It is often perceived that “blocking in space” at the wide receiver position is simply a battle of wills between the receiver and the defender he assigned to block. Although the first step to becoming a great perimeter blocker is the desire and willingness to block, it is the technical details of the art of perimeter blocking that make up great run blocking wide receivers. As a coach, it is useful to break down the mechanics of run blocking into tangible concepts that the players can buy into executing each play.

Even more important than teaching the technical details of run blocking is the atmosphere created around run blocking in the wide receiver room. The goal is to make the group excited about using their physicality to impact the game and gain a mental advantage over their opponents. The best blocking wide receiver units pride themselves in taking no plays off and set out to prove their toughness every chance they get. Blocking for a teammate is the most unselfish thing a wide receiver can do and his willingness to finish through the whistle is a direct correlation to his commitment to winning.

RELATED CONTENT: Coaching the Wide Receiver - The Coverage Triangle

#TeachTapes (67)

Additionally, there must be a sense of fearlessness in the room that fuels the players’ relentless pursuit. To establish a tenacious run blocking mentality amongst the wide receivers, the coaching staff must be willing to accept holding penalties, blocks in the back and personal fouls that will inevitably occur without crushing the players’ spirits. Instead, coaches should aim to build up the players’ confidence and encourage them to stay aggressive, while constantly coaching the proper technique and situational awareness that will prevent such penalties in the future.

It is essential that the receivers understand where each run play is supposed to hit so that they can play with proper run game angles and close the space aggressively until he is about 2 yards away from the defender, which is called the “contact zone.” Once the receiver reaches the contact zone, he wants to break down and sink his hips so that he is able to react to any sudden movements the DB makes. He wants to “play basketball defense” and simply stay between the man and the ball until the defender makes his move.

As soon as the defender declares his path to the football, the receiver must become the aggressor again and attack him violently with a low pad level.  The goal is for the receiver to run his feet on contact by “power stepping,” which implies an athletic knee bend, wide base and a staggered stance that is always moving towards the defender. If a player enters the contact zone standing straight up, with his feet close together, or without forward momentum, he will likely be rag dolled and thrown to the side by most linebackers and safeties that have vision on the football.

Once contact is made by the receiver with a low pad level and solid base, he wants to violently shoot his hands from his hips and latch on the defender’s breast plate. Shooting straight up from the hip is important because it prevents the offensive player from shooting his hands too wide. Wide hands will expose the offensive player’s chest to the defender and increase the likelihood of grabbing the defender’s shoulder pads and back pads, which is the quickest way to instigate a holding call.

While shooting his hands, the offensive player’s biggest focus must be to run his feet through contact. “Run your feet” should be a phrase that is repeated over and over as a non-negotiable requirement of every single run blocking opportunity. As long as the offensive player maintains a low, solid base and continues to run his feet, he has a great chance to win the blocking matchup.

RELATED CONTENT: Coaching the Wide Receiver - Stance & Start basics

#TeachTapes (40)

With that said, skinny wide receivers can’t always be expected to force a bigger, stronger defender to move in any particular direction against his will. Thus, the full expression of “run your feet” should really say “run your feet, take the defender where he wants to go, use his momentum against him, and the ball carrier will make you right.”

As long as the receiver can relentlessly cover the defender up by using all the technical details mentioned previously, he can then use the defender’s momentum against him and simply take him where he wants to go, rather than forcing the defender one direction or the other. For example, if  it’s a slot wide receiver blocking a Sam linebacker whose job is to set the edge of the defense, the receiver can let him run outside to set the edge, but use that momentum against him, get into his pads and run him to the sideline aggressively, which widens the hole and allows the ball carrier to cut up inside of the block.

RELATED CONTENT: Coaching the Wide Receiver - Have a Plan

#TeachTapes (42)

The last aspect of effective blocking in space is to “take the air out,” while the player is running his feet and taking the defender where he wants to go. A defender who is setting the edge, for example, will often stay engaged with the offensive player with his arms outstretched and locked to maintain space between him and the blocker. When he sees the ball cut up inside of him, he will throw the offensive player aside and make the play if he is allowed to position himself with his arms outstretched.

Thus, the offensive player wants to take the air out between him and the defender by grabbing his breast plate, rolling his hips forward and pulling the defender in tight to his body. This is a position of control for the offensive player. Every person has more power and strength to lift and control a heavy object with his arms in tight rather than his arms outstretched. To gain control of a defensive player while blocking, he must pull him tight to his body and eventually start to straighten his upper body and roll his hips forward so that he can position himself chest to chest and crotch to crotch with the defender while continuing to run his feet with good knee bend.

Straightening out the upper body and rolling the hips forward to eliminate the air between the offensive player and the defender will help to eliminate holding calls on the perimeter because the offensive players will be less likely to block with their arms outstretched. And will give the offensive player maximum control while finishing his block and make it harder for the defender to create the space necessary to rag doll the blocker, shed the block and throw him aside.

#TeachTapes (123)

Run Blocking Commandments:

1. Aggressively close the space
2. Break down with low pad level at the contact zone (2 yds from the defender)
3. Violently shoot hands from hips to the defender’s breastplate
4. Run your feet & take him where he wants to go!
5. Take the air out

 

Photo Courtesy: Jack Westerheide

Drew Lieberman is currently the wide receivers coach at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey. He previously served as the wide receivers coach at his alma mater, Wesleyan University from 2016-2017 and was the assistant WR coach at Rutgers from 2014-2015 & UAlbany in 2014 where he helped produce 5 NFL receivers. In August of 2017, Drew founded The Sideline Hustle (thesidelinehustle.com) – a football education resource for players & coaches. Follow him on Twitter: @sidelinehustle & Instagram:@sidelinehustle.