The blocker should keep as close to his opponent as possible. The less ground he gives, the quicker he can get into his opponent and put him out of the play. The next thing is to watch the man in front of him. He should look him in his eyes, if he can do so without weakening his own position. The principle is like that involved in sparring. The blocker should try to get the start of his opponent. Jump into him first. Every move he makes, pile into him. Go into him hard enough to put him out of the play. The blocker should get under his man. Do not reach too far with the body. Keep your feet under you, so that you can change your position quickly enough to follow your man. The ideal position is to get the body across your opponent's path in the same line where he is directing his attempt to get through. A rough idea of good blocking is given in Fig. 5.
Making Holes.—Closely connected with the blocking is making holes. Forwards should remember that the backs cannot gain ground except around the line or through the line. Hence the importance of making holes. The player should take his position the same as in blocking. The rusher should allow his opponent to make the holes himself, if possible, by foxing him away from where the hole is called for, then blocking him in or out, as the necessity requires. The forward should manœuvre for the advantageous position, which is on the side of the man where the hole is called for, but not giving it away. Then he should get lower than the man in front of him, unless his opponent gets his nose on a line with his knees. If he can get lower than his man, he should lift him up and shove him back, and out or in. If he cannot get under him, he should try to pull him forward on his face, so that the backs can hurdle him. In order to make his power effective, he should start before the man in front of him. Listen for the signal for the starting of the ball, if there is such a signal. Go into your man hard and strong. Get your body, head and shoulders, into the side through which the hole is called for, and shove your opponent in the opposite direction. If you cannot shove your opponent out, shove him in.
Breaking Through.—As good blocking is indispensable for the offence, so breaking through is the prime requisite of the defence. The rushers on the defence should go through hard and fast every time, and tackle the runner behind his own line. The position of the feet and the form of the body are much the same as that in blocking. The forward should remember, however, that the conditions are now reversed. He should keep at arm's distance from his opponent who is trying to block him, but that distance should be in the opponent's territory and not in his own. He should watch the ball, and break through with it, and not after it. The rusher should go through with his arm extended, so as not to be bowled over by the interferers.
The first thing the forward should do in trying to get through, when he faces his man, is to size him up. He should take advantage of his every fault. He should vary his methods of getting through occasionally, so as not to give his man a chance to remedy his faults. A few of the methods of getting through are indicated here:
(1.) If your opponent exposes his chest, spring into him with arms straight and stiff, hard enough to start him backwards off his pins or unsteady him, and then go to either side desired, as in Fig. 9.
(2.) Play for the outside arm of your opponent; once getting hold of this, your opponent, in attempting to free himself, will pull you through, as in Fig. 11.
(3.) Try knocking your opponent's arm down with both of your arms, in the manner of a sabre cut.
(4.) Strike your opponent on one side or make a feint to go in one direction, and quickly dart to the other.
(5.) If your opponent plays too low, take him by the head and pull him to one side or the other.