Why Power is a Great Way to Stop the Blitz
One of the most frustrating things that can occur when you are running an offense is to go against a blitz heavy team. This is true at all levels but is especially true at the youth league level. At the youth level it is more difficult to throw and complete passes that can exploit the weaknesses of the blitz. To deal with this it’s best to have multiple answers to the blitz but one of the most effective answers is to run the Power play.
Why Power is a Great Way to Stop the Blitz
In the Power play the offensive line is blocking down on the fronts side of the line. They are told that they are first responsible for their gap. This means that if any linebacker blitzes through their gap they will block them down to form a wall. This is especially effective because the blitzing linebackers are not in a position to take on a block and will be easily washed inside to create a clear path for the running back.
Related Content: 3 Ways to Run Power out of the Spread Offense
While the offensive line on the playside is blocking down there will be one offensive player blocking out on the C gap player. On this block he is going to take the C gap player and force him outside. He is responsible for the outside wall of the path. This works especially well against the blitz because it minimizes the impact of any outside blitzers. The runner is told to stay tight to the wall which means that any blitzer outside of the C gap player is essentially wasted. They would have to run the hoop and chase the running back down from behind in order to make the tackle.
The final element of the Power play is the backside guard pulling through the hole. This works out great for the blitz because it brings an extra blocker to the point of attack. If the defense has called a blitz there is a decent chance that they called the blitz away from the play side. If this is the case the pulling guard will come around and clean up any defender who may still be on the backside. In the event that the defensive coach guessed right the pulling guard will now be in a position to be the extra man through the hole to deal with any defenders.
Related Content: Maximizing the Power Blocking Scheme
The Power play is based on leverage and angles. When the offensive line can effectively block down and take any blitzing linebackers and sweep them up into the wall they turn a defensive blitz into an advantage for the offense. When run effectively the Power can be an effective way to combat the blitz without having to rely on throwing the ball.
