Larry Manfull - Offensive Line Technique Manual

Larry Manfull coached at the high school and collegiate levels for more than 40 years. his career highlights include:
Inducted into the Football hall of Fame at the University of North Dakota (2005)
Won a national championship at the University of North Dakota (1972)
Coach of the year on the high school and college levels
Assistant Coach of the year on the college level
Won several conference championships and bowl games
Coached 13 offensive linemen who played in the NFL and CFL

After playing football for four years at Coe College in Cedar rapids, Iowa, Manfull transferred to Wayne State University in Nebraska, where he worked as an undergraduate assistant in football. At Wayne State, he completed his B.A., majoring in biology and physical education. he continued at Wayne State the following year as a graduate assistant in football, and, in 1964, earned his masters degree in secondary education.

Manfulls first job was at Dubuque Senior high School in Iowa as an assistant football coach from 1964 to 1965. From Dubuque, he moved to California, working from 1965 to 1966 as head football coach at hollister high School.

In 1967, Manfull began his college coaching career as an offensive line coach at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota. A year later, he accepted a position as head football coach at Mayville State University. In 1969, he was hired as offensive line coach at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, where he continued coaching until 1977, when he moved back to California, working as offensive line coach for two more years at the University of Pacific.

In 1980, he was hired as offensive line coach at California State, Fullerton. Sixteen years later, Manfull retired from Cal State. Although retired, he continued to coach at Wahlert high School in Dubuque, Iowa, and at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. Manfull again returned to California as offensive line coach at Mater Dei high School in Santa Ana and at Chapman University in Orange County.

In 2007, Manfull decided that hed had enough retirement coaching and retired for good in Mesquite, Nevada, wherewhen not writing this manual for his fellow coaches and linemenhe enjoys the slow-paced life of a small town.

Larry Manfull

2010 Coaches Choice. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Coaches Choice. Throughout this book, the masculine shall be deemed to include the feminine and vice versa.

ISBN: 978-1-60679-107-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010926787
Cover design: Brenden Murphy
Book layout: Studio J Art & Design
Front cover photo: Southcreek Global/ZUMA Press

Coaches Choice
P.O. Box 1828
Monterey, CA 93942 www.coacheschoice.com

Dedicated to all the offensive linel1l en with whol1l I had the honor to work

Christine Budd, a journalist and editor, assisted in the publication of this coaching manual. Due to her dedication, commitment, and long hours of transcribing and editing, this authors dream became a reality.

Also thanks to Ms. Dee Sherman, who directed me to Christine to make this manual possible.

It is my hope that offensive line coaches will find at least one offensive line technique in this manual that will help improve the blocking performance of their offensive linemen.

All of the run and pass techniques have been proven successful through multitudes of practices and games. The techniques are easily adjustable. If a coach teaches zone blocking only, he merely needs to adjust the footwork of the linemen to zone blocking.

Many of the same techniques will be taught in several different blocks, allowing the coach to introduce the technique when installing a new block, and, at the same time, review the technique. repetition will exist, but using these techniques is a way of life for an offensive line coach and an offensive lineman.

On the DvD that accompanies this manual, two offensive linemen demonstrate each technique described in the manual in a walk-through fashion. The following are some practical ways for coaches and players to use the technique manual and DvD:
The coach can use the technique manual and DvD to introduce the techniques he will put in on the field that day.
The coach can clear his meeting room and have players demonstrate the techniques in a step-by-step walk-through with the coach instructing.
All the players can walk through each technique in the meeting prior to practice.
The coach can demonstrate to the players how the techniques apply to the plays he is installing that day.
each player can have a technique manual and DvD. They can use them in meetings and when they watch tape of that weeks opponent in meetings or during their scheduled time to view tape.
each player can take home his manual and DvD to read, view, and practice.
The coach can use the manual and DvD as a supplemental playbook to the offensive playbook.

The usefulness of the technique manual and DvD is unlimited. It will help the coach save time on the practice field and provide more quality repetitions of each technique.

All four phases of a successful block (i.e., aiming point, approach, contact, and finish) should be incorporated into every practice. They are all essential for teaching the lineman the proper way to perform a successful block. I personally believe a coach should choose one of the four phases of blocking, and put an emphasis on that particular phase. I always use finish as the phase I emphasize the most and it is the start of my teaching progression. I always incorporate five minutes of isolating and emphasizing the finish of a block into the practice schedule. Sustaining and finishing a block is an internal state of being of an offensive linemanit is an attitude. Sustaining a block until one second after the whistle blows ensures a finish of that block.

My teaching progression has always been last to first. The progression is finish, contact, approach, aiming point, and stance. By teaching last to first, the player gets a better feeling of each phase of a block.

Did you finish? The offensive linemen are going to hear that question from me for the four to five years they are in the football program. After each drill, each play in a scrimmage, and when they come off the field in a game, they will hear that question from me. Soon, the players will be asking themselves and each other, Did you finish? The question will become the focal point of their football career. When I grade practice tape or game tape, I grade the finish of a block first, and then the other phases of the block. When reviewing the tape with offensive linemen, I follow the same procedure.