1. SUMO! (April 2006)

2. Splatter (April 2006)

1. SUMO!

Object: Competitive drill for teaching/reinforcing all aspects of drive blocking.

Procedure: Take a clothesline approximately 31 feet six inches in length and lay it on the field to make a circle ten feet across. Align two players of approximately equal weight within the circle and facing one another in three point stances.

On a coach’s cadence, both players fire out and attempt to drive block one another from the circle. Play does not end until one player has been driven either to the ground, or out of the circle.

Sumo is an excellent drill for discovering offensive linemen. Set up three to five sumo circles and divide the team into as many brackets as you have circles and coaches to monitor. Each bracket competes until a final sumo challenger has successfully defeated all other members of their bracket. Then each bracket sends their challenger to the championship bracket. The winner of that bracket should receive some form of reward, such as no conditioning, or being allowed to carry the football in the next game.

Coaching Points: Players should keep a low, wide base and engage their opponent with their feet moving and their heads up. Pure strength is not the only indicator of probable success; technique is vastly preferable.

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2. Splatter

Object: Teach/Reinforce delivering a blow and finishing blocks after initial contact.

Procedure: Similar to Tackling Drill B, place a set of mats or pads down to create a landing surface. In front of this surface station one player with a bag.

A second player charges the first from approximately six yards and delivers an upward-striking blow with the forearms. The object is to pancake the defender onto the mats.

Coaching Points: Finishing blocks is a key component of offensive success.

1) Blockers must strive to make and maintain contact with the defender at numbers height.

2) Blockers must use an “icepicks to the chest” arm position during the block to minimize holds and prevent defensive separation.

3) Blockers must run through the defender, driving him to the mats

Variation 1: Defensive players are allowed to spin or use other defensive techniques to avoid the block. They may also charge the blocker and deliver a blow of their own with the shield.

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