Lineman Training · By Coach Jay Freeman
Learn the Trenches
A 32-year line coach’s actual method — O-line and D-line, youth to pro. Real cues, real drills, the way it’s really taught. Start with the fundamentals, then pick a technique.
Start here
The Five Fundamentals
When the game gets tough and chaos is everywhere, hang onto fundamentals. These five are Coach Jay Freeman's whole offensive-line method on one card.
Read the guide →O-LineThe 45° Pass Set
The single most important decision in pass protection is the angle of your set. Coach Jay teaches the 45° set — and the coaching tree he comes from is blunt about the alternative: the teams that coach vertical sets get kicked every year.
Read the guide →Both sides of the lineIndependent Hands
Most young linemen are taught to punch with two hands. Coach Jay teaches the opposite — independent hands, where each hand has its own job and its own timing. It's the difference between getting swatted and controlling the rep.
Read the guide →O-LineAnchoring the Bull Rush
When a rusher tries to run straight through you to the quarterback, you anchor. And contrary to a lot of bad coaching — on a bull rush, you DO hop. Here's how Coach Jay teaches it.
Read the guide →O-LineRun Blocking & Finishing
Run blocking isn't about pushing a man — it's about closing space, getting under his pads, and moving his force. Coach Jay's run-game doctrine, in his own words.
Read the guide →D-LinePass-Rush Moves for D-Linemen
A pass rusher with one move is easy to block. The great ones have a plan: a primary move, a counter off it, and the get-off to make both work. Here's the arsenal.
Read the guide →Both sides of the line
The Five Fundamentals
When the game gets tough and chaos is everywhere, hang onto fundamentals. These five are Coach Jay Freeman's whole offensive-line method on one card.
Read the guide →Both sides of the lineIndependent Hands
Most young linemen are taught to punch with two hands. Coach Jay teaches the opposite — independent hands, where each hand has its own job and its own timing. It's the difference between getting swatted and controlling the rep.
Read the guide →Both sides of the lineGet-Off & the First Step
Most reps are decided before a single hand is thrown — by the first step. On both sides of the ball, the lineman who gets off the ball first usually wins. Here's how to train it.
Read the guide →Both sides of the lineLineman Strength & Power Training
Linemen aren't built in the weight room alone, but they're not built without it either. Here's how to train for the functional strength, power, and size the trench actually demands.
Read the guide →Both sides of the lineSpeed & Agility for Linemen
A lineman doesn't need 4.4 speed — he needs a violent first step and the agility to redirect in a phone booth. Here's how to train the quickness that actually wins reps.
Read the guide →Both sides of the lineLineman Nutrition & Gaining Good Weight
Linemen have to be big — but the right kind of big. Here's the practical framework for gaining functional weight and fueling the work, without turning to junk.
Read the guide →Offensive line
The 45° Pass Set
The single most important decision in pass protection is the angle of your set. Coach Jay teaches the 45° set — and the coaching tree he comes from is blunt about the alternative: the teams that coach vertical sets get kicked every year.
Read the guide →O-LineThe 2-Point Stance
Coach Jay has taught the 2-point stance as his default pass-protection stance since 2018. Here's why a standing stance beats a 3-point for the modern, pass-heavy game — and when you still drop your hand down.
Read the guide →O-LineAnchoring the Bull Rush
When a rusher tries to run straight through you to the quarterback, you anchor. And contrary to a lot of bad coaching — on a bull rush, you DO hop. Here's how Coach Jay teaches it.
Read the guide →O-LineThe Rusher Does 1 of 4 Things
You can't guess your way through pass protection. Coach Jay's framework makes it simple: get to your spot, stay square, and make the rusher declare. He only has a few options — and each has an answer.
Read the guide →O-LineRun Blocking & Finishing
Run blocking isn't about pushing a man — it's about closing space, getting under his pads, and moving his force. Coach Jay's run-game doctrine, in his own words.
Read the guide →O-LineZone Blocking & the Reach Block
Zone blocking is five linemen moving as one — a coordinated lateral push where the back reads the blocks and finds the daylight. The signature move is the reach block.
Read the guide →O-LineHow to Pull (Guard & Tackle)
Pulling linemen are the athletes of the offensive line — they leave their stance and run down the line to lead-block on power, counter, and sweeps. It takes footwork, vision, and a nasty finish.
Read the guide →O-LineThe Combo Block & Climbing
A combo block is two linemen driving one defender together before one of them climbs to a linebacker. Get the timing right and a short gain becomes a long one; get it wrong and someone runs free.
Read the guide →Defensive line
Pass-Rush Moves for D-Linemen
A pass rusher with one move is easy to block. The great ones have a plan: a primary move, a counter off it, and the get-off to make both work. Here's the arsenal.
Read the guide →D-LineRun Defense: Stack & Shed
Playing the run on the defensive line is a sequence: take the blocker on, read the play through him, hold your gap, then shed and make the tackle. Here's how it's done.
Read the guide →