Welcome back to the Board Drill Podcast! In Season 2, Episode 25, we’re diving into the foundation of gap scheme football with one of the best in the trenches—Coach Ian Tatum, Assistant Head Coach, OC, and OL coach at Walkertown High School in North Carolina.
Coach Tatum breaks down the ins and outs of Power—from install day to adjustments, including QB power, power read, and the toss read series. We talk personnel, back alignment, puller rules, and how to build a nasty offensive line mentality around your gap game.
This is a must-listen for any coach looking to enhance their run game and understand how to marry Duo, Power, and Counter into a cohesive, hard-nosed attack.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Kyle, Matt, and Coach Ian Tatum kickoff01:00 – Philosophy of Power: "God’s play" and why it’s day one install02:10 – Base Power from 20 Personnel with a sniffer03:15 – Installing Duo alongside Power – differences and similarities04:40 – Adjustments vs. different fronts – fitting Power to your team06:00 – Power Read and Toss Read variations07:30 – Teaching Puller Footwork and Rules10:15 – OL Drills and mindset to build a gap scheme culture13:00 – Gameplan integration – mixing Duo, Power, Counter16:20 – Reading the DE on toss vs. power read18:40 – When to tag QB Power and how to package it21:00 – Dealing with safeties fitting the backside24:00 – Creating constraint plays off your base run28:45 – Managing OL personalities and building toughness32:10 – Practice scripting and how Tatum installs run game in-season36:30 – Favorite formations and motions to dress up Power40:45 – Power vs. odd vs. even fronts – blocking rules44:00 – Run game adjustments midseason48:30 – RPOs off Power and Buck Sweep52:15 – Why Toss Read is underutilized in HS ball56:30 – Coaching impact, daily player relationships57:55 – Social media and YouTube/Content support for coaches59:30 – Final thoughts and sign off
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