Defending the Power Play

We define “Power” as a gap blocking scheme with a fullback kicking out the end man on the line of scrimmage (EMLOS), and a backside guard pulling through on the playside linebacker. This play is used on a consistent basis by our own offense and by the opponents in our conference, so we have to be sound in defending this type of physical run.Our entire philosophy on this play is to stop it from getting downhill. We want the ball carrier to go “East and West” so the gain is minimal. This allows for our team speed and pursuit to chase it down. In order to deny the ball carrier from getting downhill, we must be the more physical team upfront and “spill” the ball carrier to the perimeter. When we spill,  the defender at the point of attack (POA) will take his outside arm and “rip” through the inside arm of the “kickout” block, forcing the ball carrier to spill to the