You can argue if it's the best, but the power blocking scheme is definitely one of the most used running plays in football today. On this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast, we're doing a deep dive into all the details of this great gap blocking scheme attack.

Gap Blocking vs. Zone Blocking

I'm biased. Power is a core run play in The Pistol Power Offense System. But the other primary blocking scheme is the zone run game. So we get started with a discussion about Gap Blocking vs Zone Blocking schemes.

Inside Zone and Outside Zone runs are like pattern matching on defense. That means they take whatever you do on the other side of the ball and use it against you. There's nothing soft about zone blocking. But there is a somewhat passive nature about zone blocking. We're letting you make the decision on how we're going to beat you.

With the Power blocking scheme, it's the opposite. This is a gap blocking play. The offensive line is going to create a seam where we want it, when we want it. Gap blocking schemes like Power use angles and numbers to create an advantage and open the hole whether you want us to do it or not!

Blocks for Running Power

Now that we've established the difference in gap schemes vs zone schemes, it's time to work through the rules of the Power blocking scheme. It starts with identifying the different types of blocks your players need to execute.

Down blocking is critical in any gap scheme play. Power is no different. Base blocks aren't used very often, but we'll talk about them too. The combo is the other major feature of the power blocking scheme - a double team at the point of attack against most defensive fronts. That's where you force the issue to create your run lane.

Of course you have the other two notable features of a power run play. The kickout block on the defensive end, and wrapping the back side Guard to block the play side Linebacker. There's intricate details of angle and footwork you've got to teach to get the most of out your play. Those details are also in the podcast.

Power Blocking Scheme Rules

And finally, you need a set of rules. When you're a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win offensive coach you have to keep those rules in check. There can't be a lot of if-then situations.

I'm not going to blow your mind with the basics of Power. It's more about the little details. That's what makes this play work for absolutely any offensive attack. You use angles to create the running lane and get great at the play because you keep it simple.

Blocking Assignments for Power

• If the Guard is covered, and Center uncovered combo between Guard and Tackle.
• If the Guard is uncovered, combo between Tackle and Tight End.
• If the Guard is covered and the Center is covered everybody down blocks.
• Center always blocks back.
• Tight End, if not in the combo, blocks the A Gap Area.
• Back side Guard wraps to block the back side number of the play side Linebacker.
• Back side Tackle hinges.
• H-Back, Fullback, whoever your kick out guy is going to be based on formation - kicks out the man on or outside the Tight End. With no Tight End, it's the man on or outside the Tackle.

Flexibility of the Power Blocking Scheme

Finally, this podcast closes out with a look at how versatile the blocking scheme really is. This is not just one play. In fact, in the Pistol Power Offense System we built an entire series around it. Click here to get my free 3 video series on the Power Series!

Power Read. 'G' Power. 1-Back Power. Counter and Counter Trey. You can get a lot of mileage out of this one single gap blocking scheme. So invest in it!

Listen to this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to get all the details on running the Power Blocking Scheme. Then subscribe so you don't miss great new episodes coming out every week.

Time to put the finishing touches on that defensive playbook to get ready for the upcoming season. How much do you need in it?

The biggest problem many coordinators will run into this season is not going to be not having enough play calls. It’s going to be having a defensive playbook that is too big. And for no reason.

When you’re using a Coach Simple approach, that defensive playbook needs to only include the calls you absolutely need. Especially with a shortened off-season. Check out this podcast to find out just how much you need in your defensive playbook this season.

Understanding horizontal and vertical seams is critical to your run fits on defense. Let’s take a deeper look at the concepts.

This concept is a big one in run fits. Understanding horizontal and vertical seams, and how to pull the levers to fix those seams for your force defenders, is one of the fastest ways to improve your defense.

Seams is a fancy word for run lanes… or run lanes is a fancy word for seams. They can happen horizontal to the line of scrimmage, or perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. But the issue remains, when you have seams in your defense, you create run lanes for the offense.

In this episode we’ll explain what horizontal and vertical seams are, how they create run lanes, why they happen, and how to fix them. This is a critical episode if your defense has had trouble maintaining force on the perimeter.

Show Links

• Pulling Levers for Constant Improvement: FBCP S07E06
• Coaching the ASKA Principle: FBCP S07E03

What does it take to run a Championship caliber 4-3 Defense? Find out from Coach Dave Dugan. 

Bishop-Fenwick High School in Massachusetts is a perennial title contender and their 4-3 Defense run by Defensive Coordinator Dave Dugan is a big contributor to that success. Coach Dugan joins The Football Coaching Podcast to talk about what’s worked in building his defensive attack.

Find out how this brand of the 4-3 Defense teaches simple Linebacker reads and a pattern match Cover 2 coverage to shut down their opponents. Plus you’ll find out how you can prepare your team with a short off-season - because in Massachusetts they do it every year!

Strength calls are important to get your best players in position to make the play. Here’s how to use them.

There’s a reason defensive coaches make strength calls. But there’s a lot of thought that needs to go into those strength calls. 

In this episode we’ll talk about how to make your strength calls fast, make them easy, and make them work for your defense. Because if they’re not helping your defense, they’re making your defense worse.

Do you have a plan for when your team gets to start practicing again? Here’s the Do’s and Don’ts.

In some areas, coaches are getting to start working with their players again. In other areas, that time is still a long way off. But you need to have a plan. 

I’ll share the 7 things you cannot do if you want to have success in the 2020 season when teams start getting back to work. Plus the plan for teams getting back to work in June, July, August and beyond.

The concept of using Levers to get constant improvement on the field has fascinated me. Here’s how to make it work for you.

Nothing has changed the way I look at coaching football in the last twelve months like the concept of pulling levers. It takes everything I’ve learned about coaching and puts it into a systematic approach to constant improvement.

I love the levers concept because it builds on the ASKA principle we’ve been using with our defensive position groups for several years. Now you can use that ASKA principle to create levers you can pull - like buttons to press - to get incremental improvement all season long.

Forget about fancy ball drills. This is what Wide Receivers really need to work on in your football practice.

No position group wastes more time working on things that don’t matter for their offensive attack than receivers. In this episode, we’re going to focus on what a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win approach to Wide Receiver drills really looks like.

Cut the fancy ball drills. You just don’t have time for that with the 90 Minute Practice Plan. It’s all about blocking, and running precision routes with perfect timing for the receivers in this offense.

Randy Jackson is the guru on creating a winning culture for your football. He’s going to answer the questions that need answers.

When I had my first chance to be a head coach, I knew I needed to establish a certain attitude in our players. Call it culture. But we needed a strategy to do it. 

Randy Jackson is the author of Culture Defeats Strategy, but as you find out in this podcast, there’s a strategy to building culture. 

Find out the keys to building that team identity, plus a ton of incredible nuggets you don’t expect. We had our JDFB Insider clients on hand to ask some questions that you’ll love to hear the answers to.

ASKA is a pre-snap checklist for your players. But it’s much more than that for your coaching staff.

Alignment. Stance. Key Read. Assignment. I stole the ASKA principle from TCU several years ago. But it’s grown into so much more than it started.

ASKA is a pre-snap checklist for your players. But it’s the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win measuring stick for coaches. If your ASKA is too complicated, your players are playing slow.

In this episode, find out what ASKA is all about, get examples of ASKA, and find out how it has become of the backbone principles of JDFB Coaching Systems (including the offense!).

If you have the right Offensive Line Footwork, your guys should never miss a block. Here’s how to make it happen.

Coaching Offensive Line has always been my true passion in football. It’s the most exciting position to work with for me. And I love working on the perfect footwork to make a block.

The right footwork turns an average offensive lineman into a great player. It can turn a bad player into an average offensive lineman. It’s amazing how focusing on just the first two steps of your offensive line footwork can change the entire fortune of a football team’s offense.

Football Drills are what every coach seems to be looking for. But what really matters is running the RIGHT drills.

Looking for the best football drills for every position? You won’t find that in this episode. This episode is the guide to choosing which drills to run, and creating the drills you need to run. 

It’s about being efficient. Effective. Getting results. Actually doing something with your coaching besides wasting your player’s time running around a hula hoop or fighting over a pad. 

This episode is all about football drills that actually make your football team better at playing football. This is not rocket science.

Show Links

• Learn all about the 90-Minute Practice Plan with Practice Planning to Keep Your Players Fresh from Season 3 of The Football Coaching Podcast
• Check out Group Football Drills for Low Numbers from Season 5 for developing your group drills.
• Also from Season 5, an episode on 12 Keys to Getting the Most From Individual Football Drills.

The 4-2-5 Defense System requires a lot of planning. Here’s how to plan your defensive System.

The 4-2-5 Defense System has been completely updated for 2020. Here’s the blueprint you need to follow to get your System ready for the 2020 Season. 

You don’t have to use the 4-2-5 Defense System to make this blueprint work for you. But you must make sure you’ve covered all these bases if you’re going to be ready to win in 2020.

Time for the definitive answer of 4-3 Defense or 4-2-5 Defense… which one is better? It’s the Battle of the 40 Fronts.

What’s the right defense for your team? There’s no single defense that is BETTER than any other front - that’s not what we’re here to figure out. 

It’s about whether the Miami 4-3 Defense that we teach in the 4-3 Defense System, or the 4-2-5 Defense System is the right one for your football team. 

I’ll break down 15 key points for each defense, score it up, and come to a completely meaningless conclusion. It’s up to you to decide which one is right for your team. 

Get the full plan for your 4-3 Defense Install Schedule. It only takes 5 practices to get this done.

During Season 6 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ve been going through the pieces of the 4-3 Defense System. Now it’s time to actually install your 4-3 Defense with your players.

Learn how you can get the entire defense installed in just one week of practice. No two-a-days and you don’t need to be a 2-platoon team to get it done. This is the Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win approach to the Miami 4-3 Defense

Show Links

• Coaching Quarters Coverage in the 4-3 Defense System: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019quarters43/
• Foundations of the 4-3 Defense System: https://joedanielfootball.com/2019miami43/
• The 90 Minute Practice Plan: https://joedanielfootball.com/2018practice/

How can you get the most out of your 4-3 Defense Safeties in Quarters Coverage? Here’s the levers you need to pull.

During Season 6 of The Football Coaching Podcast, we’ve been looking at the Miami 4-3 Defense System. No position is going to define the success of that defense for you more than your 4-3 Defense Safeties.

Today’s episode walks you through the A.S.K.A. for Quarters Coverage Safeties. The Alignment, Stance, Key Reads and Assignment for the position. Learn how you can use these 4 levers to have constant improvement at the Safety position (and all over the field) all season long.

Show Links

• Listen to the podcast on the Simplified Quarters Coverage package
• Get access to the 4-3 Defense System when your team joins JDFB Insider

Get extra possessions for your football team using the Onside Kick this season. Here’s how to do it.

Kevin Kelley is a 8 time Arkansas State Championship Pulaski Academy. He’s known for doing this a little different. Like onside kicking every single time. 

A while back, I adopted the same philosophy. It really is a difference maker for your team when you commit to it! 

Check out this podcast to hear Coach Kelley and myself talk about the onside kick. The logic behind it, how to study the analytics, and why you’re going to want to use the onside kick every time for your team. 

Show Links

• Learn how to execute Coach Kelley’s best onside kicks: Coach Kevin Kelley`s Onside Kicks from CoachTube.
• Find Kevin Kelley on Twitter @coachkelley1

How do you lead your players through the recruiting process? How can you protect them from a harsh business?

You’ve got athletes that want to play at the next level. And they’re capable of doing it. But how do you point them the right direction?

It’s a thin line between helping your players get exposure, and wasting your athlete’s time and money by attending a bunch of one-day ‘camps’ (fundraisers?).

This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is more like a JDFB Quick Clinic. I’m answering a listener question on recruiting… because we all need to work on it.

Coaches love talking about the X’s and O’s. But it’s these ‘Little Things’ that make the big difference for Championship Programs.

You spend your entire off-season working on blitz packages and trick plays. You might call some of them once or twice the entire season. But you miss the big picture.

Chris Fore from The Coaches Locker Podcast joins me on today’s episode to talk about the ‘little things’ that really matter in coaching. We’ll talk about recruiting your building, player academics, and everything else your program needs to win.

The Double Wing Offense is one of the most feared and brutal offensive attacks in football. Learn it or lose to it!

Years ago, I wanted to learn the Double Wing Offense and turned to the Internet for resources. After all, you can’t just visit your local college to learn this stuff. 

I found an amazing resource to learn from. That was Coach Jerry Vallotton’s “The Toss” book, available at DoubleWing.org. Easily the best resource I found then, and still great. 

This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast is your chance to learn the Double Wing Offense from Coach Val! Check it out as we talk about the philosophy behind the offense, the base play series, and the details of coaching The Toss, Coach Val’s Super Power play.

Show Links

• Check out all the resources from Coach Val at DoubleWing.org
• Find Coach Val on Instagram at @doublewingfootball
• The Smash Mouth Alumni Facebook Group started by Coach Vallotton

How can you simplify the Play Action Pass for your offense and still be effective? All you need to know is in this episode.

The Play Action Pass is a critical part of any offensive playbook. You’ve got base runs, counters, and play action. That creates a simple series based offensive package. 

You can go overboard in preparing your Play Action Pass game, though. The key is to get the maximum amount of benefit with the minimal amount of teaching. 

Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out how we’ve simplified the Play Action Pass for the Pistol Power Offense System.

What are the Special Teams schemes your football team needs to be running? Here’s my favorites.

Every football coach knows how important Special Teams are to winning football games. If it’s one-third of the game, why don’t coaches spend a whole lot more time on it?

There’s good reason. If you’re going to be a Coach Simple, Play Fast, Win type of coach - it needs to carry over to your Special Teams philosophy.

Check out this episode of The Football Coaching Podcast to find out the special teams schemes that have worked best for my teams. And how you can add them to your own football team.

Show Links

How do you get the most out of 7 on 7 football this off-season? Don’t waste your team’s time - follow these tips.

I’m not the biggest fan of 7 on 7, and that’s no secret. It’s not because it’s an offensive drill or because there’s anything wrong with the concept, either. It’s more about how 7 on 7 has evolved in the football landscape over the years.

But the truth is, 7 on 7 football can be really valuable for your team. It’s a chance to learn the route concepts, learn the coverage concepts, and get better as a football program. You just need to do it the right way. 

Check out these 10 tips for getting the most from 7 on 7 football this off-season. And remember, it doesn’t matter if you’re winning with no pads on in June.

Your 4-3 Defense Linebacker Reads are critical to your run stopping defense. Here’s how to get the job done.

The Miami 4-3 Defense has proved itself time and again to adapt to every change that offenses have thrown at it in the last 30+ years. At the core is a sound, aggressive defense that can play fast.

This episode of The Football Coaching Podcast looks at the Linebacker Reads for the 4-3 Defense System. We’ll talk about the options you have, the thought process I’ve been through over the last decade in testing different options, and how to coach the most effective Linebacker Reads I’ve learned for the 4-3 Defense.