How to Coach Good Offensive Line Angles in Football

In football, every good offensive line needs to understand the science behind making a quality block. Many times an average or inferior lineman can successfully block a superior opponent by understanding how to use his alignment, hand placement and angle in order to block his foe. A quality coach can use repetition through daily drills in order to help his offensive line block defenders on an angle.

Instructions

    • 1

      Evaluate the film of the opponent or the most common defensive fronts encountered in practice or in a game to know what angles are needed. Understanding where defensive linemen and linebackers align can help anticipate where they can go once the ball is snapped.

    • 2

      Know where the ball carrier could be on every play. Using tighter or wider stance alignments before the play starts can eliminate a disastrous play. In general, an offensive lineman can control his angle by aligning for success before the snap.

    • 3

      Stress correct hand and helmet placement in all angle drills. The offensive line needs to have their hands inside the framework of the defensive linemen while they're punching their hands to push the opponent off the line of scrimmage. To ensure success, place the helmet between the defender and the ball carrier.

    • 4

      Practice daily the multiple fronts your team may encounter during run and pass plays. Repetition can instill familiarity and confidence in the offensive line as they learn their angle techniques.

    • 5

      Anticipate the defender's movement and adjust hand and helmet placement accordingly. Any good defensive lineman moves aggressively during the play and can choose to move many different directions. Understand that your offensive linemen need to move with the defense in order to block on the angle.

    • 6

      Attack the defender once he has committed to his gap responsibility. When his angle and the offensive lineman's angle cross, it's important to punch aggressively and run the offensive lineman's feet away from the direction of the ball carrier.