SPORT: RB Play

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Selasa, 26 Februari 2013

Ball Security Refresher Course

It's all Ball Security these days! Perhaps you need a refresher course!

Thanks to Chris at Smart Football for giving me a refresher course with this article link he provided. After reading the article I realized, "I was wrong! There is a better way to hold on to the football!" Let me show you the old way that I learned from a national championship coach (who is wrong too, lol):

I have two hands on the football in the picture above and this is not awful, but I have both an upward force and a downward force on the football. Tyrone Willingham has a RB video that talks about the instability created by having your arms work against each other with the football in the middle. Below is the way that LSU RB Coach Frank Wilson describes from the above article link that I believe is the best way to hold onto the football:

Besides the superior picture quality of my new laptop vs. my old laptop, the new method has some advantages over the old method. First, both of my arms are working to press the ball upward against my chest. This helps to keep the football tighter to my chest (Fundamental #3). Second, and even more importantly, this method helps to keep my wrist above my elbow (Fundamental #2) unlike the previous picture where my top hand is pushing my wrist down to where it is almost below my elbow. I re-did the video and added the corrections.

Fundamentals of Ball Security - Barry Hoover from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

This link should allow you to download this video. To download any Google Drive file from this website, go to the top left of the page, click on File then on Download.

Fundamentals of Ball Security:

1. Two Finger Claw
2. Wrist Above Elbow
3. Ball Tight to Chest
4. Tuck Elbow In
5. Opposite Hand Over Football on Contact
6. Keep Pads Low

Fumbles - I from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

This Sports Science video with Rudi Johnson has MMA guys trying to knock out the football in an old-fashioned gauntlet drill. To see how they do actually knock the ball out, go to the 7:00 mark.

Selasa, 04 Desember 2012

How Georgia Lost the SEC Championship - RB Pass Pro

You either win with fundamentals or you get beat with fundamentals. Georgia was reminded of this bitter lesson in the 2012 SEC Championship Game that saw them battle toe to toe with defending national champion Alabama. They valiantly drove down the field in the last minute, only to see the clock run out because of a tipped pass in an awful and surreal ending for the stunned Bulldogs, who expected to be able to see Aaron Murray throw two plays into the end zone with the ball at the 8-yard line and 15 seconds left (Chris Brown at Smart Football analyzes the clock logistics of the play here). The tipped pass by Alabama LB, C.J. Mosley, was seen as horrible luck, but really the play was preventable with proper fundamentals from the RB position.

Most young RBs have trouble getting on the field because of pass protection—not understanding the scheme of what to do and not being to execute it correctly. The game of football depends on the execution of all 11 players and a freshman RB made a poor play at the worst possible moment for the Bulldogs (one of many plays from the game that Georgia would like to change, not to pin the entire loss on one player). I will analyze the play by using the RB Pass Pro fundamentals that I got from a clinic talk by Tony Ball, the RB Coach (from 2006-2009) and now, WR Coach at Georgia, so you will get coached up with the same coaching points this player will be hearing as he watches this film with his coaches.

Here's the film, courtesy of CBS Sports and the SEC Network:

How Georgia Lost 2012 SEC Championship - RB Pass Pro from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

Fundamentals of RB Pass Protection

1. Scan the Defense.

Check. The RB scanned the defense and knew who to block.

2. Step with Inside Foot First.

Check. The RB stepped first with his inside foot to get inside leverage and to get his body turned correctly.

3. Close Space Quickly.

Big mistake here. Both the RB and the LB started off 5 yards from the LOS (line of scrimmage), so theoretically they should meet halfway—at or near the LOS. Instead of expanding the pocket to give room for the QB to throw, the pocket is condensed.

4. Punch.

Even with the mistake of the RB not closing the space quickly, he can still do his job and block his man if he punches him at all. Instead, the defender takes off at the 11-yard line and continues in the air relatively unimpeded and tips the ball at the 13-yard line.

5. Expand the Pocket.

After the punch, the RB should continue to force the defender outside to expand the pocket. The RB "opens up the gate" and lets the pass rusher get upfield vertically instead of widening him. On a drop-back pass that takes longer to develop, the RB would need to keep his feet working to widen the rusher and expand the pocket.

A critical error was that the RB did not take the protection into account on how he attacked his defender. The Fade-Flat combination on this pass play is designed to be used with quick protection. The Georgia Offensive Line did a terrific job of firing out and stopping the Alabama Defensive Line at the LOS. The Left Tackle cut block the Defensive End, making him a non-factor in the play as well. All that was left was the RB's block on the blitzing LB to give Georgia QB Aaron Murray's pass a chance to reach its intended target in a play that will torture the Bulldogs for what could have been.

Kamis, 17 Mei 2012

RB Blaster Drill and Sideline Drill

Wrist above the elbow!

The RB Blaster and Sideline Drill both work Ball Security, which should always be the primary focus of the RB Coach. The Blaster Drill can be done with players on each side punching at the ball if you don’t have a Blaster machine. You can also incorporate this into your ladder drills with players on both sides trying to strip the ball out.

In case your guys don't know who Tiki Barber is, Trent Richardson has

excellent Ball Security fundamentals for younger players to emulate.

The Sideline drill is great in that it works both Ball Security and balance as a RB tries to stay inbounds while being shoved wide by bag holders. Another thing you can do with the Sideline Drill to make it harder for the RB to stay inbounds is to start him on the #’s or more toward the #’s so he approaches the sideline at an angle with his momentum already working towards the sideline.

I finally got a language translate button that works! It is on the left side of the page. Try it out.

Kamis, 19 April 2012

RB Boom Drill

Boom, sucka!

The off-arm is an under-utilized weapon for the RB. Most RBs know how to use the stiff-arm to keep a defender away from them; however once the defender is right on the RB, the Boom Drill is what we want our RBs to use to help them to run over the defender or break the tackle. We teach our RBs to use this right upon contact or immediately after contact to help gain separation from the defender trying to tackle them.

The Boom helps to lift a defender's center of gravity so the RB can run through him or at least gain extra yards after contact. It is a very violent and explosive move by the RB; especially the Marion Barber clip vs. Alabama at the very end of the video. It happens so fast, that even though I slowed it way down, you can still barely see it. He attacks the defender with his shoulder initially, and then Booms him with his off-arm.

Senin, 14 November 2011

RB Stiff Arm Drill

The Stiff-Arm is a violent weapon that RBs of all sizes can use to attack defenders and gain a leverage advantage. It is similar to the Boom in the Boom Drill in that both techniques use the hand that is not carrying the football, but the Stiff-Arm is more of a long-distance weapon to keep a defender away from the body. The Stiff-Arm Drill in the video emphasizes an upward motion with the heel of the hand, but it can be a downward punch to a defender trying to hold on, as well, as LaDainian Tomlinson illustrates above. Hall-of-Fame RB Jim Brown describes it in this excellent article on the Stiff Arm: "If the person is not up on you, you can actually extend your arm fully and sometimes if he is coming low, you can put your hand, the stiff-arm, on top of his head."

LaDainian Tomlinson talks about how to utilize the Stiff-Arm in the same article: "Sometimes you can plant it in their face so they can't see where to grab you. And then sometimes you want to plant it in their chest, so his arms get shorter and he can't grab you." Jim Brown adds to "hit him in the face and make him blink and lose his particular balance."

In the video you will see Ricky Williams use it as a blow to the throat and Beanie Wells use it to get a defender off-balance so he could then run by him. Most of the cut-ups show the Stiff-Arm as a blow to the face as Tomlinson and Brown described. All in all, the Stiff-Arm is a brutally effective weapon for the RB, and it is made even more deadly when this drill is practiced periodically throughout the season. Check it out and try it.

Selasa, 08 November 2011

RB Spin Drill

One of the top RB drills that my players most like to practice and use is the Spin Drill. One man simulates a defender who over-pursues just a bit and then the RB spins inside him. Players are really able to tighten up their spin by doing this drill and are able to execute the Spin move with confidence in game situations. It is also important to emphasize that the RB secure the ball tightly to his body just in case a defender hits him in his "blind spot" as he spins in the opposite direction. Here it is:

Senin, 03 Oktober 2011

RB Tire Juke Drill

The Tire Juke Drill is one of my favorite RB drills in that teaches a valuable skill and is fun to do. The juke move requires a back to be able to plant and accelerate once and then again in the opposite direction to lose a defender or "break his ankles" as the younger generation like to say. This requires the core strength to keep the RB's body weight balanced and the core strength and explosive calf strength to accelerate on his first step. Like I said before, all great backs, big and small, have one thing in common: quick feet. Rudi Johnson was a big back but he moved his feet exceptionally well for his size as you will see on the video.

One coaching point is to make sure you have plenty of time and enough bodies to do the drill. It's more of an off-season drill for that reason, but I still like to use it on occasion during the season to break up the normal routine. If you have a fence or a wall on one side, you can get away with not having as many bodies. Also, make sure your players are rolling the tires fast enough or the drill won't be very effective.

50 Greatest Juke Moves in Football History

Senin, 26 September 2011

RB High Knees Drill

The High Knees Drill is a great way to teach backs to drive their knees up while running to help them break tackles. The best cut-up is at the end of the video of former 49er great, Roger Craig, as he demonstrates his high knee running style in ripping off one of the more memorable runs in NFL history. As with any RB drill, proper Ball Security must always be emphasized. If I may critique, the RBs in the drill cut-ups have below average technique, because they should always have their wrists above their elbows while running the ball.

Senin, 19 September 2011

RB Quickness and Agility Drills

There are many different types of running styles, but all great backs have one trait in common: quick feet. These quickness and agility drills should be a priority for the RB Coach. A key coaching point for any agility drill is for the athlete to have a low center of gravity. This allows the RB to be able to change direction quickly. Good core strength and explosive calf strength also allows a RB to stick his foot in the ground and make a cut and accelerate quickly (see the cut on the run beginning at the 4:19 mark).

Ball Security is priority number one for the RB Coach, and it is crucial to emphasize these fundamentals as the RBs do these drills. It is a common mistake for younger RBs to forget Ball Security when they are doing footwork drills, so coaches must stay on top of them to help them to improve their awareness of securing the football properly at all times.

There are some other moves being executed by the RBs in this video (jukes and spins), but having quick feet allows a RB to effectively execute all of these moves.

Also, this Barry Sanders guy is worth taking a look at too:

Selasa, 13 September 2011

RB Balance Touch Drill

I will be sharing some RB Drills in my upcoming posts from a dvd I made for my RBs a couple of years back. The actual drills were done by former Auburn RB Coach Eddie Gran. He's one of the best coaches I have ever met and has coached some good ones: Deuce McCallister, Rudi Johnson, Heath Evans, Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown, and Monterrio Hardesty. I added a few cut-ups on the video to go along with the Auburn cut-ups that he already had and put them in slow-motion so you can really see the skill being performed.

The Balance Touch Drill is a good drill to start Indy time with to help your guys get loose and for them to get reps performing a very useful and important skill for the position. If a RB is stumbling, he can put his hand down (balance touch) and keep on running instead of falling down. This may not seem like much, but it is often the difference between scoring and not scoring, as you will see for yourself on the video.

The key coaching point is for the RB to touch the ground first with the heel of his hand. If a RB is only touching the ground with his fingertips and he gets pushed, he will break his fingers.

The Running Back position is somewhat difficult to coach in my opinion. A kid can have the worst fundamentals in the world (holds the ball like a loaf of bread, awful stance, etc.) and still be a great back. These kids know that they are already good and may not be the most receptive to coaching. I have ran into this in the past. I think it is due to them not being sold on what it is you are telling them to do. Coaches today often have to be salesmen and show players why what they are doing is important.

In my most recent job as a RB Coach, I decided to make my guys a teaching video, and I stumbled onto something bigger than I had imagined. All of the sudden I became a 100 times better RB Coach than before, although I wasn't teaching my backs any differently than in the past. The video made all the difference in the world. The upcoming videos will not only show the drills, but also the game cut-ups of the drills being used in the game. When you show these videos to your RBs, they will be extremely motivated to learn these drills so they can put them to use in a game like the high school, college, and NFL players that they will see. This intrinsic motivation where the motivation comes from inside the player (instead of the coach yelling at him) is a powerful thing. Then once your players experience some success with the drill, they will become even more motivated and will bug you to practice these drills over and over again.

Selasa, 16 Agustus 2011

Ball Security

It's all Ball Security these days! Perhaps you need a refresher course!

I had originally posted these videos on Brophy's site but I am posting them again since Yahoo deleted the original videos. I believe Ball Security is one of the worst taught fundamentals in football and in my experience I have seen that Ball Security can win or lose 1-2 games a year. The most important thing is to not just stress it during pre-season—Ball Security must be drilled and emphasized year-round.

We had excellent Ball Security in 2010 although we didn't get any RB Indo time for the last 2/3 of the season (except for 5 minutes during pre-game with half of my guys). Then, we lost four fumbles in the 2nd Half of our last game. These were our official 2nd Half stats with a possible playoff birth on the line and the game tied 7-7 at the half: 14 snaps, 5 fumbles, 4 fumbles lost (1 returned for a TD), 2 Ints, 1 penalty, 1 punt. Yeah, the wheels kind of fell off at the end there.

I am destroying my credibility as a RB Coach in telling you those stats to make a point: Your resources, teaching ability, and knowledge of Ball Security (or of any fundamental) as a coach don't mean a thing unless your players actually get time to practice that skill throughout the year. Fundamental skills will erode unless they are emphasized during the entire season, but unfortunately Indo time gets the shaft when coaches try to install too much offense.

4th Qtr Fumble in the Super Bowl with your team down by 4 points! You better believe the Steelers will be emphasizing Ball Security at the end of this season. Video link here.

You can explain, scream, yell, beg, plead, and up-down kids to death, but if you want to teach them the correct way to protect the football, you must use video to do it. The first video explains and demonstrates the correct fundamentals of Ball Security and the second video reinforces these fundamentals by showing slow-motion video of fumbles and explaining exactly what the ball carrier did wrong.

Ball Security from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

Fundamentals of Ball Security:

1. Two Finger Claw
2. Wrist above Elbow
3. Ball Tight to Chest
4. Tuck Elbow In
5. Opposite Hand Over Football on Contact
6. Keep Pads Low

Fumbles - I from Barry Hoover on Vimeo.

Also, this Sports Science video with Rudi Johnson has MMA guys trying to knock out the football in an old-fashioned gauntlet drill. To see how they do actually knock the ball out, go to the 7:00 mark.

Good fundamentals and Ball Security to everyone this season.

Links

Chris at Smart Football talks here about Triangles in the passing game, Mike Leach, and the Dennis Erickson One-Back Spread.

Hemlock explains Noel Mazzone's offense and Slide protection here.

Dacoachmo with Sprint-Out - Part 2 and the Crack Screen.

Deuce breaks down the Flexbone Counter Iso here.

Dubber gives a lesson about Tiger Ellison's version of the Run and Shoot here.

Coach W talks about principles of coaching and leadership here and here.

5 Wide Offense with post on 4 Verts.

Brophy illustrates Slot Coverage Variations here.

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