Coach ,

At the 3rd Annual Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic, Herb Hand shared his insights on effective communication, strategy, and techniques to protect the quarterback. If you’ve ever attended or viewed a Herb Hand clinic, you know he delivers! Here’s what he had to share about six man pass protection.

Effective Communication in Protection

He started with a powerful quote on communication which emphasizes the importance of communication in the offensive line room, citing the George Bernard Shaw quote, "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." Ensuring proper communication during a play and in the meeting room is crucial for a successful protection. The coach, as leader of the meeting room, must take responsibility for making sure everyone is on the same page and understands their roles on the field. 

All 11 Protect the Quarterback

Coach Hand pointed out that so often the line takes the blame for when the QB is hit or sacked. He wants to ensure that all of his offensive linemen block the correct defender and do their jobs. The reality is that a receiver not knowing he is hot, or breaking at the wrong point, the QB not knowing what unblocked defender is his, or the back making an error account for those pressures and sacks as well. He notes that the OL Coach needs to lead everyone in this regard and understand their role in protecting the QB.

He explains it in this video:

Video: Protection is All 11

Understanding the Launch Point

The concept of the launch point is crucial in understanding technique, fundamentals, and leverage for proper pass protection. In a six-man protection, the launch point is typically eight to six yards from the line of scrimmage. Knowing the launch point helps the offensive line protect the quarterback more effectively.

Offensive Line Protection Strategy

Coach Hand stressed the importance of knowing your personnel (KYP), trusting your BOB set, and understanding when and how to set to your help. Evaluating the defensive linemen and creating a highlight film of them helps the offensive line prepare for their opponents. Understanding the number one twist and how to set to it in order to properly defend and block it is crucial.

Drill Examples

Coach Hand shared his progression which included these drills:

-Christmas Tree

-Torque Wheels

-Variations of Drills

-Protection Run Thrus

-Break the Long Arm

Here’s a Coach Hand on the Christmas Tree Drill

Video: Christmas Tree Drill

Drills need to correlate to the game and show up on film. Coach Hands explains how drills like the Christmas Tree Drill come into play to defeat techniques like the long arm in this video:

Video: Break the Long Arm

Improving your protection is critical for an offense to be fully operational. Effective communication, understanding the launch point, implementing offensive line technique and skill development that translate to game day are all vital factors in achieving this goal. 

Thank you to Coach Hand for the time (nearly two hours) and detail that he put into this clinic to support a great cause.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. Be sure to check out Coach Hand’s C.O.O.L. Clinic presentation: Teaching Vertical Displacement Double Teams with Crowther Sled + Game Film