Practice - Coach Hancock

Is that you coach?  What are you doing out here?  You could get hurt!

A reality of women's pro football is the players have jobs.  They sometimes just can't make it to practice because of business travel or other demands on their time. 

It takes twenty-two players to make a practice scrimmage, eleven each for defense and offense.  Awhile back there weren't enough players at a practice session for scrimmage so coach Jon Hancock suited up and filled the slot on defense.  He's the one in gold.  With the blue to identify him as playing defense.

Hancock is slight of build, more suited to playing in the defensive secondary than on the line.  But you do what you have to do.  He lined up on the line.  Against one of the Outlaws giant lineladies. 

Hmmm.  She's pretty big.  And strong.  This is going to be a difficult.

He found the Outlaws offensive line a challenge.  And if he managed to elude the first blocker, others stepped in to protect the ball carrier.  For awhile it appeared Jon wouldn't make a single tackle. 

The ball carrier is over Jon's left shoulder.  He could make
the tackle if it weren't for the blocker on his right shoulder.
And that other blocker on his left  ready to stop him if he slips free.

Hey!  You can't grab me.  That's not allowed.
Defensive line play  is difficult.

Finally he managed to break through the wall of blockers - a notable feat considering the disparity in size.  And he had the ball carrier all to himself.  Yikes! 

Aha!  No pesky blockers to save you now!  I think I'm gonna stop this run.

Gotcha!

Okay, you can go now.  Just wanted you to know I know how
to play this game. 

And he let her go!?? 

In fishing that's called catch and release.  But in football?  There's no mercy in football. 

The runner will insist she was just too powerful for the small coach to control.  I think it was really a problem of common courtesy.  It isn't polite for a guy to tackle a girl.  I'm sure Emily Post has something to say about that subject.






A little later in the scrimmage it looked like Jon would have another catch-and-release opportunity.  But this time there was a blocker.  Is that Monica?  Dressed in quarterback-red? 

A good coach gives his players opportunities to show what they
can do.  Like block would-be tacklers.

The block frees the runner.  See, it works just the way we've been telling you.

It had to feel  good for the coach seeing up close just how effective Outlaw blockers can be. 

They didn't let up just because it was the coach on the field.