Whether a run or pass is called, one of the most important traits for a blocker is aggressiveness. There is no better place to teach aggressiveness to a young offensive lineman than in run blocking. Coaches speak of great run blockers "blowing the defender off the ball," actually driving the defender back toward his own goal line. This is what run blocking is all about.

The basic idea in run blocking is not only to place the blocker between the defender and the offensive player with the ball, but also to forcefully move the defender away from his original location.

Run blocking should be attempted before pass blocking so that this attitude of physical and aggressive play can develop.

It is important for offensive linemen to understand that there are different types of blocks that they will need to master in order to frustrate and defeat a defensive opponent. But prior to actually blocking an individual, it is important for offensive linemen to learn to "get off the ball," or, in other words, move with great quickness on the snap count.

Defensive linemen learn to react to the movement of the ball and the movement of the offensive player. An offensive player must learn to move on a sound and to anticipate the reaction of the defensive player. Not moving the instant the ball is snapped almost always will result in an offensive lineman losing the battle to the defense. The snap count must be anticipated by the offensive player so that he can use his tremendous offensive advantage to its fullest potential.

Drill: Getting off the Ball
The coach stands behind the offensive linemen. They should be told the snap count and then asked to take their stances.

Once the coach sees that every offensive lineman is in his stance and is settled, he moves up behind the center, and simulates the quarterback calling out the cadence. From this position, the coach should accept the ball when it is snapped by the center as he moves forward.

Once the snap count is called out by the coach, the offensive linemen should instantly move forward out of their stances for five yards as quickly as they can. When coming out of his stance, each lineman should take quick, short, choppy steps, keeping his feet close to the ground. Both arms need to be pumping to give the player added forward thrust. His shoulders should stay low and square, and his back should be straight. He needs to keep his neck bowed and his head up. Each lineman should have his eyes focused straight ahead, looking at an imaginary target.

At first, it may be necessary for the coach to position himself five yards in front of the offensive linemen and have each player go one at a time. By doing this, the coach can be absolutely certain that the players are moving quickly on the snap count with proper steps and body position.

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Play Football The NFL Way is the ultimate football manual for coaches and beginning players who want to learn the basics of football correctly. Author Tom Bass is a former NFL coach with more than 20 years of experience with the Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers, and Tampa Bay Buccaners.

For a personalized autographed copy of Play Football the NFL Way, plus information on the new Coach Bass Sport Maps - football guides that aid in watching and enjoying college and professional football, please visit http://www.CoachBass.com.

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