Gentlemen,
Coaching 3rd and 4th graders, we've not found our opposition to have the kinda kids who'd read the pulling G's effectively. They're looking into the backfield. Some of the opposing coaches have tried to get their LB's to do so, but the counter to that is to influence block... pull a kid opposite the direction you're running. We generally do that a couple times per game, just in case, but on film we find no evidence that the opposition's kids are actually doing it. We hear their coaches telling them to do so, but they generally don't.
I get frustrated sometimes, because I look at film and see all the mistakes our 8 and 9 yr old's make, and wonder how we ever win a game... but then I remember the other team's coaches are dealing with the same age group and same problems.
Umm.... why does that 6 ft tall 9 yr old have a goatee...?
I've never found the pull itself difficult to teach. That said, you do need an athletic kid if you're going to use it with any great success. The problems I've run into are yes, you can implement the pull into your system, but in order to take advantage of it, you need to tweak many other parts of your system. Such as narrowing your line splits, adjusting the depth at which you line up relative to the center, adjust the speed at which you get the ball back to the line of scrimmage, etc. And then, after you do all that, you gotta hope one of your other linemen doesn't get blown up and shoved into the path of the puller. It's hard to do at younger levels for those reasons. Not saying it's impossible, but I have had limited success with it. I can say, however, when it does work, well, you got something then and it's a thing of beauty.
When I cannot get my pulling schemes to work, I employ an H-back to use as my puller. Because of that, I often use my QB as my lead blocker on off tackle power plays. Not ideal, but it works.
I've never found the pull itself difficult to teach.
--No reason why it should be. It's not difficult to execute. Pulling is running. Any kid (other than one with physical disabilities) can run. Now, they may be slow. They may have poor form or lousy footwork, but those are correctable. Kids can be taught. Problem is, many kids don't display a lot of ability "right away." And their coach is at a loss on what to do with them, other than to just "write them off." But like EFFORT, it can be taught. BUT AGAIN, slow kids with poor form and lousy footwork are usually met with the same approach as those who show poor effort; they're simply written off. It's like when your car's engine dies after 10 years of ownership; those owners without the expertise of fixing it will just sell it, trade it or junk it. Those with the know-how will ask, "Why would you get rid of it, when you can fix it?" You just have to know how. And most coaches' lack of knowledge is most often displayed when they blame their players for not already knowing how to do something. Which is shown time after time after time when they make the most often complaint in youth football coaching history, "I've got x-number of players who've never played before." I've never heard a 1st Grade teacher complain that their classroom was populated with kids who've never been in school before.
That said, you do need an athletic kid if you're going to use it with any great success.
--Nope. We put "lineman-types" on the offensive line (the least athletic players we have), and they can pull just fine. Otherwise, we would not pull. And since I have been a Double Wing coach for more than a decade at the youth, middle and high school level, I understand the value of the pull and the importance of being good at teaching it. Whereas most coaches will simply give up and say, "Well, I guess we're not doing that" when a kid shows he's struggling with a concept.
in order to take advantage of it, you need to tweak many other parts of your system. Such as narrowing your line splits, adjusting the depth at which you line up relative to the center, adjust the speed at which you get the ball back to the line of scrimmage, etc.
--Those aren't "tweaks." They are basic elements of a successful pull.
And then, after you do all that, you gotta hope one of your other linemen doesn't get blown up and shoved into the path of the puller.
--It's not about "hope." It's about the other players in your offense doing their job so that there's no penetration, and making sure all of your guys are tough and physical. If they are, then this is not a consideration. If they aren't, then you're going to lose anyway.
It's hard to do at younger levels for those reasons.
--That's an irresponsible statement. While that may be your experience, it doesn't mean that it's more difficult at younger levels. It's no harder there, than it is at the older levels. Their components are exactly the same: they can all run. Don't perpetuate the myth.
--8-year-olds are no harder to teach than 18-year-olds. You just have to understand your audience and realize they respond to different stimuli. An 18-year-old will be distracted by a pretty girl that walks by. An 8-year-old won't. An 8-year-old will be distracted by the ice cream truck that pulls into the parking lot. An 18-year-old won't. But they're both distractible; you just have to know what they respond to.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
Greetings
For the most part, when we ask a kid to pull or kick-out or log or trap what are really doing? We're asking a kid to pick himself up and run over there and get in that guy over there's way. If we get a slobber knocker, cool, but most time all we really need is for the kid to run interference.
With technique work we can get the kid to be more efficient, reduce wasted motion and get him to actually enjoy doing it. Being an OG in H.S. I loved pulling and trapping and esp. Kick-out blocks. I salivated when I got to kick-out. In practice, our Defense knew when I was going to trap, because I'd be giggling all the way to the LOS. Pulling and such blocks are fun, coach 'em up and the kids'll love it. Make a big deal out of it, even when its not perfect (keep working toward perfection) and the kids'll be sold.
Umm.... why does that 6 ft tall 9 yr old have a goatee...?
An 8-year-old will be distracted by the ice cream truck that pulls into the parking lot. An 18-year-old won't.
I turn 50 in April and I get distracted by an ice cream truck that pulls into the parking lot, so what does that say?
Game plan? I got your game plan. We gonna run the bawl some. We gonna throw the bawl some. We gonna play some defense. We gonna run some special teams, but we better not run kick return but one time and we sure as heck better not punt.
An 8-year-old will be distracted by the ice cream truck that pulls into the parking lot. An 18-year-old won't.I turn 50 in April and I get distracted by an ice cream truck that pulls into the parking lot, so what does that say?
It means that you can still learn how to pull.
--Dave
"The Greater the Teacher, the More Powerful the Player."
The Mission Statement: "I want to show any young man that he is far tougher than he thinks, that he can accomplish more than what he dreamed and that his work ethic will take him wherever he wants to go."
#BattleReady newhope
I had an 8 year old pull without even being told to do it during my scrimmage last saturday.
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