth Football. Actually spent a weekend in Fenton, MI helping a program intall the offense and we taped everything (professionally). I am adding to it wiht some white discussions.

Jack

[jag1872 0]

I am in the process of developing a DVD set for the Triple B and a DVD on Dynamic Warm Ups for Youth Football. Actually spent a weekend in Fenton, MI helping a program intall the offense and we taped everything (professionally). I am adding to it wiht some white discussions.

Jack

[coachbreck 0]

A few years back I knew we were facing a huge line, two 200 pounders at DT that could move and were mean plus a 230 pound NG who could not get in his stance. These were 5th and 6th graders and my kids were deathly afraid of them as we had seen them play once and they destroyed the team they were playing.

I just looked up my game plan for that game. I was going to go wide, pass to motion backs, over balance then run to weak side. Play action pass ect. ect. anything to stay away from the beasts.

As it turned out we killed them on quick hitters to the fullback off tackle or off the inside of the tight ends butt cheek thats all we really needed to beat them.

I did have a good fullback that year though who ran hard and could get to the second level quickly.

We won 14-6 and really had no business beating that team. The kids really gained confidence in themselfs and ended up going 10-0 on the season.

[CoachSteve 0]

200 and 230 pound 6th graders?????

What is in the water around there?

[coachbreck 0]

Hey Steve, those were big farm boys, one had both hooves in the trough too long though.

This year we have a kid in our program that is 5'7", 232 pounds, and is an 11 year old 6th grader. He is not on my team, and is not much of a threat but the intimidation factor is awesome. Plus when we scrimmaged them my linebackers could'nt see anything.

[Soonerhawk 0]

Geez, you got some big boys. I thought my son was big. He's the biggest kid on our team and he is 5'3" and 130 lbs. (5th grade)

[CoachSteve 0]

i am smack in the middle of suberbia USA where nintendo and 4000 channels of garbage are beamed into our living rooms every day. Needless to say, we don't grow them quite that big.

[patscoach 0]

This is why I read...

...."both hooves in the trough too long...". Now I can use that!

Down blocking or SAB by the playside tackle and TE with one or 2 pulling guards for a kickout and lead block, add one back in misdirection and you should be able to turn the corner.

jag, 38 G-O down?

..."like kittens - they'll follow anything"

[CoachSteve 0]

yup, I too got a kick out of "both hooves in the trough too long..."

It's nice and subtle.

[flips 0]

We play teams almost every week that have kids that weigh 170 to 200lbs (9, 10, and 11 year olds) and the biggest kid on our team weighs 130lbs. We have the smallest, slowest and youngest kids of any team in our league. Most of our kids are intimitaded every time we play these bigger kids and a few have even quit. It is a challenge to play these teams. If you have speed you can run sweeps and beat them to the outside. Unfortunately we do not have speed, which means we have trouble moving the ball every week.

Flips