The number one detail that we have been attempting to emphasize to our defensive line this fall is to play with their hands at all times. This fundamental and technique detail is true for most positions as most all coaches emphasize using the hands for contact. However, nowhere is the improper use of the hands so readily exposed than on the line of scrimmage because the collisions happen so immediately after the ball is snapped. The specifics of hand usage relate to all fundamentals and techniques but most importantly to block destruction – the act of defeating your man.
The coaching phrase “small target, tight hands” has been the mantra in this area. It has evolved out of the coaching of drill work from Stanford University over the course of the past few summers. Following their lead, we have taken a one-man retractable sled and removed any type of bag that one could be put over the top it. We then took a pair of lacrosse shoulder pads and wrapped them securely with wrestling tape around the upside down U-shaped skeleton of the bag harness; that is, the area where one can place their hands to engage the sled and retract and/or move it. This padding has realistically simulated the surface of a set of shoulder pads underneath a jersey and made the sled an effective practice tool that doesn’t wear our players down with multiple repetitions. That being said, there is no doubt there is an air of toughness and hard edge that comes with the bare bones mentality of what has been coined the “Stanford Sled”.
One can do any normal sled drill with any position group that one would normally do; because of its unique setup and relatively light weight, here is what we routinely do with the DL at Cornell –
-Getoffs into the sled with no escape either way (just back out the way you came with the same pad level) which utilizes the retractable nature of the sled and simulates knock back with a flat back.
-Getoffs and escapes both ways with no escape move meaning clearing the hips either way with the sled retracted and the arms locked out.
-Getoffs and rip escapes both ways.
We will also incorporate this sled into our tackling and ball disruption; specifically with the DL:
-QB Chase and contain and near hand bat emphasis after striking and defeating the sled.
-Fumble recovery/scoop and score after defeating the sled.
-All of our tackle types after defeating sled.
The number one thing that this type of sled provides is the opportunity to realistically simulate how small the margin for error (the old “it’s a game of inches” cliché) is on the football field especially when winning your one-on-one battle. Without a small target and tight hands, all of other fun parts of playing defensive line or defense (tackling and taking the ball away) are withheld and unavailable.