What's the point of cut-blocking?

[LongforDodd]

Why can't you just man up, tie your man up, push him to the side a little bit, and create a hole, a crease, just a little something to run through?

 

[cajunjacket]

Because it slows down the defense. The cut block is effective against plays moving parallel to the line of scrimmage. Put yourself in the shoes of a D-lineman. What would you rather go against for a pitch play opposite of your side? Someone standing up against you that you can easily rip or swim through - or - someone cutting out your legs so that when you are trying to move towards the ball you flip over?

When I was a linebacker in high school I hated when people would chop block. It was so much more difficult to defend because you are blind-sided most of the time instead of being able to maneuver around the big fatty standing vertical.

 

[GTFanJeff]

Isn't chop-blocking illegal?

I tried to look this up. It looks like chop-blocks are illegal in the trenches, but not outside.

 

[cajunjacket]

I spoke with a misnomer up there, I meant to say cut block. There is a gray area between the legal cut block and the illegal chop block. The cut block occurs when a player (usually an offensive lineman) blocks another (usually a defensive lineman) below the knees with his helmet in front of the player. The chop block occurs when the same block comes from the side or the back, or when the defensive player is engaged with another offensive player and therefore defenseless.

 

[GTFanJeff]

I was not referring to any mistype. I actually thought chop-blocking and cut-blocking were the same thing.

Edit: Does this type of blocking scheme not lead to many accidental chop-blocks? It just seems like he could mold his offense around more traditional blocking at least for this year. But then again, I am not the coach.

 

[cajunjacket]

Does this type of blocking scheme not lead to many accidental chop-blocks? It just seems like he could mold his offense around more traditional blocking at least for this year. But then again, I am not the coach.

This scheme definitely risks the possibility of more chop blocks, but I think it is the "standard" blocking scheme for this type of offense. That would be a good question to ask CPJ on his show because I am sure he would have some excellent reasons for this type of blocking scheme.

 

[ASimPerson]

I was not referring to any mistype. I actually thought chop-blocking and cut-blocking were the same thing.

Edit: Does this type of blocking scheme not lead to many accidental chop-blocks? It just seems like he could mold his offense around more traditional blocking at least for this year. But then again, I am not the coach.

Cut and chop blocking are often confused. The latter is always illegal - if a player is getting blocked high or low and another player comes in and begins blocking him low or high, respectively, that is a chop block.

Cut blocking taking out a guy's legs from the front. This is illegal outside of the "free blocking zone", which is a few yards around each side of the line of scrimmage. (Outside of this area, this is an "illegal block below the waist".) Clipping (blocking below the waist from behind) is always illegal, I believe.

 

[hiveredtech]

The chop block occurs when the same block comes from the side or the back, or when the defensive player is engaged with another offensive player and therefore defenseless.

Your second definition above is the correct one for chop block...below the waist while defensive player is engaged with another offensive player up high.

The first situation...from the side or back...is a clip.

 

[GoGATech]

The reason the line cut blocks is to get the defensive line down so that Josh can see and make his reads. If we straight up man block, he might can see whether there's a crease for Dwyer, but can't see whether the DE is crashing on the dive or waiting for him.

 

[beej67]

A successful cut block puts the defender on the ground. Rather like an automatic pancake block. If we can read the DE, and the middle and outside LBs are both on the ground, then we score a TD. That's pretty much all there is to it.

But if we can't cut at all, and we keep trying .. man, I don't know. It almost seemed like our OL was doing better earlier in the season before PJ started forcing them to go lower.

 

[LongforDodd]

... It almost seemed like our OL was doing better earlier in the season before PJ started forcing them to go lower.

IMO, the opposing D coaches are starting to catch on with more and more tape being available of our so-called line blocking. We stink at it and if you can't execute it properly, it makes a D coach's job a lot easier.

 

[stinger78]

We have 3 SR's and 2 JR's across that OL. I've often wondered why we can't just teach the new guys how to cut-block and let the old guys just put a hat on 'em and drive block 'em. At least we'd keep them out of the backfield, and I'd bet we'd move the LOS a time or two in the process.

I can see an issue if we have to mix and match, with a mixture of blocking styles, but we're really only using 6-7 OL anyway: Gardner, Smith, Brown, Voss, Howard, Gilbert and Barrick.

 

[beej67]

we're really only using 6-7 OL anyway: Gardner, Smith, Brown, Voss, Howard, Gilbert and Barrick

...because we don't have anyone else.

 

[stinger78]

...because we don't have anyone else.

Well, we do have Hill, Claytor, Yandell and a handful of walk-ons - none of whom are playing much. The FR class (McRae, Smith and Uzzi) needs to learn how to cut before they see the field.