Teach blocking youth football offensive line blocking fundamentals to your youth football team might be the most underrated important aspect of youth football coaching. Too many coaches blow off the offensive line and tell the young players just block that guy in front of you. That may work if you have a stud running back and he needs zero to little blocking. For the team that has little running back talent, great blocking can get you a winning season and into the playoffs.
Many youth coaches still coach the old chicken wing forearm blocking technique. Well, those coaches are still lost in time and probably a few losing seasons too. Blocking has become very “hands-on.” Using leverage like an MMA fighter and angles is key in the new age of blocking. A Championship season is built on the sound fundamental blocking skills of an offensive line. You can make teach blocking youth football offensive line an important aspect of your youth football team.
There are several blocks and many blocking rules and or calls you can use. The key is to keep it as simple as you can but still be the best blocking team in your league. Only add blocks and or calls to your base calls if you need them. Keep it simple, but also expect your line
Teach Blocking Youth Football – Basic Blocks
- Drive Block
- Angle Block
- Reach Block
- Pass Block
- Double Team Block
- Trap Blocks
- Log Blocks
Our blocking technique is about engaging the defender with hands in the chest area and creating leverage by targeting one side of the defender to drive them right or left. Blocking is also about different blocking angles to catch the defense off guard. Blocking is not about just blocking the guy in front of you. Blocking is about expecting your offensive linemen to be just as skilled and intelligent as your running backs. It also means as a coach you don’t get to blow off the linemen for half the practice time.
Most top Head Coaches will coach the offensive linemen. By the HC coaching the lineman it sends a clear message to the team that blocking is VERY important to teach blocking to youth football players on your team.
There are many blocking calls used today in youth football. I use about 10 blocking rule calls to create the best angles for our offensive linemen. Each of our plays may have 3 to 4 different ways to block the play based on the defensive formation.
Blocking Calls / Rules
- GOD – Gap on Down
- GOLD – Gap on LB Down
- GOO – Gap on Outside (pass)
- BB Split – Butt to Butt Split
- Wedge
- Angle Block Right
- Angle Block Left
- Jaw – Down Blocks Inverted Wedge
- Zone Right
- Zone Left
- G-Pull R/L – Guard Pulls
- Big R/L – Power Overloaded OL
We usually implement right & left angle blocks, GOO, and Jaw for younger teams. Sometimes we may throw in a wedge block. As the players get older we start adding other blocking calls. Zone blocking and pulling we save for older players. Here’s a blocking rule / call article from CoachParker.org. I personally to to teach blocking youth football players on my teams. I look forward to working with the big boys. I really learn the heart of the team coaching the offensive linemen.
I am a huge proponent of overloading one side of your offensive line vs an even balanced O-line. Many times defenses will not shift to the overloaded side and the extra blocker gives you a man advantage at the point of attack. An overloaded O-line is also much easier for younger players to block than pulling a linemen.
Don’t be like other youth football coaches and leave your offensive line coaching to a rookie assistant that has no experience coaching the offensive line. Find a passionate dad that played o-line in youth football or High School football that is interested in learning your offense and how you coach the offensive line. Or take on the offensive line blocking duties yourself. Blocking will catapult you into a winning season. Never forget to teach blocking youth football, schemes, calls techniques etc to your players.
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