If you’re looking to simplify the Linebacker position, check out THE LB LIBRARY. You can find it by clicking here.

I use this coaching point all the time with our Linebackers:

Move SQUARE when you’re moving in the box.

Square movements allow you to move with power, move with great vision, and they allow you to change directions at any moment.

Here’s a good example:

Square movements lead to big plays.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

Angles are everything.

And there are two keys to taking a great angle:

1. Keeping your LEVERAGE.

2. Taking away SPACE.

Here’s a good example:

A great angle leads to a great play.

All the best,

PS — I’ve put together a private collection of Linebacker clinics, teach tape, and drill videos.

The entire goal of this resource is to SIMPLIFY the Linebacker position.

It’s called THE LB LIBRARY, and you can find it by clicking here.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

It looks like this:

The Linebacker reads run…
They start moving towards the play…
And then they turn their shoulders too early.

Classic mistake.

For two reasons:

1. When you turn your shoulders, you’re moving without power. It’s easy for an Offensive Lineman to knock you off your path.

2. When you turn your shoulders, it’s difficult to change directions.

Instead, Linebackers should stay square for as long as possible.

The Shuffle is the best type of movement for this.

But if the Linebacker needs more speed, they can transition to a Scrape.

Square movements win.

But there’s a catch:

At some point, a Linebacker will need to turn their shoulders.

An example is an outside run where a Linebacker needs an incredible amount of speed just to keep up.

So…

Finding that balance is key.

But I like to use this coaching point:

Stay as square as possible for as long as possible.

It helps Linebackers avoid this common mistake.

All the best,

PS — If you’re looking for more tips that simplify the Linebacker position, check out THE LB LIBRARY. You can find it by clicking here.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

It goes like this:

I let the play start.

Then I pause the film just after the snap.

I have the Linebacker look at their keys.

And I have them they try to anticipate what the play is going to be.

Then…

I let the play run to see if they were right.

It’s a powerful tool.

Once a Linebacker learns this technique, they can do it on their own time.

It’s one of the best ways for a Linebacker to practice their read.

For instance, if you’re using a Guard Read:

In that pause they’ll see the Guard turning their shoulders to PULL…

Or stepping for the Down Block…

Or getting into a Pass Set…

If they do this enough, the game will start to slow down for them.

They’ll start to identify plays quickly…

And they’ll start to play fast.

(Isn’t that the goal?)

All the best,

PS — This technique will help your Linebackers read the play, but they still need to know how to react. To take a deep dive into how Linebackers should start the play, check out my new clinic called THE LB FIRST STEP. It breaks it all down in 23 minutes. You can find it inside THE LB LIBRARY.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

And it all starts before the ball is even snapped.

Great Linebackers are able to anticipate the next play based on a number of factors…

(And the way those factors fit into the game plan.)

But how much information is too much information?

Good question.

If we overload the players they’ll end up thinking too much and playing slow.

It’s a fine line.

Next…

The Linebacker must read the play.

Regardless of what type of read you’re using.

(ie. Backfield Read, Guard Read, Triangle Read, etc…)

The goal is to quickly identify the play.

Then…

The Linebacker must react.

And their reaction starts with their first step.

How do you want your Linebackers to move based on what they see inside their read?

Another good question.

Well…

I recently built a short clinic that answers all these questions.

It’s called THE LB FIRST STEP.

And it covers every phase of this:

• Anticipate

• Read

• React

A proven formula to help your Linebackers start the play right.

And you can only find it inside THE LB LIBRARY.

Click here to get started.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

A Linebacker’s first step can make all the difference.

I just put together a short clinic called THE LB FIRST STEP.

It talks about how Linebackers can anticipate the next play…

Get a fast and efficient read…

And execute a great first step.

(It also touches on the concepts of read steps and false steps.)

This brand new, 23-minute clinic is only available inside THE LB LIBRARY.

Join today and help your Linebackers start the play right this fall.

Click here to get started.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

Football season is right around the corner.

I can tell we’re getting close because clips from NFL Training Camps have been flooding my social media feed.

And one thing I always notice when I see NFL Linebackers during practice?

They’re drilling basic fundamentals.

It’s a great reminder.

The best players in the world…

Guys who have mastered their craft over years and years of football development…

Working stance.

Reads.

First step.

Hand position.

Disengagement.

Tackling.

It seems like a paradox, but it actually makes total sense.

The best players in the world don’t have some magic drill that makes them great.

They’ve just decided to get really, really, really good at the little things.

Because the little things lead to big plays.

All the best,

PS — This is also why THE LB LIBRARY applies to all levels of play. It covers the basic fundamentals that every Linebacker must master. Click here to learn more.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

Offensive Linemen are always trying to jack them up.

Running Backs are always trying to make them miss.

Offensive Coordinators are always trying to confuse them.

But the biggest enemy of any Linebacker?

Hesitation.

It’s a killer.

A Linebacker who hesitates doesn’t have much of a chance.

And there’s a big difference between hesitation and patience.

Patience is controlled.

Planned.

Purposeful.

Patience is about seeing what you need to see before attacking.

Hesitation is completely different.

Hesitation is about being unsure.

About being confused.

About being…

Dare I say it?

Scared.

Scared to make a mistake.

Scared to look bad.

But…

As Linebacker coaches, we can help our Linebackers conquer their hesitation.

We do it by slowing the game down.

By helping them understand the position.

And by building their confidence.

And the best way to build their confidence?

By helping them master the fundamentals.

Funny…

It always seems to come back to the fundamentals.

All the best,

PS — THE LB LIBRARY contains a massive bank of drill videos, clinics, and teach tape. It’ll help you eliminate hesitation in your Linebackers once and for all. To learn more, click here.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

Have a great Defensive Line.

They’re the ones who keep the Linebackers clean and help them make plays.

But it’s a two-way street.

Linebackers and Defensive Linemen must work together to shut down their opponents.

And sometimes…

A Defensive Lineman will end up in a different GAP.

It can play out a few ways:

Sometimes, it’s by play call.

(A gap exchange or a stunt.)

But other times…

It’s just by mistake.

We hate to admit it, but it happens.

I mean, those Defensive Linemen have the toughest PHYSICAL job on the football field.

They won’t always execute their assignment perfectly.

So what should a Linebacker do if a Defensive Lineman ends up in the wrong spot?

They should make them right.

In other words:

If a Defensive Lineman ends up in your gap, then you should take their gap.

After all…

As a Linebacker…

You have the advantage of depth and vision.

You can see what’s going on in front of you.

So when things break down, simply adjust and make the play.

Those Defensive Linemen will thank you for it on the next snap.

All the best,

PS — If you’re looking to sharpen your INDY periods this season, check out THE LB LIBRARY. It contains the largest and most comprehensive Linebacker drill bank on the internet. Find it by clicking here.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

I tell ya…

They’re always trying to make things more complicated for us.

They dress everything up in an attempt to steal the eyes of the Linebackers.

That’s why eye discipline is such a key thing for Linebackers to master.

When a Linebacker tries to see everything, they see nothing.

And it’s our job, as coaches, to simplify this for them.

To create a plan.

To give them concrete keys to read.

And of course, those Offensive Coordinators will mess with that too…

But you can’t go without a plan just because you’ll get a false key from time to time.

Plan your reactions accordingly, and your Linebackers will be fine.

Coach the eyes, and the feet will follow.

An important component of great Linebacker play.

All the best,

PS — To discover how eye discipline connects to all the other Linebacker fundamentals, check out the Linebacker Operating System inside THE LB LIBRARY. Find it by clicking here.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

Time.

There never seems to be enough of it.

Between planning practices, scouting opponents, evaluating players…

And if you work a day job?

Or want to spend a little bit of time with your family?

The time just doesn’t add up.

One thing that can buy you back some time this season is THE LB LIBRARY.

It has a completely organized and searchable drill bank, so you can always find exactly what you need for practice.

And the teach tape can be used during meetings to show good examples of Linebacker fundamentals in action.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a new coach just getting started…

THE LB LIBRARY will help you maximize your time this season.

Learn more by clicking here.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

We want our Linebacker to play fast.

But we don’t want them to overrun the play.

Confusing?

It can be.

So it’s important that we clear this one up.

Because overrunning plays is a very common mistake for Linebackers.

And it can have massive consequences.

(A lot of huge runs happen this way.)

But how do we fix this without slowing our Linebackers down?

Well…

It starts with the eyes.

Linebackers need to see it first before they attack.

But this is also about angles.

And there are two key components to taking a great angle:

Leverage and space.

If a Linebacker understands how to keep their leverage, and they can do it while removing space from the ball carrier, then they’ll never overrun a play.

Even if they’re playing really, really fast.

All the best,

PS — If you want to see how this concept fits into the complete Linebacker Operating System, click here.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

I said this:

The amount of success you have this season is on YOU.

Not your coach.
Not your parents.
Not your teammates.

If you’re happy with your role on the team, good.

Fight to keep it.

If you’re NOT happy with your role on the team, change it with your PLAY.

Your job is to make it so OBVIOUS you’re the right person for the job that your coach has NO CHOICE but to play you.

If you’re neck and neck with someone else for the same spot, then you haven’t done enough.

Don’t waste time evaluating the competition on your own team.

Don’t analyze every single rep and cherry pick a play here and a play there to prove you should have a bigger role.

You need to make it a NO BRAINER.

And how do you do that?

You put in the WORK.

Extra film.
Bonus reps after practice.
Late nights with the playbook.

After that?

You MAKE PLAYS.

You perform on the field.

Then?

You put in MORE work.

You keep your head down.

You take care of your nutrition and your sleep and your schoolwork.

And if it doesn’t happen right away?

You keep pushing.

You don’t complain.

You focus on the NEXT practice.

And when you DO get an opportunity?

ANY opportunity?

You go all out.

You listen to your coaches and play WITHIN the system.

You take notes during meetings.

You study the playbook some more.

You watch some more film.

And after all that, if you’re STILL not in the role you want?

Then you take your current role and DOMINATE it.

Own your assignments and play with a relentless motor that can’t be ignored.

Then?

You get back to work.

And repeat.

And repeat.

And…

At the end of the season, if you can HONESTLY say to yourself you did everything you could to become the best player you could be, and you contributed to your team’s success in every way possible…

Then you had a great season.

All the best,

PS — Use the Linebacker Operating System to ensure your players reach their maximum potential this season. Stop using one-off coaching points and start using a connected system of Linebacker development. Find it here.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

But football is inherently complex.

Don’t believe me?

Gather a bunch of 12-year-olds who have never played the game.

Give them a football, some pads and helmets, a field to play on…

Then say “go!”

What do you think will happen?

Chaos.

It’s not like soccer or basketball where you can just play.

Football requires a certain level of explanation.

Blocking schemes.

Coverages.

Plays.

On the surface, it’s complicated.

It just is.

So…

All that to say:

Our job as coaches isn’t to keep the game simple.

Our job is to make the game simple.

Different thought process.

Same outcome.

And Linebacker play is no different.

The job of a Linebacker coach is to make the position simple.

That’s why I built THE LB LIBRARY.

It contains my complete Linebacker Operating System.

Which takes all the skills and techniques and details of Linebacker play…

And organizes them into one simple package.

Click here to join.

All the best,

PS - It doesn’t matter what level you’re currently coaching. Youth, high school, college. The Linebacker Operating System doesn’t change. These are the fundamentals every Linebacker needs to master. Click here if you want to help your Linebackers dominate this season.

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

You also need to do them in the right order.

For instance:

If you try to work on how your Linebackers should react to certain reads, but you haven’t worked the appropriate movement skills yet, the players will get confused.

Order matters.

That’s why I put together my latest FREE resource.

It details a concrete plan for your first 5 INDY periods of the season.

It shows you some drills you can do…

But it also show you the correct order to do them in.

This document only takes a few minutes to get through, and it will help you create a solid foundation to build from this season.

Get it for FREE by clicking here.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

It’s where I share a quick thought about Linebacker play while I’m having my morning coffee.

In today’s video I talk about the Triangle Read.

You can watch it here:

For more Linebacker breakdowns, check out THE LB LIBRARY today.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

Everyone’s fresh…

The energy is high…

Expectations are through the roof.

So…

When you dive into those first few Linebacker INDY periods of a new season, you’ll want to be ready.

I’ve put together a brand new (FREE) resource:

The First 5: A detailed breakdown of your first 5 Linebacker INDY periods.

It lays out a concrete plan for maximizing those first few crucial practices.

You can download it now for FREE by clicking here.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

And I do the same thing every year.

As Training Camp approaches, I take another look at all the techniques I’ll be teaching the Linebackers during the upcoming season

I go over the fine details, and ask myself if anything needs a tweak or an update.

This year will be my easiest year yet.

Not because I have more experience, but because I now have THE LB LIBRARY.

It’s the culmination of all my Linebacker teachings.

And it’s all in one place.

All I need to do this year is take another lap through the drill videos and clinics inside THE LB LIBRARY, and make sure the coaching points still hold up.

I’m sure I’ll find a few things I can improve upon…

And then I’ll add those things back into THE LB LIBRARY to keep it up to date.

It’s the most valuable Linebacker resource I’ve ever owned.

Click here if you’d like to join 120 serious Linebacker coaches using THE LB LIBRARY to maximize their coaching.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

It had been a long, hot day on the practice field.

I’m up at the front of the meeting room, going through the film with the players.

Team period.

I show a play once, make a couple points.

Then I rewind the tape…

Let it run again…

And pause it at the perfect moment.

That’s when I turn to one of our Freshman Linebackers and ask the golden question:

“Where are your eyes here?”

He flexes his forehead.

I already know the answer, but it’s important that he says it.

“I think I was looking at the Quarterback,” he says.

I nod.

“And where should your eyes be here?” I ask.

“The Offensive Linemen. I would have seen that Puller.”

I nod again.

He makes a note in his notebook.

We move on to the next play.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx

If you’re looking for a complete system of Linebacker development, check out THE LB LIBRARY.

Movement

1. Stance

Everything starts here. The keys to a great Stance are balance, comfort, and vision.

2. Shuffle

The most fundamental type of Linebacker movement. The Shuffle involves square shoulders and square hips.

3. Scrape

If a Linebacker needs more speed than a Shuffle will allow, they must transition to a Scrape. This means moving with square shoulders and turned hips.

4. Shoot

Linebackers must know when it’s time to Shoot the play.

5. Come to Balance

Transitioning from speed to power.

6. Change of Direction

Moving square and low will help a Linebacker change directions.

7. Shimmy

A specific type of movement that prepares a Linebacker for contact.

8. Flip the Hips

Open up and get depth to cover the pass.

9. Backpedal

A square way to cover the pass.

Block Destruction

10. Shock Technique

Strike with the hands and control the blocker.

11. Shoulder Charge

A way to take on Pullers and ISO blocks.

12. Dip and Rip

Win with speed.

13. Punch Inside

Win under the block.

14. Pop Technique

Strike with the hands and move.

Tackling

15. Approach

Angles, leverage, space.

16. Point of Contact

This is where the details come into play.

17. Finish

Get the ball carrier onto the ground.

Reads

18. Your Read

There are many types of Linebacker reads to choose from. My advice is to pick one and get really, really good at it.

Final Thoughts

These 18 techniques are the foundation of Linebacker play, and I’ve developed a system for teaching them.

You can learn that system in under two hours inside THE LB LIBRARY.

Click here to find it.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx