In pass protection, a chip block is brief help on a pass rusher before a running back or tight end releases into a route. The helper disrupts the rush; in the tackle–helper combination taught here, the offensive tackle remains responsible for finishing the block. It is not a stay-in double-team.
The useful result is a disrupted rush and an available receiver. In the Texans’ breakdown of Chris Polk’s chip against Brian Orakpo, Polk made contact while staying on his flat-route path, then released as left tackle Duane Brown handled the recovering rusher. That NFL example illustrates the sequence, not a requirement to knock the defender down. (Houston Texans)
Tell the Tackle What Help Is Actually Coming
Before teaching the strike, define three things in the protection call:
- Target: Which edge defender should the helper contact?
- Priority: Is that contact required, or does a blitz pickup come first?
- Exit: Where does the helper release after contact?
A back with a protection responsibility cannot abandon an assigned blitzer to chip the edge. The tackle must execute his normal assigned pass set when help is conditional—not shorten the set because he hopes the back will arrive.
Former NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz describes both problems: an inside protection assignment can prevent the back from helping, and an unexpected chip can redirect the rush inside before the tackle is prepared. His general approach was to treat uncertain help as a bonus. (Schwartz’s pass-protection breakdown)
Use your own terminology, but separate required chip-release from check protection, then chip if available. Any adjustment to the tackle’s set belongs in the installed call, not in a player’s guess.
Coach the Approach, Contact and Exit
For a basic hands-first teaching progression, give the back or tight end four cues:
- Confirm the assignment first. A check-release back clears his assigned pressure threat before helping. A player assigned directly to chip takes the called approach path.
- Close under control. Use short steps and a balanced base. Do not launch from several feet away or cross through the tackle’s working space to chase contact.
- Make brief upper-body contact. Fit the hands to the available front shoulder-pad or chest surface, keeping the helmet out of contact. Disrupt the rusher without grabbing or driving him across the tackle’s face.
- Separate into the route. Remove the hands and accelerate toward the called landmark. The helper is not trying to sustain the block through the quarterback’s entire drop.
The balanced base, small steps, hand-delivered force and head-out positioning follow USA Football’s blocking fundamentals. These are teaching cues for this progression, not a claim that every offense uses the same chip technique.
Keep practice contact above the waist. Do not turn a missed chip into a head swipe: under 2026 NFHS Rule 9-4-7, the prohibition on slapping an opponent’s head applies to offensive and defensive players. (NFHS rules announcement)
Grade Timing, Not the Collision
Do not teach this progression with a fixed one-second hold. Connect the chip to the actual pass concept and quarterback drop.
Freeze film at contact, then at separation. Check whether the tackle remains balanced against the resulting rush and whether the helper reaches his receiving landmark when the quarterback needs him.
| Observable problem | Correction |
|---|---|
| Back chips while his assigned blitzer comes free | Re-teach the protection priority before changing the strike. |
| Tackle loses inside leverage as contact redirects the rusher | Check the tackle’s set and the helper’s contact angle together. |
| Helper stops to wrestle and arrives late | Rehearse contact, separation and route as one sequence. |
| Helper chases a rusher who has crossed inside | Define a no-chase boundary; preserve the tackle’s space and follow the call’s release rule. |
An Eight-Minute Tackle–Helper Progression
Use a tackle, a back or tight end, a shield-holding edge player and a coach. Add a linebacker as a pressure key for the final stage. Mark the line of scrimmage and a flat-route landmark about five yards outside the tackle and one yard behind the line. Adjust the landmark to your offense. Run the period with a qualified coach, appropriate equipment and your program’s contact limits.
Minutes 0–2: Four no-contact walkthroughs. Run two reps each side. Players state the target, protection priority and exit. The tackle rehearses his set while the helper traces the approach and release without touching the edge player.
Minutes 2–5: Four controlled shield reps. Run two each side at a prescribed low speed. The helper contacts the shield and releases; the tackle shadows his position without striking. Keep everyone upright and stop immediately for head contact, lunging or crossed paths. This separates the helper’s fit from competitive blocking, consistent with USA Football’s contact progression.
Minutes 5–8: Four no-contact decision reps. Use a check-release call and alternate the assigned linebacker between rushing and dropping. When he rushes, the back stays in protection and shadows the pickup—no chip or release. When he drops, the back confirms the call’s release condition, takes the chip path if available and runs the route without contact. Add the quarterback’s drop and, on release reps, a throw to expose late arrivals. The tackle uses his assigned set in both cases.
Grade each rep on correct priority, useful contact path and on-time release when permitted. If the strike looks good but the assignment or timing fails, repeat the correction before adding competitive reps.