DON’T MAKE A MISTAKE ON THE DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL RULES

Video: LSU FOOTBALL DEFENSE HIGHLIGHTS.

Durability: Defensive linemen must be able to withstand the punishment of being hit or blocked on every play. Because they play 16 or more games a season, with about 70 plays per game, defensive linemen are hit or blocked about a thousand times a season.

Quickness: Speed is relative, but quickness is vital. A lineman’s first two steps after the ball is snapped should be like those of a sprinter breaking from the starting blocks. Quickness enables a defensive lineman to react and get in the proper position before being blocked.

Arm and hand strength: Linemen win most of their battles when they ward off and shed blockers. Brute strength helps, but the true skill comes from a player’s hands and arms. Keeping separation between yourself and those big offensive linemen is the key not only to survival but also to success. Using your hands and arms to maintain separation cuts down on neck injuries and enables you to throw an offensive lineman out of your way to make a tackle.

Vision: Defensive linemen need to be able to see above and around the offensive linemen. They also need to use their heads as tools to ward off offensive linemen attempting to block them. A defensive lineman initially uses his head to absorb the impact and stop the momentum of his opponent. Then, using his hands, he forces separation.

Before the ball is snapped and before impact, the opponents’ backfield formation usually tells him what direction the upcoming play is going in. Anticipating the direction of the play may lessen the impact that his head takes after the ball is snapped.

Instincts: Defensive linemen need to know the situation, down, and distance to a first down or a score. And they must be able to know and read the stances of all the offensive linemen they may be playing against. In an effort to move those big bodies where they need to go a little more quickly, offensive linemen often “cheat” in their stances more than any position in all of football. By doing so, they telegraph their intentions. Defensive linemen must assess these signs prior to the snap in order to give themselves an edge.

Football Defense Terms
Every American football team has its own vocabulary for referring to different defensive positions. Here are some of the most common terms that teams use to refer to defensive linemen and their alignments:

Under tackle: A defensive tackle who lines up outside the offensive guard to the split end side. The entire defensive line aligns under (or inside) the tight end to the split end side. The under tackles possess strength and exceptional quickness off the ball, but they aren’t powerful players.

Football Defense Keys
In American football terminology, a key is what a defensive player looks at prior to the snap of the ball. For example, if it’s first-and-5, odds are that the offense will attempt to run the ball. The defensive lineman must key (watch) the offensive lineman and be prepared to react to his movements.

Here’s a quick rundown of a defensive lineman’s thought process prior to any play:

• Alignment: The defensive lineman has to make sure he’s aligned correctly.
• Stance: The stance he’s using should be to his advantage.
• Assignment: Does he know exactly what to do?
• Key: The lineman considers what/whom he should be looking at.
• Get off: He has to be quick off the football.
• Attack: The lineman thinks about attacking and controlling the offensive lineman with his hands, and then escaping by using his arms and shoulder to push by him.
• Execute: The lineman wants to execute his stunt to a specific area or gap, and then react to where the ball is.
• Pursue: He always follows the football.
• Tackle: Finally, he can make the tackle.

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