In which we discuss the intricacies of offensive line technique on pulls
A couple of weeks ago Reader71 (who knows what he's talking about, and I hope chimes in) expressed his frustration in the Northwestern UFR with the footwork technique taught to the OL on pulls. The result was a helpful discussion to me, as it was something I (obviously) had never thought about before. It was in the context of Michael Onwenu, who appears to take a long time to cross the formation on his pulls.
The technique that was disliked is the crossover step. It's called a square pull or a power pull. The lineman puts his weight on the playside foot and shuffles the outside foot playside. Here is a video of Ed Warinner discussing a drill they use with some discussion of the technique:
That technique appears to be taught for one or two-gap pulls--short distances, situations where the lineman is a lead blocker through the hole. Warinner emphasizes the importance of being square to the linebackers as they go through the hole. Michigan isn't the only team that teaches this: here is a link to a video of Alabama (primarily a zone blocking team, FWIW) running a drill using the same footwork.
But as I watched other teams to try to understand why Michigan was using this technique, I learned that it's not a team-by-team issue but rather an issue regarding the types of pulls. Longer pulls for kickouts, traps, and such use the drop step, pivoting the lineman outward by pushing off the outside foot and giving him a good run in the correct direction. Short lead pulls use the square technique that faces them downfield toward the LB they want to hit.
Michigan clearly uses this dichotomy as well. On Higdon's long run, Onwenu takes a drop step and pulls across the line for a (poor) kickout:
On the many pin-and-pulls you can see Cesar Ruiz decisively pivoting on his outside foot and charging playside:
So, Michigan uses both techniques. If you follow links above, you'll also see that teams like Alabama use both.
I think the issue that was noticed early in the season is the choice of which technique to use on a given play. Michigan appears to use square pulls on power, which looks odd to a lot of people but seems to match with the "square to lead through the hole" philosophy of the technique.
On this play Onwenu looks bad because he has used a square pull technique to lead the RB through the hole, but winds up having to try to kick out a player that (as Brian griped about in UFR) Sean Mckeon failed to block down:
There's been a lot of criticism of Onwenu's pulling, and while it isn't necessarily spectacular I think a lot of the critique is based on plays like this. Onwenu has to awkwardly shoulder aside a guy in the backfield, but the design of the play intends for him to launch forward into the LB three yards downfield and erase him; instead he's stuck with a bad angle on a guy that is supposed to be blocked by someone else.
It might be reasonable to question if the staff has chosen the correct technique for their power plays. The guards are using crossover/square techniques to plunge into the hole, but they are covering a fair amount of lateral ground and can get caught in a wash.
Oddly, Michigan's well-rehearsed Down G play covers a relatively short distance, but the playside guard pull is a kickout block, so Michigan's guards use a drop step. From Seth's excellent Neck Sharpie:
So, I think this is a philosophical issue. Michigan is a shotgun zone team now. Power is a constraint, not a base play. Warinner is keeping stuff simple, and so the rule is simple: Square pull through the hole, drop step for kickouts and traps (and, perhaps, pulls outside of the tackle box, given how Michigan blocks the pin-and-pull zone). It keeps things simple.
I'm no pro here, so YMMV. I'm interested in thoughts from people who know what they're talking about.
October 29th, 2018 at 5:08 PM ^
we always stepped 'playside', not carry-yoka (spelling?). its what i've always taught, too. with tremendous respect for coach W., i'd be curious as to the 'why' of that pull technique.
October 29th, 2018 at 9:37 PM ^
I’m not expert at o line stuff by no means, but maybe carry yoka step creates the lineman to get deep behind center vs stepping playside first he could hit the back of center if center doesn’t get forward....just a thought on footwork
October 29th, 2018 at 10:01 PM ^
if my center isn't firing off and is instead getting stuffed in my backfield, i've got bigger problems than whether or not we're stepping playside or carry-yoka.
October 29th, 2018 at 11:21 PM ^
You'd have a bigger problem if he got rocked back into you and you had your legs crossed over each other. Ass over teakettle you go.
It's nonsense, and I won't have it.
October 30th, 2018 at 5:45 AM ^
thank you 71, my thoughts exactly.
EDIT: and now seeing what you wrote below, yes on all of that.
I would add that if a D reads the tendencies you've noted, then they would know to only flow over/blow up a gap or two away if the see the cross over. Another downside to this technique.
October 29th, 2018 at 10:22 PM ^
Not that it matters, but since you asked, the spelling is a "karaoke step." I don't know why he pronounces it in such a really weird way in the video. I also don't know why the step is called the same thing as sing-along songs for adults. Cheers.
October 29th, 2018 at 10:23 PM ^
It's "carioca".
October 30th, 2018 at 5:55 AM ^
i actually think it might be carry yolka, as in, carrying a yolk, like you do when carrying water for cattle when your pump is broken and you have a yolk on your shoulders [still cursing 3.0 for difficulty of adding pics. would put one here. please pretend you understand completely] balancing buckets on each side. the images i got when looking up your 'carioca' aren't what we're doing when i have guys getting limber and running 'carry yolka'. obviously more study and committee work is needed....
October 30th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
Yes.
It comes from the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro (called Carioca). The footwork is called that because it resembles a Samba dance step (Samba Carioca) invented by Carioca.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:18 PM ^
could be true. could be a great spoof. either way, i like this answer and will use it from now on at practice. "come on boys, lets samba!!"
October 30th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Carioca. It's a footwork exercise.
October 31st, 2018 at 9:27 PM ^
Yeah, it's "carioca." I never heard about the samba step thing before today, but we did carioca drills for warms up in wrestling practice more than twenty years ago so its definitely been around for while.
October 29th, 2018 at 5:16 PM ^
Thanks for the analysis! Super interesting.
October 29th, 2018 at 5:56 PM ^
This is really awesome stuff, thanks for sharing.
I would think that other coaches are seeing this too and using these as keys to defending UM. Does this help explain the extensive use of Down G?
Also, I'd be very curious to hear about OL footwork on reach blocks, and FB/TE footwork on whams and arcs. I imagine zone blocking is more about targeting the right man and less about footwork?
So many questions!
October 29th, 2018 at 6:20 PM ^
Really well done. I couldn't tell you the first difference between a Drevno line or Warinner line besides the results, so things like this are useful.
October 29th, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^
As usual a great post. Many things to think about from the OP.
Here is just one that jumped out (for no particular reason): At the end OP says "Michigan is a shotgun zone team now. Power is a constraint play."
Made me think of all the discussions on this board in years past about how Michigan could not be good at both zone and power blocking schemes. Limited practice time and reps. Gotta chose one ''identity" and get good at it. Etc. Etc.
Turns out that, at least this year, Michigan's o-line seems to be pretty good at both zone and power blocking schemes.
October 29th, 2018 at 7:34 PM ^
To some extent, yes. But Warinner is the man in charge here; that has become clear to me as I've tried to pick out the small details in the running game. He has always been a zone guy who can effectively use gap plays as a constraint. The gap plays Michigan runs this year are not last year's gap plays*. They don't run them often, and some things that were staples last year, like the guard-pull counter, are basically gone.
*Last year Michigan did use the drop step for pulls through the hole. Re-reading the UFR from Indiana--when Michigan's gap schemes emerged as the primary running play after the early-season flirtation with zone--is illuminating. Michigan was running power and counter. The guards were taking drop steps to hit the hole. And they were, with some regularity, getting caught in the wash and not making it to the hole. That might help explain why a guy like Warinner prefers the square pull for those plays.
October 29th, 2018 at 9:00 PM ^
In a way that is even more interesting.
Why? BC Michigan's run game started to get decent at some point (a bit past the mid-point of the season?) last year, even despite no real passing game threat.
And then this year the run game is also pretty good, and has gotten better week to week, but using a very different mix of base play concepts--more zone and a lot less of the gap stuff than last year.
Shows that it does not necessarily take forever for an o-line to get decent at running a very different set of base plays. That was another argument sometimes used in years past on why the M o-line was not great.
Maybe it is simple. Warinner is good at teaching this stuff.
October 29th, 2018 at 9:23 PM ^
I ran these types of pull steps in high school. We called them skip pulls and their purpose is to turn an offensive lineman into essentially a lead blocker. We would run it a lot on the play side when the tackle would block down as the guard skip pulled around him and would go get the play side linebacker. This allows an easy down block for the tackle and the guard the ability to get to the second level to cut off the backer. From the backside guard this could be used on a run so that the guard doesn't have the difficult job of cutting off a flowing, backside linebacker and instead can seal that man as a lead blocker through the hole.
The skip pull allows teams with athletic lineman the ability to take advantage of angles to get easier blocks, and help pulling lineman keep there shoulders square to the LOS if they're not kicking out with their pulls.
October 29th, 2018 at 10:29 PM ^
Played offensive line at the University of Chicago and I was taught both the square and skip pulls when I played. I thought I would log in and jump in here. I think your critique the of the skip pull (the pull where you crossover your backside foot behind your play side foot) is misplaced. Both pulls are effective for different run plays in football and are usually used differently depending on the play.
Square pulls are used to kick out the EMOL (End Man on Line, usually the DEnd) by opening up your hips and attacking them inside to out. Skip pulls are generally used to attack linebackers and the skip allows you to gain momentum and attack a defender a greater distance away. The skip step backward gives you depth that allows you to get a better angle in attacking the linebacker that the square pull doesn't give you. Staying square is extremely important as it allows you to stick on blocks longer because you are less likely to miss or get thrown off the block. You do give up some of your base and power by skipping (as you can see with that play by Onwenu) could lead you to get hit off balance if a player gets into you before you regain your base.
TL;DR: Both pulls are good for different plays where the OL is blocking a different defender. Warriner Good. OLine Good (knocks on wood)
October 29th, 2018 at 11:20 PM ^
Yeah, the crossover is used for when the lineman expect to lead up into the hole, like on power o. Theoretically, it lets him get his eyes on the linebacker, and also allows him to keep his shoulders square to the line, making turning into the hole easier. You couldn't run this technique on a short trap, or a kickout, because your shoulders wouldn't be facing your target.
And that's one of the main problems with using it even when running power! On something like 1/3 of power pulls, the pulling guard will not get to the man he's designed to block. The rule on the pull is to clean up anything that comes free on the way to your block, because it does you no good to pass up a first level defender trying to get to the 2nd level. This happens all the time -- someone misses a block, they have a run blitz on, etc. And if the fullback gets lost in the wash, you've got to make the kickout block. This is near impossible if your shoulders aren't facing down the line.
And on the other 2/3 of power pulls, in which you actually can get to your target man, the crossover step puts you in a tough position -- your center of gravity is high. Try bringing your legs together without popping up. That linebacker comes downhill hard, and you're not in optimal position to hit him.
It's a matter of physics -- it is easier to turn up into the hole if you take the drop step and turn down the line than it is to turn out and make an emergency kickout block when you take a crossover step and face the 2nd level.
I urge you all to stand up where you are and do a demonstration. Take your first crossover step (I know they call it other things, but I refuse to use euphemism here. Your feet cross over, something no lineman should ever do) and now imagine someone flying through the hole. See how difficult it is to get depth with your second step and turn your shoulders out to get him (see the clipped play above, where Onwenu can't get him and Higdon is stopped short)? Now take a drop step, and imagine someone flying through the hole in exactly the same way. You are facing right at him. He's dead. Now, imagine no one there -- see how easy it is to plant your left foot, turn your shoulders a bit, and lead through the hole?
Warriner is a good coach. Alabama is a good team. This technique is 2nd best, period. Even if the Good Lord came down from on high and told me to run the crossover step, I'd offer to sacrifice my only male child instead.
October 29th, 2018 at 11:36 PM ^
I really don't feel I'm qualified to have an opinion on this level, but the time I've spent looking at some of this (and looking at Michigan's guards constantly doing drop steps and getting caught in the wash on the way to the hole last year--seriously, it happened a bunch of times) makes me think that there's a good reason Warinner uses this for power.
But if I have a different opinion than you it's only because you made me think about this stuff in the first place, so your opinion is highly-weighted and extremely valued. I'm glad you dropped in. Other than seeing Michigan perform better now, while coincidentally using the crossover step, I'm agnostic about which is superior. But I thought it was interesting to look at what is actually being done.
October 29th, 2018 at 11:52 PM ^
I don't doubt that, last year, the pulling guards often got caught up in the wash on power when running the drop step. I'm actually kind of arguing in favor of that. I'd rather have Onwenu get caught up on Mason's defender in the above-clipped video than what actually happened. If he was using the drop step, he would have been in position to move the guy, and maybe Higdon can make a play. Instead, he gets no movement on the guy, still doesn't get to the 2nd level, and Higdon has no chance.
It all goes back to first principles -- block the first level as best you can, and get the running back to make a play on the 2nd level. This is why, even if our guys were getting caught up last year, we still ran power pretty well, because the first level was blocked.
I'm also being facetiously strident here. If we keep running the ball well, it's all good. I just cannot be convinced that this is the better technique under any situations which are not 100% optimal, as drawn up on the chalkboard.
Maybe if everyone else throws a perfect block and the defense plays it absolutely straight up, the crossover is marginally quicker through the hole. But those plays are few and far in between. Indeed, we've seen an alarming number of plays in which our power pullers cannot adjust to a kickout block. Our tight ends, for all of their strengths, are not great blockers at the point of attack, and so our guards will have to be able to make those kickouts on a regular basis. And that's only one eventuality in which the drop step is the better option.
I'm only partly joking when I say that I am confident that I could convince Warriner to change his mind if he let me bend his ear for a minute. It's physics.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:06 AM ^
I love the passion and upvoted the post for its quality. But I disagree. Stanford used to use the skip pull (not sure if they still do), Bama, some NFL teams...it makes sense for some plays. Not only can you quickly get depth and width while keeping your shoulders square, you can see your target much more clearly.
Like any technique, it takes repetition to master and I’d bet Warinner has our guys proficient by next year.
FWIW, I think it’s most effective when your splits are tighter and there is less ground to cover for exactly the reasons you describe. But the flip side of that coin is just as true. Getting a head of steam moving horizontally decreases your vertical force through the hole as a lead blocker. The skip pull helps solve that by getting your hips square to your target.
But I would not die on the hill of the skip pull being universally better. I just think it has its uses.
October 30th, 2018 at 12:18 AM ^
It's use is to be the 2nd best technique (out of 2).
I'm a bit doctrinaire on this issue, as you might be able to tell.
October 30th, 2018 at 1:50 AM ^
On that play vs. SMU, Owenu should have let that guy go. All mason had to do was use his momentum against him and take him right out of the play.
October 30th, 2018 at 6:50 AM ^
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stjij7WGCgE
I'd rather be shuffling.
You might still want to coach up your plant foot when starting your drive forward ... inside or outside drive foot might help establish a preferred angle, but you'd have to sit there and watch it some before you'd know.
If you're not flipping your hips and then running, crossing your feet is always a bad thing.
This is true of any sport at any time.
But, what do I know?
October 30th, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
They're both square -- in a manner of speaking.
The carioca step is designed to keep the pulling lineman square to the line of scrimmage, and more importantly, square to the linebacker.
The drop-step pull is designed to get the pulling lineman heading east-west, and therefore square and ready for a kickout. Aside from the difference in footwork, a part of the technique is for the lineman to drive his playside elbow backward and up. The force of this elbow pull is designed to get the lineman quickly out of his three-point stance and immediately facing east-west.
Here's Wariner describing the pull, and you'll hear him a few seconds into the drill mention the driving elbow as one of the key ingredients to this technique; then he repeats "drive the right elbow back" when they switch the direction of the drill.
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