I played football for 10 years. I was an offensive and defensive lineman. I was no super star, not by a long shot, however, I had some great coaches along the way. I started my junior and senior years on the line and did pretty well so here are some defensive lineman tips that hopefully will help someone out.

When playing D-Line you will always have one set objective. Depending on the defensive package your team is running you might be trying to simply get to the quarterback. You might also have a hole to plug, or a zone to cover, maybe your job is to prevent the outside game. No matter what your job is, getting off the ball fast is key to being successful. I think the most fun aspect of D-Line is the freedom involved in the position. The freedom to move around, not worry about how far your feet are from the guy next to you, and the freedom to go wild and do everything you can to get your job done. Along with this freedom is one huge disadvantage however. The O-Line know the snap count, and the D-Line obviously doesn't. Here are some tips that may or may not help improve your game as a defensive lineman, and can help you beat the offensive line whether they know the snap count or not.

Tip #1. Stance is key. As a D-Lineman I would suggest you start with your feet slightly staggered and just about shoulder width apart. Your dominant foot should be back. Now go down on your hands and keep your ass in the air. Unlike O-Line having a "straight back" isn't always as important on the D-Line. You should almost look like you are in a runners stance, but try to keep both feet flat on the ground.

Tip #2. Stay on your finger tips. When you are on the D-Line getting off faster than the O-Line is crucial and can give you a major advantage. One way you can help yourself is to always be on your finger tips. In the older days of football it was all about having your knuckles in the ground and being a man. I can assure you in modern football most D-Lineman will be on fingertips as it helps you come out of your stance a lot faster.

Tip #3. Stay low. This is one of those things that takes practise. I am not saying to just bend at the waist, I am saying you should genuinely try to stay low coming out of your stance. In football as I'm sure your coaches let you know time and time again, the low man wins.

Tip #4. Heel-Line. The heel line is literally the line that is formed by the opposing O-Lines heels. When you break through the line and get to their heel line, you should break down and than make your next move from there. Too often you see players over pursuing and getting beat by the running backs and qb's.

Tip #5. Shoot Your Hands. This means when you come off the ball nice and low you hit the offensive players with your arms extended. If you allow the offensive linemen to pull you in close, he is going to be able to hold you and control you. Shoot your hands out and create separation.

Tip #6. Be aggressive. This isn't really a tip as much as common sense. When you are playing D-Line you need to forget about getting hurt, about the pain you might be feeling, and about how big the man across from you is. Playing D-Line you need to let yourself go, throw your body around, be aggressive, and get your job done.

Tip #7. If you are given a gap to attack, attack only half of the offensive player. What I mean is, lets say your assignment is B gap. B gap is between the guard and tackle. Since you are the D-Lineman lets assume you are lined up over the tackle. You should shoot for the right shoulder of that guard rather than trying to simply hit the gap and getting driven back or trying to take his entire body. It is easier to control half a man than the entire body.


The best thing you can do is practice with all 5 of these tips. Practice getting in your stance, staying on your fingertips in your stance, firing off low, breaking down at the heel line, and being aggressive with your actions. If you practice it, it becomes second nature and you find yourself just doing it in a split second come game time.