This is one of the [tag]football drills defensive end[/tag] that we really liked this season. We call it the Defensive Gap Shoot drill. The objective is to get the [tag]defensive linemen[/tag] and blitzing linebackers to watch the [tag]football[/tag], fire off the ball low and hard, scrape down the line of scrimmage and make a tackle.
Here is how it works:
Two players line up like offensive linemen, 6 inch splits, then lean together so shoulders are almost touching forming a small gap between them. Coach lines up like a center on one side or the other and calls signals trying to draw the defensive lineman offsides.
When the [tag]football coach[/tag] snaps the ball, the defensive lineman “shoots the gap” low and hard. Once he shoots the gap he scrapes down the line of scrimmage toward a tackling dummy as fast as he can go and makes the tackle. Have each player shoot the gap two times in each direction.
This was another great opportunity to correct poor technique. We also teach the players who get hung up by the blockers to spin, swim, drag and/or bull rush to get through as fast as possible and scrape down that line.
As they get better at this [tag]football drill[/tag], you can crank up the difficulty by letting the blockers use their hands, and provide ever increasing resistance. You can also start timing them to see if they improve and or make a competition out of it.
This drill really paid dividends in the games.
