This post will cover the basics of a 2 point stance in football and in developing one for game speed.

What is it? Why should you use it? How do you execute one correctly and where can you find more information on this topic? Read on to learn more!

Video and Picture Examples of a 2 Point Stance for Acceleration

Correct Stance
Incorrect Stance
Incorrect Stance

LEGS & FEET

The weight of the body should be on the inside balls of the feet.

KNEE & SHIN ANGLES

Same as the 3-Point Acceleration Stance but it is harder to teach since there is a tendency to stand up since a hand is not on the ground.  To make sure that your athlete’s get their shin angle as close to 45° as possible, tell them to push their front knee towards their toes which will also get their weight to transfer to the forefoot.  If their shin is vertical, the athlete will lift their front foot first and replant it at a 45° angle.  If their knee angles are not correct, they will bend down to get into that position before they can accelerate forward.  I consider both situations a “false step” because the initial movement is not in the desired direction.  If an athlete is moving but not changing locations, their ability to be “fast” will diminish greatly because the time is running but they are not going anywhere.

UPPER BODY POSITION

The upper-body should have a flat back and a wide chest (just like when you are squatting) to take pressure off of the lower back.  Make sure that they do not bend at the waist and put their upper-bodies parallel to the ground.  Athletes do this especially when they are tired and when trying to “stay-low”.  I do not tell my athletes to “stay low” but I do tell them to keep their chests and shins parallel to each other, at a 45° angle, while bending their knees.  When an athlete bends their chest parallel to the ground it causes their center of mass to move too far forward.  That will get them off balance since there is too much weight on their toes.

ARMS

The optimal position would be to have one arm forward and one arm back since that is how the legs are aligned.  That is possible for someone “tagging-up” in baseball but does not make sense for wide-receivers since they need to have their hands ready to fight with the defensive back.  That being said, I like to have the hands up by the chest because they are in a much more conducive position for hand fighting and sprinting.  If the arms are hanging straight down, they need to be elevated and bent before anything athletic can be accomplished and it would be considered a “false step”.

HEAD PLACEMENT

There is a natural tendency to have the head vertical instead of in a neutral position.  This is a problem because the head is no longer in line with the spine.  The receiver in the “Zone Stance” picture has a better head placement than the athlete in the “Man Stance” picture.  When looking in at the ball they should be the same as a defensive lineman.  Remember that there is a tendency to want to lift the head and then turn it.

For a blitzing defensive player and if they know that they are moving forward on the snap of the ball, the shin should also be at 45°. In the picture below, the stand-up linebacker has his shin leaned forward but it could be leaned over even more to ensure proper acceleration.  The shin angle should be closer to the angle of the defensive end than the nose tackle.  His front knee should be at 90° and the back leg should be more bent to decrease the chance for a “false step”.

2 Point Stance Universal Athletic Position Video

This stance is used whenever the athlete will more than likely have to move laterally on their first step or if they do not know which direction they will initially move.  This stance is used by linebackers, running backs, zone and pass-blocking offensive linemen, and punt team gunners.

LEGS & FEET

The feet should be outside the hips and about shoulder-width apart.  The concentration of weight should still be on the inside balls of their feet but there should still be pressure on the outside ball of the foot.  Be careful that the knees do not move towards each other because it will decrease the amount of power they can produce and it will lead to a greater risk of ACL tears.

KNEE & SHIN ANGLES

The knees should still be at 90° and the shins should be as close to vertical as possible.  They do not want their knees out of front of their toes because that is conducive to moving straight ahead.  If they do not get their knees to 90°, then they will not be in their stretch reflex and they will have to drop their hips before they move in the next direction.  If they have to drop their hips, then they will “false step” and immediately look slow because they are moving without changing location.

UPPER BODY POSITION, HEAD PLACEMENT

Same as the 2-Point Stance position.

TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR 2 POINT STANCE

Whenever an athlete makes an athletic movement mistake, the potential fix is usually to go one step backward and change the previous step’s stance or technique.  Below is a checklist to fix some common stances and start mistakes.

MISTAKES AND POTENTIAL FIXES FOR YOUR 2 POINT STANCE

Mistake: False stepping

Potential Fix: Check the pressure on the foot and the shin angle

Mistake: Bend knees before takeoff

Potential Fix: Check the knee angle to make sure it is at 90 degrees

Mistake: Takeoff is too high

Potential Fix: Original shin angle is vertical, head is up, first step is too long

Mistake: Take off is too low

Potential Fix: Original shin angle is too horizontal and they bent at the waist

Conclusion

To make practice more efficient and proficient, a good off-season program will teach each all stance concepts before the season begins.  It is also imperative to teach the “why” behind each technique so the players can adjust their technique and correct their own mistakes.

Remember to also take each of your team’s skills and schemes and match your stances with them.  Talk through when theory meets practicality and know what techniques are advantageous for each of your athletes.

If you are interested in learning more you can go to the resources page on my website (https://exceleratead.com/training-theory) to find my FREE and moderately priced CoachTube Courses, Coaches Choice Videos, and a variety of other training articles and resources.  My contact information is on my website so please feel free to email me with any questions.