The Offensive Line:A Complete Coach's Guide

**BOB (Big-On-Big)**: the OL takes the four interior rushers; the back has the unblocked LB. Simple, durable, but vulnerable to overload blitzes that bring more than the back can handle.

**Slide**: the entire OL slides one direction post-snap. Used to handle expected pressure to one side. The QB rolls opposite to give himself a runway.

**Half-slide**: the OL slides one direction, the back BOBs the backside. The most-used modern protection because it has built-in answers to most blitz looks.

**Full-slide with chip**: 5-man slide with the back chipping a wide-9 DE before releasing. Used vs. dominant edge rushers when the offense doesn't trust the tackle to win solo.

**Cup**: 7-man pocket with both backs in protection. Used on max-protect concepts when the offense needs 3.0+ seconds for the route to develop.

**Tackles vs. wide-9 DE**: the kick-step has to gain depth and width simultaneously. Independent strike, inside hand to the chest plate first.

**Guards vs. 3-tech**: short-set or jump-set to take away runway, then anchor with low pad level. The 3-technique's bull-rush is the most common interior win — anchor and inside-hand placement defeat it.

**Centers**: the punch-and-pull. Get hands inside, control the rusher's chest plate, lock him into the gap. Never allow the nose to swim across the center's face.

**Backs in protection**: BOB reads inside-out, near to far. Stay square, break down 2 yards in front of the rusher, strike with two hands.

The two great families:

**Zone blocking** (inside zone, outside zone). Each lineman steps to the playside and either reach-blocks the defender on his shoulder or doubles to the second level. No individual assignment — block whoever shows up in your zone.

**Gap blocking** (power, counter, pin-and-pull). Each lineman has a specific assignment — down-block, kick-out, pull, etc. The angles are predetermined.

Modern offenses run both. The choice depends on the defensive front, the personnel, and the down-and-distance. A complete OL group is fluent in both.

The pre-snap declaration is the OL's first job. The QB and the C identify the Mike (the most-likely rusher), and the OL's slide direction is built off that call. Modern defenses (mug fronts, sim pressures) try to make that declaration wrong.

The scheme answer is rules — every OL knows what to do if their assigned rusher drops, if a non-DL rushes, if the protection looks busted. Rules + rep count + film study = the OL's defense against disguise.