In this episode of The Board Drill Podcast, Kyle sits down with Coach Clayton Cason, Defensive Coordinator at Mandarin High School, to talk all things defensive line play. Coach Cason dives deep into his core teaching progressions, how he builds violence into strike technique, and how Mandarin teaches their D-linemen to dominate one-on-one matchups. From laws of D-line play to dealing with double teams and striking like Simba, this is a clinic episode you’ll want to take notes on!

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⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Intro & Coach Cason joins the show
1:15 – The Laws of Playing for Coach Cason
2:45 – Alignment, Key, Assignment + “Six Seconds of Hell”
4:40 – Strike & Separate Philosophy
6:30 – Creating "Steel Beams" & Being the Train, Not the Tracks
8:10 – Do Your Job: Belichick-ian Buy-In
10:00 – Teaching the 3 Modes: Knockback, Playmaker, GTA
13:00 – Eye Discipline and the “Call of Duty Scope” Visual
15:20 – Game Situations and Cues
17:00 – Strike Technique Breakdown
20:00 – “Force the Flinch” Drill & Coaching Cues
25:00 – Visual Aids: Simba, Crocodile, and Shoulder Pad Targeting
30:00 – Offseason Violence & Reps Matter
32:10 – Teaching Separation and Playing Gap & a Half
34:30 – Popsicle Pad, Power Scoot, and Elbow Lockouts
37:00 – Shedding to Make Plays and Controlling the LOS
41:00 – Reach & Gather Footwork for Run Fits
44:00 – Power Scoot Technique for Long Armed Ends
46:30 – Block Recognition & Simplified D-Line Rules
49:00 – Double Teams: “Have You Ever Been Jumped?” Analogy
52:00 – Strike, Long Arm, and Split the Double
54:00 – Coach Cason’s Favorite Visuals & Inside Shade Philosophy
56:30 – Teaching Every Technique the Same Regardless of Front
1:00:00 – Final Thoughts on Simplifying for Violence and Results

Welcome back to another episode of The Board Drill Podcast! In this episode, Kyle sits down with Coach Tyler Richins, head coach at Sugar-Salem HS in Idaho, to take a deep dive into the Wing-T's inside run game—specifically belly, trap, and iso variations that don’t always get the spotlight.

If you've ever been gashed by a team in the Wing-T or are looking to evolve your own scheme with more physicality inside, this one is packed with actionable insight.

Don't forget to like, subscribe, and follow us on Twitter/X, TikTok, and BoardDrill.com for weekly clinic content, scheme breakdowns, and more!

⏱️ Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro & Matt Update

0:48 – Welcome Coach Tyler Richins (Sugar-Salem HS)

2:15 – Philosophy of offense: balance, deception & QB development

5:10 – Trap as the base play & what happens when teams stop it

7:00 – Belly becomes the answer: when and why they leaned in

8:15 – Belly vs. Trap: how it hits different

10:30 – Blocking belly inside: gap rules, cross calls, violence

14:40 – Coaching communication across the OL & dummy calls

17:30 – Fold vs. Crash vs. Cross: play tags against odd & even fronts

22:00 – Belly pass: sequencing and play action from under center

24:45 – Personnel advantages with the Wing-T

27:20 – Teaching pullers without zone rules

30:50 – Scouting & attacking based on front alignment

35:30 – Defending the Wing-T: what stresses defenses the most

38:00 – Teaching cues vs. 3-3 Stack & aggressive linebackers

42:45 – State semifinal call: belly with trade motion

47:10 – Final shoutout to Sugar-Salem’s staff & community

48:15 – Outro + BoardDrill.com updates

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In this episode, Coach Eric Tilson from North Green High School joins us to break down Pull Rules in gap scheme football. We dive into the evolution of his run game philosophy, including the origins of his pin-and-pull system, coaching points for OL execution, and how these rules have shaped his identity as a play-caller. Coach Tilson brings real-world game stories, clinic-level detail, and practical insights that any coach running gap schemes will appreciate.

Whether you're a young OL coach, a veteran play-caller, or just a football junkie, this one is packed with teach tape moments. Subscribe, drop a like, and join us at theboarddrill.com for more content like this!

🛠️ Topics Covered:

• History of Pull Rules & Pin-and-Pull Install

• Mistakes that led to system evolution

• Teaching leverage vs. alignment

• Real-game breakdowns (including a wild 4th & 9 story)

• Coaching OL to “play rules, not plays”

• Application of Pull Rules across multiple formations

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro: Welcome & Episode Overview
01:08 – Coach Tilson explains "Pull Rules" & gap scheme identity
02:27 – The birth of the Pin-and-Pull at Ferrum College
03:23 – 4th & 9 story: QB calls wrong play, still hits for 9.2 yards
04:16 – Taking Pull Rules everywhere: why they became foundational
05:30 – The structure behind Tilson’s ruleset
07:12 – Teaching vs. Even and Odd fronts
08:05 – “We don’t block people—we block rules”
09:40 – OL alignment tips and communication keys
11:00 – Rules vs. Techniques: when kids get it
12:34 – Working against movement fronts
13:45 – Adjusting to defensive stunts without overhauling the system
15:10 – Incorporating tight ends & condensed formations
16:48 – Why the system thrives with undersized linemen
18:12 – Live examples from recent film cut-ups
20:05 – Questions from Twitter: Using Pull Rules in RPOs
21:34 – Final thoughts: identity, buy-in, and consistency

💬 Drop your questions and feedback in the comments, or tag us on Twitter @theboarddrill to keep the conversation going!

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your football content.