Glossary Entry: Trail Technique
Trail technique is a man coverage technique primarily used by cornerbacks. When playing trail technique, the corner plays a step behind the receiver with his back to the line of scrimmage. This...
Glossary Entry: Key and Diagnose
“Key and Diagnose” is one of the most vital abilities defensive players have. Depending on the position, there are certain “keys” that defenders must read to “diagnose” what the offense is doing, so...
Glossary Entry: Ball Placement
Ball placement refers to the location of a quarterback’s throw relative to a receiver and nearby defenders. Good ball placement depends on the situation, route, and coverage, but it is the location...
Glossary Entry: Vertical Board
NFL teams prepare two draft boards in preparation for the NFL draft, a horizontal board and a vertical board. The vertical board distills the scouting grade, need at the position, positional value,...
Glossary Entry: Horizontal Board
NFL teams prepare two draft boards in preparation for the NFL draft, a horizontal board and a vertical board. The horizontal board shows not only a round grade for each prospect but their rank...
Glossary Entry: Finishing
The term “finishing” gets thrown around a lot in football discussions, specifically regarding offensive line play, but it has become a bit obscure and hard to define. The aim here is to utilize...
Glossary Entry: Passing off Twist Games
Football is littered with specialized terminology. Fromshield punt formation to yankee concept, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play. Inside The...
ITP Glossary: Sluggo Route
The sluggo route is a type of double move that is used to make the receiver look like he is running a slant, and then cutting straight up field in an attempt to get behind the defense. The term...
ITP Glossary: Drive Block
As legendary college offensive line coach Joe Moore often told his players, there's no greater feeling than being able to move a man from Point A to Point B against his will. No block represents...
ITP Glossary: Sinking the Hips
Sinking the hips is a commonly used scouting term to help describe the ability of players to lower their hips and center of gravity in order to execute their assignment. For a receiver, it allows...
ITP Glossary: Fold Block
Football is littered with specialized terminology. From punt gunner to climbing the pocket, commentators rarely get to explain everything you need to know before the next play. Inside The Pylon’s...
ITP Glossary: Shallow Cross Concept
The shallow cross is a passing concept commonly used in the NFL that involves a shallow crossing route and a middle-hook route that is designed to create a horizontal stretch on linebackers. The...
ITP Glossary: Slam Release
A slam release is a technique for tight ends on play action pass plays. The TE moves with the run fake, often a zone run, and engages in a block to one side of the play before stopping, pivoting and...
I don’t care about your grade on Wentz
2016 NFL Draft prospects Jared Goff and Carson Wentz
ITP Glossary: Closing Speed
The speed with which the defender exhibits moving from Point A to Point B to decrease the distance between themselves and the ballcarrier is known as closing speed. Acceleration, foot speed, and the...
ITP Glossary: Punch / Drive Step
Route-running is about telling lies with your body language. In order for receivers to get open against elite defenders, they have to master the art of lying. Great defensive backs pride themselves...
ITP Glossary: Pocket Mobility
The ability of a quarterback to use their feet, peripheral vision, and awareness of pressure to navigate the pocket to find or create throwing lanes is what is referred to as pocket mobility. If the...
ITP Glossary: Hank Concept
The Hank concept is a traditional piece of the West Coast offense that involves three routes to one side of the field. The three routes in order of the quarterback’s progressions are: a tight end...
ITP Glossary: Bump and Run Technique
Bump and run technique is used by defensive backs to disrupt wide receivers, as well as the timing of the pass from the quarterback, as soon as the WR starts their release. The defensive back will...
ITP Glossary: Boundary Side
The boundary side of the field is the short side based on where the ball is placed before the snap. Conversely, the field side is the wide side of the field where there is more room for the play....
ITP Glossary: Field Side
The field side of a football field is the wide side, determined by the location of the ball before the snap. Conversely, the boundary side of the field is the short side. The closer the ball is to...
ITP Glossary: Offset i-formation
A variation on the traditional i-formation, an offset i-formation is when the fullback lines up shaded to one side of the offensive line rather than directly behind the quarterback. This is...
ITP Glossary: Counter Trey
The counter trey is a running play that perfectly combines deception and physicality. The down blocks on the playside move downhill and hit hard, while a fake in the backfield freezes the defense...
ITP Glossary: Defensive Holding
Defensive holding is called when a defender grabs an offensive player, or their jersey, or when they wrap their arms around the offensive player before a pass is thrown. The penalty for defensive...