Guard (American football)

“ They must be [Pg 64] taught to block securely until the ball is on its way to the runner or kicker. The blocking of a guard is much less exacting in its requirements than that of the tackle. Not that he must not block with equal certainty, but the act requires no such covering of two men as often happens in the case of a tackle. The guard forms closely towards the centre, and then follows his man out if he moves out, but only as far as he can go, and still be absolutely certain that the opponent cannot pass between him and the snap-back. ”

“ He must protect his quarter; he must aid in making openings, and perform any interference that may be possible, as well as always assisting a runner of his own side with weight or protection. He must always get down the field under a kick, for it is by no means unusual for him to have the best opportunity in these days when end rushers are so carefully watched. When the opponents have the ball, he must not be content with seeing that the opponent does not roll it to a guard, but must also see that there is no short, tricky passing in the scrimmage. ”

“ When the opponents have the ball and are about to kick, the guard should have in his mind one persistent thought, and that is, to reach the quarter before the ball is away from his hand, but not to stop there. ”

“ He must always, however, throw him towards the opponent's goal. Another point for guards to bear in mind is, that in close [Pg 62] quarters it is often possible to deprive the runner of the ball before he says "down." A guard who always tries this will be surprised at the number of times he will find the referee giving him the ball. He will also be astonished at the way this attempt results in the runner saying "down" as soon as he finds some one tugging at the ball. A man gives up all thought of further advance the instant he finds the ball slipping at all in his grasp ”

“ One difference is the guard is head on the offensive guard, instead of on the offensive center. The distance he lines up off the ball in a staggered stance will be determined by the tactical situation. On the snap of the ball he plays the guard with a hand shiver, and immediately locates the football. If it is a back-up pass and there is no man in a 0 or 1 technique, he will look for the draw play first, and then rush the passer. If it is a running play, he will look first toward the inside for a trap, and then pursue the football. ”

“ He may be called back behind the line, however, and used in the same way as a tackle, either for interference or for carrying the ball.
On defense the guard should play close to center, crouching how, facing the front, as this will be the direction from which the strong attack will come. The guard must not be drawn out too wide, although he is responsible for the hole between himself and tackle. He should be very effective in helping the center to stop all plays aimed at his position. He must never be caught "up in the air", for mass plays must be stopped from the bottom. ”

“ When playing on the offensive, the guard must line up quickly, not more than a foot from his center--practically shoulder to shoulder. He should stand facing the opposing guard, ready to block him the instant the ball is put into play. He must never allow himself to be drawn out, for then the opposing center or defensive quarter back can break through. The guard should also play very low, as he cannot open holes in the line or do successful blocking when playing high. ”

“ The fifth man flanked to our left will be covered by our left guard. The remaining players will meet strength with strength. Our right guard will play on the outside shoulder of the offensive right guard, and the defensive right tackle will play on the outside shoulder of the offensive left guard, as illustrated in Figure 22.
We instruct our defensive players to force the offensive players to come to them. We do not want our men off the line of scrimmage to penetrate, leaving gaps in the defense. We want our men to be in a good football position so they can pursue the ball quickly. ”

“ Strength, weight and aggressiveness are as essential to a good guard as speed is to an end. A slow, lumbering guard is of no use; in fact, a slow man has no place in the game. Upon the center and the two guards depends the strength of the line and the strength here must be that of a stone wall, in order that the various offensive plays may be gotten well under way before the opponents can get through to break them up. The work that falls upon the guard calls for great exertion and instant action. ”

“ The guard should always go through straight ahead, carrying the opposing guard back into the play or forcing him toward center, while he himself goes through instantly on the outside. He should go through on every phay and never back off his own line. He should not wait and use his discretion about going through the line, for the attack of the opponents is too varied. ”

“ Figure 100 illustrates the pre-shift position of the right side of the offensive line and the application of the guard’s, tackle’s, and end’s split rules. From the pre-shift stance and position, the offensive men are allowed to split one-half man either way, according to the defense. The inside always must be protected. A defensive man must not be allowed to penetrate or shoot the inside gap as he is likely to stop the offensive play for a loss. ”

“ Guards—Our guards will block the first man to their outside, and they must keep their inside foot stationary. If a guard steps laterally with his inside foot as he blocks, he will leave a hole through which a defensive man can sprint and block the kick. After he has blocked the first man to his outside for a period of one second, which I explained above, he covers the kick downfield.
Tackles—If there are two men lined up between the tackle and his adjacent guard, he will block to his inside. ”

“ After he has opened the hole, the guard can often help the runner by pulling him along or by pushing him from behind, especially if the attack is on his side of the center. When the attack is on the center's opposite side, the guard should go through between the opposing guard and center, and block out the guard. Then, when he is through and behind the opposing line, he can cut off the opposing half back, part of the enemy's reinforcements, and, crossing over the center line, may possibly pull the runner along or interfere for him. ”

“ At the kick-off, after the kick, a guard should go down directly under the bail to prevent any return and to be on hand to line up instantly when the ball is downed. When the opponents are kicking, the guard is in one of the best positions to block kicks or to aid in getting the center or the other guard through for that purpose. The three center men should work together to get one of their number through. ”

“ Regular Formation - Left Half Back Cross Buck Outside of Right Tackle.
This is in the nature of a quick driving play directly over the position occupied by the defensive right end.
Center blocks opponent to left.
Left Guard goes through, cuts off reinforcements and assists the runner.
Right Guard blocks the opponent to left.
Left Tackle comes around and assists the runner by his interference.
Right Tackle blocks opposing guard and assists in checking opposing tackle.
Left End comes around quickly, watching for a fumble and carries runner forward when tackled. ”

“ A safety is made when a team is forced to touch the ball down behind its own goal line.
The ball used in American football is a long oval case made of leather and inflated by means of a rubber bag or envelope. The football player’s uniform consists of a heavily padded pair of trousers made of canvas, moleskin, khaki or other material, a jacket made of the same material, a tight-fitting jersey with elbow and shoulder pads, heavy stockings, and cleated shoes. Players will often use other pads, braces and guards to protect them from injury. ”

“ Eliminate “dirty football” and the playing of unfit or unfairly matched men, provide for the players proper supervision in their practice and strict officials in their matches,—and the dangers of the game, with all serious grounds of objection, will be removed.
Particular thanks for helpful suggestions as to guard play are due Mr. Joseph T. Gilman, a veteran of the Dartmouth eleven, whose mastery of the technique of his position has been proved in many a hard contest and against many a clever antagonist. ”

“ After having made a hole if called for, or blocked his man, the next duty of the guard is to get into the push or interference himself. Get hold of the runner; if possible, pull him along. Give him a chance to use you in warding off would-be tacklers. One of the first duties of a guard is to line up quickly. He should be right beside his centre the moment the ball is down. The play cannot start without some one to guard it. When his side is going to kick, the guard should move in close to the centre so that no little quarter or stray back can come through and stop the kick. ”

“ There are many defenses that are good versus various offensive formations. The important point is to have a defense you and your players believe in, and which is sound in all respects. Each player must take pride in himself and his defensive ability. He must personally feel he is not going to permit the opposition to score. He must accept it as a personal challenge to himself. He must eliminate the long run and/or the long pass for the “easy” touchdown, pursue relentlessly and tackle viciously in order to be sound both individually and as a team while on defense. ”

“ The quarterback wants to run at the man who is isolated in the defense, and in most cases it is the defensive man over the offensive center’s area. The attack can go wide, too, but the offensive team must do an intelligent job of splitting in order [193] to draw the defense in tight. If the offensive guards take wide splits and the defensive men move out with them, the defensive man over the center will be isolated and the quarterback can direct his attack toward the middle. ”

“ No other call to duty is so truly a test of military readiness as that in connection with a fire, coming as it does always without the slightest previous warning. And no other duty, performed as the 1st Regiment performed it in 1872, does so much to win friends for the organization, and for the National Guard of which it forms a part. At no other time does the National Guardsman appear so nearly in his true rôle, as “a soldier of peace.” ”

“ When the linemen leave the huddle and come up to the line of scrimmage in a pre-shift position (hands on knees in a semi-upright stance) , the basic split rule for the guards is to split one full man. The tackles and ends will split slightly more than one full man. As the linemen go down into their offensive stance, each man (except the center) will move in, out or remain stationary, depending upon the particular defensive alignment and the individual’s split rules. ”

“ That step toward citizen self-defense was the beginning of our National Guard, the oldest military organization in the United States.
Over those three centuries, names have changed-Militia, State Troops, State Volunteers, and, finally, the National Guard-but the spirit of the citizensoldier has been constant. It is exemplified by those who stand prepared to leave their civilian occupations, don the uniform of their Country, and serve their States and their Nation when the need arises.
In time of war, the Guard is always ready to serve. ”

“ When working with our quarterbacks “picking” a defense, we never tell them to attack the opposition’s weakness but merely to run away from their strength. The only time your quarterback really needs to know how to recognize a defense and its strengths and weaknesses is when he is changing plays at the line of scrimmage. Otherwise your quarterback will call specific plays in certain zones or areas according to your scouting report and game plans. ”

“ Guards, of course, try to prevent the basemen from getting the ball or to prevent its being thrown to the captain, and to intercept it as it makes the round of the circle. They also try to get the ball to throw to the basemen on their own side. The fielders, aside from jumping for the ball when it is put into play, may move anywhere in the field. Their chief office is to get the balls which go out of bounds, no one else being allowed to do this. Fielders may play the ball if it comes their way, but they must not interfere with guards. A ball thrown from a guard or fielder does not score. ”

“ They saw fit to keep disciplined organizations in their armories, while the undisciplined citizens were parading the streets with their bits of wood. Time and again have the National Guards of our different states been placed in just such a predicament, and when politics are thrust into the background, and civil offices are occupied by fair-minded men whose sole aim is the welfare of the state, and not till then, will the National Guard occupy the place designed for it in the government of our country. ”

“ The strength of the defense is inside. Consequently the quarterback must run the corners. The game situation and field position will determine which play the quarterback will call. The quarterback should never throw a counter pass or a back up pass versus the gap 8 defense because all the defenders cannot be blocked. He stands a better chance of scoring if he selects a corner pass. The block or action pass is very good because it helps to eliminate the bad play. ”