One player gets in the middle of a circle about five yards in diameter in a good football position. On a signal from the coach the middle man starts moving his feet, body crouched, pivoting slowly. The coach will call out a boy’s name who is on the outside of the circle, who will rush in facing the defender and deliver a shoulder blow. The defender should step with the foot closest to the rusher and deliver a forearm shiver or shoulder blow to the man. He should play only two or three men, and then get out of the circle, permitting another of the men to move to the middle. [Figure 136] illustrates our circle drill.
Figure 136
Leverage Drill (8-12 men):
[Figure 137] illustrates our Leverage Drill and we have two groups going at the same time in opposite directions. Four blockers are lined up one behind the other, with the defensive man lined up on the outside shoulder of the blocker facing him. On a command by the coach, the defender must play the first blocker with a shiver and the other blockers one at a time with the forearms, shoulders and hands as he retreats and reacts, not permitting himself to be hooked from the outside and blocked in.
Figure 137
Explode Drill (9 men):
The offensive men will line up with their inside knee on the ground, and the defensive man in the gap between the two offensive men, as illustrated in [Figure 138]. The defensive player will explode and uncoil on his count with his tail down, head up, and feet moving after bringing them up under him after his initial contact. The coach will give him a hand signal, and the defensive man must spin out properly, ending up in a good football position. It is important for the defensive man to get under the offensive men on his initial charge. We also let the blockers go full speed and teach the defensive man to react from a two-on-one block.