Coach Tom Bass brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to USA Football. Along with answering youth coaching questions, he also receives emails from young players. You can email the coach at NFLAskTheCoach@aol.com.
Rick sent the following question:
On a one- or three-step drop, should the quarterback's anchor foot (right foot for a right-handed thrower) end up at the 11 o'clock position if throwing right and 1 o'clock if throwing left?
Hi Rick,
This is a good adjustment to make with your plant (back) foot when you are going to take a three-step drop and let the ball go. This is especially true for any short pass where the timing is such that the ball must be released very quickly.
This technique works best when you can pre-determine the side that you are going to throw to prior to the snap based on the defensive alignment and distance off the ball of the defensive backs.
Rather than use the clock, which sometimes can be confusing, we taught the quarterback to use his instep (the inside middle of his plant foot) as his point of reference. We coached the quarterback to turn his plant foot so that the inside of his foot was always facing the side and direction of his throw.
I think you and I are talking about the same foot adjustment. When you do this, it allows you to step at your target with your lead, non-passing foot, have your hips and chest square, facing directly at the target while delivering the ball straight to the receiver.
This is also a very good technique for a quarterback to use when he is throwing wide to either side of the field in the medium and deep pass routes areas as he will be able to direct all of the throwing motion directly at the target area.
Coach Tom Bass
Joe had the following question:
I'm a high school senior looking to play Division III football in college. Right now, I am about 6-foot-1, 215lbs and I'm playing defensive end.
The coach at a school that I am interested in plays the 3-4 defense, and he said that because of my small size, he would most likely move me to OLB. However, my high school wants me playing DE this year.
Should I wait until my season is over and start learning to play OLB, or should I gain some more weight and try out as DE?
Hi Joe,
You will have enough time to learn to play OLB after you complete this season. Playing as a defensive end will give you opportunity to work on defeating blocks, rushing the passer and moving in pursuit. These are techniques and skills that will carry over to the outside linebacker position.
The transition from DE to OLB at college will be easy for you especially since it is a 3-4 defense. Many of things you will be asked to do as an OLB will be techniques that you will have learned and used as a DE.
The big adjustment initially will be that you are standing up and can see more of the offensive formation. Initially many players making this transition find that they get involved in seeing the big picture and fail to focus on the man directly in front of them, the first player that can block them on the snap.
It is important to try to play with your hands in defeating blockers, keep your shoulder pads below your hands, understand the progression of offensive players who can block you and know the type of block they are most apt to use.
One other adjustment in the move from DE to OLB is that often you will be asked to make a tackle in space, so you will need to work on movement, breaking down, coming under control then exploding and wrapping up the tackle.
Some of the best players at the OLB position, that I had the privilege to coach in our 3-4 defense, had been a DE during their college career. With hard work in the off-season, these players adapted to the new position and learned the new responsibilities required to perform as an OLB and quickly became starters for our defense.
The biggest thing you have to work on after this year is your pass coverage, dropping in zone or covering someone man-to-man and your pass catching techniques. Often these techniques will require you running backwards, a skill that I doubt you have practiced and used as a DE. All of these techniques can be developed and learned in the off-season. Enjoy your last season of high school football.
Coach Tom Bass
Terrell had the following question:
When does a quarterback know when to call a different play from the line of scrimmage?
Hi Terrell,
My feeling has always been that you do not change a play just to go with a better play than you feel has been called in the huddle. You do not have the time at the line to try to be constantly looking for that perfect play, and you always have the possibility of running out of time and having to take a timeout or get a penalty.
I always thought that it was important for the quarterback to understand the one or two things that the defense could do to guarantee that the played you called would not have any chance of success.
When you see a defensive alignment that you know you cannot run the play against, you should already have in your mind what audible you need to call so that you can do it immediately as soon as the team is set at the line of scrimmage.
Remember, anytime you change the play at the line, you will always have the chance that someone on the offense may not get the call or that they will jump on the snap count. If you change too many plays, you will find that some players will start expecting the change and will not focus the way they should on your call in the huddle.
Many teams will call two plays in the huddle with the quarterback instructed to activate the best one at the line of scrimmage after the defense has lined up. In this situation, the entire offense knows in advance that they need to listen closely to your cadence so that they know which play is going to be run.
Only change the play if you have to, and please make sure that you spend some time practicing making the change at the line during the week,
Coach Tom Bass
Bryan had the following question:
I was an All-State center for a Division I state football team and team captain, but I didn't go to a D-1 college. A lot of people believe it is because of my height (5-foot-10). Why do coaches believe in size so much, and isn't it a matter of talent or if you are good enough to play?
Hi Bryan,
Many coaches assume that when you move up in competition, the players will be bigger and bigger and so they often are reluctant to look at a player who does not measure up to their idea of needed size.
I always tried to work the other way. The first thing I wanted to know was how did the player in question play the game, and then I would look at his time and size and so on. First and foremost I wanted to know if he was a "player."
When I was with the Tampa Bay Bucs, we drafted a nose tackle, David Logan, in the 12th round. He had been passed over by all the other teams for the entire draft because he was only 6 feet tall. I asked our personnel people if he would have been drafted if he were 6-foot-2 and they said of course. I said, "Let's take a chance on him; he is a player and 2 inches will not make a difference at his position." David came to camp, made the team and was soon a starter.
The thing I hope is that although you did not get looked at by a Division I school, that you will take advantage of one of the great smaller schools that play great football in your area or walk on to a Division I school and show them that you are a player.
This is just another challenge that you will face in your life, one that I am sure you will meet and conquer. You have proven you can play, and it would be sad to see you not continue playing in college.
Coach Tom Bass
Credence had the following question:
When you are throwing a football, are you supposed to throw it with your hand in the shape of the letter "C" or "U"? Does it make a difference? If so, how?
Hi Credence,
The ideal way is to have your hand in the shape of a "C" so that you can follow through correctly and throw a spiral. The player's hands need to be big enough so that their fingers can extend on or over the laces with their thumb under the ball.
Many younger players, who have small hands, do start throwing with their hand in the form of a "U" keeping the palm of the hand under the ball and balancing the ball in their palm. They often end up pushing the ball out and often have more difficulty with the accuracy of the pass and a pass of any distance.
As quarterbacks develop, they usually go to the "C" hand grip on the ball. This allows them to have a very smooth throwing motion and a release where their passing hand can rotate down and to the outside as the ball leaves their hand in a spiral.
Coach Tom Bass
Coach Tom Bass, the technical writer and advisor for USA Football, is a 30-year NFL coach who has also authored several books, including "Play Football the NFL Way" - the first "how to" book ever authorized and published by the NFL. Coach Bass is happy to personally autograph his books to you. Book ordering information can be found on http://www.coachbass.com/.
