Block in BIG 10 Championship

[Robert Goodman]

Originally Posted by zm1283

That is not how blockers are taught to block, and "leading with his hands" probably means the defender runs right by the blocker and he doesn't make the block.

Actually I teach it both ways. The drill I wrote about upthread with 12Us was to simulate OL releasing at the line, aiming for a safety in the middle while not allowing a defender (simulating OLB) to cross his face from outside in. Their paths crossed at about a right angle as 0 to 2 defenders were sent at a target simulating the runner on a middle dive play.

I instructed the blocker that if it looked like the opponent was going to go behind them, to slow down and collision him with the shoulder much like the play pictured here. I wanted them to go lower than that, but told them they couldn't go lower than the opponent's waist (Fed rules) and so would tend to err on the high side of that, but I realized that the higher they went, the more they would need to brace with the far foot, and much of the time if they went high they would be knocked over -- which was fine if the opponent was at least knocked off his path if not down.

I also instructed blockers that if it looked like the opponent was going to beat them to the intersection, they should try to use their hands on the opponent's side, like in the armpit, just to shove the defender off line.

In the case shown here, it's likely either technique would've been just as violent. Once players get up to that speed and collide, they're going to go down out of control.