Trench Lab · Coach Jay Freeman
How to get better
at the line.
17 free technique guides for offensive and defensive linemen — written by Coach Jay Freeman, 32 years coaching the trenches off the Mudd / McNally coaching tree. Real reps, not relatable jokes. It starts with the line.
O-Line · Fundamentals
Offensive line hand placement: independent hands, inside leverage
Strike with independent hands, not two at once. The inside hand lands first inside the defender's chest plate for leverage; the outside hand follows to frame the shoulder. Keep both hands inside the defender's frame, thumbs up, and reset whichever hand loses placement — one weapon at a time.
Read the guide →Offensive line stance: 2-point vs 3-point, and how to set it
A good offensive line stance has a flat back, knees bent around 120°, eyes up, and a slight foot stagger (about 4 inches). Coach Jay Freeman has run the 2-point stance as his default since 2018 because it lets you see the whole front and fire off the ball; the 3-point stance puts a hand down with about 60/40 weight for short-yardage and base run blocking.
Read the guide →How to get off the ball faster: the power step
Get off the ball faster with a short, hard first step — about six inches, straight at your target — not a long reach step. Power comes from a violent first step that slaps the ground, snap anticipation off the ball (not the cadence), and weight on the balls of your feet in your stance. Overstriding on the first step kills your power and balance.
Read the guide →Pad level and leverage: why low man wins
Low man wins because the lineman with the lower pad level gets under his opponent's pads and controls the leverage — he can lift and drive while the taller man has nothing to push against. Play low by bending your knees and ankles (not your back), keeping a flat back with your hips loaded under you, and striking up through the defender. Bend your knees, not your waist.
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O-Line · Pass Protection
How to pass block: the set, the anchor, and reading the rush
To pass block, fire off the snap into a 45° set that keeps your inside foot square to the rusher, strike with independent hands (inside hand for leverage, outside hand to frame), and anchor by sinking your hips and widening your base against power. Then mirror the rusher — he can only do one of four things.
Read the guide →The rusher does one of four things
Coach Jay Freeman's pass-protection framework simplifies every rep: the rusher can only do one of four things — bull rush (power), speed rush (edge), speed-to-power, or counter back inside. Your job is to read which one with your eyes, cover it with your feet, and keep your hands loaded to strike. You don't guess in pass pro — you react to one of four answers.
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O-Line · Run Blocking
How to run block: drive, reach, down — and finish the pancake
To run block, fire out with a short power step, strike with your hat and hands across the defender's playside number, win with low pad level and inside hands, and run your feet through contact to finish. The block type depends on the scheme: a drive block displaces the man over you, a reach block gains his outside shoulder and seals him inside, and a down block seals an inside defender.
Read the guide →How to pull as a guard
To pull as a guard, open with a bucket step (drop your playside foot back and open your hips toward the pull), run flat down the line of scrimmage staying tight behind the other linemen, then turn up sharply through the hole to kick out the end man or lead up on the linebacker. Stay low, keep your shoulders square as you turn up, and run to contact.
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D-Line · Pass Rush
Defensive line pass rush moves: swim, rip, club, and bull
The core defensive line pass rush moves are the swim (swat the blocker's hands and bring your arm over the top), the rip (dip low and rip your arm up under his), the club-and-rip (club his outside arm, then rip through across his face), and the bull rush / speed-to-power (run your hands through his chest and walk him back). All of them start with a fast get-off and winning the hands.
Read the guide →The bull rush and speed-to-power
To bull rush, get off the ball fast and run your hands through the offensive tackle's chest plate, get full extension to keep him off your frame, sink your hips for leverage, and drive your feet to walk him straight back into the quarterback. Speed-to-power is the setup — sell a speed rush to get him opening and leaning, then convert to power through his chest when his weight is on his toes.
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D-Line · Run Defense
Strength & Speed
The best lifts for linemen
The best lifts for linemen build hip and leg power that transfers to the field: squats (front and back), deadlifts and trap-bar deadlifts, power cleans and hang cleans for explosion, plus heavy rows, presses, and dedicated grip work. Train the lower body and the hips hard — the trenches are won from the ground up, so explosive power off the floor beats a big bench every time.
Read the guide →How to get more explosive off the ball
Get more explosive by training how fast you apply force, not just how much. Power and hang cleans, box jumps, broad jumps, and medicine-ball throws build rate of force development; a short, hard power step (about six inches) and snap anticipation turn that power into a faster get-off. Explosion is the bridge between weight-room strength and a winning first step.
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