Thread: Zone or man blocking ?

"Del" wrote:

"cogitans" wrote:

"Del" wrote:

Almost every team in the NFL utilizes some form of zone blocking sometimes. From watching last year I would wager we did far less zone blocking then most people think. The majority of our blocking remains man.

Then the question would be in what situation we use this zoneblocking technique. I know that the OC and the OL coach, as well as some of the OL men, are talking about; 'getting what we are trying to do here'.

Is it in designing special run plays fx.?

There must be something in our OL play that has changed from the previous staff to Childress/Bevell/Pat Morris' regime, as judged by listening to them talk about playing the scheme.

I am sure things have changed. Even when you keep the same staff members schemes can change. Blocking is fairly complex. It would be nice if a scheme would just be as simple as hey block someone.

I am not sure about the NFL but for example one of our plays: Red 21 Power Right Motion
So if I am one of those fat guys in the huddle I am listening to about 3-4 things. First the play is going right.....and I am either the right lineman or the left depending on where I am lined up so first and foremost I have to determine if I am weak side or strong side, easy enough.

Next the second digit in the number is the blocking assignment. In this case it is a one block. So I have no figured out I am doing a weakside one block. Good.

Then there is the Power, All I need to know is the letter P, for Power. P is my saftey read, my LB shift read and my CB read. So I have a weakside P.

Now my fat jiggly butt is running up to the line.......Our cadence goes red white blue green.......he called a red....which means the ball will be snapped as soon as we are set. So I am looking at the defense as I jog to the line. Weakside one block Over inside backer outside release.......... so I look to see if someone is over me (in front of me) there is.......but he shifts as soon as I set my hand down.......now I need to look inside...is there a backer inside....there is he is my man....

What about my weakside P? Ah there is a saftey creeping inside the box my assignment has changed I am now pulling to reach the backer........

I mean it is complicated to the max. So it is easy to see why we false start in a new system you got guys thinking so hard to figure out who needs to get blocked, sometimes they forget the cadence, some times they lose focus......Also it becomes apparent actually how big of a deal it really is to have a guy who plays both guard and tackle......very big deal. Not easy to do.

So when the coaching staff says something like "'getting what we are trying to do here" I personally take that as learning they plays, regardless of zone or man. That is just me though.

That my friend is an excellent post.
;D

"Del" wrote:

"cogitans" wrote:

"Del" wrote:

Almost every team in the NFL utilizes some form of zone blocking sometimes. From watching last year I would wager we did far less zone blocking then most people think. The majority of our blocking remains man.

Then the question would be in what situation we use this zoneblocking technique. I know that the OC and the OL coach, as well as some of the OL men, are talking about; 'getting what we are trying to do here'.

Is it in designing special run plays fx.?

There must be something in our OL play that has changed from the previous staff to Childress/Bevell/Pat Morris' regime, as judged by listening to them talk about playing the scheme.

I am sure things have changed. Even when you keep the same staff members schemes can change. Blocking is fairly complex. It would be nice if a scheme would just be as simple as hey block someone.

I am not sure about the NFL but for example one of our plays: Red 21 Power Right Motion
So if I am one of those fat guys in the huddle I am listening to about 3-4 things. First the play is going right.....and I am either the right lineman or the left depending on where I am lined up so first and foremost I have to determine if I am weak side or strong side, easy enough.

Next the second digit in the number is the blocking assignment. In this case it is a one block. So I have no figured out I am doing a weakside one block. Good.

Then there is the Power, All I need to know is the letter P, for Power. P is my saftey read, my LB shift read and my CB read. So I have a weakside P.

Now my fat ass is running up to the line.......Our cadence goes red white blue green.......he called a red....which means the ball will be snapped as soon as we are set. So I am looking at the defense as I jog to the line. Weakside one block Over inside backer outside release.......... so I look to see if someone is over me (in front of me) there is.......but he shifts as soon as I set my hand down.......now I need to look inside...is there a backer inside....there is he is my man....

What about my weakside P? Ah there is a saftey creeping inside the box my assignment has changed I am now pulling to reach the backer........

I mean it is complicated to the max. So it is easy to see why we false start in a new system you got guys thinking so hard to figure out who needs to get blocked, sometimes they forget the cadence, some times they lose focus......Also it becomes apparent actually how big of a deal it really is to have a guy who plays both guard and tackle......very big deal. Not easy to do.

So when the coaching staff says something like "'getting what we are trying to do here" I personally take that as learning they plays, regardless of zone or man. That is just me though.

Nice little insight there, for a guy like me that has never played the game.

But the bottom line is, that what you hear when a vet Birk are talking about getting it better the second year. It's not that they got a new kind of blocking, more that they just threw in a bunch of new plays, that the line as a whole needs to get in sync to across the playbook

Zone or man blocking?

Both. There are times when both types of defenses should be utilized.

Nice little insight there, for a guy like me that has never played the game.

But the bottom line is, that what you hear when a vet Birk are talking about getting it better the second year. It's not that they got a new kind of blocking, more that they just threw in a bunch of new plays, that the line as a whole needs to get in sync to across the playbook


Exactly

"Del" wrote:

Nice little insight there, for a guy like me that has never played the game.

But the bottom line is, that what you hear when a vet Birk are talking about getting it better the second year. It's not that they got a new kind of blocking, more that they just threw in a bunch of new plays, that the line as a whole needs to get in sync to across the playbook


Exactly

Yay.

I win. Or did you? Was winning ever an issue here?

What I got out of it other than this, were that it's a complex mixture of a lot of blocking. Yihaa, that's always the correct answer, I learned that much in college. I never really got in what types of situations or plays they would use the zone technique, or was it just that they use it occasionally to mix things up?

"Del" wrote:

"cogitans" wrote:

"Del" wrote:

Almost every team in the NFL utilizes some form of zone blocking sometimes. From watching last year I would wager we did far less zone blocking then most people think. The majority of our blocking remains man.

Then the question would be in what situation we use this zoneblocking technique. I know that the OC and the OL coach, as well as some of the OL men, are talking about; 'getting what we are trying to do here'.

Is it in designing special run plays fx.?

There must be something in our OL play that has changed from the previous staff to Childress/Bevell/Pat Morris' regime, as judged by listening to them talk about playing the scheme.

I am sure things have changed. Even when you keep the same staff members schemes can change. Blocking is fairly complex. It would be nice if a scheme would just be as simple as hey block someone.

I am not sure about the NFL but for example one of our plays: Red 21 Power Right Motion
So if I am one of those fat guys in the huddle I am listening to about 3-4 things. First the play is going right.....and I am either the right lineman or the left depending on where I am lined up so first and foremost I have to determine if I am weak side or strong side, easy enough.

Next the second digit in the number is the blocking assignment. In this case it is a one block. So I have no figured out I am doing a weakside one block. Good.

Then there is the Power, All I need to know is the letter P, for Power. P is my saftey read, my LB shift read and my CB read. So I have a weakside P.

Now my fat jiggly butt is running up to the line.......Our cadence goes red white blue green.......he called a red....which means the ball will be snapped as soon as we are set. So I am looking at the defense as I jog to the line. Weakside one block Over inside backer outside release.......... so I look to see if someone is over me (in front of me) there is.......but he shifts as soon as I set my hand down.......now I need to look inside...is there a backer inside....there is he is my man....

What about my weakside P? Ah there is a saftey creeping inside the box my assignment has changed I am now pulling to reach the backer........

I mean it is complicated to the max. So it is easy to see why we false start in a new system you got guys thinking so hard to figure out who needs to get blocked, sometimes they forget the cadence, some times they lose focus......Also it becomes apparent actually how big of a deal it really is to have a guy who plays both guard and tackle......very big deal. Not easy to do.

So when the coaching staff says something like "'getting what we are trying to do here" I personally take that as learning they plays, regardless of zone or man. That is just me though.

Holy pooh Del.
I knew line work could get complex, but had no idea that so much thought went into it.
I think I'll stick to something easier, like software engineering... ;D

Blocking is one of the most complex things in the game imo, the actual process of figuring out who to block anyways, the physical aspect of it may take less talent then other positions. RB's as well, and TE's have a rough list of things to remember. No head set no wrist band with plays on it.

You have to learn your blocks for weakside and strongside because they will always be different, sometimes your block will change from weak to strong on an audible and you have to quickly decide who you are responsible for blocking.

Very hard positions to play.

"Del" wrote:

Blocking is one of the most complex things in the game imo, the actual process of figuring out who to block anyways, the physical aspect of it may take less talent then other positions. RB's as well, and TE's have a rough list of things to remember. No head set no wrist band with plays on it.

You have to learn your blocks for weakside and strongside because they will always be different, sometimes your block will change from weak to strong on an audible and you have to quickly decide who you are responsible for blocking.

Very hard positions to play.

I used your name again in another thread related to this subject.

I hope everyone understands how valuable your insights are into the complexity of this game.

As I told you before, I would have killed (well almost) to get to the next level.
I was to small, to slow and not very talented.
;D

IMHO It is not only a great game to watch, but it is the greatest game that anyone could play.
(With the exception of Quarter in the cup of course
;D)

Thanks for your insight my friend.

"Marrdro" wrote:

"Del" wrote:

Blocking is one of the most complex things in the game imo, the actual process of figuring out who to block anyways, the physical aspect of it may take less talent then other positions. RB's as well, and TE's have a rough list of things to remember. No head set no wrist band with plays on it.

You have to learn your blocks for weakside and strongside because they will always be different, sometimes your block will change from weak to strong on an audible and you have to quickly decide who you are responsible for blocking.

Very hard positions to play.

I used your name again in another thread related to this subject.

I hope everyone understands how valuable your insights are into the complexity of this game.

As I told you before, I would have killed (well almost) to get to the next level.
I was to small, to slow and not very talented.
;D

IMHO It is not only a great game to watch, but it is the greatest game that anyone could play. (With the exception of Quarter in the cup of course
;D)

Thanks for your insight my friend.

My wife and I have one that is better ;D

"UffDaVikes" wrote:

"Marrdro" wrote:

"Del" wrote:

Blocking is one of the most complex things in the game imo, the actual process of figuring out who to block anyways, the physical aspect of it may take less talent then other positions. RB's as well, and TE's have a rough list of things to remember. No head set no wrist band with plays on it.

You have to learn your blocks for weakside and strongside because they will always be different, sometimes your block will change from weak to strong on an audible and you have to quickly decide who you are responsible for blocking.

Very hard positions to play.

I used your name again in another thread related to this subject.

I hope everyone understands how valuable your insights are into the complexity of this game.

As I told you before, I would have killed (well almost) to get to the next level.
I was to small, to slow and not very talented.

;D

IMHO It is not only a great game to watch, but it is the greatest game that anyone could play. (With the exception of Quarter in the cup of course
;D)

Thanks for your insight my friend.

My wife and I have one that is better ;D

uffa we dont wanna hear about your wheel barrow races for god sakes.


and del it is some good stuff, especially for the people who just dismiss these guys as big fat pigs.
that said, i'm still gonna be dogging em when they get smoked or jump early.