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US Sports Football - Win Downfield - Attacking Different Areas Deep with 3rd Level RPO and Las Vegas Raiders vs Los Angeles Chargers Game Highlights

 

• By Coach Grabowski

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For teams that are RPO-heavy in their attack, the defense will start to take away conflict by bringing a safety down into the box

either pre-snap by alignment or by rotation in buzzing a safety down into the box.

With this move, they effectively equate numbers in the run, and the underneath passing windows are typically left open by a 2nd level player whose run-fits are now taken away.

This creates the necessity of having vertical answers.  An offense can drop back and use seam reads or choice routes, but the objective of any RPO is to run the ball while having a protection answer.

Of course, the RPO can remain the call by simply shifting to a 3rd Level RPO. Most of these are designed with some sort of underneath throws still available with quick routes or key screens.  When the offense is successful with these, then the defense needs to decide if it really wants to bring that extra defender down.

Today, we will take a look at three 3rd Level RPO with the Glance, Bender, and Slot Fade and how each attacks a void in the defense.

Glance

If the backside safety comes down, then Glance is a favorite for many programs.  These typically are run as a 5-step break. 

Glance can be run to the field as well. At Alabama, they call it “pop.” The idea is to attack space as Alabama WR Coach Holmon Wiggins points out in this video:

Glance is fine to the field as well, but you have to be wary of the backside safety.  Noel Mazzone has his receivers flatten it out to what he calls a grass glance.  The purpose is to not bring the Glance into the safety. He explains it in this video:

Bender

Another option is to use a Bender route allowing the receiver to bend into the void rather than giving a distinct break.  This type of route comes into play versus different rotations but it allows the offense to attack a void in the middle of the defense with an easy throw.  Former Averett OC Kirkland Brown explains it off of a gap scheme in this video:

Slot Fade

Glance and Bender bring the receivers into the middle of the field, so safeties are always a danger, but the slot fade attacks a different void of the defense and can be protected with back shoulder throws as well.

Former SDSU OC Jeff Hecklinski explains the Slot Fade RPO here:

Defenses are getting better and better in how they defend RPO.  Having a mechanism to attack their aggressiveness can provide answers and explosive plays.

Planning for some 3rd Level RPO answers can be an effective way to get the chalk back for the offense.

All kids deserve a chance to play #YouthSports – regardless of their ability. Help expand inclusive programs as part of the National Youth Sports Strategy from @HealthGov: https://bit.ly/2lQ85f6

US Sports Football: Pete Golding - Game Planning Alternative Formations And Ole Miss Rebels vs. LSU Tigers Condensed Game

 

by Angelo Clinic

Discover Pete Golding's insights into game preparation for uncommon formations.

Gain access to exclusive game film analyses and detailed explanations of defensive adjustments.

Learn firsthand from Golding's presentation at Angelo Clinic, enhancing your understanding of strategic defensive planning for varied formations.

In this course, he covers:

• Defining Alternative Formations
• Empty
• CK Laser
• MOF Coverage
• And much, much more

Join us to elevate your defensive coaching skills with Golding's expertise!

The Coach

Angelo Clinic

Pete Golding joined Ole Miss as defensive coordinator in January 2023, transitioning from a successful five-year stint at Alabama in the same role. During his tenure at Alabama, Golding's defensive prowess was evident as the Crimson Tide consistently ranked among the top 20 in scoring defense nationally and achieved top-10 rankings in either scoring or total defense four times. His leadership was pivotal in molding standout players like Will Anderson Jr., a two-time Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner and unanimous All-American.

At Ole Miss, Golding's arrival brings a wealth of experience marked by his ability to develop formidable defenses. His track record includes impressive achievements such as leading UTSA's defense to top rankings in the FBS and guiding programs like Southeastern Louisiana to conference titles and successful bowl game appearances. Golding's coaching journey reflects a commitment to excellence and a knack for building strong defensive units that consistently perform at a high level.

US Sports Football - Gifts From Grinch And 3-star RB Corey Hinton Jr helps Bishop Gorman down Mater Dei Presented on US Sports by Puma

 

• By Coach Grabowski

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When you think of the character “the Grinch,” you think of “stingy.” That’s exactly what Alex Grinch has done over his career with his defenses.  They’ve definitely been miserly in allowing yards and points at each of his stops, but we do have a gift for you in this email with some great insight from the Sooners’ defensive coordinator.

Alex Grinch is one of the top defensive coaches in the country. He was hired as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma in January 2019 and oversaw a defensive turnaround that included the Sooners leading the Big 12 in total defense in league play.

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Grinch was confident in coming to OU that he would help orchestrate a turnaround on defense. It was something he did at Wazzu. He also had the opportunity to learn from Mike Leach.

Learning from Leach

While serving as the defensive coordinator for Mike Leach, Grinch learned an important lesson from the offense that he applied to defense. He stated it as,

“You have a system. You work at the system, you don’t vary from

the system, and you get really really good.”

For him it all starts with a sound philosophy. It is the foundation of the system that they believe in. He gives an overview in this short video:

To get really good at the defensive system, Grinch places a premium on his players getting maximum repetitions, and one of their coaching methods is their run-thru drill in which they are able to stress their players mentally while preserving them physically.  They are able to get 100 reps in a 30 minute period. This is a great idea for any defense, especially as you get deeper into the season.

Here’s his overview of run thru drill in this video:

Window Dressing

Another aspect of offense that taught Grinch a lesson that he applies to the Sooner defense is that of window dressing. Grinch asked himself’

“Why are we married to fronts if offenses aren’t married to formations?”

That major takeaway and thought process allows the Sooners to flip the table on the offense and stress them with window dressing and movement. Grinch notes, “We are not married to front, we are married to finish.” With the way they run their defense, they can line up and be very multiple up front while running the same stunts and blitzes over and over.

Here’s an example of what Grinch means in this video:

In those three short videos, there’s useful information for any defensive coach. Get the full course from Alex Grinch here, and be sure to check out some more outstanding courses below.

Courses from Top Coaches:

Ed Orgeron, LSU - Building a Championship Program

James Franklin, Penn State - Building a Winning Culture

Tom Herman, Texas - Play Action Pass and Break Contain

Dave Aranda, Baylor - Defending the Spread Offense

Larry Fedora, Baylor - Building an Offensive Game Plan

Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma - Oklahoma Offense

Chris Ash, Texas - Texas Tackling Situations

Mike Yurcich, Texas - Intermediate Drop Back Passing Game

David Bailiff - Rice, Building a Defense

Jeff Traylor - UTSA, Begin with the End in Mind

Drew Svboda, Rice - Inside Zone from the RB Perspective

Monty Gibson - Texas A&M, Transferring Weight Room to the Field

Clay Helton - USC, USC Football

Graham Harrell - USC, The Harrell Effect

Tyrone Nix, UTSA - UTSA Defense

Chad Glasgow, TCU - Developing a Winning Team as an Assistant Coach

Mike Bloomgren, Rice - Moving a Man from A to B

Want to help kids find sports they love? Sign up to be a coach or volunteer in a local youth sports program. Learn more ways to support youth sports in the National Youth Sports Strategy: https://bit.ly/2lIHPUc

US Sports Baseball: How To Become The Ideal Leadoff Man And PHILLIES vs. METS: Official Full Game Highlights

 

• By Brandon Ogle

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Simply put, you can’t describe a leadoff man with just one skill. Analysts

will typically say they prefer certain attributes, but the truth is they

need to possess a little bit of everything. Legendary leadoff man Kenny

Lofton once said, “You can’t put your shoes on without your socks.

Everything works together – shoes, socks, pants and shirts. If one is

missing, you’re in trouble.” This analogy is referring to the varying

skillsets needed to effectively be the man at the top.

High On-Base Percentage

First and foremost, leadoff men need to be able to get on base. Their

primary responsibility is to give the power bats an opportunity to drive

in some runs, which is what they do best. However, the important thing

to understand here is that there are many ways to get on base. The on-

base percentage statistic shouldn’t be confused with batting average. In

general terms, it is calculated on every time you reach base by way of a

hit, walk or hit by pitch. So, with this being the case, leadoff men need to

be creative in getting on. Some guys possess the speed to bunt

frequently and get on. Another scenario would be ones with a

discerning eye that are tough to strikeout, while others are pure hitters

that can hit to all fields. There are many ways to get on, but coaches are

generally just going to be worried about whether or not you get on.

Energized

Since leadoff man possess the opportunity to get the entire dugout

amped up right away, they need to be an energizing presence. Often

times, I refer to this as the leadoff man having a certain level of swagger.

I’m not saying they should do something to show the pitcher up, but

rather get the game started in a positive manner. Whether it be working

a 10-pitch walk or beating out an infield single, there are many

possibilities. Hitting is a contagious trait and when you see people

before you having success off a pitcher right off the bat, it can lead to

good fortunes for the rest of the squad. As for the actual characteristic of

being an energetic player, it’s reliant solely on production and

personality. For the personality side, you can’t really teach this, it

mainly comes down to the person. However, production can be

developed through experience in the game.

Fast on the Base Paths

One trait that often comes to people’s mind immediately when thinking

about leadoff men is their speed. You’re almost never going to see

someone that’s not fleet-of-foot in the opening spot. There are many

situations where this speed comes in play. First, it allows them to beat

out bunts and infield grounders to increase that on-base percentage.

Next, they can steal bases more easily to put themselves in scoring

position for the power bats behind them. Finally, they can take extra

bases on hits, such as going to first to third. Each of these plays can

greatly affect a game. The offseason is a great time to improve this speed

if you believe it is something holding you back from manning the leadoff

spot. There are many ways to do so, but I urge practicing 100 meter

sprints on the track. 100 meters are long enough to ensure you can

accelerate quickly and keep top speed going for longer distances. In

addition, you should practice you’re reaction time and how you’ll time

jumps. This may come from agility exercises or even watching others

appropriately time jumps.

Patient at the DishDish

One aspect of the on-base percentage discussed above is the ability to

secure walks and work the counts. Unless you’re like the Kansas City

Royals’ Alcides Escobar, a leadoff man should work the pitcher and

make him throw plenty of pitches. Sometimes, the first pitch might be a

fastball thrown right down the middle. In these instances, it might be

wise to be first-pitch swinging. However, other times, the pitcher will

try to get you to swing at something outside the zone. It is at these times

where a leadoff man should possess the ability to utilize a discerning

eye and work the count. Another element to keep in mind is the concept

of good outs. Occasionally, these can include outs that move the runner

up a base, while it can also be ones that make the pitcher work and tax

his or her pitch count. Even if you get out, making the pitcher throw 10-

plus pitches can get him or her out of the game quicker.

Being disciplined at the dish is critical to a leadoff man’s job. This video

from former Major Leaguer Gary Gaetti goes over many of the

fundamentals to successful hitting. Don’t ignore the basics; they’re at the

crux of all great hitters!

Occasional Powerower

While I’ve discussed extensively the element of leadoff men getting on

base consistently, it also doesn’t hurt for them to be able to have a little

pop. Even the speedy Juan Pierre, who once stole 68 bases in a season,

hit 18 home runs over his MLB career. To back this up, it isn’t

uncommon for leadoff men today to hit around 10 homeruns each

season. This can provide a little more power to the lineup as a whole, as

well as keep the defense honest. They can’t be cheating up while

expecting a short hit or else they could fall victim to a shot over their

head. In saying this, leadoff men need to stay focused and remember

they’re not in the lineup to hit it deep. They’re still considered a table

setter, but when the opportunity’s right, they can take a big rip.

Positions Played?yed?

The last section I’ll discuss is the positions often occupied by leadoff

men. While technically, any player can hold the leadoff position, we

typically see some more than the others. These positions include second

base, shortstop and center field. Part of the reason for this is since these

are usually position that require plus-defenders. In addition, these

positions are filed with players that are pretty good athletes and

possess above-average speed. With this section, I’m not intending that

you have to play these positions to hit leadoff, but rather that the

skillsets between the two roles usually intertwine.

Non-StopStop

When describing a leadoff man, I’m usually looking for someone that

can always be counted on and plays with non-stop consistency. Since

they often occupy a defensively difficult position, they need to be on top

of their game every time they’re on the field. This includes always

knowing the situation and when your team is desperate for a base

runner. With this said, in the end, the majority of this role comes down

to the ability to set the table for the power bats!

View more of our hitting courses and become a great leadoff hitter:

50 Things a Hitter Needs to Do to Be Successful at the Plate by MLB vet Luis Ortiz

The 10 Base Running Drills Every Coach Needs with Steve Nicollerat

Pro Hitting & Generating Power by Nick Giaquinto

Sports help kids #GetActive and learn new skills – but don’t forget about fun! Learn about @HealthGov’s National Youth Sports Strategy and help make fun the top priority in #YouthSports: https://bit.ly/2lIHPUc