Seems a lort of people don't understand OL play. In a poll I took a few months back, 50% of the respondants said they never played any organized football and 30% played just high school. Only 20% played college ball and half of that was small college, leaving just 10% that played major college ball.
I played right guard just in high school, a small one at that, and a long time ago. My career ended with two torn ligaments in my right knee....but to be honest, there was little college demand for a 5' 10" 175 lb lineman. So I have no idea what current big time football is like but I can give some insight.
So your in a huddle and the QB calls for a 36 Blast Reverse G. That means QB fakes the handoff with his right hand to the tailback going to the left of center and then gives the ball with his left hand to the slot back, who had lined up on the left end, as he cuts behind the line and then turns up between the rt tackle and the rt tight end in a short reverse play.
As you leave the huddle you see how the D is lined up and you figure your blocking assignment. The center will usually make a blocking call. As you get down in your stance, the QB sees a weakness in the D and calls an audible. That changes all the blocking and the linemen call out new assignments. Just then, the D shifts and new blocking assignments are made again, just before the snap.. Thats three blocking schemes in a couple seconds and every one has to know each.
To do all of that takes smarts, experience, practice, and faith in each other. And thats just a small part of it. Say your assigned to block the linebacker. You see where he is lined up but he won't be there when you get there You must know how your backfield is moving and how the LB will react to movement, fake handoffs, or a QB pump fake. If the backs start left he will move that direction. You must move into a position to where he is going to be, not where he starts. And if he blitzes or the D has a stunt on, the blocking assignment will change, for the fourth time, as the play unfolds.
Watch the famous Mauti hold against the Buckeyes a couple years back. and watch our middle LB. The left guard is assigned to block him and fires out to hit him where the LB lined up. But the middle LB blitzes forward and the LG missed. He then stuck out his arm and hooked the LB. Thus a lineman needs to know his assigned block, how the backfield is moving, and how the D man will react......and do that knowing what each other lineman is doing.
It takes tons of experience and practice to do this at full speed as it needs to be done instinctively. If you need to think about your assignment, or what the backfield is doing, or what the guy next to you is doing, that will make you about half a step slow. And a half a step is enough to miss a block since at full speed, a half step is about three feet. While your are thinking, your opponent is reacting.
This is what a player means when he is 'in the zone.' He means his body just took over and flowed and reacted without thinking. Its all instinct and training Thats also what happens when the game 'slows down.' Its suddenly not a mad rush of bodies flying around but seems like a slower, normal speed liking walking down a crowded sidewalk.
Again, I played just high school a long time ago. I am positive it is way more complicated now in major college ball and I welcome other input. End of Part I. If that helped, read Part II
I played right guard just in high school, a small one at that, and a long time ago. My career ended with two torn ligaments in my right knee....but to be honest, there was little college demand for a 5' 10" 175 lb lineman. So I have no idea what current big time football is like but I can give some insight.
So your in a huddle and the QB calls for a 36 Blast Reverse G. That means QB fakes the handoff with his right hand to the tailback going to the left of center and then gives the ball with his left hand to the slot back, who had lined up on the left end, as he cuts behind the line and then turns up between the rt tackle and the rt tight end in a short reverse play.
As you leave the huddle you see how the D is lined up and you figure your blocking assignment. The center will usually make a blocking call. As you get down in your stance, the QB sees a weakness in the D and calls an audible. That changes all the blocking and the linemen call out new assignments. Just then, the D shifts and new blocking assignments are made again, just before the snap.. Thats three blocking schemes in a couple seconds and every one has to know each.
To do all of that takes smarts, experience, practice, and faith in each other. And thats just a small part of it. Say your assigned to block the linebacker. You see where he is lined up but he won't be there when you get there You must know how your backfield is moving and how the LB will react to movement, fake handoffs, or a QB pump fake. If the backs start left he will move that direction. You must move into a position to where he is going to be, not where he starts. And if he blitzes or the D has a stunt on, the blocking assignment will change, for the fourth time, as the play unfolds.
Watch the famous Mauti hold against the Buckeyes a couple years back. and watch our middle LB. The left guard is assigned to block him and fires out to hit him where the LB lined up. But the middle LB blitzes forward and the LG missed. He then stuck out his arm and hooked the LB. Thus a lineman needs to know his assigned block, how the backfield is moving, and how the D man will react......and do that knowing what each other lineman is doing.
It takes tons of experience and practice to do this at full speed as it needs to be done instinctively. If you need to think about your assignment, or what the backfield is doing, or what the guy next to you is doing, that will make you about half a step slow. And a half a step is enough to miss a block since at full speed, a half step is about three feet. While your are thinking, your opponent is reacting.
This is what a player means when he is 'in the zone.' He means his body just took over and flowed and reacted without thinking. Its all instinct and training Thats also what happens when the game 'slows down.' Its suddenly not a mad rush of bodies flying around but seems like a slower, normal speed liking walking down a crowded sidewalk.
Again, I played just high school a long time ago. I am positive it is way more complicated now in major college ball and I welcome other input. End of Part I. If that helped, read Part II
