How D-Linemen Can Recover From Early Mistakes

As a defensive lineman, getting a good jump on the football can be a huge boost – or bane. If they fly past the defensive lineman and the ball ends up going in a different direction than they thought, it can be very easy for an offensive lineman to keep the d-lineman out of the play.

That’s why it’s important to have the ability to counter for position. If your players already have a vast arsenal of d-line moves, then they need to learn where and when they should start using them.

Over Rush Counter Drill

Whether it’s because of a well-disguised play or perhaps just an eager d-lineman, sometimes you can get way out of position by just over rushing. If a blocker can get you behind the play, even if it’s not a great block, your not going to be able to do much to get to the ball.

So to free yourself up, try this over rush counter. As you run to the outside, the o-lineman will rotate, ending up perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. Once this happens, put your inside foot between the two of his, and spin back inside, using his weight against himself  and pushing him even further away from the line of scrimmage.

Wide Rush Counter Drill

You’ll have your o-lineman and d-lineman lineup like a play was about to start, with the d-lineman lining up just outside of the blocker. Once the ball is snapped by you, the coach, the d-lineman will begin a wide rush. Here the defensive lineman is recognizing the play on their first step, making it much easier to counter back inside.

But after the first step to the outside, they’re going to have to counter back over top of the blocker to get back inside – I’ve always found my players have the most success with a swim move here, it gets the offensive lineman reaching, and when executed properly can lead to a quick inside rush thanks to it’s fluidity.

That’s all for today! If you’ve got any questions or comments, leave them below – or come check us out at the Football Drills & Plays Facebook page!