getting receivers to try on run plays

If they don't block they don't play.

we grade our entire 11 on each play on what we call GATA points. If the offense and defense combined grades out over 98% on GATA points we don't run on Monday. GATA points are hustle and effort on every play. If we see a lack of hustle or effort on film it is graded as a minus. We run the crap out of our guys on Monday's so they have found out the hard way that they better play hard on Friday night of they run a ton on Monday's.

I had this problem my first year of coaching. I too could not just get new WR's. I had to play the hand that I was dealt - so I looked to see how I could get better at this.

For me, it started with our summer camp. We went by the motto "No Block - No Rock" and the kids liked it AND understood it. We started with stalk blocking every WR period, no exceptions. They blocked every practice, every day, and really understood how important we need the WR's to be complete players.

During the season we spend about 5 minutes on stalk blocking each day because the kids are very well versed in it by now.

I was told long ago "if jump all over them for the little things (problems/mistakes) - you'll never let them get into big things (problems/mistakes) and this was a case in point.

Good Luck

Tog, with the high school kids, we had a tough little agility/blocking curcuit (including a series of 5 sec. conditioning bursts on the sled) that the linemen went thru usually daily, then 3 days per week during the season. The HC apparently thought it was useful enough, that he sent the skill guys over once a week. I think it made them better blockers and they could see that there is no chilling out for the guys in the trenches on a play, so gave them the incentive to work a little harder. We had it set up where you could run thru it in about 25- 30 minutes. Also, when I coached the little guys, it helped to show the entire progression of a running play from the snap to the score,(by walking guys to their blocks) showing them where the ball should go but also the cutback/big play potential with extra effort by the recievers/guys without the ball. They could ask questions about each play or their role in it. Was really cool, cause the kids felt like they had some input, and learned to understand some of the X's and O's. By really dissecting your play slowly, the boys can see the "important role" each of them have. We usually ran to a certain poa in our plays but with the zone stuff ya'll run, this extra blocking effort is even more critical to me? los

No blockie....no catchie.

Block or Bench

Had the same problem 1st game of season and we are a split-back veer team. Took away 1/2 of playing time of one WR and we ran AG's (attention getters) after practice on Monday. They ran 10 yard sprints, finishing each sprint by chopping their feet. We went up and down the field. After watching film this weekend, it worked miracles. We also crack on several plays which always gets our wr's excited!

I like the No Block, No Rock phrase. I feel we're a running team but we also throw the ball about 10-15 times a game. Most of those are play action and our WR's know if they're not blocking on the runs then the play actions will never get called! Put a play action route in your offense as the "carrot" and see what happens. You will find that those "Candy Legged" receivers (as one of my college coaches used to refer to them - and me- as) will suddenly start blocking their fanny off.