Becoming a great quarterback begins with protection; that is knowing your protection and who is not accounted for. Quarterbacks go through extensive boardwork training to be able to correctly account for defenders consistently and this process begins with this little video.
Here, the quarterback learns the numbering system and can then communicate effectively with his linemen, confirming the defensive techniques of the defensive linemen. Confirming a technique by a defensive lineman helps to nail down what the defensive front may be…which is another video that will be released next week. If you are a quarterback or someone interested in gaining this knowledge, write down the numbering system and then practice the act of identifying each alignment as quickly as you can.
Once you have this identification process mastered, the next step is to learn the defensive fronts.
They are:
Even: Both guards covered
Odd: Both guards uncovered
Over: 1 technique and a 3 technique shifted to the tight end side
Under: 1 technique and 3 technique shifted away from the tight end side
Bear: Guard, Center, Guard covered.
When defenders are in between alignments, the offensive linemen communicate to define the front. Once everyone is on the same page the blocking scheme, be it a man-to-man protection scheme or a slide scheme can then be executed. Without the ability to clearly define the alignments, there is little chance to correctly identify the front, and from there the scheme itself breaks down.
Repetition is the key!
