Coach -

Chances are that you will either be running a wide zone yourself or facing it at some point in the future.  It’s a play that teams use from the NFL through high school because of its ability to distort the defense and create running lanes for the back. The nature of the movement caused by the scheme makes it one of the best runs to execute RPO and Play Action off of as well.

Three offensive line experts, and original members of “The C.O.O.L. Clinic - Mushroom Society” know this play better than anyone and continue to innovate their coaching points and techniques on the play.

Let’s start with Jim “Mouse” McNally, long time NFL line coach, teaching the techniques on the front side of the play. (More on Coach McNally’s virtual session today later)

When blocking a defender aligned outside, the first step is critical. Done right it puts the blocker on the path to reach or distort that defender to open the running lane. The images show varying alignment techniques and the variations in technique required.  

The first shows a wide aligned defender. It starts with a drop step that allows the blocker to get on an angle that he can reach the defender or if the defender runs to stay outside, the lineman is in a position to use force to distort him out.

As the width of the defender alignment decreases, the drop step will still be deep to set an angle to cover the defender up, but the variation will be in the punch. In this example, McNally demonstrates the step and then a punch to the outside number:

In this next example, the defender is tightly aligned to head up. The drop step is executed, and then the blocker will rip with his backside arm to get in a position to avoid and climb to level 2 knowing that he has a lineman coming from behind. If the defender runs to not get reached, he will stay square on him and run him.

Coach McNally explains these techniques and more in this video (click on the image to play):

Video: Wide Zone

Taking it a step further, Paul Alexander believes the key to sustaining the block is the backside drag hand.  He learned from Alex Gibbs how the drag hand should be used to grab the inside of the chest plate. He teaches that in this video and includes a technique he learned from Howard Mudd on how to reach a wide aligned defender:

The wide zone is a team scheme. Everyone needs to do their job properly because the ball could actually hit behind any of their blocks. This is certainly true with the backside. Bob Wylie illustrates on video how Kevin Zeitler helps open a lane with his block as the backside guard by taking the defender past the “read spot of the back.” 

Since the 80’s these coaches have been getting together annually to continue to share ideas and innovate at the C.O.O.L. Clinic. 

The C.O.O.L. Clinic will be a highlight of 2024 for OL Coaches. That will be released soon.  

In the meantime, Coach McNally has opened his membership and has his first virtual session beginning tonight.

It’s a new concept on CoachTube with memberships being launched and coaches being able to offer their own clinic session, virtual consulting, and access to their courses.

Coach McNally is still on top of the game and innovating techniques that win against all of the different things defenses are throwing at us.

Check out the membership to his library and virtual clinics which begin tonight here “Coach McNally’s OL Learning Lab”.

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski