elindholm

Hi All,

I'm not much of a football fan, so please be kind if this question is incredibly stupid and obvious.

Are there differences in what kind of blocking is allowed from offensive linemen in running plays versus passing plays? I thought someone told me once that, on a running play, the offensive lineman are allowed to make contact in a different way, or beyond the line of scrimmage, or with more holding, or something.

If the blocking is different, then shouldn't that tip off the defense for any play action, or option, or other trick play? If it looks like a run, but the offensive linemen are pass-blocking, then shouldn't the defense know immediately that it's really a pass?

It seems like the defensive players could all have microphones in their helmets, and as soon as someone on the sideline notices the pass-blocking, he'd yell "pass" and everyone would know to stop looking for the run. I was thinking about this specifically last week on that trick play where a running back (sorry, don't remember the team) took the ball on an option and threw a touchdown pass to the right edge of the end zone. It shouldn't have been a surprise once he reared back to throw.

AzCards21

Are you referring to how far a lineman can get down the field?

On a running play once the ball crosses the Line of scrimmage it's a free for all and the linemen can run anywhere.

On a passing play where the QB still has the ball behind the line of scrimmage if a lineman gets too far down field he will be penalized for being an inelligible receiver.

Someone else can give you a more detailed explanation I'm sure.

Ouchie-Z-Clown

that's not entirely correct. the differences in legalities for blocking IS based on downfield verses non-downfield, but not quite as it was just explained.

basically, on a run you can block downfield. an olineman need not wait for the ball to cross the line of scrimmage to block downfield. on a pass you may not block downfield until the ball has been released. that's why lineman fire out on running plays and fire into their opponent and then back up on passing plays.

now, as elindholm indicates, this should give away the play, right? well, that's what delays, draws, and screen passes are all about. the lineman drop back as if they're pass blocking, dlineman rush the passer, and then, BOOM, the runningback squirts past them on a delay, or, on a screen, the olineman actually only give a chip block to the dlineman and then let them go, just enough to make the dlineman think they beat their block and rush headlong at the qb, all the while the olinemen who just made the chip block drift towards the flat, making certain not to drift downfield, then the qb, backpedalling like mad to further entice the on-rushing dlineman, bloops the ball over to the runningback in the flat who, hopefull, has a wall of olineman in front of him, who, once the runningback catches the ball, then are allowed to run and block downfield.

faking run blocking on an actual pass is much more difficult.

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AzCards21

Ouchie is correct. I should have worded the running play differently.

elindholm

Okay, thanks Ouchie. Later today when I have more energy, I'll get that split into sentences so that I can make sense of it.

But yeah, it was mainly fake runs that are really passes that I was wondering about. I'm pretty clear on how screen passes work, although it always amuses me that the dlineman doesn't think about how "easily" he got by the olineman.

Ouchie-Z-Clown

ah, but the good ones usually do and sniff out, and blow up the screens. we have no dlineman that are good "sniffers." (although this year, much more so than the past we've not been burned as badly by the screen, i'll credit the team with growth).

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