LB Scrape Technique

The success of the NCAA Blitz, a.k.a. America's Fire Zone, like any other Blitz or Fire Zone, is predicated not so much on the schematics of the play as much as it is on the fundamental techniques executed by each player.  I have talked about the "Run to Daylight" technique of the playside DE (F in the diagram below) here in a previous post.  Manny Diaz refers to this Fire Zone as Scrape, and I will talk about the "Scrape" technique of the Mike LB that is essential to the success of this play. 

Pursuit Drills

Pursuit is a critical element of effective defensive play and it can be an eraser for missed tackles vs. superior skill players.  Deuce recently wrote a piece on Pursuit here that is essential reading, especially regarding holding kids accountable on film.  The first chapter of Ron Vanderlin's excellent book, Football's Eagle and Stack Defenses, is entirely devoted to the fundamental skill of defensive pursuit.  He defines pursuit as "an intense, all-out effort that is driven by an insatiable desire to get to the football and to put the ballcarrier on the ground," and says that it is "the essence of a good defensive football team."

Wrong-Arm Technique

Good discussion on Coach Huey about the Wrong-Arm technique here.  I'm better with pictures and video than I am with words, so is here is my take on the Wrong-Arm technique.  The Wrong-Arm technique vs. Power is pretty straightforward, and I will get to it later.  The Wrong-Arm technique vs. Counter is not as straightforward and cause for some debate, so I will tackle it first. 

The diagram below shows the Fox DE initially obeying his Block-Down-Step-Down rules vs. the OT.  If he follows his hands, his technique will take him right into the pulling Guard.  How he attacks the Guard is the key to stopping the Counter play.  If he literally obeys his Wrong-Arm rule and attacks the inside shoulder of the pulling Guard with his outside shoulder, he will be pinned easily and the pulling Tackle will not miss a beat coming around for the LB.  The defense has forced the ball to bounce outside, but nothing is being disrupted.  It is important to remember that maximum disruption is the goal and purpose of Wrong-Arming.

The Force

When the Force is used correctly, it can be quite constricting.

The way I really learned the concept of "The Force" was from the book, Coaching Team Defense by Fritz Shurmur.  Matthew Brophy refers to this classic as "the bible of defense," and I would have to agree with him; it really is that good.  The principles in this book are universal to all defensive coaches, no matter what scheme they run.  Coach Shurmur was and still continues to be, thanks to his books and videos, a phenomenal teacher with the ability to explain the most crucial and fundamental concepts of defensive football in the most efficient and easy-to-understand way possible.