NFL outlaws Oklahoma Drill in an effort to get softer

The NFL wants to get softer and they are doing what they can to make that happen, announcing today that the Oklahoma drill is now banned.

The Oklahoma drill is one that many who played football know very well. A lineman, a defensive player, and a running back line up and go at it. It is a simple drill that is intended to teach the defender to shed the block and tackle the runner. Now it is a thing of the past in the NFL.

From my high-school playing day to my brief stint coaching an adult football league, the Oak Drill as we called it was a staple of camp training. It built character, made you toughen up, but most of all, it was a game drill. Every game you line up against a lineman and try to shed that block. So what is the big deal? Well for starters you have to be tough. The league doesn’t want tough.

In my life, I have never seen severe injuries occur as a result of the drill but that doesn’t mean they don’t happen. Frankly, I don’t understand what the big deal is. I remember one player I coached got really mad because he was a linebacker and thought he should have a D-lineman in front of him. I said that really doesn’t make much sense. You have to shed that block they are not going to move out of your way in a game.

Another drill is Bull in the Ring which is basically one player in the middle of a circle of other players and is rushed by a player that the coach chooses. You tackle him or he “bulls” you over. Again, like the Oak Drill, you learn to tackle or you get beat up.

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The NFL continues to make safety a priority but sometimes they go too far and when players can’t tackle on game day we know why. Practices have already been reduced by the league with only one contact practice in two-a-day sessions and a limited amount of contact practices throughout the year.

Some argue that the drills can lead to injuries and I am sure that many of you in the comments will argue that point but frankly, it was a very good drill that taught technique and awareness. With the next CBA only a few years away, we will likely see more restrictions put on practice sessions and that only sets up the NFL to be weaker.