Youth Football Canadian Style, Yes They Do Love American Football in Canada (Part 2) :
Chilliwack offensive coordinator Lawrence Smith pointed out this
difference and then asked why we drop stepped when we pull. We drop step
to both create space for the pulling lineman to pull, but also to open
his hips in the direction he is running, while keeping the shoulders
parallel to the line of scrimmage in order that the puller can spy the
Linebacker he is attempting to block. Since there is a full yard between
the offensive and defensive linemen, there really isn't a need to
create space and the footwork for the pull may have to be rethought. In
American football, we have our linemen recessed a bit and we
consistently are able to play on the defenses side of the ball due to
superior technique and the painstaking work we put into getting our
first 2 steps down faster than our opponents. But with a full yard of
space, does a drop step still make sense? I'm still debating that one.
One
point that doesn't need to be debated is the offensive linemens angle
of attack. In the US, we preach a first inside step at a 30 degree
angle. But since the Canadians have that 1 yard cushion, I found the
angle of attack had to be adjusted a bit. Using the GOD rule, the
"inside gap" assignment block had to be made at a 45 degree attack angle
for the first 2 steps, while the "on" assignment had to be made at
about a 60 degree angle. Some things you just can't solve without having
some on the field hands on experience with.
The wider field
makes the option off of pressure on the Spinner 26 or Flash 26 a play
that makes a lot of sense and these kids executed it quite well. The
Canadians also allow you to motion multiple players and the motion can
be toward the line of scrimmage. If I were coaching in Canada, that
would mean a series where 2 backs were in downhill motion from opposite
directions meshing to a spinning fullback.
Hats off to the
Chilliwack organization and team. They showed up in force to practice
despite the fact that the entire area was in a frenzy over the Vancouver
Canucks NHL team playing on TV at the same time as we were practicing.
Vancouver is trying to win their first ever Stanley Cup and over 50,000
people were watching the game in downtown Vancouver on giant open air
screens. Every home in every neighborhood seemed to have 5-6 cars parked
in the driveway, getting together to watch the game. Yet this pocket of
dedicated football enthusiasts showed up ready to practice and we got
after it. Thanks again to all the great people in the Chilliwack area,
good football and great friendly football people.
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