Here you see the RT & TE setting the funnel on on the backers. (The arrow is showing another path the FB could have taken, he stayed in the funnel tho). You can also see the C (44) getting his but to the FB, dominating the NG.

This is a good look of what your FB is often working w/ if D is squezzing, or talented up front. It's a tight crease. Why the FB has to hit it 100 MPH.

Notice how we got asses turned and pointed to the football. Defenders are completely walled off.

Here you see the RT & TE setting the funnel on on the backers. (The arrow is showing another path the FB could have taken, he stayed in the funnel tho). You can also see the C (44) getting his but to the FB, dominating the NG.

What also needs to be pointed out is that a good fake has caused the only man not blocked (#88) to totally lose the ball.

G

Great info. Thanks for taking the time.  🙂

Hey Mahonz,

Can we sticky this?

I do want to mention that trapping a 2 with zero splits might not work out so great. Doable but a 2 is soooo close to the qb with zero splits he may take the handoff if the kickout is even a tiny bit slow. Generally, we don't trap anything inside a 3 with zero splits so our rule is we trap the first man outside the guard. If we really want to trap a 2 we can widen our splits.

Do you have problems if a 2 tech slants to the A gap?

Why do i keep hearing people say at the younger levels, or even higher levels that trap isnt a goto play because of Dlineman not being aggressive?

If he is, kick him out, of he sits there n does nothing (mmp player), dig him out. 2 different techniques yes, but prepare your kids from the get go to "see" each of these type of players and with reps, itll become 2nd nature.

Jmo

Why do i keep hearing people say at the younger levels, or even higher levels that trap isnt a goto play because of Dlineman not being aggressive?

If he is, kick him out, of he sits there n does nothing (mmp player), dig him out. 2 different techniques yes, but prepare your kids from the get go to "see" each of these type of players and with reps, itll become 2nd nature.

Jmo

It can work at all levels. It's just better against agressive teams.

Digging ou is def a little far fetched at the lower levels. But at the same time, most of the time you don't even have to block the trap man.

Also you really want a back that hits the hole hard & fast. Sometimes those are hard to find at the bobble heads.

Why do i keep hearing people say at the younger levels, or even higher levels that trap isnt a goto play because of Dlineman not being aggressive?

If he is, kick him out, of he sits there n does nothing (mmp player), dig him out.

You're at least likely to get some kind of angle advantage on him.  Plus, he's not expecting the block to come from there.

I think it's mostly that coaches think of trap blocking like the screen pass: as a way to slow down the DL's rush.  If they're not going to rush in fast & straight anyway, why set them up or give them something to think about?  So it's like, why use up practice time teaching a technique that might not be advantageous vs. most opponents?  This is why you see kickout blocking -- a trap on an edge DL -- a good deal: That's where they do tend to put a fast player on defense & have them box the offense.

If you are going to teach a pulling G to kickout, id say 8 year olds and up, you should at least prepare them for most everything they will see? Time invested in a kickout on a DE on power or counter well worth it scheme wise......why not trap? Just kicking a different person.

If you are going to teach a pulling G to kickout, id say 8 year olds and up, you should at least prepare them for most everything they will see? Time invested in a kickout on a DE on power or counter well worth it scheme wise......why not trap? Just kicking a different person.

Well a DE is easy to trap at that age level, because they're all taught to contain. You just take him where he wants to go.

Again, you can trap at any level, just some better than others.

Trap was/has been good to us for a few years now also.

Am really thinking of installing influence trap next year for those pesky DCs that like to follow Gs.

Some more trap from this year

I used to be really bad at coaching Trap.  Then I went to coaching a team with Wing-T roots and learned how to make it work.

First off, we're going to trap the first DL head up to outside the G (from a 2 tech on out).  We want to call the old school Guard Trap to an open A gap, ideally at a 3 or 4 tech.  If there is a 0, 1, or 2i playside, the PSG needs to block down and you'll automatically make it a long trap that hits in B gap.  You can make a call for this.

Second, the ball carrier needs to aim towards the C's backside foot and hug the downblocks to set up his blocks.  He can slide and bend the play just a little playside, but it's good to coach him to hit it so tight to the down block that his inside shoulder pad brushes the down blocker's butt on his way through the hole. This is crucial.  A lot of kids want to get in behind the trapper's butt (or, worse yet, bounce outside the trapper), which makes a mess of things and just makes the blocks harder.

Third, have your OL as far back off the LOS as possible.  We coach putting our hand down even with the C's heel.  We want a good, balanced stance that looks the same regardless of whether he's pulling or firing off.  We allow our PSG to cheat and widen his split out an extra step to create just a little bit more of a hole.

Fourth, any OL down blocking a DL should open flat by default and get head in front (we can adjust the aiming point if there's a head reader who's not rushing upfield, but even in college and HS ball almost every team wants to penetrate and get upfield).  This is to cut off penetration by the guys inside the trap.  The first step should be completely flat and open at a 90 degree angle while gaining some ground with his inside foot.  He should aim to get his head onto the far thigh board and form the surface with his outside shoulder to fit to the near hip of the DL with his head in front--again, aiming for the thigh board.

Fifth, do not worry about blocking anyone on the LOS past the POA.  They cannot make the play.  If they do, you need to run something else (Power, Counter, Sweep, whatever).  Any OL past the POA should rip inside of a player shaded outside of him or arc around a player head up/inside of him on the snap.  Climb to the second level and pin the first LB he sees to the inside.

Sixth, the technique for the Trapping G is a little different than people realize.  The G needs to step back at a 45 degree angle with his playside foot to open his hips.  He'll pivot off his backside foot while he does this.  He should throw his playside elbow back to help him get into position--ideally, his shoulder pads shouldn't pop up higher than they were in the stance.  Then he should form the hitting surface by putting that same arm on his nipple while ripping with his backside arm on the second step--the rip with the other arm helps him get out of the pull.

The trapping G needs to go "back and attack"--he's not going flat down the LOS, but rather he should be attacking UP INTO the DT right at the LOS. He should hit with his right shoulder if he's trapping to the right and his left shoulder if he's trapping to the left ("right shoulder right/left shoulder left"). When he hits, he needs to run THROUGH the block (a lot of kids want to hit and stop their feet--this is UNACCEPTABLE!) and should aim to get his shoulder on the DL's belt and uncoil his hips to explode through the DL being kicked out.  The hip roll on the block will generate force and lift the DL, digging him out of the hole. This is how we coach every kick out block, whether it's a trap, power, counter, or whatever.

Seventh: It's best to call Trap when the defense is either flying upfield or when they're fast flowing sideline to sideline to stop your sweep.  That's why it works so well as part of a series, like Buck Series or Jet Series.

Those are the coaching points I can think of at the moment.  They've really helped me become a much better coach of this play.