QUESTION: I am 13 years old and this is my first year of playing football. The coaches said I am talented but they didn't put me on starter because I need to work more on the techniques. How can I be a better defensive tackle?
- Hakim,
COACH TOM BASS: The first place to start is in practice. You must listen to your coach when he is talking to another DL or especially when he is focused on giving you instruction. Try to do each technique exactly as he is teaching you to do it. Go hard in each and every drill.
Next make sure you understand the defense that your team is using and the responsibilities of the players playing around you.
The way you play your defense and the techniques you use to defeat the offensive blockers will be the foundation for a successful defense and your improvement as a DT.
This is your first year and everything is new including all the terminology. Your coaches have told you and shown you what you need to work on so try to give 100% whenever you are learning or working on any DT technique, and don’t be afraid to ask your coach if you don’t understand something to make sure you are doing the techniques correctly from the start. Have fun playing and learning and good luck, Coach
Q: Can you angle the ball on a field goal kick?
- Gannon from
COACH: The simple answer is yes. The holder can angle the ball when he places it on the tee in any direction that is best for the kicker. Some kickers prefer the ball angled slightly toward the side of their plant foot, some slightly forward on the tee.
One thing I would suggest you guard against is angling the ball straight back in hopes of getting the ball up faster. Usually when you try this, you will kick under the ball and the kick will lack distance and go straight up in the air.
You can try having the holder make a slight adjustment [nothing real radical] but remember he has to catch the snap, place the ball accurately on the tee, adjust the laces and then angle the ball, so he has a lot on his plate on each kick. The easier it is for everyone, the greater chance there is for a good kick.
Q: I just turned 16 in June. I’m in the tenth grade. I’m 5’10 and 2quarters and weigh 180lbs. I play Defensive end and linebacker but I love D-End. After JV season when I was a freshman, I was put on varsity because of my ability at d-end. In the NFL the d-ends are tall. Should I focus more at d-end or linebacker?
- Octavious,
COACH: It is a little early to be making plans based on the size of NFL players. Right now, it is going to be difficult to say how big you will be during your senior year of high school. With a growth spurt and weight lifting you may end up a perfect DE size.
In addition to that, when you go to college to play, if you are an undersized DE you’ll probably be moved to LB at that time.
So my advice would be to focus on the position where you are going to have the most success right now and where you will get the most playing time [probably DE]. Focus on this season [on the field and in the classroom] and let the other things evolve as your career develops.
Q: I am a junior at linebacker weighing 190+ and little taller than 6' running a 4.7 on my 40. Football is my life, I would do anything to play the sport and make tackles on the field and get my team pumped up while doing it, but I do have one big weakness. When I see my read man go in motion off the snap of the ball I am coming full speed as soon as he flinches. Since my team's D line doesn't revolve around us I can't pop my feet waiting for the man to come to me or I will be history, but when I am coming in a lot of the time the runner might cut or slow up and I’ll end up making a shoe lace tackle or just completely missing the man. I am not a juking person, I'm a full speed head on tackler but I seem to always over run the play or take bad angles which is one of the most important things as a linebacker. Should I slow down and take the chance of being blocked by a lineman or is there something else I can do to help myself? This is a very big deal to me, I lose sleep over this problem can you please give me some help?
- Scott,
COACH: A majority of long runs by the offense occur because the defense [usually the LB] has over pursued the ball carrier and given him a free cutback lane. It is important that you learn to stay inside-out on the ball carrier. Allow your force man on the outside of the formation to turn the ball carrier back to you and that you use the sideline as an extra defensive teammate.
It is a good drill to practice shuffling to your right or left [not crossing your feet] when your first start moving with the ball. This allows you to keep your hips and upper body square to the line of scrimmage, to stay slightly behind the ball carrier and to react and attack forward when he makes his cut up the field.
Being square to the line also allows you to see and feel any blocker coming from your outside and to defeat the blocker as you keep your path.
Before practice lay down some blocking dummies to be the offensive linemen. Have another LB be the ball carrier and have him come across the formation and then cut up between the bags You should shuffle down the line, staying behind his path and then attack the line when he runs in a gap between the bags. Go to you right and left, have him line up in different positions in the backfield and then swap positions so you both benefit from the drill.
It is very good that you recognize that this is an area of concern for you and that you begin right now to work on correcting this to improve your performance, Good luck this season, Coach
Q: Hey Coach, I’m 6'2 290 and I play DT for varsity. The thing is I don’t think my 3-point stance is good. I fire off the ball good, but I would really cause havoc if my stance was better. Can you give me some tips on having a better 3-point stance?
- Maso
COACH: It is difficult to make corrections without seeing you in your stance. As a DT we asked our players to have a balanced stance, to be able to step with either foot [depending on the defense called] to keep his pad level below the pads of the offensive blocker, and to be able to move forward on the snap.
In our teaching we asked the player to stand upright, feet spread the width of his shoulders, bend his knees, rest both forearms on the inside of each thigh, reach straight ahead with both hands and place them on the ground slightly in front of the front of his own shoulder pads.
In this position you should be up on the toes of both feet, your hips and shoulders should be even, your back level, shoulders square, and your head up. From this very balanced four point stance, we then had the DT lift one hand off the ground and once again rest his forearm on the inside of his thigh. This put him in an ideal 3-point stance. We would repeat this action all during the year making sure our stance was not getting out of position.
Based the down and distance situation you can learn to adjust your basic stance. On short yardage and goal line, you can stay in the four-point stance, bend your elbows, lower your shoulder pad level, raise your hips and fire low and hard across the line through your assigned gap.
On passing downs you can go to a three-point stance- extend you down hand forward, move your foot, opposite your hand on the ground, forward a few inches and roll over your foot as you take a forward step with your other foot on the snap.
Try starting in a good four–point stance, then lift one hand and see if you are not in a better position to play your position.
Coach Bass brings over 30 years of NFL and college coaching experience to