American football · Team plays & schemes · Blocking

Power run: pull and kick out

The play side blocks down, the fullback kicks out the end man and the backside guard pulls through the hole for the linebacker.

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Start / 5
Time
20 min
Players
14–26
Age
U15+
Area
40 × 40 yd
Equipment
26 helmets and shoulder pads7 hand shields3 footballs4 cones

Setup

  1. Contact level: thud. Full helmet and shoulder pads for everyone, and a coach watches every rep.
  2. Offence: five linemen, a TE on the right, the QB under centre, a fullback offset right and a running back at 7 yards.
  3. Scout defence with hand shields: a 1-technique on the centre's left, a 3-technique outside the RG, a 5-technique on the RT, the Sam on the line outside the TE, and the Mike and Will at 5 yards.
  4. The play goes right. Start at walk-through pace so the puller learns the path, then build to thud.

How it runs

  1. Play side blocks down: TE down on the 5-technique; RG and RT double the 3-technique and one climbs to the Will.
  2. C blocks back on the 1-technique to cover the pulling guard's spot. LT hinges: a step inside, then a step back to seal the backside.
  3. FB kicks out the end man on the line (the Sam), keeping them outside.
  4. LG pulls flat behind the line, turns up through the hole between the down block and the kick-out, and blocks the Mike.
  5. RB takes the handoff, follows the pulling guard's hip through the hole, then gets north.
  6. Whistle at thud when the first defender fits the ball carrier. Run 6–8 reps, then flip the play. Count the period in the weekly full-contact limit.

Coaching points

  • Down blocks hit the defender's near shoulder and chest from the side. Never from behind: that is a block in the back.
  • No cut blocks. The hinge and the down blocks stay above the waist.
  • Puller: open the play-side foot, pull flat and tight to the line, then turn up and block the first defender who crosses the face.
  • FB: aim at the inside half of the end man with the face up and hands inside, and drive them out.
  • RB: be patient; press the hole at the puller's speed, then burst.

Common mistakes

  • Pulling guard drifting deep into the backfield and arriving late.
  • FB running around the end man instead of kicking them out, which closes the hole.
  • Down blockers lunging and slipping off, so a defender squeezes the hole from the inside.
  • RB outrunning the puller and running into the linebacker unblocked.

Say it: “Down, back, kick, wrap.”

Make it harder

  • The end man squeezes inside some reps; the FB logs them in instead, and the RB bounces outside.
  • Run it from the other hash against a scout front that shifts at the snap.

Make it easier

  • Walk-through only, with the puller and RB on air and the coach naming the hole.
  • Run the backside (C, LG, LT) and play side (RG, RT, TE, FB) as separate groups first.

Reviewed by the Sportdify coaching team.