Offensive Line Terminology

Understanding The Terminology and Technique

Whether we are scouting an individual player or an entire offensive or defensive scheme, it is essential to understand the terminology. There are a lot of variables that come into play when you are scouting a player or a team from player personnel groupings to formations and situations. Still, it is the language, understanding, and the delivery of that information that will make the most significant difference when creating a scouting report. Below, we define individual player scouting terminology that defines what technical aspects of the position you should try to identify when scouting. As we move forward in this series, we plan to include more in-depth information in regards to how we scout a team or an individual player.

Positional Breakdown

The offensive line positions are the most uniform positions in football and are defined as follows:

Left Tackle- LT

Left Guard- LG

Center- C

Right Guard- RG

Right Tackle- RT

Offensive Line Terminology and Technique Definitions

Initial Quickness- Quickness off of the snap of the football.

Knee Bend- The Player demonstrates a natural bend. Player Can bend and gain leverage or needs to improve. The Player shows a natural bend.

Explosion- Player bends at the knee, not the waist, exhibits powerful leg drive, can roll hips or cannot roll hips, strong, strikes his defender and blows him off of the football, can fire, fit, and follow through his defender.

Hands- Player exhibits proper hand placement has a good punch, stab, quickness, and displays the ability to control defender.

Body Control and Ability to Recover- Player can redirect and redistribute weight quickly to gain leverage over the defender. The Player can regain control of his body and rebalance.

Pass Protection- Can set quickly, can redirect and recover naturally. The Player exhibits an aggressive ability to engage with the defender. Can stay square, and mirror defender. The Player can react and pick up a blitz. The Player has light feet and moves well.

Run Block- Can quickly get into position and engage defender. Effectively gains leverage.

Downfield Blocking- Can adjust and sustain block in Space.

Ability to Pull, or Trap- The Player can exhibit good footwork and movement. The Player shows the ability to kick out and or log block. The Player finishes.

Reach and Seal- Shows a sudden ability to gain leverage. The Player shows the ability to cut off and seal defenders quickly.

Finishes and Sustains- Player exhibits a good base, balance, and footwork while maintaining body control. Plays through the whistle.

Anchor- Player has size, strength, balance, base, and ability to drop weight.

Lateral Range- Initial quick set, lateral feet slide to block speed rusher.

Long or Short Snap- Snap timing

Blocking Scheme Strength- Zone or Gap

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