Finish

Finish is the most important word in the lineman vocabulary. It means you play violently, with effort, all the way through the whistle — you don't stop when the defender is controlled, you run your feet and put him in the dirt; you don't stop when the back breaks free, you climb and find someone else to block. Pancakes are finishes. Sustained blocks that spring a long run are finishes. Coach Jay teaches it as a habit, not a highlight: the rep isn't over until the whistle, every time.

Defined by Coach Jay Freeman — 32 years coaching the offensive and defensive line.

Related trench terms

PancakeO-Line

A block that puts the defender flat on his back. The lineman’s highlight.

Drive blockO-Line

A straight-ahead block designed to displace the defender straight back.

The BrotherhoodBoth sides

LinePlay's 300,000+ lineman community — and the bond among the five (or four) men on the line.

Trench warfareBoth sides

The battle at the line of scrimmage — the part of the game decided in the trenches.

SackD-Line

When a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

Go deeper

• Coach Jay’s lineman training library — the technique behind the term →
• Back to the full Trench Dictionary →
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