D-line Responsibilities:

 Own your gap (no-one comes through your gap, ever.)

 Pressure the pass
 Protect the linebackers

Basics:
 Key on the ball / motion
 As you reach the line, think: 1. Alignment 2.Key 3. Responsibility 4. Technique
 Attack & Act
 Fight the pressure
 Active feet and hands
 Fight to stay on your feet and get to the ball
 Arrive at every tackle

Attitude:
 Be enthusiastic - desire to dominate on every down, every practice, every game.
 Encourage - support your team-mates with only positive talk: every down, every practice, every game.
 Be aggressive - hit & hustle: every down, every practice, every game.
 Be fearless - fear and negative emotion sap strength, positive thinking empowers and strengthens

Alignment Techniques (“tech”):

All even numbers are “head up”, odd numbers are “outside shoulder”.
Note: Some coaches use slightly different tech numbering for the ends: 7 tech for inside TE and 8 tech for outside TE. We’ve kept it simple by using a straight numerical sequence:

8 5 4 4i 3 2 2i 1 0 1 2i 2 3 4i 4 5 6i 6 7 8 9

0 tech: Head up on the center.

1 tech: Lined up on the shoulder of the center. Also: Strong 1 or Weak 1. Attacks A.
2 tech: Head up on the guard. Can attack either the A or B gap.
2i: Inside shoulder of the guard.
3 tech: Outside shoulder of the guard. Attacks B.
4 tech: Head up on the tackle.
4i: Inside shoulder of the tackle
5 tech: Outside shoulder of the tackle. Attacks C.
6 tech: Head up the tight end.
6i: Inside shoulder of the tight end
7 tech: Outside shoulder of the tight end. Attacks D.
8 tech: Wide alignment outside the tight end.
9 tech: Extra wide alignment outside the tight end.

Contact Basics:
 Keep shoulders parallel to line of scrimmage.
 Stay low (“hide your number”) with neck bulled (“look through your eyebrows”).
 Never use your head as primary point of contact - use your hands, arms, and shoulders to defeat blocks and
make tackles.