The Vertical Concept

The vertical concept is one of the most versatile and effective patterns in the passing system. Like the drag concept it is a two man game concept, it is also installed day one because the techniques are used in other passing concepts. "This concept puts extreme pressure on the deep areas and allows attack on any defense with with a high degree of confidence in a completion." (Gonzalez 74). Although some of these concepts might seem advanced for high school players, as long as they practice the concept will not be to hard to grasp. Below is a diagram of the vertical concept structure.

 Now that you know what the vertical concept is do you think you would ever use this play? If no then what would be your reason?

The Drag Concept

In this offensive formation it represents one of the most versatile means of attacking a pass defense versus multiple techniques and coverage. The person running the drag has the freedom to adjust to different types of coverage like man-to-man, zone, etc. This strategy combines a quick-rythem pass to one of the teams best players with the ability to adjust to different situations. "Two primary tags exist: drive which is used in 3-1 formations, and cross, which is matted with 2-2 formations" (Gonzalez). To create the same picture for the quarterback these two tags create the spacing of receivers across all formation categories. Below is a diagram of the basic route mechanics for the drag concept.

This offensive formation provides the team with a lot of versatility and is a reliable formation, Now that you know what this formation is, have you ever seen a football team use this offensive formation?

Football Equipment

Football is a dangerous sport and  could not be played without the equipment. Things such as a helmet, shoulder pads and  mouth guard are required.

The head is the most important part of the body that is why helmets are required. They prevent constant head trauma and also prevents debris going to their face. " Head injuries, such as concussions, can be especially dangerous, so much thought has gone into designing the best protective helmets" (Wright  35).  On the helmet includes a mouth guard  which protects the jaw and teeth form injury.  The helmet is probably the most crucial piece of equipment in tackle football as it assures the safety of players heads.

Shoulder pads protect the upper body from collisions that are made with the shoulders. This piece of equipment is made from a plastic shell and a underlined foam, and cloth padding. "Shoulder pads , which are worn beneath the jersey and give players a broad-shouldered and powerful look, are vital because many tackles and other hits are made with the shoulders" (Wright  35). Theses work by absorbing and distributing the force making hits not as hard for the player.

 Football equipment Is a big part of the game which makes it so unique. In order for players to continue to play is to stay healthy and that is with the use of protective equipment. How is Protective equipment utilized in other sports? 

Wright, John D. Football. Mason Crest Publishers, 2005.

Protection schemes

It is important to understand that the creativity of any passing scheme is only as good as the protection unit can provide. Having a true protection first mentality is much more important than the protecting the passer mentality. Pass protection take precedence over pass patterns, as evidenced by the following teaching principles:

• Quarterbacks are taught the protection system before the passing system
• The cadence used at the line of scrimmage has the primary feature of being able to adjust protections or amend sight adjustments before the snap.
• Only one protection concept exists in the dropback passing game

(Gonzalez 46) 

There are many different types of pocket pass protection. Some examples of these could be 60/70 protection, 80 protection, 50 and 90 protection, etc. To get the basic idea of protections I will explain what some of these protections are and provide a diagram. The 60/70 protection is a six-man scheme that, in its most basic form, handles three rushers to either side of the ball. The 60 represents the front side of the protection to be the right while the 70 denotes the left side as the callside.

The 80 protection is a five-man scheme that uses the sane technique for the offensive line, while releasing five receivers. The line to the quarterback's backside is directed and the quarterback is now responsible to for handling any blitzers on the frontside.

To conclude protection schemes, it is more important that your pass protection is good rather than your passing game. This could lead to a teams downfall and you should always have a good pass protection. Do you ever pay attention to the pass protection? If you don't then next time you watch a football game observe the pass protection too.

Underlying principles for the use of multiple formations

"One of the key elements in this pass offense is its adaptability to multiple formations and personal groupings" (Gonzalez 20). Most college and high school football teams tend to have four wide receivers on almost every play and the use of multiple groupings can help an offense create a more advantageous match ups. From personal experience I have seen this too as I have watched college football and sometimes high school football. In the diagram below it shows space created for the Z receiver in a pass defense.

Multiple formations can also allow a team to take advantage of their best players. Certain formations can make a the front and run support predictable which makes the pass support more predictable. In this other diagram below it shows the wing set forces the defense to commit the strong safety to a force position, this also results in a soft corner technique.

To conclude the use of multiple formations helps substantially and to some degree standardize the defensive structures being faced. "At the high school and small college levels, many teams would prefer to leave their starting unit in the game, as opposed to the substitution defenses seen in larger college and professional ranks" (Gonzalez 21). From this it shows that high school and small college football teams don't use many different formations and keep their starting units in. Have you ever watched high school or small college football teams and then professional football? If yes then could you tell the difference in the formations?

Football Warm-ups and Conditioning

Football involves many vigorous movements such as blocking, tackling, running, etc. It requires much flexibility, strength, and mobility. In order to perform these tasks at the best of your ability without injury one must prepare themselves by stretching and warming up."A warm-up decreases the risk of injury because it stretches the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues; raises the temperature of the muscles and makes them more supple; and increases the heart and respiratory rates, providing more oxygen to your system."(Wright 27) Using the book Football: Sports Injuries: How to Prevent, Diagnose and Treat  I learned some tips and guide lines to warming up.

The first flexibility stretch i decided to do was for shoulders, chest, and arms. "Stretch the arms upward and backward."(Wright 30) This stretch improved my flexibility and range of movement in my arms and shoulder. while throwing the football over a 30 minute period i felt little to no fatigue and could throw better compared to not stretching my arms as said in my book "A warm-up will make the body more flexible and increase its ability to respond more quickly. Another benefit it that it will give you stamina over a longer period."(Wright 27)

The next stretch i did was the toe touch which works the lower back and thighs. When stretching and warming up movements become easier. My legs became more mobile and i felt more agile while running. This was because stretching increases your body's flexibility and makes muscles less tight which is important in many sports including football."Pregame stretching makes the muscle tissues less tight and even a bit longer. cold muscles resist stretching."(Wright 30) 

Warming up and stretching is a major key in all sports but especially in football which requires many complex and vigorous movements. Do you you think that stretching and warming up is that important in other sports too?

Wright, John D. Football. Mason Crest Publishers, 2005.

Football passing: Basics of being a quarterback

Football can be a very complicated sport with all the rules and fundamentals. Although one of the most basic things in football is passing, or that's what everyone thinks. The passing game in football is much more complicated as it seems, as shown in this book Teaching the Modern Passing Game. This book is written by Dan Gonzalez and he shows us the basics to the passing game. He first describes concept based passing and shows us what a quarterback should do. The way Gonzalez defines this as is "The specific coordination of the quarterbacks feet and eyes in regard to certain spots on the field" (Gonzalez 10) This is just a basic understanding of this concept, after he describes this concept he shows us a diagram.

I sat in my room with a ball just visualizing this. I would hold the football in my hand and get a better feel for it.

He also includes two more diagrams for us to look at and observe.

In these diagrams Gonzalez stated that each concept have the following characteristics

• A feature of consistent rhythm
• An advantage player or conbination
• A pressure outlet in the quarterbacks face
• The ability to adjust to multiple formations

(Gonzalez 11)

These are just the basics to being a quarter back and where you should be looking when you throw the ball. Have you ever been a quarterback for a football team and used this concept based passing? If not then are you ever going to start try or use this method of passing?

Football Winning Defense: Fight Through Pressure

FIGHTING THORUGH PRESSURE

Fighting through pressure is an important key for the defense, there are two aspects of fighting through pressure. As the athlete recognizes which way the offense is trying to block, the athlete must fight that pressure. If the athlete goes around the pressure, then he won't be able to make a play, because ballcarrier will most likely be ahead. I know because of page 45 it says, "If he goes around the pressure, he will be taking himself out of the play, since he will now be behind the ball." (Wilkinson 45). The second part of fighting through pressure is to use hands or forearms to ward off blockers. Next football season, I will fight through pressure and to not give the opponent's offense to score by going around the pressure.




                  Right                                                                                                        Wrong












In your opinion are using hands to ward off blockers better or forearms? Did you learn anyting new after reading this blog



Wilkinson, Bud. Sports Illustrated Football: Winning Defense. New York: Sports Illustrated, 1987. Print.

Football Winning Defense: Keys of Linebackers

KEYS OF LINEBACKERS

Usually, the athlete playing linebacker will key an offensive lineman that is not covered by a defensive lineman. The movement of the offensive lineman determines what the linebacker does.

When the offensive lineman charges at him, the linebacker should move forward to attack, using arms or forearms to ward off the block.

When the lineman double-teams another athlete, the linebacker should move forward to penetrate.

When the lineman moves left or right the linebacker should move with him.

When the lineman takes a drop step then the linebacker must drop back to his assigned pass-defense zone, while still prepaid for a run.

The linebacker should always know where the ball is, and pursue when the opportunity comes. I know that because of page 58 it says, "In each instance, after starting his reaction charge, which is dictated by the movement of the uncovered offensive lineman, the linebacker must find the ball, move to it, and make the tackle." (Wilkinson 58). Next football season I will make sure I make the right read, and be where I'm supposed to be to make the play.

How worried should the linebacker be when the offensive lineman drops back? Did you learn anything new after reading this blog?

Wilkinson, Bud. Sports Illustrated Football: Winning Defense. New York: Sports Illustrated, 1987. Print.

Football Winning Defense: Defensive Stances

Defensive Linemen Stances

Defensive stances have an important impact on the game, the stance the athlete uses matters on his play style. There are two main stances for defensive linemen, three-point stance (One hand down), and the four-point stance (Two hands down). Both stances are identical expect the hand position, the feet should be about the width of the shoulders, bent knees, and coiled legs. The hips should be slightly lower than the shoulders, and the athlete should be stretched forward with a reasonable amount of weight resting on the hand or hands. The hand or hands should be open, with the weight spread evenly on the fingertips. The three-point stance's advantage is that the athlete gets more leverage. The four-point stance's advantage is that the athlete has more of an explosive stance. "Interior linemen must have quickness, strength, and size." (Wilkinson 41). Next football season I will make sure I am in the right stance for my position.

         Three-point stance                                                                             Four-point stance

Which stance would be more fitting for a DE? Which stance would be more fitting for a NG?



Wilkinson, Bud. Sports Illustrated Football: Winning Defense. New York: Sports Illustrated, 1987. Print.

Football Winning Defense: Recovering a Fumble

RECOVERING A FUMBLE

Turnovers are a major aspect of football, one way to get turnovers is to recover fumbles. There is a technique for recovering fumbles, if not done right the ball could go back to the opponent's offense. The proper way to recover a fumble is to fall on the ball and encircle it with his body and arms. At that point, there are two options the athlete has and which options the athlete makes matters on the situation. If there are many opponents near the athlete, the athlete should stay on the ground while others try to take the ball away. If there are no opponents near the athlete, the athlete should get up with the ball and try to gain as many yards as possible. "When a fumble occurs the nearby player should fall on the ball, encircling it with his body and arms." (Wilkinson 38). Next football season I will make sure I will recover all fumble with the right technique, and not give the opponent's offense the ball.

Wrong Way

Right Way

Did you know about the technique? Did you learn anything new after reading this blog.

Wilkinson, Bud. Sports Illustrated Football: Winning Defense. New York: Sports Illustrated, 1987. Print.

Football Winning Defense: Proper Angle Of Pursuit

PROPER ANGLE OF PURSUIT

The most important part of defense is tackling, the defender has to be in position to make the tackle. That's why "angle of pursuit" is crucial, if the defender doesn't take the right angle the defender will not be able to make the tackle. Angle of pursuit is running at a angle where you meet the ballcarrier as quick as possible. The angle you take varies one how fast the defender is, and how fast the ballcarrier is."It is of paramount importance that no defenders get behind the ballcarrier by penetrating and end up having to chase the play." (Wilkinson 32). Next football season I will make sure I take the right angle to make the tackle as quick as possible, and not having to chase the play.

Do you think tackling is the most important part of defense? If not what is the most important?

Wilkinson, Bud. Sports Illustrated Football: Winning Defense. New York: Sports Illustrated, 1987. Print.