The offensive line of the Green Bay Packers are known for getting away with holds, and that’s not just the Chicago Bears’ fan in me talking, it’s a complaint that I see every time the Packers play anyone. The Packers have done it for so long that one of our favorite Xs&Os guys, Brett Kollmann. dedicated a Film Room episode to their technique.
To me there’s a difference in holding and grabbing. I coached my offensive linemen to grab. Grabbing is good, because referees rarely call grabbing at any level. As long as an offensive lineman’s elbows are in, and their hands are inside a defensive lineman’s frame, they can grab some jersey or the chest plate on the defender’s shoulder pads.