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The rip and the swim are simpletechniques to get separation froman offensive lineman. However,

there are simpler movements in eachtechnique that must be performed cor-rectly for the defensive lineman to besuccessful.

Down, Set . . .I believe that the best starting positionfor an outside or inside pass rusher is athree-point stance. The advantages tothis particular stance, as opposed to two-or four-point stances lie in the heightthat it allows your rusher to play as wellas his speed off the ball. A three-pointstance will have your rusher explodingoff the ball low and hard. The key tothese and any rush techniques you teachis leverage. Low man wins!But with onehand off the ground, your rusher will be

able to shoot his hands for his opponents breastplate quicker. Itis important to redefine the line of scrimmage on the snap ofthe ball and beat the protector to the punch.

This is not to say, however, that two- and four-point stanceswill not work. Work with your defensive linemen and deter-mine which stance maximizes their performance. Keep in mindthat they will have to defend the run and rush the pass fromthe same position, so instruct them in a stance that will allowthem to do so. Feet should be slightly shoulder width apart.The rusher should have his inside foot about a half a foot aheadof his outside.

The RipThis rush technique is most effective for a shorter defensivelineman versus a taller offensive lineman, as it relies heavily onleverage. On the snap of the football, the rusher should fire outand engage the blockers breastplate by shooting both hands.This initial explosion is paramount in getting the pass protec-tor back on his heels. Throughout this and any pass rush tech-nique, rapid foot motion is critical. If we can get the passprotector back on his heels, we have a better chance of success

and greater margin of error. The rusher should then feel for moment the offensive lineman shifts his weight forward. Thforward weight shift tells the rusher when to make his moveThe inside shoulder of the pass rusher will dip to the offensilineman's waist and an exaggerated upper-cut will be throwacross the body to the outside shoulder of the pass protector

Also with the rip, the rushers inside foot must cross over angain positive ground. The inside arm and leg work in tandemto turn the rushers body sideways to the protector. This notonly places the rusher in an optimum position to finish thetechnique, but it gives the protector less body surface area toblock. At this point, the rushers inside shoulder and the protectors outside shoulder should be aligned. From this positithe rusher will be able to accelerate past the protector. The oside hand of the defensive lineman must stay locked onto thpass protectors breastplate to prevent and lateral cut-off moment by the protector. Rapid foot fire is extremely importat this stage as well, to ensure that the rusher can shift his

weight in the direction of the quarterback and continue hisrush.

Coaching points for the rip technique: The actual rip movement should be performed within the first few steps off the of scrimmage. The rusher does not want to get tied up in tharms of the pass protector, costing valuable time. Also teachyour rusher to exaggerate the rip throw for quick and total saration from the pass protector. Do not allow your rusher toround off the corneronce the move iscompleted. This

wastes time andmotion. Once therusher gets to the

outside, he must takea direct line to thequarterback, cuttingoff the corner.

The SwimDifferent from the riptechnique, the swim isideal for the tallerrusher working on the

Pass Rushing Techniques for

Pressure: The Rip and the Swim

By Kelly RichardsDefensive Coordina

Shamrock High Sch

Decatur, Geo

A defensive lineman

has a variety of

weapons that he can

use to increase his

chances of success

when rushing the

quarterback. Pass

rushing is just as much

a part of defensive

lineman responsibility

as is playing the run.

Therefore, pass rushing

must be a part of a

daily practice routine

and repped

consistently.

7/30/2019 8.7.2 PassRushRip Swim

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GRIDIRON C

www.coachhelp.com/gridironcArchived Articles 8.7.2

The Archived Articles 1998 Crystal Publications Com

shorter offensive lineman. However, the first few steps in thistechnique are virtually the same. On the snap of the ball, thedefender should shoot his hands for the breastplate of theoffensive lineman. Again, the feet are crucial in getting off theball with authority and explosion. Once the protector isengaged, the rusher must once again feel for a forward weightshift before he attempts to swim. A swim move on a protector

who has not yet shifted his weight will give that protector time

to recognize the move and counter. On the weight shift, theinside arm is thrown over the head of the protector in a swim-like motion. Again, the outside hand of the rusher mustremain anchored to the breastplate of the protector to prevent alateral movement that might cut off the rushers forwardmotion. That outside hand should be used to press the protec-tor to the inside, allowing more room for the rusher to finishhis technique. The rushers inside foot must also aggressivelycross over with the swim motion. If the swim and the step aredone in tandem and at the same moment, the inside-outsideshoulder relation will result. Once the technique is completed,

the rusher must then accelerate to the quarterback. The moscommon error in using the swim technique is allowing yourfeet to slow or stop. Instruct your rusher to rush through thepass protectoras opposed to rushing through the technique.

Coaching points for the swim technique: Instruct your rushto exaggerate the swim motion to avoid becoming tangled inthe arms of the protector. Do not allow your rusher to round

off the corner once the move is completed. This wastes timeand motion. Once the rusher gets to the outside, he must taa direct line to the quarterback, cutting off the corner.

OverviewIn order for these two rush techniques to be successful, it isimportant to set aside practice time for you to demonstrateeach technique to your rushers. I have found that they are bpracticed in a one-on-one, live situation. Not only are theyexcellent for increasing your number of quarterback sacks, bI think you will find that the number of holding penaltiesagainst your opponents will increase as well. Another impor

ingredient in this formula, as in any football related techniqis attitude.

Any relentless pass rush starts with a genuine desire to huthe football. Attitude is usually the difference between arriviat the quarterback when he still has the ball, or after he hasdumped it off. Conditioning is also crucial as it will allow yorushers to continue the chase late in the fourth quarter. Haphunting!

Coach Kelly Richardson has been coaching Varsity football for three years. played college football at East Tennessee State University. His future plans

include coaching at the collegiate level. He can be reached at (404) 633-9235, or e-mail at Bucs68@aol.com.n

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