Shed the Block Drill
Setup
An offensive player and a defensive player stand ten yards apart with a blocking pad player in between them.
Purpose
Teach defensive players how to engage with a blocker, shed the block, and make a tackle on the ball carrier.
Drill Description
The drill begins with the defensive player engaging the blocker with the blocking pad.
The defender must meet the blocker, by firing his hands into the chest area of the blocking pad. As the defender holds up the blocker, he must make sure that his eyes are on the ball carrier behind the block.
The ball carrier runs towards one side or the other of the blocker.
The defender reads which direction the ball carrier is going, and he sheds the block by throwing the blocker/blocking pad in the opposite direction, and then engaging and wrapping up the ball carrier, but remaining on their feet.
Rotate the defender to the ball carrier and the ball carrier to the blocker in order to rotate all defenders through this drill.
