Offensive Guard Blocking Responsibilities

Protecting the quarterback from defensive pressure can go a long way in determining offensive efficiency in an American football game. Solid blocking from the offensive line can help deter pressure and give the quarterback more time, allowing his wide receivers to get farther down the field. The offensive guard position makes up two-fifths of the offensive line and is critical to the unit's overall chance of success.

  1. Discipline and Strength

    • Playing on the offensive line requires mental discipline and physical strength. Guards wait for the football to be snapped (exchanged from the center to the quarterback) and then quickly block the opponent. If a player moves before the ball is hiked, his team is assessed a five-yard false start penalty. When dropping back to block on a passing play, a guard keeps his shoulders low and square and back straight. He should keep his feet on the ground, a little more than shoulder-width apart, to maintain a wide base and stability. This allows for him player to generate power from the ground up.

    Offensive Guard vs. Defensive Tackle

    • Offensive guards line up directly in front of defensive tackles on most plays from scrimmage. The battle at the line of scrimmage between these players goes a long way in determining when a team moves the football downfield for a touchdown or field goal. If an offensive guard can successfully block a defensive tackle, quarterbacks and running backs will face less defensive pressure in the backfield and be able to gain yardage easier.

    Pass Block

    • Pass protection is an offensive guard's first responsibility. Without pass protection, a team has little to no chance at victory. To effectively protect the quarterback, a guard must recognize the location of a defensive tackle and anticipate his forward charge. Stopping the player's momentum is critical to buying the quarterback extra time to throw the football. It's also important to recognize defensive plays while pass-blocking. Offensive guards must be able to recognize a blitz, when players other than defensive linemen, such as linebackers ot defensive backs, rush toward the quarterback.

    Run Block

    • Run blocking is another important responsibility for offensive guards. The goal during a run block is to create large enough gaps in the defense for the running back to get through. This is accomplished by forcefully moving a defender away from his original position on the field. Offensive guards use different blocking techniques during a game. Drive blocks, where a guard quickly pushes forward, target linebackers lined up 3 to 4 yards off the line of scrimmage. Trap blocks, carried out on defensive players laterally farther down the line, are delivered from the side, rather than head-on. Hook blocks stop a defender's penetration by moving him off to the side. Goal-line blocks, in which the offensive line is clustered tightly and surges ahead low and fast, allow an offensive ball carrier to leap over the resulting pile of bodies to gain a few yards or score touchdowns.