Analyzing the Details of the NFL Combine

Every year the NFL scouting combine is attended by all 32 NFL teams, scouts, coaches, trainers and owners. They watch prospective players run 40 yard sprints, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, 3 cone drill and shuttle run. They are there to get an in depth analysis of the college and invited players who they plan on drafting.

Now that the 2010 NFL draft is completed, with quarterback Sam Bradford going first and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh going second, how much does the scouting combine affect the results of the draft?

As many of the college football players entering the draft have been in the spotlight for a couple of years at least, most scouts and coaches know what to expect from each player. If the scouts impression of a safety is that he is fast on the field when covering a wide receiver, he is unlikely to change his mind when the player runs only 4.45 in the combines 40 yard dash (a great time would be under 4.4).

Sticking with the 40 yard dash, each football position has a different requirement. A running back, wide receiver or safety may be required to run 40 or even 60 or 80 yards as quickly as possible. The speed at which they cover the ground is what makes them great.

The defensive and offensive linemen on the other hand are expected to have excellent reaction time and acceleration over 5 or maybe 10 yards. They need to hunt down quarterbacks or hold back defensive tackles. Their 40 yard time is almost irrelevant, but their reaction time and acceleration will be critical to their performance on the field.

The trainers watching the combine know what to look for and are using video replay to analyze the athletes' performances in much more detail.

A recent episode of Sports Science did a great job of getting into the analysis of the results of the NFL scouting combine. Below is some video of Ndamukong Suh and some detailed analysis of his 40 yard dash and his tackle force. As a defensive tackle Suh's job is to react quickly, accelerate over a short distance and hit hard. This Sports Science segment does a great job analyzing these specific details.



What is interesting in the video is Suh's reaction time recorded by the Sports Science episode at 0.26 seconds. In an analysis of Usain Bolt, the 100 and 200 meter sprint world record holder, Bolt's reaction time for his world record 100 m was recorded as 0.145 seconds. Of course Bolt is a lean sprinter, using blocks and spikes and Suh is not, so this is not a fair comparison.

However the standardized tests and gathering of all potential recruits on the same day at the same time at the combine, allows trainers and coaches to compare all defensive tackles with the type of detailed analysis seen in the video. Suh's reaction time in comparison to other defensive tackles is what will be relevant, although his 300+ pound frame and tackling power will also be important.

The scouts expect the players they are scouting to perform to spec and very few players can change their draft position with any significance based on excellent performance at the combine. The detailed analysis that we do not see may however determine which team takes which player and how their NFL contracts are negotiated.

Football Quarterback Throws - The Long and Short Pass

The NFL is becoming a very offensive game, with quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers airing out long passes regularly and using short quick passes to their running backs more often than the hand off.

The reasons for the increased amount of passing in the NFL are still up for debate. The simple fact is that the teams whose quarterbacks are throwing more are winning more. If throwing is the winning formula then all teams are going to try it.

All this throwing makes for exciting football. Hail Mary passes for touch downs, miraculous interceptions and numerous spectacular catches have all been part of the 2009 season. The wide receivers have to be on their game and the quarterbacks have to throw accurate passes with the right amount of force , often under pressure.

The quarterback has two basic options when throwing a pass. He can either step into it and air it out for distance, or he can throw a short accurate pass.
In both cases it is important to use proper mechanics to achieve the results and also to prevent any injury to the shoulder or elbow.
In general the best mechanics for all throws can be described as:

1. Aim your non throwing shoulder at your target.
2. Step forward with the opposite foot to your throwing arm to counterbalance the throwing action.
3. Rotate your hips toward your target followed by your shoulders and finally your throwing arm.
4. Follow through with your throwing arm, so that you put speed on the ball and prevent injury.

Lets take a look at two different types of passes, by our two quarterbacks. These quarterbacks (myself and Dennis) are weekend flag football quarterbacks and do not have the best mechanics. Although we will comment on their mechanics (good and bad) we are focused on the differences between the two throws.

The first throw shows QB1 stepping into a throw and attempting to follow the mechanics described above. He is attempting a long throw to his wide receiver way down the field.

• QB1 starts by taking a few steps back. Most quarterbacks do this to create some room to step into a throw. This is not always possible, but it is usually necessary if you are trying to throw to a wide receiver way down field.
• He then does a little skip hop to position his back foot at right angles to the direction he wants to throw. He does this so that his hips also remain closed to the target (at right angles).
• His lead shoulder (left) is also pointing toward the target. This also keeps his shoulders closed to the target.
• The red arrow shows how QB1's hips will rotate toward the target, while the blue arrow shows his shoulders. Rotating first his hips followed by his shoulders toward the target will create a kinematic sequence which will allow QB1 to put more speed into his throw and therefore get more distance. The kinematic sequence was first described in golf but it can and should be used to create power in any throwing or hitting sport. The idea is that by first accelerating your hips, then shoulders then arm toward the target in the throw you will create the most energy for the throw with the most efficiency and least effort.
• Our QB1 does not make best use of the kinematic sequence as his hips and shoulders rotate toward the target almost simultaneously, but he is still using his rotational energy to create throwing speed.
• Finally he follows through with his arm across his body to obtain maximum speed until ball release and allowing his arm to decelerate after the throw.

Now lets look at QB2 , who is also stepping into a throw, but he is keeping his hips and shoulders open to the target and using mostly his arm to make the pass. With this technique it is very difficult to throw a long pass and is usually used in rushed situations and for short passes.

• QB2 also takes a few steps back to create space. This is not necessary to throw a pass like this but it may give the quarterback some time to make a decision.
• He also takes a skip hop but lands with his back foot facing toward the target. This keeps his hips open to the target.
• His lead shoulder turns a little toward the target, but he cannot turn as much because he has kept his hips facing the target. Turning his front shoulder toward the target a little, allows QB2 to get a bit of rotation of the shoulders into his throw.
• The red arrow describes the direction of QB2's hips moving forward and the blue arrow the direction of his shoulders. He is not using the kinematic sequence to create arm speed in this case. Although by turning his front shoulder a little toward the target, he is getting some of the energy of rotation that the kinematic sequence gives a thrower.
• Unlike QB1, QB2 needs to use much more strength in his throwing shoulder and arm to throw his pass. For this reason it is very difficult to throw a long pass using this technique. If QB2 attempts to throw as hard as he can with this technique he could cause shoulder or elbow injuries, because of the extra stresses and forces on his muscles.
• QB2 is meant to be throwing a short accurate pass, but he does release the ball a little early, so we will assume he was just trying to lob it over the defenders head.
• Finally QB2 follows through across his body, allowing his arm to decelerate without injury.

Watch the quarterbacks in the NFL and notice when they throw with an open hip and shoulder technique and when they rotate toward the target. In most instances you will see that they use the kinematic sequence and rotate their hips and shoulders into the throw to create good accurate passes, even for short passes.

Once in a while however, usually when they are under pressure, you will see them launch a pass with hips and shoulder facing their receiver and using mostly their arm power and little rotation.

Enjoy the rest of the NFL season. We hope to see many more games with more than 300 yards passing. Get out your video camera and film your throwing mechanics to compare to the pros.

Video Analysis of a Bench Press

This week University of Southern California football running back, Stafon Johnson, was bench pressing during training when the bar slipped out of his hands and landed on his throat causing severe laryngeal as well as neck injuries.

The bench press is a great exercise to build your pectoral (chest), triceps, biceps and deltoids (main shoulder) muscles. The exercise is used in training for many athletes in numerous sports, but especially in football. Johnson therefore would have bench pressed numerous times before and also had a coach or fellow athlete spotting him at the time of the accident. I am sure Johnson was using good technique and the accident was very unfortunate rather than a mistake on the athlete or trainers part. In most cases when a the bar slips during bench press it lands on the chest and causes much less damage. According to his doctor, Johnson should make a full recovery.

However it is important to understand that the use proper technique can help athletes avoid injuries such as tendon or muscle tears as well as build the muscles more effectively.

Below is a video of strongman Derek Poundstone from the USA bench pressing 500lb. Lets take a look at his technique.



Before we begin to analyze this video remember that when doing the bench press, always have a spotter, someone to help steady the bar or pull it up if you need it. We can see Derek's spotter watching carefully as he bench presses. It is also important to start with a low weight and test your ability before increasing the weight. very few athletes can bench press anywhere near 500 lbs. So start low, even if the bar is too low weight, you can always add more.

So here are some key points to note in the video above:

• Derek lays down under the bar and bends his knees drawing his feet up and pressing them into the floor. In doing this he creates a support base for his bench press and he is able to use his quadriceps (leg muscles on the front of his legs) to control his body and balance the bar. If he did not anchor his feet his body would be like a fulcrum with too much weight near the head and he would strain to balance the bar.
• Derek's spotter helps him to lift the bar off the supports and align the bar directly over his shoulders. He therefore can lower and push the bar straight down and up, with little angle. This will ensure that he works the appropriate muscles to their full extent and avoids injuries that may be caused by using muscle force to push at an angle that would put excess and inappropriate strain on the muscles or joints.
• He lowers the bar straight down to his chest, just below the nipples (the bottom of the yellow image on his shirt). Once again this ensures that his arms lower the bar straight down and push it straight back up.
• Finally Derek's spotter assists him in replacing the bar correctly. This is possibly where Stafon Johnson slipped and how the bar could have landed on his neck. You will see that Derek looks to make sure that the bar is properly supported on the hooks on both side of the support before relaxing and letting the bar go.

Before you start bench pressing, determine whether your goal is muscle mass or explosive power. You can build muscle mass with high weight and low repetitions or build explosive power by pressing a lower weight but increasing the number of repetitions. Whatever your goal is for doing the bench press, remember to use proper technique and spotter at all times.

Which Sport Has Bigger Hits, Rugby or Football?

Most of us who have watched or played both Rugby and Football know that the tackles are often hard and dangerous. We also regularly try to compare the hits. Is it worse to be hit hard in a rugby tackle or in football?

On the football field the force of the hits look more spectacular. Players can be tackled in numerous ways, even with the head. The aim of the tackle is to stop forward progression and bring the player down to stop the play. In a great tackle the player is also trying to make the receiver or ball handler fumble. In getting hit there is the added concern for the wide receivers who have to watch the ball and often jump for the catch. They can get hit while still in the air and without expecting it. Of course the athletes are also wearing padding and helmets and therefore have some form of protection.

In rugby the tackle is meant to stop forward progress of the ball handler and to simultaneously bring him to the ground so that he can not pass the rugby ball out quickly. Tackles in rugby often need to be lower (around the knees or waist) to ensure the player goes down. The tackle also does not stop play and players need to be ready to get up and tackle again almost immediately. Of course in rugby there are no helmets or pads, so there is little protections for a big hit.

OK so which tackle is harder on the player? We could measure the speed of the players as they run into each other and weight that against the benefits of the padding. In the end both sports have big hits and there are too many differences in the rules of the game and the equipment to truly compare them. So take a look at these two videos, the first of big hits in rugby and the second of some big hits in football and make up your own mind.





Hope you enjoyed watching those big hits. The Tri-Nations Rugby Tournament between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand is nearing an end as South Africa continue to dominate World Rugby. Meanwhile the NFL preseason is in full swing and starts proper in mid September. So enjoy the big hits from the upcoming Tri-Nations games and NFL season.

Let us know which sport you think has the bigger hits and why.