NUMBERING THE DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENTS

Figure 102a

In making our blocking rules or assignments for all of the players versus all different defensive alignments, there are several factors to take into consideration. The rules must be simple, and secondly, they must be brief. We have used several different kinds of rules, such as, “Inside gap, over, linebacker,” and others. This was a good method, but it amounted to quite a bit of memory work for the players because the majority of the blocks were all different and the players were required to learn a number of different sequences. Trying to adhere to the theory, “the simpler, the better,” we started numbering the defensive men as illustrated in [Figure 102a] versus the 5-4 defensive alignment; [102b] versus the wide tackle 6; [102c] versus the gap 8 defense; and [Figure 102d] versus the Eagle defense.

Figure 102b

Figure 102c

Figure 102d

We start counting with the man over the center and number him zero, and from there go both left and right numbering every man within two yards of the line of scrimmage, as illustrated in [Figures 102a-b-c-d]. We also number the men in the secondary. We do this by merely continuing with our numbering beyond the end lineman in the direction the ball is going to go, as illustrated in [Figure 103a] versus the Oklahoma 5-4 defense, and [Figure 103b] versus the wide tackle 6-2 defensive alignment.

Figure 103a

Figure 103b

Application of Our Blocking Rules

By numbering the defensive men it is simple when making out the blocking rules to assign each man a number, and the offensive man merely learns which numbered man he will block. There will be certain plays in which a particular position must have one or two options. As an example, a rule might read, “#3 unless outside, then, #2.”

The following are examples of blocking rules by numbers:

Regular Block—straight ahead
On-E#3
On-T#2
On-G#1
C#0, off-side
Off-G#1
Off-T#5
Off-E#6
Trap Block—
On-E#3
On-TL.B.
On-GSlam man #1 or #2, N/T #0
COff-side
Off-GTrap
Off-T1st outside guard
Off-E#6
Counter Block—
On-E#6
On-T#2
On-G#1
C#1, N/T #0, N/T off-side
Off-G#1
Off-T#2
Off-E#3

By using this particular method it is also very easy to incorporate the backs into the blocking scheme. When using the back to the side the ball is going, in order to have a backfield man block a particular defensive player, we merely add two zeroes to the number which has been assigned to the defender, and the back gets this man. As an illustration, if we want our halfback to block the #3 defensive man, the halfback’s block is 300; and the #4 man, the block would be called 400. Several complete illustrations would be as follows:

300 Block—
Off-E#6
Off-T#5
Off-G#1
C#0, N/T off-side
On-G#1
On-T#2
On-Eslam #3, then #5
H.B.#3
400 Block—
Off-E#6
Off-T#5
Off-G#1
C#0, N/T off-side
On-G#1
On-T#2
On-E#3
H.B.#4
Under Block—
Off-E#6
Off-T#5
Off-G#1
C#0, N/T off-side
On-G#1
On-T#2
On-E#3
H.B.#4
Over Block—
Off-E#6
Off-T#5
Off-G#1
C#0, N/T off-side
On-G1st man on line of scrimmage
On-T2nd man on line of scrimmage
On-E3rd man on line of scrimmage
H.B.1st inside linebacker