Regardless of the defensive structure, there are two main concepts coaches need to teach players in defending the run game: force and cutback. Think about the last time you witnessed a perimeter run cut inside the numbers for a big play. Sure, the run may have been forced inside, but how it was forced means a lot.

Growing tired of seeing that scenario, I decided to do a better job of teaching what force really is, and I started by dumping the word “contain” (too passive aggressive) and replaced it to “hammer.” In our defensive structure, we teach all 11 players the hammer technique, because they all may at one point be responsible for forcing the ball inside.

Hammer technique

If I’m the force defender, and I don't’ make the tackle, I must assertively force the football inside of me. There are two force players on each play, one to each side of the offensive formation. Who that player is depends on which side the ball is being run.

Our force defender’s aiming point is always the outside shoulder of the ball-carrier, which prevents him from getting outside of the edge.

Various defenders may have force responsibilities on defense, and it is communicated by our safeties depending on the formation. Examples of our force verbiage includes:

• Sky. Safety has force responsibility
• Cloud. Corner has force responsibility
• Bronco. Linebacker has force responsibility
• Echo. Defensive end has force responsibility (used in blitz packages)

Techniques associated

When a defender is assigned force, it is his responsibility to take on any blockers using a near foot, near shoulder technique by driving the tip of his shoulder pad into the breastplate of the blocker.

The most undercoached aspect of this technique is the use of feet. We call this “live feet.” Our goal is to constrict – or tighten – the run gap by driving feet on contact. Otherwise we risk a possibility of the gap expanding.

 

Drill work      

In order to teach this technique, we implement block defeating circuits once a week, and one of these circuits is called the hammer technique drill:

We line up two defenders against two offensive players – a blocker and a ball-carrier. The blocker is on a 45-degree angle. The defender must execute a near foot, near shoulder hammer technique on the blocker forcing the ball back inside to his defensive partner, who will make a play under control and not take the ball-carrier to the ground. (We may work with shields during non-contact periods.)

Film work of the drill can be seen below

Cutback technique

All remaining players (other than the force defender) will play cutback responsibilities.

Cutback players will always track the backside hip of the ball-carrier, which means the ball cannot cut back inside of the individual.

Techniques associated

When playing cutback, we teach eye discipline more than anything else.

We fix our eyes on the backside hip of that ball-carrier, and we talk about matching his tempo. If it’s a fast flow play like a toss, defenders open their hips and run. If it’s a moderately paced run such as a zone run, defenders keep their shoulders squared.

Either way, players are working to close on that backside hip.

Drill work associated

One of our favorite drills to do is the Program Pursuit Drill, called this because the drill is more important than the program. It teaches relentless pursuit to the football with the proper aiming points on the ball-carrier. It’s the first drill we do for five minutes at the start of every practice.

The scout offense aligns in any of the formations we will see that week while our defense makes the proper coverage and force checks. The offense will execute an opponent’s base run play, and we all will fit the run on air by taking the proper force and cutback aiming points.

In order to teach the relentless style of defense we covet, this becomes a two-whistle drill where once the ball-carrier gets to one of the four cones – there are two on the hash and two on the numbers – 25 yards down the field, the whistle blows and the entire defense must sprint around the ball-carrier.

The goal is to get all 11 players there between four and six seconds or we do it again.

Film work of the drill can be seen below.

As a coach, you never want to leave things assumed. Before every play, we have players acknowledge who has force by tapping their helmets. This goes a long way when watching film.

Mike Kuchar is co-founder and senior research manager at XandOLabs.com, a private research company specializing in coaching concepts and trends. Reach him at: mailto:mike@xandolabs.com. or follow him on Twitter@mikekkuchar.