The stance that I teach the offensive center is a three point stance with weight distributed evenly over the "full bottom" of both feet, with little weight forward. I want very little weight placed on the football itself.
1. BASE: Slightly wider than the shoulders with the feet perpendicular to the L.O.S. - no stagger.
2. FEET: The feet must be parallel as much as possible but never more than 2 to 3 inch stagger.
3. SHOULDERS - BACK - TAIL: Shoulders must be square to the L.O.S. with the back parallel to the ground. I want the center's tail to be at least as high as the shoulders (this will keep his hips up) to facilitate the snap.
4. INITIAL MOVEMENT: We want the center to explode out of his stance with his back parallel. Step with the near foot when exploding out to block or as it applies to the blocking scheme. DO NOT ANTICIPATE THE SNAP COUNT. Snapping the ball early penalizes the rest of the offensive linemen by giving the defense an advantage. Snap the ball on the proper command.
5. POSITION OF THE BALL: The ball should be placed slightly to the right eye and forward of the center's head. EXTENDING THE BALL IN FRONT OF YOU will give you better cutoff angles because the defenders will not be as close to you or the rest of the offensive line.
6. THE GRIP: The football is placed so that the laces are facing up. Grip the ball by placing your right thumb between the second and third lace nearest the front end of the ball. The fingers and palm of the hand will grip the ball on the side so as to have complete control of the ball. The arm should be extended with your wrist straight. NEVER allow your arm to be bent as this will cause a bad snap.
7. EFFECTING THE SNAP: Snap the ball by turning the wrist one-quarter turn without bending your elbows. This should be one quick movement and is a lifting action. Slap the ball against the quarterbacks hand. The quarterback should take the ball from you "NEVER " throw the ball to the quarterback. Snapping and stepping with the proper foot should be one of continuous movement.
The Center must be the quarterback of the offensive line. The center is responsible for making calls recognizing defensive fronts and alerting the rest of the offensive line to all changes. The center must have a clear understanding of the concept of plays used in the offense. The center must make calls loud and clear!
ALIGNMENT AND SPLITS - "THE LITTLE THINGS" make the difference. In order for an offense line to be successful with its plays, they need to play smart. Understanding splits as it applies to the inside run and outside run becomes an important factor. An of
fensive lineman needs to understand that a wider split helps the inside game and a tighter split benefits the outside game (helps restrict the defense). Certain plays that require combination blocks by two adjoining lineman must have a sense about themselves when working together.
Courtesy Coach Jerry Campbell
