No skill or technique is moreimportant to defensive players than the ability to use their hands. This goesfor all players on that side of the ball if they are to play their positionseffectively.
Whether a defensive lineman is usinghis hands to defeat a blocker, gain operating space and pursue the ball-carrier;a linebacker using his hands to ward off a blocker and make the tackle; or adefensive back playing off an offensive man to force the football, coachesshould build drills that teach these skills into their practice plans andreinforce them regularly.
In general, there are threebasic categories of techniques employed with the hands.
Gaining leverage
The first of these techniques isthe power, two-gap – or leverage – technique that is used most often bydefensive linemen and linebackers.
In this technique, the strengthof the blow comes from the quickness with which the blow is struck, theextension or locking of the arms and the involvement of the big muscles. It isessential that there be no hitching or winding up and that all hand and arm movementbe forward.
The blow is struck with thepalms and heels of the hands. Ideal hand placement is under the shoulder padsof the offensive player at approximately the outside tips of the player’snumbers.
Arm extension or locking out atthe elbows along with rolling hips finishes the power aspect of this technique.In order not to rise up and to maintain a power-position advantage over theblocker from start to finish, it is crucial that the defensive player’s shoulderlevel stay down.
This technique is best beaccomplished when the defender keeps his head and eyes up, focused with hisfacemask lower than that of the offensive player.
Beating low blocks
The second category of handtechniques is used against blockers who are trying to scramble or cut block. Tocombat these, at times, it may be necessary to give or lose a little ground inthe execution of these techniques.
The offensive player is tryingto get under a defensive player’s “block protection” when attempting a lowblock. In order to not let the blocker get to the legs, the defender has to beable to extend the arms and bend at the ankles, knees and hips.
As with the leverage technique,it is important that all hand and arm movement be forward and that there be nofalse movement. Exactly where the blow is struck on the offensive playerdepends on the elevation at which he is trying to block. This positioning willvary all the way from under the player’s pads if he is blocking relatively highto the tips of the shoulders if he is scramble blocking.
It is important that thedefensive player have good flexion at the ankles, knees and hips in order togain force behind the blow. The more he bends, the more power he will havebehind his blow.
It is a critical coaching pointto have players overemphasize the bending aspect – the lower the better. Ifthey do not bend when trying to defeat blockers who are blocking low, theblockers will break through the hands and get to the defender’s legs.
Slip, slide and drop step
The third technique is theslip, slide or drop step. These techniques involve the defensive player usinghis hands to avoid or finesse blockers. They involve the defenders using theirhands to simulate striking a blow, then slipping or avoiding the blocker tomake the tackle.
Basically, a slip techniqueinvolves the defensive player avoiding a blocker by driving his hands at theoffensive players, such as when he does a power move, and then either givingground to get by the blocker or using his movements to pull the blocker by andsliding underneath him to make the tackle.
The defender employs the dropstep against a drive blocker by driving his hands at the offensive man, andthen just before contact is made, dropping a hand, pulling a leg back, andusing the momentum of the blocker to avoid contact to get to the ball-carrier.
Conclusion
Football rules allow the use ofthe hands to ward off, avoid or defeat blockers. This capability is anadvantage the defense has over the offense. In my opinion, the ability of thedefensive coaches to teach this technique is a determining factor, to a largepart, how well a defensive team plays.
Buildtime into your practice schedule to teach these skills, which are just asimportant to a player’s skill set as tackling or tracking the ball. Being ableto use his hands allows a defender to get to the play and make more of them.
Leonard Frank “Fritz” Shurmur served as the head football coach atthe University of Wyoming from 1971-74 and was an assistant coach inthe NFL with the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, LosAngeles Rams, Phoenix Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. Sherman wasthe defensive coordinator for the Packers team thatwon Super Bowl XXXI.
