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Youth Football Tips for the Defensive Lineman

To become a good football defensive lineman, it is important at an early age to practice the fundamentals over and over through football drills customized to improve the specific skills and athleticism needed.

Author: Trevor A. Sumner
Date: Sep 3, 2009 - 7:37:19 AM

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To become a good football defensive lineman, it is important at an early age to practice the fundamentals over and over through football drills customized to improve the specific skills and athleticism needed. A few football defensive linemen drills are listed below but you can find many more free football defensive lineman skills & drills videos and tutorials online at websites like Weplay.com .

The key fundamentals of a football defensive lineman are a solid stance, power coming off the line, an escape technique, and ball pursuit. In addition, a youth football defensive lineman will need to work on reading the offense for recognizing and implementing blitzing opportunities. Defensive linemen are usually smaller than their offensive line counterparts, which is why defensive line player attributes include speed, agility, and strength. The ability to gain leverage over a larger foe is an important quality.

Three Essentials to Football Defensive Line Play

1. Stance - the youth football defensive lineman must learn to position his body correctly to allow for quick, powerful movements in any direction. His weight distribution should be leaning forward and balanced on the balls of his feet. A staggered stance will provide balance and power.
2. Neutralize the Attack - the offensive lineman is going to come at the defensive lineman hard. The aspiring defensive lineman must learn to meet and overcome this attack by shedding the blocker and pursing the play. Must learn to gain position on his opponent and use leverage to throw him off his game. Using the defensive line form drill, you can practice meeting the offensive linemen's attack explosively and head on.
3. Escape and Pursuit - as mentioned above, an effective defensive lineman must learn to shed his blocker quickly and pursue the ball carrier. If the quarterback is in possession of the football, then the defensive lineman should pressure him out of the pocket or attempt a sack. Watch for any holes in the line that a running back can take advantage of and close it quickly.

Tips for Rushing the Passer

• Learn to recognize a passing play by field position, down, and distance to a first down.
• Once recognized, move quickly and decisively when you come off the line.
• Neutralize the blocker, escape, and pursue the quarterback.
• Force him out the pocket and get the quarterback scrambling. It makes it harder for him to find receivers and easier for you or your teammates to sack.
• Keep your shoulder low and in front of your feet to prevent blockers from hitting underneath you.
• Always keep your eyes on your target (in this case the quarterback, in others, the running back) while you battle for position.
• If the quarterback is ready to throw, get your hands up to block the pass or to force him to throw over you. This can set up some nice interception possibilities.
• If the quarterback gets a pass thrown, then break in the direction of the ball. Be ready to block in case of an interception or get in on the tackle if the pass is complete.

Like all youth football drills, practicing these and other drills help make the defensive fundamentals second nature to the youth player. While many defensive lineman drills require contact, many can be practiced off the football field too, whether in your back yard or out in the park.

View all articles by Trevor A. Sumner

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