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The GRIDIRON Coach Defensive Package © 2003 Gridiron Publications Company

1

The GRIDIRON Coach Defensive Package

“It’s not whether

you get knocked down.

It’s whether you get up.”

-Vince Lombardi

Contents n Clipping The Wings Of The Wing-T (1.1.3) ...........................................2n Putting Pressure On The QB

(1.2.1).....................................................6

n Honing Your Players Tackling Fundamentals (1.3.2) ............................ 9n Stance And Movement Drills For The LB (1.3.3) ..................................11n El Camino’s Wildcat Defensive Package (1.4.1) .................................14n In Pursuit Of Excellence (2.4.1) ........................................................19n Maximum Pursuit - Bulldog Style (4.1.4) ...........................................22n Defending The Wing-T (4.1.5) ..........................................................24n Secondary Adjustments In The Eight Man

Front Scheme (7.2.2) .......................................................................27n “My Grandmother Tackles Better Than Us!” (8.5.5) ............................29n Don’t Get Beat By One Receiver! (8.6.1) ............................................34n Building A Great Defense (6.3.2) ......................................................36n An Attacking Cover 2

(8.5.3) ............................................................40

n Defensive Game Preparation At Canisius College (8.7.5) ....................41n Defending The Two Tight End Set (6.3.5) ...........................................43n The Wide Tackle Six: The No-Nonsense Defense (7.5.3) ....................45n Limit Florida State’s Offense (4.3.4) ..................................................47n From Reading To Attacking:

Merging The 4-4 And The Bear 4-6 (7.1.2) ........................................52n Adapting The Master Defense To An Even Alignment (9.2.1) ...............54n A Secondary Blueprint For Success: How We Adapted

Three Coaching Philosophies Into A Successful

Defensive Scheme (8.7.3) ................................................................57n The String Drill (9.4) ........................................................................60

All rights reserved. No part of this package may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording without the written permis-sion of Gridiron Publications Company (the copyright holder).

Gridiron Publications Company assumes no responsibility for unsolicited editorial or graphicmaterials. All information herein is believed to be accurate however, we cannot assume responsibility.Contributed articles represent the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Publisher.

GRIDIRON Coach Magazine is published six times a year by Gridiron Publications Company, 7Hansbrinker Court, Liberty Township, OH 45044; telephone (866) 326-2327,

www.gridironpublications.com Email: [email protected]. ISSN 1071-1902. GRID-IRON Coach © 2003 Gridiron Publications Company.

THE FOLLOWING IS A COLLECTION containing twenty one of our readers’ all-time

favorite defensive articles reprinted from various archived issues of GRIDIRON

Coach Magazine. The articles and the accompanying diagrams have been recre-

ated from the original publishing format for easier reading and referencing. Whether you

are a longtime reader of GRIDIRON Coach or new to the magazine, we hope that you will find the assembled information in this collection helpful. As always, thanks for your

continued support of GRIDIRON Coach.



GRIDIRON Coach

2



Clipping The Wings

Of The Wing-T

WHEN EXECUTED PROPERLY , the

wing-t can be one of most

difficult offenses to defend

against because it poses multiple

threats. It’s misdirection backfieldactions, down-down-kickout blocking

schemes, and its deceptive quarterback

ball handling are all of immediate

concern to a coach preparing his de-

fense to take on the wing-t.

But while its ground game may pro-

vide the foundation, the most effec-

tive component of the wing-t is its built in play-action

passing threat sometimes referred to as the wings of the

wing-t.

To clip those wings and slow down this high poweredpass offense, four areas are critical:

• Making good reads

• Recognizing keys

• Maintaining good defensive technique• Development of appropriate coverage schemes

Educating Your Players on the Wing-T When preparing to face wing-t offenses, the initial step is to

familiarize your players with what is coming. The wing-t

passing attack can be broken down into four categories:

boot passes, option passes, sprintout passes and drop back

passes. In this article, we will concentrate specifically on

defending the traditional wing-t boot passes (play actionpass where the QB brings the ball opposite the backfield

flow and attacks the flank). The two types of boot passes

employed by the wing-t are the waggle (boot) pass and thecounter (boot) pass.

The Waggle Boot PassThe waggle pass comes off the buck sweep action. As with

all of the wing-t play action passes, the QB is told to attack

the flank and look to run first and pass second. Therefore,

the first priority of the upfront defensive people is contain-

By Stephen SpagnuoloDefensive Coordinator

The University of Connecticut

“...The most

effective component of

the wing-t is its built in

play-action passing

threat sometimes

referred to as the wings

of the wing-t..”

ment of the QB. All waggle boot pass patterns generally

attack the following five coverage areas:

• Front side flat

• Deep outside flat

• Deep middle or middle hook (depending on coverage)• Deep throwback

• Backside flat (throwback)

Stress to your coverage personnel that some receiver will

attack each of these five areas on the waggle boot, regardlessof the offensive formation. Examples of typical patterns are

illustrated in diagram one.

Counter Boot PassThe counter boot pass is run off of the counter trap action.

The QB again attacks the flank with a run/pass option.

However, he loses one of his pass receivers who becomespart of the pass protection (diagram two).

Pass Coverage vs. Wing-T Because of the complexities in educating your defense on

the wing-t, it’s important to stay basic in your game planand coverages. At UCONN, we stay with two basic cover-

ages a basic cover three scheme (three-deep) and a two-deep

look that we call cover five inside (diagram three).

A very important concept that we stress to all pass de-

fenders is that versus any boot pass both of these coverages

become “match up zone” coverages (very similar to basket-

ball match-up zones). In other words, we instruct our cov-

erage personnel to play man-to-man versus the receiverthreat in each area. We instruct our players to ‘hug up” the

receiver in each area and deny the ball. This is a very aggres-

sive style of man within a zone principle.

Cover Three ReadsKeys by position vs. Boot

Inside linebackers (H and B) versus the wing-t, your inside

linebackers should read the offensive guards for direction.

Instruct your inside linebackers that if they see the QB and

guard pulling in the same direction to think boot and drive

for depth.



GRIDIRON Coach



3

The playside linebacker should drive for the frontside curl

area positioning himself over the top of the flat threat (full-

back). The backside linebacker must read boot directionand drive for a position directly over the ball. He must

wheel back and find his pass threat (the read route) coming

from the backside. He should position himself at a depthdependent upon the depth of the read route and “hug up”

to that receiver (match up). Versus a three-deep coverage,

with a free saftey in the deep middle, the read route will

convert to a hook. We do not give the linebackers a desig-

nated depth in terms of yards. Their depth is determined by

the receivers route (diagram four).

Diagram One - A

Flat

Deep Flat Read Route

Deep Throwback

Throwback(Flat)

Diagram One - B

Throwback(Flat)

Deep ThrowbackRead Route

Deep Flat

Flat

Diagram Two

Throwback(Flat)

Read Route

Flat

Deep Flat

Diagram Three - A

Contain

Flat

C

DT

H

F/S

Contain

ES/SB

Flat

C

1/31/31/3

COVER 3

Frontside flat defender (S/S or D) have varying basic re-

sponsibilities depending on the offensive formation.

Against the TE/Wing Formation

The flat defender reads through the TE/wing for his run/

pass read. If wing pick-up motion occurs, then read TE toFB. If FB at you, assume waggle boot and drive for depth,

eyeing the TE for deep outside route. Work to a point un-der the route and over the top of the FB flat route. We in-corporate a “push” call between the deep outside 1/3 de-

fender and the flat defender. When the third defender has

the deep route covered he gives a “push” call to the flatdefender releasing him up to the FB route (diagram five).

Communication is very important in defending any pass

scheme.

Diagram Three - B

Contain

Flat

C

DT

H

F/S

Contain

ES/SB

C

1/2 1/2Cover 5 Inside

Diagram Four - A

BH



GRIDIRON Coach

4



Against the Slot formation

The S/S must read through the slot and see the offensive

tackle for run/pass read. If slot pick-up motion occurs, he

must focus on the offensive tackle for pass set and locatethe FB coming at him. Shuffle for depth. Width is impor-

tant versus a split reciever to get underneath the deep out-

side route. Drive for depth and width. Get under deep out-

cut and stay over the top of the FB flat route. Listen for“push” call. Drive to FB on “push” call (diagram six).

Middle 1/3 Defender (free safety) versus all traditional

wing-t formations: instruct your free safety to read the FB

first and pick up the guard to the FB direction (i.e. If FBgoes right, then read right guard). If the guard is pulling

with the FB, the free Saftey should think waggle boot pass.

If the guard pulls opposite the FB direction, then the free

saftey thinks buck sweep.

Versus a waggle boot read, the free safety is coached to

mirror shuffle with the guard and then drive for depth,looking backside for the middle 1/3 pass threat. The read

route will generally hook up if he sees a middle defender.

The free saftey should continue for depth adjusting with

QB action and always staying deeper than the deepest re-

ceiver. The only threat possible is a backside post-seam

route by the deep throwback threat (see diagram seven).

Playside Deep 1/3 Defender (corner): Both corners in

cover 3 must be disciplined and always play pass first and

run second. Like the strong saftey position, the corner’sbasic responsibilities vary depending on the offensive for-

mation.

Against the TE/Wing Formation

The corner must read through the TE/Wing for his run/

pass read. When wing pick-up motion occurs, his focus

should turn to the tight end and fullback. Versus boot read,

the TE will Inside release and run a flag route. Instruct your

corner to “marry the tight end” meaning that he should

play behind the TE in a very aggressive way. When the TE

is covered, the corner must give a “push” call to the flat

defender (diagram five).

The corner must think depth only versus the TE flagroute. He must let the TE drift to him. Working for imme-

diate width will create a pass lane for QB to the TE.

Against the Slot Formation

The corner reads through the slot and offensive tackle. When pick-up motion occurs the focus should go to offen-

sive tackle for pass set. Corner see FB at him. With this

Diagram Six

S/S

C

C

"Push"

Diagram Four - B

B

H

Diagram Five

D

C

"Push"

read, the corner should immediately focus on split receiver,expecting the out-cut. He plays the wide receiver through

the outside shoulder to protect against the out and up pat-tern. The corner should “hug up” to the out-cut, be aggres-

sive and communicate the push call (diagram six).

Backside Flat Defender (strong saftey or drop end): Any-

time the waggle boot pass goes away from a flat defender he

is instructed to first wall off a possible throwback lane and



GRIDIRON Coach



5

once this is eliminated he should settle up and look to shal-low throwback threat to the backside halfback in the flat

area (see diagram eight).

Backside Deep 1/3 Defender (Corner): Anytime waggle

goes away from the corner, he focuses on the backside #1

receiver only. Match-up zone principle is employed. The

corner is instructed not to overplay the post throwback dueto the threat of post flag cut but he must be aggressive (dia-

gram eight).

ConclusionThe most important ingredient needed in defending the

wing-t pass is educating your players as to what they willsee. Breaking the scheme down into its basic parts and pre-

senting it to the coverage personnel will help you tremen-

dously. In addition, selling the match-up zone concept is

vital. Completely clipping the wings of the versatile wing-t

is difficult but by employing some of the techniques men-

tioned in this article you can ruffle its feathers some. n

Diagram Eight

Throwback

S/S

C

Diagram Seven

F/S



GRIDIRON Coach

6



Putting Pressure

On The Quarterback

SUCCESSFUL PASS DEFENSE STARTS

with an aggressive and persis-

tent pass rush. At Georgia Tech,

we achieve quarterback pressure by

varying our fronts and by using line-

backer and secondary pressure.

These tactics require opposing line-

men to make quick changes in block-

ing responsibilities and helps to keepthem off-balance. But even after a

sound defensive strategy has been devised, it won’t mean

much if the individual rusher doesn’t have the ability and

knowledge to defeat his blocker.

The one-on-one or individual pass rush can be broken

down into five fundamental areas of concentration:

1. Pre-read2. Acceleration

3. Block Control

4. Quarterback Control

5. Pursuit

Each of these areas can be emphasized and evaluated

separately during practice using drills that focus on each

aspect. The overall rush, combining all five aspects, can

then be developed through one-on-one rush drills and

scrimmages.

The Pre-ReadBefore the ball is ever snapped, there are a number of things

a pass rusher can exploit that will greatly enhance hischances of pursuing the quarterback.

The first is to be aware of the down and distance—anobvious point but one that is sometimes overlooked by

players even at the college level. Players need to “practice”

checking the down and distance during practice. Utilize the

chains and down marker in practice whenever possible.

By film analysis, try to identify tip-offs in your

opponent’s stance and alignments of blockers (including

backs) that alert you to the likelihood of a pass play. En-

By George O’LearyDefensive Coordinator

Georgia Tech University

“Encourage your

players to find tip-offs.

They like looking for the

“edge” and can some-

times see or hear

things from close range

that the coach can’t.”

courage your players to find tip-offs. They like looking for

the “edge” and can sometimes see or hear things from close

range that the coach can’t. When keys indicate a pass play is

likely, let the rusher narrow his stance and increase his stag-

ger. The player must have a technique in mind before thesnap on passing downs to allow a quicker transition into his

rush technique. In passing situations, he should try to see

the ball rather than just the hand or head of the offensive

lineman for his movement key. If the blocker is a little slow

setting up and your rusher can surge more quickly by seeingball movement—he can make the offense pay with a sack.

Film analysis allows you to know how they will block on

their favorite pass plays. The rusher will react with more

confidence (and therefore be quicker) if he sees a familiar

blocking scheme that tips off a draw or bootleg play. Fi-

nally, make sure the rusher is absolutely sure of his proper

pass rush lane versus each type of blocking scheme.

AccelerationThe biggest advantage the rusher has over the blocker in a

passing situation is that the rusher is surging forward whilethe blocker is moving backwards. There is not a big differ-

ence in speed at these close quarters, but the rusher can

maximize this difference by getting great explosion at the

first movement of the ball.

“The first step should be longer (12" - 16" rather than

the 3" step you encourage in normal reading of defenses).

Instruct your pass rusher to get into the blocker before he is

ready to block. Tell him to look through the blocker and

focus on the quarterback. Remind him that he is rushingthe passer and not the blocker. Repetitions in practice will

allow the rusher to feel the blocker while watching thequarterback for roll outs, draws and scrambles.

Block ControlSuccessful rushing techniques are performed “on the move”

with the rusher constantly pushing up field into the

blocker. The blocker regains any advantage lost to the quick

start and surge of the pass rusher if he stops moving up

field to look for the quarterback or to put on a move.



GRIDIRON Coach



7

Once he has exploded off the ball, the pass rusher needsto use a rushing technique to defeat the blocker. There are a

number of good techniques. So many in fact, that I recom-

mend having each individual rusher perfect only the two or

three moves which they perform most effectively. To sim-

plify teaching, group your techniques into two systems—

the drive system and the grab-and-jerk system.

The drive system is two types of rushes: The power rush

and the race. All rushers learn the power rush first as it is

the foundation for all other rushes. Emphasize leading withthe shoulder pads and not the hands into the chest of the

blocker. The rusher should strike the blocker with an up-

ward blow (“hit on the rise”) and then drive his hands upward into his chest. He should then grab the blocker’s chest

plate on his shoulder pads with his thumbs up; fingers out.

The second biggest advantage your pass rushers have

over the blocker is that they can legally hold him. They

must exploit this advantage. The blocker will try to holdthe rusher as well, but risks a penalty if his hands are out-

side of the rusher’s. Instruct the rusher to roll his hips under

him and press the blocker up and out while driving hard with his legs. He should drive the blocker straight back to

the quarterback, and remember to be inside his hands.

To those rushers involved in cage responsibility, teachthe race technique. Unlike the power rush, where the rusher

tries to get inside the blocker before he sets, the race tech-

nique emphasizes getting the rusher’s hips past the blocker

before he sets. To employ this technique, the rusher starts

with a three-point stance and aligns himself slightly widerfrom the blocker than normal.

He should aim for a spot seven yards up field straight in

front of him. The rusher must explode off the ball, lower

his inside shoulder and rip the inside arm under and

through the blocker as he surges upfield. By the third step,

the rusher will know whether or not he has beaten the

blocker. If his hips get past the blocker, the rusher shouldthen push inside to squeeze the cage on the quarterback. If

the blocker sets up quickly and gets his outside shoulder

and leg back to defeat the race, teach your rushers to redi-

rect into him—work their hands inside his—and change toa power rush. Remember, the more an offensive lineman

overplays the power rush, the more susceptible he is to

inside moves.

The grab-and-jerk system is also two moves: the grab-

and-swim and the grab-and-rip. Both moves work best

when the blocker braces to defeat the power rush, so usethe power rush to set these moves up. In the grab-and-

swim, the rusher again leads with his shoulder into the

blocker’s chest. As the offensive lineman braces, the rusher

pulls his near shoulder down and across his body as far as

possible. He then quickly swims over the blocker’s shoulder

with a high, swimming motion, stepping through deeply

with the inside leg. Getting his hip past the blocker’s hip isthe key, so emphasize it during drill work. The pull is easi-

est when the blocker is overextended so drill this move untilthe rusher can “feel” the blocker shift his weight forward.

Blockers who carry their hands or elbows low when they

block are susceptible to the swim technique so look for this

characteristic during film analysis. Don’t restrict this moveonly to taller pass rushers. Height helps, but blocker overex-

tension, timing, a strong pull and quick feet make the move

work.

The grab-and-rip is the move of choice against blockers

who set deep and like to bring their hands high into therusher’s upper chest or throat area to neutralize his charge.

Again, the keys for the rusher are to lead with his shoulders,

and get into the blocker’s chest before he is ready to strikeand grab cloth. The rusher must twist the blocker, pushing

and lifting his near shoulder while pulling the far one to-

ward you. Then the rusher can rip his shoulder and arm

under and across his body. If done correctly, the rusher’snear shoulder will be lifting high under the blocker’s arm-

pit.

Both moves in the grab-and-jerk system emphasize:

• Grabbing cloth and pulling hard• Getting your hips past the blocker’s

• Accelerating past the blocker as you perform the move.

Quarterback ControlThe rusher can control the quarterback in three ways. First,he must maintain the correct rush lane. This prevents

scrambling and draw lanes from opening up as well as ob-

structing the field of vision of the quarterback. Throughrepetition versus the various blocking schemes the rusher

will learn to take the proper lane rather than the path of

least resistance. Second, he should not raise his hands until

he sees the ball go up and the face of the quarterback. Heshould keep his hands on the blocker or down as long as

possible to allow better acceleration to the quarterback. The

rusher shouldn’t bother to raise his arms at all if the quar-

terback is facing the other way—just accelerate through

him until the ball is away. Finally, the rusher should tackle

from the top down to pin the quarterback’s arms. The



GRIDIRON Coach

8



rusher should also work on a clubbing or downward rip totry and cause a fumble when the quarterback holds the ball

in a vulnerable position.

Pursuit The final aspect of successful pass rush is pursuit to the ball

and if the quarterback manages to get rid of it before you

get to him. This requires great second effort but is a com-mon characteristic of a great pass rush. A pursuing defender

can make four things happen on a down field pass.

1. He can possibly make the tackle, especially if thereceiver dodges one or two defenders.

2. He can strip the ball from the receiver as he approaches

a pile.3. He can recover a loose ball if it is knocked loose by a

great hit.

4. And he can be a blocker on an interception return.

When the ball leaves the quarterback you don’t know

what will happen so always instruct your rushers to turnand sprint to the ball. He should make sharp, quick turns

(not wide “747” turns) and put his “head to the ground” as

he accelerates down field.

There are a number of ways to pursue the screen pass.

Our base method is for the outside rushers to continue to

the quarterback and force him to throw higher and quicker

than he wants to throw. Our inside rushers break off andsprint along the line of scrimmage to the screen. Help will

be out there (hopefully) forcing the receiver back to the

inside. The rusher will be in a good position to meet him

when this happens.

Alert your rushers to be wary of the draw. When the

draw is being run, the blocker will usually exaggerate hisblocking to give the defensive lineman a rush lane. The

rusher should look for the offensive lineman to turn his tailand shoulder perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. Show

your player the differences in technique and schemes be-

tween pass and draw on film. When the rusher reads draw,

he should retrace his steps straight back to the line of scrim-mage and look for the runner when he makes his cuts to

elude tacklers.

While there are a number of ways to scheme a pass

rusher past a blocker, the player’s success generally depends

on his ability to perform the five aspects of individual passrush. By dividing the overall rush into the five components

I have outlined: The Pre-read, Acceleration, Block Control,

Quarterback Control, and Pursuit, and then drilling theplayer on each aspect while emphasizing the reasons why

each aspect is important, the coach will find the complex

art of rushing the passer can be made manageable and

teachable at any level of football.n

Diagram One:The Power Rush

Using the power rush, the rusher takes a route straight towards thequarterback and drives the blocker straight back to the quarterback

QB

Diagram One:The Power Rush

To employ the race technique, the rusher lines up slightly wider from theblocker than normal. He then aims for a spot seven yards upfield and onthe snap of the ball, attempts to explode by the blocker.



GRIDIRON Coach



9

Honing Your Players

Tackling FundamentalsBy Bobby April

Assistant Coach

The Atlanta Falcons

I believe that

tackling is more than

just desire, but even if

desire accounts for

99% of success in

tackling, we as coaches

must work the other

one percent to the

fullest.

THE GREAT V INCE LOMBARDI once

said that football is simply

blocking and tackling. Obvi-

ously he was making a general com-

ment about the game. But there ismuch validity in his statement. With

regard to defense, there is very little

value in sophisticated defensive game

plans and strategies if your players

can’t tackle.

It has been my experience that we,

as coaches, spend very little time on

tackling fundamentals. And yet I

would be hard pressed to find any coaches who do not

agree that it is vitally important. Tackling usually gets “lip

service” from most of us. I have found myself in this cat-

egory many times and have had to face this fact after watch-ing a poor tackling performance.

Houston Oiler coach Bum Phillips said “the reason for

missed tackles is that players either try too hard or they areafraid, and the Oilers have no cowards.” Phillips sentiments

had an effect on me and made me believe less in the old

axiom that “tackling is all desire.” I believe that tackling is

more than just desire, but even if desire accounts for 99%

of success in tackling, we as coaches must work the other

one percent to the fullest.

In my first players’ meeting of the season, I start out

talking about tackling. It is important that you impressupon your players that the number one objective for a de-

fensive player is to become a great tackler. In the meeting I

stress two things:1. The importance of tackling2. Proper technique of the hit

Proper technique encompasses our most effective meth-

ods and more importantly demonstrates safety features that

the players must constantly be made aware of. Coaching

points on safety and proper placement of the head gear is

the most important thing you can ever tell a young man

playing football.

I use several drills that I have found to be effective in

teaching tackling. Before getting into the specific drills, I’dlike to make a point with regard to coaching philosophy.

This is a technique I learned as a player at Nicholls State

University under coach Bill Clements. Coach Clements

would always without fail, tell us the importance and pur-

pose of each drill. As a player, it allowed me to focus onimproving that part of my game. I never felt that anything

we did on the field was a void filler. This is due to the com-

petence of Bill Clements as a coach. I suggest that you use

this method. I know that it gets results.

Elements of TacklingThere are four elements that are essential to all types of

tackles. They re consistent in every situation. Mastering

these elements will improve the tackling of your playersimmensely.

1. Eyes. A tackler’s eyes should concentrate on the number

area of the ball carrier. A tackler’s body control isgreatly affected by what the eyes see. Concentration on

the belt buckle has tendency to cause overextension.

2. Contact surface. This is the part of the tackler’s body

that makes initial contact with the ball carrier. The

tackler’s shoulders should end up parallel with hips and

perpendicular to his toes. All movement and punch is

through the ball carrier’s center of gravity. The tackler

should lead with is chest.

3. Standing broad jump. Attacker’s arms and his hips

should be in the leverage and explosive mode of astanding broad jump. His chest should be extended with the head up.

4. Feet. A tackler’s feet are essential in driving the ball

carrier backwards following initial contact. The ability

to move his feet through the ball carrier is fundamen-

tal.



GRIDIRON Coach

10



Drills With these four elements of tackling in mind, the following

are some of the more effective drills that I have used

throughout my coaching career.

Punch and DriveEquipment required: Rogers sled

Procedure:

Player stands two yards from sled in a breakdown position.

On “hit” commands, he attacks sled and executes a form

tackle. He then will execute the elements previously de-

scribed. The coach should insure that there is an accelera-

tion of the feet before blowing the whistle to stop his effort.

In the purpose section of the drill that follows, other coach-

ing points will be mentioned.

Purpose of Drill:

• To make a face up tackle

• To get as much body contact on runner as possible• Bend in the legs, not back

• Balanced and controlled body position

• Hip roll• Acceleration of feet on contact

• Arm wrap

Diamond TacklingEquipment Required: Four cones and three balls

Procedure:

Using a five yard by four yard diamond shaped area (see

diagram) a ball carrier will line up on point A with a defen-sive back on point B. On “hit” command, the ball carrier

will sprint to a point one yard outside of cone C or D. He

will try to stay on that angle through out contact from

defensive back. The defensive back will sprint and close on

ball carrier. He will execute a full speed tackle with the

exception of taking the ball carrier to the ground. Contact

must be in the number area of the jersey.

Purpose of Drill:

• To execute an all out hit on a live ball carrier

• To sprint and close as fast as possible on ball carrier

• To run through the ball carrier on contact• To deny the ball carrier any upfield movement

• Execute the ingredients previously mentioned that

make up great tackling

Capers Drill (named for Saints DB coach)Equipment Required: Five cones, three balls

Procedure:

Players are 20 yards apart, using a 20 yard square. On “hit”

command the ball carrier will run at an 80% pace. The

defensive back will sprint to close the separation (see dia-

gram). He should sprint five to six yards before widening

his feet and coming under control. At this point, the ball

carrier is one yard from cone E and should burst to cone C

or D. The defensive back will then close at proper angle to

make an open field angle tackle. He will execute all funda-mentals essential to good tackling without full aggression.

This contact is of the Form-Up nature.

Purpose of Drill:

• Teaching defensive back to accelerate and close a large

area between himself and the ball carrier.• To position body for a sure open field tackle

• To have control of body to make a sure open field

tackle• To close at proper angle in the open field

• To get proper contact with chest on ball carrier’s center

of gravity

I hope in some way this article can help you as coaches

to maximize your players’ performance and help them to be

successful.n

Diagram One

DC

B

A

Defensive back

Ball carrier

Distance between A and B is 5 yardsDistance between C and D is 4 yards

Diagram Two

DC

B A

Defensive back

Ball carrier

20 yards

E



GRIDIRON Coach



11

Stance and Movement

Drills for the Linebacker

IF THERE IS ONE GREAT ACHILLES heel

for football coaches, it is that we

can become overly concerned with

developing the perfect offensive or

defensive scheme at the expense of perfecting our players’ fundamental

skills. The very skills that ultimately

win football games.

An example of this at the linebackerposition is key reaction. You can give

your linebackers several excellent keys

to react to. But that knowledge will

help them very little if they cannot move in a position that

allows them to take on blocks and make tackles. In my

opinion, correct stance and movement are the foundations

for sound linebacker play. With that in mind, I will share

By Mark HarrimanDefensive Coordinator

Princeton University

“All linebackers

must be agile

as well as physical.

I make it a point to

spend time every day

on some type of

agility drill with our

linebackers.”

with you some of the drills that I utilize to sharpen these

skills.

Linebacker StanceLike all football positions, the linebacker must start with a

functional stance. A linebacker’s stance must allow him tomove in every direction as quickly as possible. Give your

linebackers certain checkpoints to follow so that they can

develop a good functional stance.

The width of the feet is the starting point. The feet

should be shoulder width apart and parallel. This enables

the linebacker to move with quickness and explosiveness.

Next, instruct your linebackers to roll up on the balls of

their feet. Being up on the balls of their feet will allow your

linebackers, who are run defenders first, to have body-lean

toward the ball carrier. Have your linebackers bend their

Diagram One

X X X X

X X X X X

Coach

25

30

X X X X

X X X X X

Coach

Diagram Two

Diagram Three

Coach

20

25

30

X

X

Diagram Four

Coach

20

25

30

X

X



GRIDIRON Coach

12



knees and touch the outside of their knees with theirhands. This serves two purposes. First, it lowers their

shoulders to a good hitting position. We refer to this as

“pad level.” Secondly, it places the hands in position to

fend off low blocks.

To set up this stance progression, position your lineback-

ers on two yard lines across the field, as shown (see diagramone). The yard line serves a dual purpose. By placing toes

on the line, it assures a parallel stance. The lines also serve

as a starting point to return to as you begin the movementdrill. After aligning on the yard line, instruct your players

to assume a stance and maintain it. You now have an op-

portunity to adjust an individual player’s stance if need be.

Once all corrections have been made, you can perform a

two step drill. On your command, instruct your players to

step forward with their foot, followed by a recovery step

(two steps). This drill ensures that an individual’s stance is

functional and allows you to make immediate corrections if necessary. The linebackers will always return to their start-

ing point and stance before the next step. Each step, listed

below, is performed twice:

1. right foot forward2. left foot forward

3. right foot to right side

4. left to left side5. right foot back

6. left foot back

Movement From Stance

Once a functional stance is developed you can progress tomovement out of the stance. A common error of lineback-

ers is to raise up out of their stance (raise pad level) as they

move. Raising the pad level takes the linebacker out of a

good hitting position causing change of direction difficul-

ties as well as being susceptible to various blocks. In allthese movement drills, emphasize movement with consis-

tent pad level.

There are two types of movement for a linebacker: the

shuffle technique and the lateral run. The shuffle consists

of keeping the shoulders square, not crossing the feet and

moving forward at a 45 degree angle. I do not advise teach-ing a flat shuffle, because I want my linebackers to always

be pressing the line of scrimmage and attacking the foot-

ball! The shuffle is used whenever the ball is from tackle to

tackle, i.e. there is a chance of cutback.

Any time the ball goes outside the tackle, instruct yourbackers to lateral run. This technique is similar to the

shuffle, except that the player now may cross over with his

20

25

30

X

X

Diagram Five

Diagram Six

B a c k P

e d a l

Carioca

Shuffle

S p r i n t

X X X X X X

Diagram Seven

Shuffle

Shuffle

S p r i n t

S p r

i n t

X X X X X XPivot

Pivot

Diagram Eight

X X X X X X

#1

#4#3

#2



GRIDIRON Coach



13

feet for additional speed to the ball. In order to drillthese techniques, use the yardlines as was explained for the

stance drills. On your command, the linebackers shuffle to

their right for five yards (see diagram two). Special atten-

tion should be given to knee bend and constant pad level.

Have your players return to their starting point and repeat

the shuffle. Then shuffle twice to the left.

Next, incorporate change of direction. Instruct your

linebackers to begin the drill by shuffling forward. Then

change their direction with a hand signal. The repetitionsare the same as we discussed in the first drill. This series of

drills is repeated utilizing the lateral run. After these drills

are initially introduced, they can be completed in about fiveminutes. I believe the time is well spent.

Developing Agility All linebackers must be agile as well as physical. I make

it a point to spend time every day on some type of agility

drill with our linebackers. Following are a few specificdrills which I have found to be especially effective.

The first is an extension of our movement drills. We

begin with the linebackers on the sideline in two groups tenyards apart. On command, the linebackers shuffle forward

to a cone placed on the numbers. Upon reaching the cone,

they lateral run to the hash. This is repeated, working back to the sideline (see diagram three). A variation of this drill

involves having your linebackers hit the ground when they

reach the cone and then sprinting through the hash.

The next drill involves two bags placed in eachlinebacker’s path. The drill is similar to the first, except the

linebackers shuffle over the bags (see diagram four).

The final drill in this set has the linebackers shuffling tothe cone and then mirroring the left man’s movement back

to the sideline. Everyone switches lines after their turn (see

diagram five).

The next set of drills is an adaptation of the square drill.

Four cones are placed in a square ten yards apart. In these

drills we emphasize full speed bursts to the cones and gath-ering themselves at the cones as they change direction. This

simulates full speed movement and proper body position inorder to change directions. We instruct the linebackers to

“breakdown” at each cone to emphasize sharp changes of

direction.

1. Sprint to the first cone. Shuffle to the next cone.Back-pedal to the third cone and carioca (crossover)

through the final cone. The next man goes as the man

in front reaches the first cone (see diagram six).

2. Sprint to the first cone. Pivot inside and shuffle to the

next cone. Sprint to the third cone, pivot inside and

shuffle through the final cone (see diagram seven).3. Sprint to first cone. Turn at a 45 degree angle and

sprint to the third cone. Sprint to the second cone.

Turn at a 45 degree angle and sprint through thefourth cone. The next man in line goes as the man in

front reaches cone number two (see diagram eight).

The final set of drills are bag drills utilizing six bags (seediagram nine).

Summary In closing, I would like to emphasize that linebackers must

spend a great deal of time on block protection, tackling andkey reaction. However, in order to be truly successful, a

linebacker must be able to perform all of these tasks in a

good hitting position. The drills which I have outlined

have proven to be valuable in helping our linebackers to

maintain good position and to perform up to their poten-tial. I hope they prove to be helpful to you.n

Diagram Nine

x x x

x x x

x x x

x x x

x x x

Directions PlayersFace

x x x

Shuffle

S p r i n t

B a c

k p e

d a

l

2. High Step(two feet each hole)

1. Stride Through(one foot each hole)

3. Shuffle (over bags)

4. Lateral Run(shoulders square)

5. Weave (45º cuts)

6. In and Out (up and back)



GRIDIRON Coach

14



El Camino’s

Wildcat Defensive Package

DEFENSE W INS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

We believe that every coach, or

coaching staff, must have a

fundamental philosophy about how

they are going to approach the game.Basically, it boils down to those who

are offensively oriented, believing that

they will win every game by “out scor-

ing their opponent”; or those that

employ a defensive philosophy believ-ing that “if they can’t score they can’t

beat you.”

Here at El Camino, we have always felt very strongly that

to be a consistent winner, and win championships, you

must be strong on defense. Thus, over the years the trade-

mark of our football teams has always been one of an ag-

gressive, hard hitting defensive team; characterized by quick defenders with great pursuit and excellent tackling ability.

Our staff philosophy on defense includes the following.

• We believe that defense is the most important phase of the game

• We believe in position, not possession

• We believe strongly in the importance of the kicking

game

This philosophy dictates that our basic offense must be ball

control, in which we stress the running game. It also dic-

tates that we put our best players on defense. Our defense

stresses the following:• a seven-man front,

• assigned areas of responsibility,

• controlling the LOS, and maintaining maximumpursuit,

• must be able to vary alignments;

• easily convert to odd or even,

• easily adjust to eight-man front

• ability to vary charges

• allow for maximum use of individual, group or team

stunts.

By Herb MeyerHead Football Coach

El Camino High School

Oceanside, California

“...To be a

consistent

winner, and win

championships,

you must

be strong

on defense.”

We believe in a four-deep secondary

• want to be in man coverage, but with a free safety

• able to use zone coverage; zone field, not formation

• must be able to vary alignments

• must be easily adjustable to meet close formation ordeployment

• permit heavy rush or flood coverage for pass defense.

In the fifteen years that El Camino High School has

been in existence, we have usually had a lot of quicknessand not a great deal of size. As a result, quickness along

with toughness have become the keys to our “Winning

Edge.” In order to take advantage of our perceived edge,

we have evolved into the type of defensive strategy that we

believe gives us the best chance to be successful.

A Timeline of Change When we first opened in 1976, our defensive coordinator,

Ed Downey, implemented a 5 - 2, three-deep monster plan, which was primarily a zone concept. However, he began to

utilize more stunting because or our lack of size up front.

In 1980, our defensive back coach, Tom Haman, took

over the coordinator’s job and began to implement more

man coverage and, by 1982 we had evolved into a bump

and run secondary.

Then our current coordinator, Bill Kovacevich, who

took over in 1987 changed some of our front alignments

and developed a more coordinated stunting package be-

tween all the fronts. Today we are a full fledged pressure defense , and we plan to attack the offense on virtually every down. It is our intention to “make something happen” and

force the offense to react to us on every snap.

We are in some type of stunt about 90% of the time,

and as a result we obviously play man pass coverage about

85% of the time. About 75% of our man cover is Bump

and Run Man. We stunt, not only to pressure the quarter-

back on the pass, but also to stop the run. Like most mod-

ern defenses, our front is a gap control front, the difference

being that we hit the gaps on the move.



GRIDIRON Coach



15

Since we put a premium on good pursuit, it is important

that our players are taught “how to play under control.”

When stunting, we do not want our players to go chargingoff wildly into space and over- penetrate. They must attack

their assigned gap, square up and break down so that they can “read on the run” analyzing the blocking patterns so

that they DO NOT penetrate more than one yard beyond

the LOS before flattening out and getting into pursuit.

We feel that in order to have a “good team pattern” of

defensive football at all times; we must teach a containing

type of defense and then expand into a “go get ‘em” or

Diagram One: Basic 5-2

This is our basic alignment; 5-2, man free

C

R

NM

BT B

T CBB

Diagram Two: Split 5

This is our gap alignment; Split 5, 2-deep zone or man

C

R

N

M

BT B

T CBB

Above: A tackle pinch with ILB cross – can be called weak or strong

Diagram One-B:5-2, Tackle Weak

Diagram Two-B:Split 5, Tackle Weak

NB

T BB

T B NB

T BB

T B

Diag. 1A and 2A show 1 stunt which is nose guard right with ILB cross

Diagram One-A:5-2, 1 Stunt

Diagram Two-A:Split 5, 1 Stunt

NB

T BB

T B NB

T BB

T B

blitzing type of defense. This is necessary in order to insure

that we properly teach the fundamental techniques at each

position.

Don't allow your players to think that stunts and blitzes will take the place of being fundamentally sound. Likewise,

it is extremely important to spend a great deal of time

working on recognition; and making adjustments on the

move to offensive shifts and/or motion. There are situa-

tions which will force us into a 4-man with no free safety,

but we will do everything we can to avoid this. This means

that our outside linebackers must be able to cover inside

Double thunder, a hard pinchcharge by both outside linebackers,which automatically puts the twoILB men on the running backs

Diagram One-C:5-2, Double Thunder

Diagram Two-C:Split 5, Banjo

N

B

T B

B

T B

The banjo stunt sends both ILBand puts both OLB men on therunning backs

N

B

T B

B

T B

Tiger Stunt: 1D is strong side and 2D is weak side. We use the tiger stunt to combat strong off-tackle running and/or sprint out passing.

Diagram One-D:5-2, Tiger Strong

Diagram Two-D:Split 5, Tiger Weak

N

B

T B

B

T BN

B

T B

B

T B



GRIDIRON Coach

16



receivers man to man. For this reason, our outside back-

ers must be excellent athletes — they must be able to ex-

ecute the blitz and still be able to cover a man. In each of

the last two years, one of our outside backers has been the

defensive player of the year in our league and named to the

all-state squad.

Before going into some specifics about our defensivestructure, lets try to establish a little credibility for what we

are doing. In the fifteen year history of our school, we have

been in the playoffs thirteen times - twice to the semifinals

and six times to the championship finals, winning five Cali-

fornia Interscholastic Federation Championships. During

that fifteen year period we have played 178 games and al-

lowed an average of 86.9 yards per game rushing. At the

same time, we have allowed our opponents a pass comple-

tion percentage of just 34.5%. Given our situation, and

the types of players that we have to work with we know that what we are doing works. It goes without saying that

you must have good athletes, who can RUN at corners —

for us, these are 4.7 types.

We will sacrifice speed at the safety positions for hitting

ability since these people are important to our run support.

As I mentioned above, our linebackers must be able to run,and we will sacrifice size for quickness and speed at all four

spots. They are either going to be stunting, or covering

man to man 80 to 90% of the time; NOT just taking

people on.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, we believe

strongly in putting our best people of defense. At the end

or our two-a-days, we rank all of our players by their ath-

letic ability — as evaluated by all members of the coachingstaff — and then hold a draft prior to our inter-school

scrimmage. To this point, ALL of our players have been

practicing at both an offensive and a defensive position.

Diagram Three: Strong Side

This is an even alignment; Strong side

BN BT T B B

Diagram Four: Weak Side

Even; Weak side

BT T B NB B

Diagram Three-A:Strong Side, 1 Stunt

Diagram Four-A:Weak Side, 1 Stunt

NB

T BB

T B NB

T BB

T B

Diagram Three-B:Strong Side, Nose Out

Diagram Four-B:Weak Side, Nose Out

N

B

T B

B

T B N

B

T B

B

T

B

Diagram Three-C:Strong Side, Tackle Cross

Diagram Four-C:Weak Side, Blow

N

B

T B

B

T B N

B

T B

B

T

B

This is a line cross - tackle is called so that he will go first, and the NGcrosses behind

The weak OLB is coming insidewith the nose and tackle slanting out in a blow stunt



GRIDIRON Coach



17

Diagram Five: Option Responsibilities

Basic option responsibilities from the 5-2 with a two-deep zone

T dive

M

BQB

NT C

pitchB

diveB

dive

T dive

BQB

T C

pitchR

Diagram Six: Man Free

Basic man free alignment with the coverage responsibilities: cornersalways have #1; monster (SS) has #2 to the two receiver side; OLB or ILB (depending on the stunt called) has #2 to the one receiver side;and OLB or ILB has #3 to the two receiver side.

T

M

#2

B#3

NC#1

B#3

B#2

T B#2

C

#1Rfree

Diagram Seven: Strong Zone

This illustrates our three-deep strong zone coverage

M

BC B B B

R

Flat

1/ 3

Flat C

1/ 3 1/ 3

Diagram Eight: Man, Rover Fire

A rover (FS) fire from our man free coverage; obviously, we have just given up our free safety

M#2

B#3C

#1

B B

R

T N T B#2 C

#1

Diagram Nine: Five Under Zone

This illustrates our two-deep, five under zone

M 1/ 2

BC B B

B

1/ 2 R

C

Diagram Ten: Five Under Man

A two-deep, five under man

M1/2

B#2

C#1 B#3 B#2

T B

C#1

R1/2

Diagram Eleven: Weak Corner Fire

Two more secondary stunts are shown in diagrams 11 and 12 - weakcorner fire and monster fire; again in both cases we lose our free safety since he must adjust to pick up the firing DBs man

T

M#2

B#3

NC#1

BT B

#2 C

R#1

B

Diagram Twelve: Monster Fire

T

M

B#3

NC#1

BT B

#2 C#1

R#2

B



GRIDIRON Coach



19

In Pursuit of ExcellenceBy Mark Harriman

Defensive Coordinator

Princeton University

“Simply stated,

we want all eleven

defenders to execute

their technique,

defeat any blocking

threat and run

to the ball!.”

AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY we

spend a great deal of time

teaching fundamentals. Posi-

tionally we stress learning proper tech-

niques and then integrating this intoour defensive unit as a whole. One

portion of these unit fundamentals is

proper pursuit to the ball – regardless

of play run. We expect each defender

to take pride in “getting to the ball”on every play.

Two keys to great defensive pursuit are

the proper body position and the ability to know where

your fellow defenders are. We explain these concepts to our

players in the following manner.

Whenever the ball is in front of our primary run defend-ers (front eight) they move laterally with their shoulders

square to the line of scrimmage in the bent knee position.

By shutting off the point of attack and moving in this fash-

ion, we effectively limit the options available to the ballcarrier. The ball carrier is forced to either bounce the ball

outside or cut back into the squared shoulders of his pursu-

ers. Only when the ball is past a defender will he turn his

shoulders to the line of scrimmage.

Drills: The First Series When teaching proper and aggressive pursuit of the ball, we

utilize a variety of drills. The first series deal with run plays

versus a particular front and coverage. For simplicity sake,

all of these drills will involve a base eight man front and athree-deep coverage. When introducing these drills, we will

walk through, and talk through all eleven defender’s respon-sibilities — including the force angles for the primary forcedefender as well as pursuit angles for the rest of the defense.

Diagram one illustrates our strongside responsibilities

and pursuit angles. We do not assign our defenders specific

intervals down the field (i.e. cones placed on the sidelines)

because of the variables involved. The speed of the ball

carrier compared to the defenders speed and the possibility

of someone being hung up on a block and not getting to

their assigned area are two factors that can come into play.

Once the ball turns the corner, our players will not run

behind the same colored jersey. If this occurs, they mustadjust downfield. This gives us good distribution down the

field.

After we have walked through this drill, we will run it

versus various plays. These drills require a spacing tape, abackfield, and two shields.

1. Toss/Sweep

In diagram two, the QB (coach) turns and tosses the ball to

a back who turns the corner and runs 35 yards downfield.

The force man will attack the shield while the remaining

defenders run to the sideline. We will then progress to a

cutback.

2. Option

The QB (coach) will run an option in either direction. He

will either give, keep or pitch. The ball carrier will continuedownfield as shown in diagram three.

• Dive: 10 yards

• Keep: 20 yards

• Pitch: 35 yards

3. Reverse

Next we will incorporate a reverse off either the sweep or

the option (see diagram four).

Variation

A variation of this drill is what we call “find a way to the

ball”. This drill emphasizes full speed pursuit along with abit of competition. Ten bags, two footballs, and a receiver

(on the sideline) are needed for this drill.

One bag is placed five yards by five yards from the tight

end’s position in the offensive backfield. The remaining

bags are placed on the sideline at five yard intervals. On the

snap, the coach will lateral wave the defense in three direc



GRIDIRON Coach

20



tions –left, right, left. All eleven defenders will then hitthe ground. As they recover, the coach will throw the ball to

the receiver. The force defender will attack the bag sta-

tioned in the offensive backfield. The remaining defenders will run to the bags on the sideline and tackle them. Obvi-

ously, the last man there does not have a bag to tackle. He

performs 15 push ups for being last. Proper pursuit anglemust be taken by all defenders or the drill is repeated (see

diagram five).

Diagram One

E

C

B

T

B

Ecutback

OLBreverse

C save atouchdown

SS primary

force

T

FS

alley

Diagram Two

CB B OLB

C

SS

FS

E T ET 5 yards

5 y ar d s

5 yards

5 y ar d s

shield shield

C

Diagram Three

C

B B OLB

C

SS

FS

E T ET

C

pitch

dive

alley

diveQB

Diagram Four

C

B B OLB

C

SS

FS

E T ET

C

Drills: The Second SeriesThis series of drills emphasizes the pass game. The defense

aligns as in the run drills.

1. Pass

On the snap, the QB (coach) drops back and the front four

will rush the passer. The linebackers and secondary willdrop to their respective zones. The QB (coach) will throw

the ball to the receiver (coach) positioned in various zones.

Everyone must sprint and break down around the coach

Diagram Five: “Find A Way To The Ball”

C

OLB

C

SS

C

E E

B

T

B

FS

T

5 y

d s .

5 yards

5 y ar d s

R

Diagram Six

C

C

OLB

C

SS

E E

B

T

B

FS

T coach

coach

coach



GRIDIRON Coach



21

Diagram Seven

C

C

OLB

C

SS

E E

B

T

B

FS

T

Diagram Eight

C

C

OLB

C

SS

E E

B

T

B

FS

T

insidecage

outsidecage

who catches the ball. A simple variation of this drill is to

throw the ball to a defender and concentrate on the inter-

ception returns (see diagram six).

We then add a draw play along with the pass (see dia-

gram seven). This is a good way to develop proper reactionfrom the coverage personnel as well as the pass rushers. We

would like to squeeze the ball outside in at the point of attack forcing the ball to the sideline.

Pursuit from pass rushers is extremely important. When

they recognize draw, they must replace themselves through

their rush lanes. This along with the converging coverage

personnel will effectively cage the ball carrier.

Next we progress to the addition of a screen play. With

this addition, we want to teach recognition of a screen as

well as pursuit after the ball is thrown. We stress taking on

two blockers at the point of attack and making sure we

have an inside and outside cage man to contain the ball

(diagram eight). As with any play we want to force the ballback into our pursuit.

Summary Great defensive pursuit and swarming defense are integral

factors in the success of a defense. By developing the afore-

mentioned techniques through these simple drills, we feel

that our players are able to move to the ball with speed as

well as the correct position to make the play when they get

there.n



GRIDIRON Coach

22



Maximum Pursuit: Bulldog Style

11 To The Ball - In A Bad Mood

By Jeff TomlinDefensive Coordinator

Alliance High School

Alliance, Nebraska

“All successful

football programs are

based upon sound

philosophies... It’s the

philosophy that drives

the Xs and Os.”

EVERY SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME starts

with a solid idea and thorough

planning. This is true in all as-

pects of life, including football.

All successful football programs are

based upon sound philosophies. There

are countless offensive and defensive

strategies that have proven to be suc-

cessful, but when one explores thereasons for success, much of it can be attributed to the

winning philosophy and attitude implemented by the

coaching staff. It’s the philosophy that drives the Xs and Os.

In the off season while thinking of drills, techniques, and

tactical changes that would improve our defense, I came up

with a few useful ideas, but no major changes that would be

worth implementing. After all, we were coming off of a

very successful season and still had the nucleus of that teamreturning. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Right? I guess, like

most coaches, I still wasn’t satisfied. How could we trans-

form a good defense into an exceptional defense? Aftertinkering with all of our schemes for the remainder of the

off season, I finally figured out that what we needed wasn’t

a new drill, scheme or strategy. Our defensive schemes were

sound and we were solid fundamentally. What we needed

was a new philosophy.

In studying films from the previous season, I felt that the

one area we needed to stress to improve defensively, was

pursuit. We constantly stressed technique and fundamentalsbut we lacked the swarming pursuit—characteristic of a

Miami or Alabama defense. Pursuit would be the difference

between being good and outstanding.

Once we as a staff zeroed in on pursuit as our new focus,

we went about trying to figure out a way to sell it to our

team. Just telling the players to swarm to the ball would not

be good enough. To make the players believers, we pinned a

name on our philosophy and our defense took on a new

identity. “11 to the ball–in a bad mood!”

What is “11 to the ball–in a bad mood?” More than an

eye-catching phrase, it’s an attitude of total hustle. We set a

goal to achieve maximum pursuit on every single play (11

to the ball), while reemphasizing our tradition of being

great hitters (in a bad mood). This new attitude caught on with the team and turned out to be the edge we needed.

How did we implement our plan and measure its success?

1. We sold our team on the fact that we would cause

more turnovers and give up fewer scores and big plays.

2. We emphasized the fact that it (11 to the ball) was a

team goal and each individual had to do his part. The

number of times we achieved our goal, of 11 to the

ball, soon became our most important statistic.

3. In practice, we demanded that all 11 defenders be

around the ball when the whistle blows. Of course, the

first area stressed is that each player carry out his re-

sponsibility in our scheme, and then swarm to the ball.

Our players adapted quickly and enthusiastically. This

philosophy has also created more competition andintensity in practice because everyone knows we’re

looking for hustlers and scrappers on defense.

4. We as coaches reinforced our philosophy by wearing T-

shirts that had “11 to the ball–in a bad mood” printed

on them. The enthusiasm shown by the coaching staff

was key to helping the philosophy catch on. It wasn’t

unusual to see coaches swarming the ball right along

with the players.

5. We determine the number of times we achieve 11 to

the ball, by analyzing game film. We want 11 defendersin the video frame, at the end of the play, as many

times as possible. This statistic is very important be-

cause it determines our overall success defensively. (We

recognize that there are situations in which it is impos-sible for all 11 defenders, especially defensive back’s, to

swarm to the ball. Our opponent’s offensive philosophy

will dictate how quickly our secondary can pursue.) We

set a team record of 28 times –11 to the ball.



GRIDIRON Coach



23

What has this philosophy done for our team?

1. Our work ethic, discipline, and attention to detail has

improved. We out hustle our opponents.

2. Our conditioning has improved because of the extra

effort and the extra running we do in practice.

3. By swarming to the ball, we’ve forced more turnovers.Our defense forced 30 turnovers in ten games last year.

Every loose ball is ours and our players believe it.

4. The coordinated aggression that this philosophy has

created tends to wear down and frustrate opponents.

5. Since “11 to the ball” is a team goal, our players have

become more focused on team rather than individual

achievement. Our defense tries to set a new recordevery week.

6. Our defense finished the season rated as the fifth bestteam defensively in Nebraska Class A football.

7. This philosophy has given our defense an identity and

has started a tradition of excellence at Alliance High

School.

Formulating a philosophy that one can build a programaround is a crucial element in success. 11 To The Ball—In ABad Mood: A simple concept that has taken our defense to

another level.

Bulldog Pursuit Drill

As a way to condition our players while drilling proper

pursuit angles, we end every defensive practice with our

pursuit drill. Every defender carries out his assignment, inour base defense, and then sprints at a great pursuit angle

and tags the running back or receiver. After tagging the ball

carrier, each defender drops and does 11 push-ups and then

sprints to the coach standing in the middle of the field.

We end the drill with all 11 defenders sprinting to the

coach, to reinforce our “11 to the ball” philosophy. The

offensive players in the drill can run toss, option and reverse

to either side or the quarterback can throw to any of thefour receivers. n

Bulldog Pursuit Drill: Example of a Toss

CC

SREC

C

REC RECQB

RB

LB LB LB LB

E T T E

REC



GRIDIRON Coach

24



Defending The Wing-T:

A Response to You Call The PlayBy Brad Livingston

Head Football Coach

Central York High School

York, Pennsylvania

The following article was originally submitted as a re-

sponse to the popular GRIDIRON Coach feature entitled “You

Call The Play.” In this section, coaches were asked to re-

spond to game situations with a play of their own.

AT CENTRAL Y ORK HIGH SCHOOL, we play a base 4-4,

three-deep alignment. During the league season, we

have to defend at least three pure wing-t offenses.

Our starting point is as follows.

To The Wing1. DT will align outside shoulder on SG.

• He is a “B” gap player who must control the OT on

any down blocks.

• DT will rip across the face of the down block inorder to go down the LOS to ball.

2. DE will align nose up on TE and be aware of wing.

• Since the backs are set away his “C” gap

responsibility is not immediately threatened.

• DE must secure “C “ gap upfield cut lane while

most likely fighting a down block by the wing. He

rips any down block and controls “C” gap leverage

while going down LOS to ball.• Before securing “C” gap he must prevent the TE

from releasing inside off the snap to block our

inside LB.

3. OLB will align on the LOS on the outside shoulder of

the wing.

• Key wing and control any inside release.

• Close the “D” gap and stuff any perimeter blocker

with your inside arm/flipper.

“It is the final game of the season. You are playing

the top offensive team in the region which is averag-

ing 35 points a game. They have a big 6' 1”, 220

pound fullback and a fast scatback type tailback

who are tough runners. The quarterback is a good

high school player who can press the corner well on

the rollout plays. He is an equally effective passer

and runner with 600+ rushing yards and 1000+

passing yards afer nine games. They operate their

offensive attack from the Wing-T set. You must beat

this team to win the district championship!”

– Bill Renner, GC Volume 3 • Issue 4

You Call The Play

Situation Three

Defend the basic buck sweep series of the Wing-T.

Align your defense and detail the responsiblities of

each defender. Who defends (1) the fullback trap,

who defends (2) the buck sweep and who defends

(3) the quarterback rollout or waggle play. How do

you defend the buck sweep play? Do you bounce it

to the corner or do you try to keep it inside the

offtackle area? Why?

Situation Three

YOU CALL THE PLAY!

C

1

2

3

Base 44 - Three Deep

C

B

B E

S

T T

CBB

E



GRIDIRON Coach



25

• Do not penetrate past heels of the offensive line.Make the ball carrier bounce.

To the SE or Backs with SE Side:1. DT will vary his align by D/D, however, for generic

purposes we will put him in a nose up alignment that is

ever so slightly outside eye. We want to create scheme

indecisions - can the OT make his down block?• Key is OG a.) pull across ball should be hip-

pocketed or ripped with down LOS pursuit, b.) Pull

outside - check OT down block = bootleg or if nodown block, look inside and play trap. We say “trap

the trapper”.

• Gap responsibility is basically “B” gap, but youmust squeeze “A” gap on trap and on waggle get an

up field charge through the OT’s down block.

2. DE will squeeze the stance of the OT’s outside shoul-

der. Invite the OT or HB to reach you, but keep lever-

age on “C” gap.

• Key OT to HB/inside a.) when OT down blockslook for the SE side OG to either log you or cross

block you and kickout, b.) Rip upfield through the

log block and contain the QB’s bootleg. Force him

to set up! If kickout scheme develops, squeeze the“B” gap area and stuff the OG in the hole. Squeeze

any inside/out scheme with your inside arm/flipper

etc. OK to bounce it. Should the HB attack you,play him on your inside and bounce the ball deeper.

3. OLB will align normally in our hideaway alignment.

This alignment is 2 x 2 from our defensive end. How-

ever, we can do many things with his alignment that

neutralize both waggle, wing sweep, and belly. He isvery conscious of the SE in crack position and the FB

on waggle.

• Key is the near back–NB goes away we play waggle,

reverse, counters, etc. Find the FB as you drop

under the skinny post, then pick up the FB as he

comes to you. Near back comes to–we think belly,

keeper, option, wing sweep, etc. In our league, this

is the easiest, simplest key on the defense year after

year.

• OLB responsibility is basically FB on waggle and

squeeze “D” gap versus run. If HB goes away, pass

first, run second.

Inside Linebackers We have used pure guard keys, cross keys, etc. However, Ihave come to believe that a “split” key works best in our

league.

• ILB alignment = 3 yards to 4 1/2 yards deep on the

inside eye of the offensive guard.

• Keys and responsibility

LB to wing—we concern ourselves with 3 basic keys.

1. Style. The frontside (wing) LB is allowed to run

through in order to make the play as long as he is out-

side the “B” gap when he does so. He may go over or

under the OT/TE depending on their course. If he

runs through he must make the play or runningthrough is incorrect.

2. We know that we will probably lose him in pass cover-

age unless we “slow” key him or play D/D. We feel this

is ok. We want to stop the run first.

3. His fourth possible situation is a straight “A” gap plugif the SG’s head doesn’t disappear on the snap.

LB to SE/backfield side: we concern ourselves with three

basic keys.

1. Style. The backside (SE/Backs) LB is primarily con-

cerned with “A” gap control and belly in this set. He

must help the DT’s and split side end control frontside“B” to split side “B”.

2. On an option or split side sweep key he may runthrough, but over the top is much safer in the event of

option.

3. His base keys are very functional versus the passing

game when D/D and tendencies are involved. If we

lose him on coverage due to play action, we’ll live with

that. However, we usually can get

him involved:

• Sweep Key = collision FB

or lock on FB man/man

(frees OLB to pick up TEon diagonal).

• Option/SE Sweep Key =

could be keep pass. Lock on FB man to man or

drop to curl area as OLB

covers HB/Flat.

• Belly Key = collision HB

period the end!

LB To WingTrap Key: Get over top OC and get leverage on Backside A

T

B

LB To WingC Gap Key: Must get leverage on OT

LB To WingSweep Key: Get over top DT and flow to ball

T

B

T

B



GRIDIRON Coach

26



Option/Sweep to SEKey: Get over top DT and flow to ball

LB To SE - BackfieldSweep Key: Get into Frontside A by going through /over theOC. If OG goes HB, think waggle

Belly Key: If HB dives inside, plug the course of the HB asin ISO

HB Trap

T B

E

opposite directionmeans pass

T B

E T B

T B

E

4. A fourth possible situation is HB trap (see diagram 4).

We hope that his plug key (OG head doesn’t disappear)

will generate an “A” gap plug that will effectively con-

trol this play.

Secondary Play - Three-Deep Alignments• We have a very flexible secondary system and can game

plan a lot of things.

• Within our 3 deep we can roll strong or weak to take

away vertical stretch.

• We could show cover 3 and go 2 deep man under with

S either locked on TE or playing a “robber” in a certain

route.

• We sometimes incorporate man and man - FS in order

to pressure certain situations.• The bottom line is that our coverages should be strictly

D/D and tendency oriented. The safety can check usout of poor formation match-ups. n



GRIDIRON Coach



27

Secondary Adjustments In

The Eight Man Front Scheme

8-MAN FRONT DEFENSIVE SCHEMES

have always included a locked

in 3-deep coverage with four

underneath as the primary coverage.This coverage was sound, simple, and

effective. In recent years at the high

school level, there has been an explo-sion of the passing game in both the

one-back and two-back set. It has

become apparent to the 8-man frontdefensive coaches that we needed to

answer the advancement of the pass-

ing game. In this article, I will focus on defending the two-

back offense. Within this system, there are two situations toconsider. The first is field location (hash mark or middle)

and secondly, the formation.

The Hashmark SituationSince the football is snapped from the hashmark approxi-

mately 78% of the time, we will teach ball position first. A hashmark situation for us in anytime the ball is on or

within four yards of the hash. Once the ball has been deter-mined to be a hashmark call, we then adjust our coverage

according to the formation. From the sidelines, a coach will

signal the frontal adjustments along with a “zone” or “man”

call. While the focus of this article is on the “zone” call, I

will cover man coverage briefly.

In a zone call, the number of receivers to the field will

determine whether we play a cover 3 (3-deep) or a cover 4(quarter/quarter/half). If two receivers are to the field, we

will play a cover-4 by rotating the secondary to the field

(diagram one). The boundary corner will play 8-10 yards

deep with an inside shade of the TE, with deep half respon-sibilities. The boundary OLB will play flats in a 3 x 3 align-

ment on the TE. The field corner will play a 2 x 8 on num-

ber one. His responsibility is outside quarter. The field

OLB will align in the triangle with the TE and number one

(or with number 2 and the split tackle as shown in diagram

two). He will work to the flats, gaining depth if nothingshows in his zone. The free safety plays middle of the field,

always aligning inside of the number two receiver. If two

receivers align into the boundary, the zone call becomes acover-3 (3-deep). The alignment is shown in diagram three.

By Joe HamstraOffensive Coordinator

Lake Highland Prep School

Orlando, Florida

“To be successful

on the defensive side of

the football, the system

must be simple and

sound allowing players

to fully maximize their

talents while staying

within the system.”

Diagram Two

EES W B

CC

8

2

FS

Diagram OneCover-4

EEW S B

C

B

C

8

2

3

3

FS

8

5

H

Diagram Three

EE

S WB

C

B

C

8

2

3

3

FS

Boundary Corner. Five yards from sideline, 8-10 yardsdeep. Responsible for deep third.

Free Safety. Aligns two yards inside hashmark 10-12 yards

deep. Responsible for deep middle third. He is secondary support on run either way.

Field Corner. Aligns 8-10 yards deep, keeping outside lever-

age on number one unless he splits three or more yardsoutside the hash.

Boundary OLB. Aligns in a 3 x 3 outside the TE. Respon-

sible for flat. Gain depth if nothing shows.



GRIDIRON Coach

28



Field OLB. As long as the DE is in a 5 technique, with

outside leverage on the split tackle, the OLB will get in an

alignment that will take away the slant and the hitch by

alignment.

This versatility in the zone call allows us the flexibility to

still defend the field while being sound with the alignmentsin respect to the formation. This coverage is an excellent

alternative to the locked 3-deep package. It provides help tothe field and allows the sidelines to be a benefit to the de-

fense.

OLB Play The OLB position is the most important position on the

field because of its versatility. The better the athlete, the

more things you can do to frustrate the offense. The OLB

provides the defense with a multiple of alignments to best

accomplish this purpose. We basically play the OLB in five

positions described as follows.

1. Hip. This places the OLB to the TE side, aligns with

his inside foot stacked behind the DE’s outside foot.This allows him to help on the off-tackle play. He is in

good position to play the counter, and this is his

alignment on the twist stunt. It is also wide enough to

maintain outside leverage on perimeter plays.

2. Triangle. This allows the OLB to help the cornerback

by getting under all slants, posts, and curl route from

number one quickly. Triangle is automatic versus a

twins look.

3. Press. We use press for one reason: to disrupt timing

routes and get physical with their receivers. The OLB

knows he has help over the top from the cornerback sohe can afford to be aggressive without worrying about

getting beat deep.

4. Squeeze. Is an adjustment that was developed to take

away the TE game and/or allow the OLB to come off

the edge and create havoc.

5. Regular. If nothing is called, the OLB aligns in a 3 x 3and plays football from there.

We do not alter our alignment because we think the

opponent can throw a certain route. So many times I think we give other teams/coaches too much credit. We get all

worked up over something the offense might do. Make

them run it effectively before you defend it. That is not to

say that you don’t prepare for it during the week.

We like to start in “hip.” If the offense can throw the

slant, fade, or hitch, then they will throw it early. If they do

not throw it early, then they do not feel like they can be

successful in that area. Therefore, we will exploit them with

the pressure of the OLB coming off the edge.

Change-Ups We run man coverage as a change-up to the zone call. Thekey to man coverage (diagram five) is that it is the same

alignment as a zone coverage. As the QB gets under the

center, the OLB will creep to the LOS and run some short

of stunt off the edge. The cornerback will move into an

inside leverage alignment on number one. The free safety

will get over number two 7-8 yards off the LOS. The

beauty of the coverage is that it looks identical to the cover-

4. This makes both coverages all the more effective when

the pre-snap read is the same.

Summary I hope this article provided some insight that may be in-

cluded within your defensive scheme. To be successful onthe defensive side of the football, the system must be simple

and sound. Allowing players to fully maximize their talents

while staying within the system. This package is developed

with that thought in mind. n

Diagram Four

ES

B1

BB

B B

2

34

5

Diagram Five

EE

W S B

C

B

C

FS



GRIDIRON C


The GRIDIRON Coach Defensive Package © 2003 Gridiron Publications Com

We have improved our tacklingand have become a more consis-tent and fundamentally sound

defensive football team since imple-menting our tackling circuit. We havealso significantly reduced the number of times the opposing teams’ band playstheir fight song. We initially sought outsome of the most outstanding defensivecoaches in the game to find out how

they were teaching the skill of tackling.Our Six Station Tackling Circuit is thedirect result of our research.

For the past twelve years, we haveutilized a tackling circuit that consists of six skill stations. We perform the tack-ling circuit every day at the start of theseason, then reduce this to three times a

week at mid-season and then to twodays a week toward the end of the sea-

son. The entire tackling circuit normally takes between 12 to 15 minutes to com-plete. For reasons of organization andinstruction, the tackling circuit willrequire more time to complete earlier inthe season. However, it can be easily made to fit into any practice structuredepending on your individual objectives.

The six skill stations that comprise our tackling circuit are:1) The Form Tackling Station, 2) The Angle Tackling Station(shields optional), 3) The Open Field Tackling Station, 4) The

Sideline Tackling Station (with crash pad), 5) The Tackle-Back Tackling Station, and 6) The Eye Opener Tackling Station(with hand shields).

It is important to note here that with the exception of theform tackling station, all the tackling drills are done at full-speed. However, the term full-speed contact, to us, is not thesame as live contact. We have shown our athletes that we areable to control impact, and thus, reduce the risk of injury by 1) compressing the size of the skill area (the longest full-speed

approach is 3 yards), 2) not taking athletes to the ground,3) incorporating hand shields and crash pads to absorb impa4) utilizing a “quick whistle”, and 5) close supervision andinstruction by the coaching staff. The great thing here is, thain our attempt to control impact and reduce the injury facto

we have not taken away our players’ aggressiveness. In fact, whave found just the opposite to be true. Our defensive peoplhave become very aggressive and much more willing to attacthe ball carrier. In addition, the tackling circuit is a very postive and safe learning environment in which to introduce hit

ting to the neophyte player. As coaches, we have all seenathletes shy away from the game because of their baptism incontact football. The tackling circuit allows you to reduce thfear of hitting resulting from a bad initial experience.

Organization and TeachingIn organizing our practice plans, it was decided to place ourtackling circuit period at the front end of practice right afterour agility and quick cal periods. To sell our players on theimportance of tackling, we decided to place it high up on oudaily list of things to accomplish. We follow the adage “If yo

believe it, teach it. If you believe it vital, teach it early andoften.”

Once we decided what to teach, when to teach it, the durtion of each station, and how often we would perform the cicuit each week, we then set out to assign individual coachingresponsibilities. We found that by keeping a coach at a specistation or stations for the entire year, he became very efficienknowledgeable, able to notice and correct mistakes, and founthe “little ways” to do the job better. I tell my coaches thatI want them to be the best teachers of tackling in the countrThat’s our goal!

The next organizational task needed to perform is thegrouping of your athletes into their respective skill groups.Things to consider in grouping your players should be 1) simlar size, 2) similar skill level, 3) experience, and 4) strength. Wattempt to avoid any obvious mismatch. We would further rommend the designation of a group leader and co-leader to in the capacity of an additional coach on the field. This hasreally helped in the areas of organization, motivation and leaership.

“My Grandmother Tackles

Better Than Us!”

George A. MachaHead Football Coa

Racine Horlick High Scho

North Chelmsford,

I remember uttering

these words during one

of my first years as a

head coach which I am

sure many coaches can

relate to. As coaches,

we have all come out of

film sessions asking

ourselves, “How can we

become better

tacklers?” We are all

looking for the most

efficient way to teach

tackling at full speed

and without getting our

players injured at

practice. I believe the

way we approach

tackling at Racine

Horlick High School

addresses both

these concerns.



GRIDIRON Coach

www.GridironPublications30


As far as the actual skill areas themselves, cones and fieldmarking paint should be utilized to designate the specific loca-tions and dimensions of the tackling drill stations. Players needto know the full-speed contact zone at each station.

Following our agility period, our coaches immediately reportto their tackling stations. Players then go to their designatedstation coach to begin the tackling circuit. A manager or assis-

tant coach utilizes an air horn to indicate rotation times. Wehave found that a great deal of skill repetition takes place in a3 to 4 minute period. Also, the greater the organization andfamiliarity with the drills, the greater the repetitions. Ascoaches, we all realize that repetition is the mother of learning.This being the case, the tackling circuit is one of learning’sfavorite sons!

The Rebel Six Station Tackling Circuit In describing the six stations of the tackling circuit, each skillperiod will be broken down into 4 specific categories: 1) theobjective of the station, 2) the skill area, 3) players’ organiza-

tion and the position of the coach, and 4) coaching points.

Station I: Form Tackling A. Objective of Station: To physically place the athlete

into the proper step-by-step hitting position, con-trolled approach, point of contact position, executionof tackle, and follow through.

B. Skill Area: Utilize 4 cones to block off an area 5 yard wide by 15 yards in length. Your field yard lines canused to designate 5 yard dimension.

C. Player Organization – Position of Coach: Players shoupair up with one group placing their toes on the lineand his partner 3 yards away facing him. There shoube at least 2 to 3 yards between each pair of athletesThe coach is positioned at one end of the paired ath

letes for the most beneficial observation and instruction location. (Diagram 1)

D. Coaching Points: The coach will indicate the start ofskill station with the verbal command “breakdown”The athlete being tackled will brace himself and tuchis chin, placing the bottom of his face mask on hisbreast plate. This is done to protect the athlete’s chiThe tackler will, at the same time, assume his powerbase hitting position. On the next command of “approach”, the tackler will take a step-by-step roboapproach into his partner until he reaches the point contact. Next, the coach will instruct the athlete to

“tackle”. At this point, the tackler will punch his armand clinched fists through his partner’s arms, attackan imaginary football. He will “grab cloth”, “roll hipand bring his partner into a “controlled grasp”. We to pop the athlete being tackled slightly off the grouto insure the proper roll of the hips, hitting on the rand the desired explosive contact. A quick whistle wend the repetition and corrections will be made by the coach. The skill is repeated in the same direction3 times and then roles are reversed and three more retitions are performed. This continues until the air

horn sounds for rotation to the next skill station.

Station II: Angle Tackling A. Objective of Station: To teach the athlete to 1) drive

head across the front torso of the ball carrier, 2) to

Diagram OneForm Tackle Station

C5 yards

15 yards

Symbol Key:

C

Defense

Offense

Cone

Coach

Direction of

movement

Flat bottom

dummies

Crash pad

Screen door

Width

Length

Yard line

Diagram Two

Angle Tackle Station

C

5 yards

5 yards



GRIDIRON C



wrap arms following “punch technique”, “roll hips”,“grab cloth”, and place the ball carrier in a controlledgrasp, and 3) to work the tackler’s hips upfield.

B. Skill Area: Utilize 4 cones to create a box 5 yards wideby 5 yards in length.

C. Player Organization – Position of Coach: Players to betackled will line up behind top left cone of 5 yard box

with either a hand shield or football (early in the sea-

son we utilize hand shields — on days we want toemphasize stripping the ball and later in the season we

will utilize a football). The tacklers will line up behindthe bottom left cone of the 5 yard box. (Diagram 2)

D. Coaching Points: On the coach’s verbal command of “breakdown”, the tackler will assume the proper powerbase hitting position and the runner will ready handshield and focus on running a path to the lower rightcone of box. On the “set” command, both athletes willperform a foot fire technique (rapid in-place runningmotion). On the command of “go”, the runner willbegin his path to the designated cone. The tackler will

contact the runner at the mid-point of the tackling boxand will perform the proper angle tackling techniques.

At the angle tackling station, we really want to em-phasize keeping the tackler’s head up, his eyes focusedon the shield or ball, attacking under control, and the

working of his hips back up the field. We again utilizea “quick whistle”, but will require the athlete to re-direct his hips upfield before we end the drill. Afterseveral repetitions from the left side of the box, bothlines move to the right side of the box and performangle tackling in this direction.

Station III: Tackle Back Sled A. Objective of Station: To teach the athlete to 1) attack

the sled at full speed, emphasizing vicious contact,2) to maintain proper hitting base while driving feet,3) using proper roll of hips and striking pad on upwardangle, and 4) using proper head and neck squeeze tocontrol pad and drive sled into the tackled position onground.

B. Skill Area: The tackle back sled station requires a largerarea than any of the other drills. We have found thatapproximately 20 yards by 50 yards is more than ade-

quate. We specifically utilize the tackle back sled from World Sporting Goods because of its pop-back-up fea-ture. This saves a great deal of time and allows formore repetitions. However, any one-man tackling sledcan be utilized.

C. Player Organization – Position of Coach: Because thetackle back is driven in an assortment of directions anddistances, we simply tell our athletes to keep the linemoving in conjunction with the direction of the sled.

D. Coaching Points: We begin this station with the verbal

command “breakdown”. On this command, the ath will assume the proper hitting position 3 yards fromthe sled with his shoulders square to the tackling paOn the next command of “set”, the athlete begins hquick foot fire technique. On hearing the “go” command, the athlete fires into the pad and performs thtackle. Once the sled is taken down and returns to tupright position, the next tackler positions himself

readiness for the next “breakdown” command. At this station, we want to emphasize explosive an

vicious contact with the contact again being performin an upward direction (“hit on the rise”). This is

where we want our kids to really let it all hang out!

Station IV: Open Field Tackling A. Objective of Station: To teach the athlete to 1) stay square with the ball carrier, 2) maintain good powerbase with quick foot movement, 3) focus in on ballcarrier’s belt buckle, 4) avoid lunging and becomingoverextended, and 5) let ball carrier commit beforeattacking.

B. Skill Area: Utilize 4 cones to establish a 10 yard by 1yard box.

C. Player Organization – Position of Coach: The ball carlines up between the top two cones, with those waitto go in a single file line behind. The tackler lines up

between the two bottom cones with those waiting togo in a single file line behind him. The coach positiohimself behind the tackler holding on to the player’belt. This is done to make sure the tackler does notleave too soon. (Diagram 3)

D. Coaching Points: On the “breakdown” command, thtackler assumes the proper hitting position while thball carrier properly positions the ball and decides wtype of move he will make on the tackler. We allow ball carrier one move before he commits to one dire

Diagram Three

Open Field Tackling Station

C

10 yards

10 yards



GRIDIRON Coach

www.GridironPublications32


tion or the other. On the “set” command, both athletesbegin their foot fire technique. On the “go” command,the ball carrier runs forward and attempts to feint thetackler. The tackler, once released, stays square, keepshis feet moving, and attacks the ball carrier who hascommitted to his path of direction.

Sometimes we have placed a 5th cone in the exactmiddle of the box (resembling the five on a die) to

indicate the point we want our running back to makehis cut off of.

Station V: Sideline Tackling with Crash Pad A. Objective of Station: To teach the athlete to 1) drive

his helmet across the front torso of the ball carrier,2) maintain control of the runner with a backside

arm wrap, 3) utilize sideline as an additional defender,4) utilize momentum to drive ball carrier into the crashpad, and 5) keep head up while avoiding any lunge orover extension.

B. Skill Area: Utilize 2 cones and painted sideline to createa 3 yard wide by 10 yard long running lane. We thenplace a crash pad (from track or physical education) atthe mid-point of the running chute, 2 feet outside of the sideline. (Diagram 4)

C. Player Organization - Position of Coach: The ball carri-ers are lined up at one end of the running chute ready to sprint toward the opposite end parallel to the side-

line and crash pad. The tacklers are positioned 3/4 of the way down the running chute approximately 3 yardsfrom the sideline facing the crash pad. The coach ispositioned behind the tackler making sure he does notleave until the proper moment.

D. Coaching Points: On the verbal command of ‘break-down”, the tackler assumes the proper hitting position

while the ball carrier readies the ball in his outside arm.On the “set” command, both players perform foot firetechnique. On the “go” command, the runner begins

his path down the running chute and the tackler peforms the proper sideline tackling technique and drithe ball carrier into the crash pad.

By eliminating the athlete’s contact with the grou we have found that the tackling impact is very explosive as a rule. Our players also have a lot of fun takineach other into the pad. It’s a lot like rough housing

with your brothers on mom and dad’s king-size bed

The crash pad has supplied us with both safety andmotivation.

NOTE: Having the coach control the tackler’srelease point guarantees that the tackle is made at thmid-point of the pad.

Station VI: Eye Opener Station A. Objective of Station: To teach the athlete the proper

technique of 1) maintaining square shoulders to theline of scrimmage, 2) maintaining consistent hittingposition while shuffling into proper attack point,

3) keeping the proper leverage on the ball carrier toavoid over-running the ball, and 4) making the quicreaction necessary to tackle the ball carrier once he hchosen his running hole.

B. Skill Area: Utilize 2 cones to mark starting spots forball carrier and tackler. Place 3 or 4 flat bottom dummies 1 yard apart to create the desired number of runing lanes. It is recommended that only 2 runninglanes (3 flat bottom dummies) be incorporated durithe early part of the season. The cones should belocated 1 yard outside and 1 yard deep from the firsflat bottom dummy. (Diagram 5)

C. Player Organization – Position of Coach: The ball carand tackler should face each other just inside his denated cone, approximately 3 yards apart. The coachpositions himself at the opposite end of the flat bottdummies to insure best location for observation andinstruction.

D. Coaching Points: On the coach’s command of “breakdown”, the tackler assumes the proper hitting positiand the ball carrier readies his hand shield in front ohis upper torso and mentally determines which hole

Diagram Four

Sideline Tackling Station

C

3 yards

10 yards

2 feet Diagram FiveEye Opener Tackling Station

C3 yards



GRIDIRON C



will attack. On the “set” command, both players per-form their foot fire technique. On the “go” signal, therunning back runs to the chosen hole while the tacklerscallops parallel to the flat bottom dummies maintain-ing a slight backside leverage position on the football.Once the ball carrier commits to his running path, thetackler performs his tackle by attacking the handshield. The tackler and ball carrier then switch lines.

We again utilize a quick whistle to protect our playersand insure a maximum number of repetitions.

ConclusionThe tackling circuit is an excellent tool to utilize in teachingthe skills and techniques of tackling. It incorporates the fullspeed contact, player aggressiveness, skill variety, repetition,and competition necessary to bring about player improvement.

Additional factors such as safety precautions, consistent vocab-ulary, precision, familiarity and a willingness to emphasize theimportance of this drill period has been essential in improvingour defense.

The tackling circuit is also a teaching environment thatallows for ingenuity as well as creativity. On many of the drills,footballs can replace shields or “air” on days we want to stressstripping or recovery techniques.

We also have some additional tackling drills in reserve that we can incorporate into our circuit for a change of pace or toemphasize a specific technique. An example of one of our sup-

plemental drills would be the “Screen Door” tackling stationThis is where we utilize a 4 foot by 8 foot blind to disguise trunning back’s intent until the last second. This requires ourtackler to maintain focus, concentration and proper periphevision. (Diagram 6)

Over the years, we have found the Rebel Six StationTackling Circuit to be the most efficient way in which to tea

the desired skills and techniques of tackling. Players becomemotivated as they see themselves become better tacklers andmore aggressive defensive players. Since its implementation,grandmother has been sent to the showers and our players hstepped up to become better tacklers! n

Diagram Six

Screen Door

Tackling Station

C



GRIDIRON Coach

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At the high school level, nothing ismore frustrating than losing to alesser team because of their quar-

terback and receiver combination. AtDansville High School we came acrosstwo such combinations this past season,and we had fairly good success againstthem. We limited one receiver to onecatch on a busted play when the quarter-back scrambled and the receiver came

back for the ball. We limited the otherreceiver to three catches, two on screenpasses and the other when the defensiveback fell down. This paper will cover ourbase defense, the adjustments that wemake when opposing a good receiver,

what the adjustments work well against, possible problems withthese adjustments, and coaching points.

The base defense we play at Dansville High School is anover front with a two deep secondary (Diagram 1). We will

play man-to-man and cover two from this look. Often we liketo line the cornerbacks up in bump and run and play two deep,or vice versa. Because we see two tight ends or a pro formations95% of the time, we do not play cover three very often.

Against a good receiver, our primary adjustment is to manhim up with our cornerback and play cover two everywhereelse. If the receiver is “great”, we will take our best corner andhave him follow the receiver the whole game and have theother corner switch sides accordingly. If we feel that the

receiver is only good, then the corners will stay on their normal side and theman coverage will usually be enough tothrow the receiver off. This is generally determined by scouting, but an adjust-ment can be made during the game.Because one person is manned up, thezones must be adjusted slightly (Dia-gram 2). Because the corner usually hasflats, the outside linebacker to that side

becomes a hook to flat player. That is, he goes as wide as the widest guy, not counting the receiver that is manned up. Thmiddle linebacker also must adjust from a middle of the fielddrop to one that is over the tackle to the side of the receiver.

We will let all coverage people know which side the receiver on by calling Ralph (right) or Louie (left). The alternate woring prevents confusion with the strength call which is strongright or strong left.

These adjustments with this combination of man and zoncoverage have been very good for us against teams that only

throw in third and long and in other passing situations. It habeen effective against both short passes in the flat and deeppasses. Often, quarterbacks are not accustom to throwing toother receivers and the receivers are not used to catching theball in game situations. This will lead to dropped or tippedpasses. In cases where the manned up receiver goes deep he wbe double teamed by the cornerback that is covering him anthe safety playing the deep zone. When a quarterback forcespass to the receiver in this situation, it often leads to an inteception.

34

Don’t Get Beat By One Receiver! By Jerome LearmDefensive Coordina

Dansville High Scho

Dansville

Every coach has come

across a team that has

a good quarterback and

one good receiver.

Certain quarterback and

receiver combinations

are famous due to their

success: Montana to

Rice, Bradshaw to

Swan, Starr to Dollar,

Namath to Berry, and

the list goes on and on.

Diagram One

RT RE

CB W

LT LE CB

FS

M S

SS

Diagram Two

RT RE

CB W

LT LE CB

FS

M S

SS



GRIDIRON C


Two situations occur where this coverage has problems. Oneis when the better receiver is a flanker and the opposing teamruns a flood pattern to that side, leaving us under manned(Diagram 3). What we will do to counter act this is play manto man underneath and two deep with the safeties in passingsituations (Diagram 4). The man to man underneath schemehas the cornerbacks take the first receiver to their side, the out-side linebacker takes the second receiver, and the middle line-

backer takes the third receiver if one exists. The other is whenteams run toss or option to the manned up receiver’s side(Diagram 5). Against teams that do this, we will have the safety on that side of the field fill hard on any kind of run action tothat side (Diagram 6). We have not faced any teams that do aplay action pass from a toss or option look.

There are some key coaching points thatone should consider when implementingthis into your defense.

1. Other than the cornerback that ismanned-up, the key to running

this coverage is the outside backers.They must be able to cover the flatarea when they are needed.Otherwise, if a flanker goes deepand the tight end releases to theflat, the tight end will be wideopen.

2. Try to deter-mine in

what situa-tions that

the oppo-nent likes topass andrun. Thereis no reasonto have acornerback chasing areceiver all

over the field a run play. Plathe percentag

3. Make sure thathe playerresponsible focontainment o

the side of thereceiver that imanned upknows that noone is there tobail him out

and he must protect containment atall times.

4. Make sure that your cornerback canplay man to man, whether you wanhim to play bump and run or just ru

with the guy. If he can not play manman, do something else like drop anadditional defender, such as the defesive end, to the side that the “great”receiver is on.

5. If you feel the only way your oppon will beat you is with this receiver, thyou can use this coverage all gamelong. If there are other concerns, use

your scouting and call it when the situation dictates6. Do not abandon this coverage too soon just because

the opponent busted one big play. But at the same

time, if your cornerback simply is getting outplayedprepared to do something else.

I hope this article has been helpful for all of you coaches there. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel frto contact me. Good luck this season.

Jerome Learman is the Defensive Coordinator at Dansville High School,in Dansville, Michigan. He can be reached at 952 Trafalger St., East Lansing, MI 48823.n

Diagram Three

RT RE

CB

W LT LE CB

FSM S

SS

Diagram Four

RT RE

CB

W LT LE CB

FSM S

SS

CB = #1

OLB = #2

MLB = #3

Diagram Five

RT RE

CB W

LT LE CB

FSM S

SS

Diagram Six

RT RE

CB W

LT LE CB

FSM S

SS




GRIDIRON Coach

36



Building a Great Defense

TO BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION

you will need to have a teaching

philosophy that is universal to

your staff and players. Regardless of

the age of your athletes, you must

utilize terminology and a teachingprogression that makes it easy for

everyone to learn.

Terminology for alignments and gapresponsibility is the first area that

should be covered when you are

teaching a scheme. All eleven players

need to be specifically aligned with a

gap assignment, by a descriptive term,

in order to teach and learn effectively.

By Sal CintorinoHead Football Coach

Central Connecticut State University

All great defenses

begin by building a

solid foundation.

Regardless of the

scheme that you

plan to utilize, the

foundation that you

build your defense on

will be the cornerstone

of your success.

In both diagram A and B, all gaps have been identified

with a letter. Each player is responsible for securing at least

one of these gaps on every play. Demand that your players

secure these gaps so that you can build a defensive wall with-

out any holes. When a player vacates his gap before securingit, your defense begins to break down.

In order for your players to successfully secure their gaps,

first properly align them in a specific location that is comple-

mented and not occupied by another defensive player.

The alignments for the down linemen are identified by

single digit numbers. The alignments for the linebackers are

identified by double digit numbers. All of the even numbers

identify a head up location (one that does not favor either

side of the offensive player). All of the odd numbers and

letters represent shades (an alignment that favors the inside or

outside shoulder of an offensive player).

Diagram A

Gap responsibilitiesfor down lineman

9

D C B A A B C D

7 5 4i 3 1 S S 1 3 4i 5 7 9

6 4 2 0 2 4 6

Alignments for down lineman

Diagram B

Gap responsibilitiesfor Backers

90

D C B A A B C D

70 50 40i 3 010 SS SS 10 30 40i 50 70 90

60 40 20 S0 20 40 60

Alignments for Linebackers

The (A) gap is the area between theCenter and Guard

(A) (A)

The (B) gap is the area between the Guardand Tackle

The (C) gap is the area between the Tackles and End

The (D) gap is the area outside the Tight End

(B) (B)

(C) (C)

(D) (D)



GRIDIRON Coach



37

Even Alignments Alignments are also referred to as techniques. The eventechniques that we have illustrated in diagram C are as

follows:

“O”technique is head up on the Center“2” technique is head up on the Guard

“4” technique is head up on the Tackle

“6” technique is head up on the Tight End

Odd AlignmentsThe odd techniques that are illustrated in diagram D are as

follows:“S” is a shade on the shoulder of the Center

“1” technique is a shade on the inside shoulder

of the Guard“3” technique is a shade on the outside shoulder

of the Guard“4i”is a shade on the inside shoulder of the Tackle

“5” technique is a shade on the outside shoulder

of the Tackle

“7” technique is a shade on the inside shoulder

of the Tight End

“9” technique is a shade on the outside shoulder

of the Tight End

By identifying gaps and alignments with descriptive

terms, you enable your staff and players to clearly learn

multiple fronts and schemes. The associated diagrams are

basic illustrations of two different schemes with various gapresponsibilities and alignments for lineman and inside line-

backers.

Base 500In a Base 500 we align all the down linemen in head up

(even techniques). The nose is in a “0” technique working

dual A gaps, the tackles are in “4” techniques working C

gaps and the ends are in a “6” technique working D gaps.

The DE is the drop end, if there was only one TE he wouldbe in a walk away which would align him the same as the

strong safety (SS), three yards wide and three yards deep off

the ghost TE (ghost where the tight end would have been

lined up if he were there). The linebackers are both in a“30” technique working B gaps. This defensive front has a

number of favorable variables. The purpose for using head

up alignments is for creating multiple gap responsibilities

based on stunts. In contrast to Base 500, 500 Loop looks

the same but now the linebackers loop to the C gaps and

the tackles step inside and secure the B gaps. Versus 500Slant, both the tackles and ends work inside to the B and C

gaps respectively, and the linebacker scrapes to the D gap.

Diagram C: even alignments

6 4 2 0 2 4 6

Diagram D: odd alignments

9 5 3 S 1 4i 77 4i 1 S 3 5 9

500 Loop

E T E T E

LB LB

500 Slant

E T N T E

LB LB

Base 500

E T N T NE

SS LB LB

Odd 400

E T N T LB LB (DE)SS



GRIDIRON Coach

38



This one simple alignment creates three different looks for theoffense to block. These three defenses are all gap controlled.

You should place your best defensive lineman at the nose

position because he is the only two gap player (dual A). All of

these defensive fronts can be combined with a number of

coverages.

When you change your front from a Base 500 to a shadepackage, you clearly identify to the offense what gap a player

is responsible for prior to the snap of the ball. We all know

that twisting stunts are still capable from these shade align-ments but unless you have exceptional athletes, most players

never complete the stunt because they are at least two align-

ments removed. If your linebackers are disciplined and youdon’t have a great nose guard, you may prefer a shaded defense

because your down linemen are aligned directly in their gap of

responsibility. The diagram illustrated to the left will be re-

ferred to as an Odd 400 defense.

The left end is in a “9” technique securing a D gap, the lefttackle is in a “3” technique securing the B gap, the nose is in a

“1” technique securing the A gap, the right tackle is in a “5”

technique securing the C gap. The stand up players include

the two inside linebackers, strong safety and drop end who

would be in a “9” technique verses double tight. The left line-backer is in a “50” technique securing the C gap, the right

linebacker is in a “20” technique. He has a two gap responsi-

bility: flow to him – he has a front side B gap; flow away from

him – he scrapes to the back side A gap. Because the nose is in

a “1” technique, the center should not be able to cut the right

linebacker off when he scrapes to the backside A gap on flow

away from him.

The Odd 400 utilizes stunts that likely originate on the

perimeter, usually with your DE and your SS. Three examples would include the Odd 400 Lightning, Odd 400 Smash and a

combination of Odd 400 Lightning Smash.

I have illustrated seven different frontage schemes without

even incorporating the various coverage’s such as cover 2,

cover 3, and man coverage. At the youth level, you can build

your entire defense from these two simple fronts but you need

a teaching system to make the whole package work. Once the

players understand alignments and gap responsibility, youhave to get them to also line up on the appropriate side of the

ball contingent on the formation. If you just have them play a

right side or a left side, they have to learn a great deal more

than learning a set position that flips sides dependent on theformation. I have found great success from the following

teaching system. I give each of the down linemen a specific

name and each of the stand up players receive a name andnumber.

Odd 400 LightningThe DE is blitzing from the perimeter

E T N T

LB LB DESS

E T N T

LB LB DESS

Odd 400 SmashThe SS is blitzing from the perimeter

E T N T

LB LB DESS

Odd 400 Lightning Smash

Diagram E - 500

OR

EE ET N AT

SLB WLB DEVILSS

RAM

9 ET N AT

5 6 83

RAM

Diagram F

9 AT N ET

6 5 38LION



GRIDIRON Coach



39

The ET, EE “9”, SS “3” and SLB “5” will always line uptogether on either the right or left side. The AT, WLB “6”

and devil “8” will also always line up together on the right

or left side. This will be organized by the devil . He will

make a ram (right) or lion (left) call on every play as the

offense breaks the huddle. For the two defenses I have illus-

trated, the call (ram, lion) is identified as a split call. A split

call means that the devil wants his group to line up on thesplit end side. If the split end is on his right, he calls ram .

His even family (AT, 6, and 8) will go to the right. The odd family (3, 5, 9 and ET) will go opposite the call – in thiscase verses a ram, call the odd family goes left as illustrated

in (diagram E).

In diagram F the split end is on the left so the devil makes a lion call. Verse lion, the even family is on the left

side and the odd family is opposite on the right side. By

alternating sides based on ram and lion calls, you cut the

amount of alignments that your linemen and backers need

to learn in half.

The final segment in teaching these fundamental

schemes entails utilizing cognitive signals. Signals that can

easily be interpreted and performed will make your defensea great success. This final segment is what makes the entire

package materialize. I use a digit system to call all of our

plays. The first digit is the front, the second digit is thecoverage and the digits that follow [the second digit] are all

additional rushers to your initial down lineman. This digit

system is the reason that we number all of the stand up

people. Without getting into the details of our coverage in

this article you need to understand that our 3-deep cover-age is referred to as “30”, 2-deep “20” and man coverage is

“10”. An example of some base defensive calls would be

539, 536 LOOP, 439, and 423.

Lets first look at the first two. In 539, we have a 500front, 30 coverage (3-deep) and EE “9” is rushing. Verses

536 LOOP, we are still in a 500 front –we are still in cover

3 but now 6 is rushing on a loop stunt with the AT. The ATknows that he is looping because he is in the “even call side

family” and 6 had his number called. The EE “9” did not

have his number called so he will become a drop end. Re-

member that all of the stand up players can have their num-ber signaled and they become a rusher. Any player who has

been designated with a number will play the coverage called

unless his number is called

Now lets look at 439 and 423. In 439 we are in a 400

front with 3-deep coverage and 9 is rushing. In 423 we arestill in a 400 front but with 2-deep coverage and 3 is rush-

539

9 ET N AT

5 6 83

C(1) C(4)

FS(2)

536 Loop

Ram Call

9 ET N AT

5 6 83

C(1) C(4)

FS(2)

Ram Call

439

9 ET N AT

5 6 83

423

Ram Call

9ET N AT

568 3

2 1

Lion Call

1 4

2

4

ing. Since 3 was the last digit called, 9 will drop into cover-

age with all of the other stand up players.

The combination of calls that can be developed by using

this system is simple yet numerous. I know that the athletes

that I have worked with quickly respond to this teaching

approach. I believe that the most important aspect of coaching begins with the foundation that you set to build

your program. You must be able to translate your ideas into

a scheme that is simple and understandable to your ath-

letes.n



We have discovered that by rollingtoward the quarterback’s roll wecan have the best of both worlds.

We bring great pressure off the edge andhave ample coverage to cover the routes.

We are a 4–4 base, but actually weare in a 4–2 (Diagram One) because weplace our outside linebackers so far out.

As you can see, it becomes very difficult

to get outside on us. Our base coverageis Cover 3 (3 deep with 4 under). When

we come up against an offense that has aroll-out scheme we call “Base 3 – Cloudto Q.” Which means we are going to runour base 4–4 Cover 3 if the QB dropsstraight back (Diagram Two.) But if herolls-out in either direction we are goingto attack his roll with our “Cloud (cor-ner) to the QB’s roll (Diagram Three.)

The strong outside linebacker (Samin this case) will attack outside-in. Hisgoal is to disrupt the roll. We want tomake the QB pull up short or at least“hurry” his pass. The strong corner (CB)

will come up quickly looking to jumpthe flat. He is usually looking for #1 or#2 running an outside route. The strong

safety (S) will drive to the near has marks and look to jump thedeep clearing route. The halfback (HB) will drive to the otherhas and look to cover the deep half (usually a post route). The

weak outside linebacker (Rover) will float the back side flat.The two inside linebackers (Mike and Whip) cover the insidhook-curl zones.

Instead of sitting back and giving the QB time to pick usapart we felt we could go right at him, disrupt his timing anroll-up to the crossing routes that follow his roll. We create saby having the QB pull-up which buys time for our inside ruers to get to him. Even if he does get the pass off he often hato throw off balance. This helps to create turnovers (intercep

tions) or at least incomplete passes. This coverage allows us tplay aggressively, but also to continue to have sound coverag

Jerry Vallotton has had fourteen years of coaching experience as a head coach, an offensive and a defensive coordinator. Coach Vallotton is also thauthor of “The Toss” a book about the double wing offense (carried in ourbookstore as GCB 152, $29.95) For more information call Coach Vallottat 530/246-1700.n

GRIDIRON Coach

40 www.GridironPublications


An Attacking Cover 2 By Jerry VallottAssistant Coach, Foot

High School, Redding,

A rolling quarterback

can be a real frus-

trating thing to defend.

If the quarterback has a

chance to roll beyond

the tackles he can put

most defenses in an

awkward position. Many

times it means the

quarterback has rolled

beyond any pressure

sent by the defensive

line or blitzing

linebackers. It also

means he is a viable

threat to run which

means you either play

soft and mirror him or

you send pressure off

the perimeter and give

up some flat coverage.

Neither of these are

sound options.

Diagram One4-4 Base

L T N E

S M W R

C $ H

Diagram Two

Cover 3

L T N E

S M W R

C $ H

1/3 1/3 1/3

Flat Flat

Hook/curl Hook/curl

Diagram Three

2 Cloud to QB

L T N E

S M W R

C$

H

1/2

Flat Flat

Hook/curl Hook/curl

1/2



GRIDIRON C



Defensive game preparation beginson Sunday. The players are giventhe day off. The head coach sched-

ules a general staff meeting which usually last one hour or less and then the offensiveand defensive coaches proceed to separateto begin the weeks work. Each defensiveassistant evaluates Saturday’s game ontheir own. Videotape dubbing equipmentcan be shared with other programs that

are not currently in season (ex: basketballand football might share two video decks)so as to allow coaches to copy tapes to beviewed as homework Sunday night so eachposition coach can provide players witha written evaluation during Mondaysunit meetings.

The defensivecoaches proceed

to finalize the breakdown of the previous

days game for the upcoming opponent.Our conference has a video exchangeprotocol. Video scouting allows for amore complete evaluation of youropponents tendencies and any idiosyn-crasies. Once we complete the currentfilm we should have at least four filmson our opponent including our game

with them from the previous season.

During film review each coach iscognizant of their preassigned area of

emphasis. Each coach must be able tosummarize for the entire staff whatthey have observed with regard to thephilosophy of the upcoming opponentand how we plan to attack them. Areasof emphasis include:

A. Defensive Coord./Secondary Coach (Def. Asst. shares duties)1. Goaline / 2 pt Defense2. Coming Out Defense

3. Red Zone Defense4. Pressures/Blitz Coverage5. Personnel Packages6. Pass Defense7. 2 Minute Drill/Victory Defense8. Special Plays

B. Defensive Line Coach1. Inside Run/Off-tackle Run2. Draw 3. Pass Protection/Rush vs. Protection Schemes

4. Short YardageC. Linebacker Coach

1. Outside Run2. Run Support3. Under Coverage(s)4. Screens/Draws

Defensive Game Preparation

at Canisius College

By H.Glen GrahDefensive Coordina

Canisius Colle

Buffalo,

At Canisius College we

have many of the same

challenges that other

small college programs

and some high school

programs share

with regard to the

preparation that goes

into defensive game

planning. With a staff

that has part time

personnel mixed with

full-time assistant

coaches, time

management is a vital

part of our program.

Glen: Jason: Mark: Art:Coach and Defensive Defensive Defensive

Position Coordinator Line Linebackers Assistant

Game All situations • down/dist • pressures • bench control Analysis • pass/run • LB alignment • substitution

• fronts • and run fits • special teams• pressures • formations

Scouting • game plan outline • best runs • assist Jason • quality controlReport • formation • pass pro schemes • w/handout • special plays

• tendencies • handout prep • LB run fits • 2 point offense• best passes • quote for hando

Practice • scripts: • scripts: • assist with • run scout offenPrep • Team • Interior • interior script • organize play

• 7 on 7 • Run play cards • signal fronts • cards• Group • during team• Pass play • cards

Game • play calling • call sheets • POA hit chart • signal defensesDuties • pass hit chart

Halftime • coordinate 2nd • defensive call • D/D and P/R • suggestDuties • 1/2 adjustments • tendencies • ratios • adjustments

• address unit • front adjustments • suggest LB • meet where• address secondary • meet w/DL • adjustments • needed

• meet w/LBs

Supple- • equipment • equipment • equipment • equipmentmental • concerns (road) • concerns • concerns • concernsDuties • road Chaplain



GRIDIRON Coach

www.GridironPublica42


Any video broken down prior to receiving the opponent’smost recent game must be completed by Friday morning toallow for analysis on Sunday. The Friday morning deadline alsoallows the staff to travel and prepare for the upcoming game

without distraction.

The areas of emphasis for analysis of an opponent withregard to tendencies is an integral part of game plan develop-

ment. Defensively it is imperative that you are aware of any and all tendencies with regard to the following areas:

1. Down and Distance 5. Pass Concepts2. Vertical Field Position 6. Goaline3. Formation/Shifts/Motion 7. Short Yardage4. Run Concepts 8. Special Plays

Our typical Sunday schedule encompasses the aforemen-tioned points of emphasis and should follow this schedule:

Sunday Schedule1. Finalize Film Breakdown

2. Finalize 2 Deep Chart3. Prep Goaline4. Prep Short Yardage5. Prep +20 Defense6. Prep Pressures7. Prep 2 Minute Defense8. Prep 2 Point Defense

Create Fronts for Situations1. 1-10 drive start 7. 2-10 and 2-10 after an2. 1-10 incompletion on first down

3. 1-11 plus 8. 2-10+4. 2-1-2 9. 3-7-105. 2-3-6 10. 3-3-66. 2-7-10

The rest of the week’s preparation is nearly complete by Monday night. Our Monday practice which includes team andunit meetings, special teams walk through and defensive walk through. After this practice the scouting report is completedand play cards and scripts are constructed for Tuesday’s prac-tice. The Game Plan is finalized by Wednesday after practice.Thursday’s practice is for review and special situations. The

assigned weekly duties of each coach are highlighted by Diagram 1 which also includes game day responsibilities. AtCanisius College we believe that proper organization and timemanagement allows for each defensive football player to be wellprepared and properly motivated for the upcoming opponent.

Coach Graham is currently the Defensive Coordinator at Canisius College. Additionally, he serves as the secondary coach. He coached high school football for 10 years before joining the Canisius staff. He can be reached at (716)888-2966.n





43

GRIDIRON Coach

Defending the Two-Tight End Set

EVERY SEASON ONE SIDE of the ball

seems to exploit some new con-

cept that sends opposing coordi-

nators back to the drawing board to

figure out how to defend or attack thisnew scheme.

One of the concepts that has been

gaining popularity is the use of two-

tight ends. As defensive coordinatorssearch for successful ways to defend

the two-tight end formation, it is first

necessary to determine the philosophy

of the offense when using this set.

Offensive Philosophy of the Two-Tight End Set My coaching staff and I have determined four philosophies

that we have encountered as reasons coaches use the twotight end set.

1. The offense creates more gaps at the line of scrim-mage (LOS). This technique is particularly effective in

the running game.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2. The two-tight end set places more blockers in thecore of the formation.

3. The threat of another receiver aligned on the LOS

(as opposed to a back out of the backfield).

4. It forces the defense to balance its front instead of

determining strength to one tight end.

By Jon SchultheisHead Football Coach

Keansburg High SchoolKeansburg, New Jersey

Coaches are

constantly looking for

ways to gain the upper

hand for their teams.

Football is a game of

adjustment and read-

justment of advantage

and the scramble to

negate that advantage.

Although there are endless possibilities for this forma-

tion, these are the four primary reasons for using the two-

tight end set we have encountered. The five formations

presented are variations of two-tight end sets. Each of these

fits into one or more offensive philosophies.

Defensive Strategies Versus the Two-Tight End Set There are two possibilities in defending the two-tight end

set:1. Assign certain players a two-gap assignment. This

strategy is possible versus all formations.

2. Place more defenders at the LOS so as to maintain

single-gap responsibility. This responsibility is not

always an option depending on the formation, front

and coverage.

There are certain teams whose defensive philosophies

have been imitated by defenses around the country on alllevels. These include the University of Miami, Michigan

State, the University of Washington and the Minnesota

Vikings. We have had the opportunity to hear theirthoughts on defending the two-tight end set. All of them

incorporate the previously mentioned strategy of using two-

gap players or putting more defenders at the LOS. Here are

some of their thoughts on defending two-tight ends.

The Hurricanes have been one of the most consistent

defensive teams in recent time. They are blessed with out-

standing athletes and make very few adjustments. From

their basic “canes” set they will adjust the weak side of the

defensive front out to the second tight end. Thus, theirlinebackers become two-gap players.

George Perles, coordinator of the famed “Steel Curtain”defense in Pittsburgh during the 70’s, made the titled nose

one of the most striking features of defensive football. He

and his staff have several answers to the set in question.

Most simply, they will run the “up” defense to place more

men at the LOS than the TE on either side.





GRIDIRON Coach

44

Another option is to play their base defense and run ablitz. This strategy forces one of the running backs to block

the blitzing player neutralizing the offense’s numbers advan-

tage and protecting the middle linebacker from the lead

play.

If the offense is only using one running back, the blitz is

not necessary because there is no lead blocker in thebackfield.

The Huskies attacking defense, in effect, brought the 4-4 back into big time college football. The eight-man front

needed no adjustment to two tight ends. The inside line-

backers are two gap players.

Diagram One: 2 TEs, 2 RBs, 1 WR

Diagram Two: Ace - 2 TEs, 1 RB, 2 WRs

Diagram Three: Fullhouse - 2 TEs, 3 BRs

Diagram Four: Tight - 3 TEs, 2 RBs

Diagram Five: Spread - 2 TEs, 3 WRs

Two-Gap Assignment

BB E T T E B

Diagram Seven

BB E T T E B

B

BE T T E C

BB

Diagram Eight

BE T T E

BB

E T T E

BB B

All backers have two-gap responsibilities

Diagram Nine

SS

E T T E

B

BB

Diagram Ten

E T T E

B

BBSS

Diagram Eleven

E T T E

B

BB

Diagram Twelve

E T T E

BBSS

B

Diagram Thirteen

BB E T T E

B

“Stack”

“Lion”

BB E T T E

B

The Vikings had one of the best rushing defenses inNFL history. Out of their base “under” defense they like to

switch to gap responsibilities to confuse the offense’s

blocking schemes.

I hope some of these philosophies will assist you in

your thinking and enable you to defend your opponents

more effectively. Our players did a great job this year de-fensively, giving up 51 points in 11 games and winning

the state sectional championship. Dialogue is the best way

to learn and share ideas. I would appreciate other ideasand/or questions on this matter.n





45

GRIDIRON Coach

By Kelly RichardsonAssistant Football Coach

Stone Mountain High School

Stone Mountain, Georgia

The Wide Tackle Six:

A No-Nonsense Defense

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HAS

changed over the years, but

one dynamic has remained con-

stant. That is that the team that can

control the line of scrimmage has a de-cided advantage over it’s opponent. An

offensive team that can run the ball

effectively throughout a football game isnearly unstoppable. Conversely, a defen-

sive squad that can consistently stuff itsopponent’s running plays has almost

assured its team of a victory.

In many of your games, your defense

lines up against offenses that have a

feature tailback. That running back will probably carry the balltwenty to thirty times during the game. It makes sense for you

to help your defense improve its odds of success. The wide

tackle six allows you to match man-power up front as well as

keep tabs on the pass.

Base Alignment The base alignment of the wide tackle six is shown in diagramone. The entire wide tackle defensive scheme hinges around six

down lineman and a middle linebacker. Defensive alignments

are set according to the strength of the offense with the line-backer making a strong right or left call. The nose tackles are

always in an inside eye alignment over the guards (a one tech-

nique). With a strong left call, the strong tackle is aligned head

up on the offensive tackle. The quick (or backside) tackle isaligned on the inside eye of the tackle to the backside. The

strong end lines up on the outside eye of the tight end. The

quick end is uncovered allowing some freedom in assigning his

responsibilities. The middle linebacker is head up on the centerabout seven yards deep. This depth allows for maximum scrape

angles and ease in getting into pass drops.

This is a gap control defense, and each member of the front

seven has a gap responsibility. Diagram two shows gap assign-

ments. Linemen should be taught to penetrate no more than

one yard into the backfield in base play. The object of the widetackle six defense is to plug up the gaps, take away the inside

game, and allow the middle linebacker and secondary run sup-

“Combining an

attack-style six man

front with a dynamic

and versatile stunt and

coverage package, the

wide tackle six defense

will give you the tools

to control the line of

scrimmage and slow

down even the most

high powered offenses.”

port to stop the play. The secondary is a vital part of the run-

stopping personnel in the wide tackle six.

Stunt package With a six man front, offensive opponents must be very careful when they prepare a pass blocking scheme. The wide tackle six

allows the defensive personnel to run a variety of simple twists

and stunts and put a great amount of pressure on the quarter-back. You can run twists that change the gap responsibility of

the linemen. You also have the option of stunting the line-backer through any gap without compromising an uncovered

area. Often times, you can turn your ends loose to rush fromthe outside. Since they are still responsible for contain, ends are

taught to rush to the outside shoulder of the last man in the

backfield to keep from getting pinned under.

Add all this to an occasional comer or safety blitz, and you

have an impressive package of quarterback pressure.

CoveragesCover three is the base coverage with the wide tackle six de-

fense. However, cover two, man, and man-free are all possibili-ties. In certain situations, it is possible to have your strong enddrop with a tight end release so that you can achieve a five un-

derneath look. There are numerous possibilities when changing

and/or disguising coverages. Base coverages are illustrated indiagrams three, four, and five.

If you would like further information regarding this article, you may write toCoach Richardson at 5225 North Peachtree Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338.n

CEN

B

E

FS

SS

T N T C

Diagram One: Base Alignment

DIAGRAMS CONTINUED ON PAGE 46



GRIDIRON Coach

46www.GridironPublications.com


Diagram Three: Base 60 - Cover 3

Diagram Four: Base 60 - Cover 2

Diagram Two: Base Defense

Diagram Five: Base 60 - Man

CEN

B

E

FS SS

T N T C

CEN

B

E

FSSS

T N T C

CEN

B

E

FS SS

T N T C

CEN

B

E

FS

SS

T N T C

T HE WIDE T ACKLE SIX: A NO-NONSENSE DEFENSE




LimitingLimitingLimitingLimitingLimiting

FloridaFloridaFloridaFloridaFloridaState’sState’sState’sState’sState’s

OffenseOffenseOffenseOffenseOffense

A “You Call The Play”

Special Submission:

Situation Four

By John Lilly Assistant Coach,Northwest Guilford HS Greensboro, North Carolina

I HAVE DECIDED TO APPROACH this situation with the attitude of limiting the

offense of the Florida State Seminolesrather than trying to shut it down. In1993, the Seminoles were a great offensivefootball team led by the nation’s top foot-ball player, and since the fewest pointsthey scored in any one game last season

was 18, it is pointless to talk about com-pletely shutting them down.

I am a Florida State fan living in what isknown as “ACC Country”. I’m familiar

with FSU’s offense and with what theiopponents must hope to do in order tolimit them. The following are some keysto devising a game plan against FSU’s

offense–things we must do as a team.

• Keep their offense off of the field by

controlling the ball—no threedowns and out; Charlie Ward can’thurt us if he’s not on the field.

• Win the field position battle; even if we don’t score when we have the bal we must make a couple of firstdowns and punt the ball well toinsure that they will have to go longdistances in order to score on us.Obviously, this also takes intoaccount that we cannot turn the ball

over.

• If at all possible we must get thelead and force them to play catch-

up. Hopefully, if we can maintainthe lead they will completely abandon the running game andreduce the number of things wemust think about and defend.

• We must make sure tackles and notallow yards after the catch by thetalented Seminole wide receiversand backs. Ward completed 70% of his passes, a total which indicatesthat many of them were shortthrows, but his receivers have thepotential to take any short throw allthe way with the help of just one

missed tackle. We must punishthem after each catch and when

Ward decides to run upfield we

Situation Four – Formations to Defend

WR

Trips

WR

WR

TB QB

X

Z

Spread

TB

WR

FB QB

X

WR

Doubles

WR TBQB

X

WR

Situation Four

“In most championship game circum-stances there is a dominant offensive playeron the team you must beat to win. To stop

him you must do a great job of adjustingyour defensive scheme to take somethingsaway from him but allow him to do a fewother things because you cannot stop himaltogether.

This year in college football, Charlie Ward was the man to stop on the FloridaState Seminoles football team—he was

probably the best college football player in1993. He can run, pass, and create a greatdeal of havoc on the field. How would youdefend FSU and Charlie Ward? The fol-lowing are some things to be considered.

• Do you stunt your defensivelineman or play a contain/readfront?

• What kind of blitz pressure will youuse: DBs, LBs, or a combo of both?

• How will you cover the four widesets–man or zone?

• Who will play the QB runningattack–draw, sprint series, ect.

• How will you defend the onerunning back—is he dynamite too?

• Will you replace LBs for DBs?• Do you cover the short routes and

defend the big play or vice versa?• What do you do best on defense

and how will you make that work against this football team and greatoffensive player?

Only one team was ca-pable of solving this prob-lem will enough to win,Notre Dame. Here’s your

chance to use your skilllike some of the best col-lege coaches did duringthe 1993 season. Remem-ber, who ever has the

chalk last wins–you can-not loose.”

Bill Renner

GC Vol. 4/Issue 1

You Call The Play

www.GridironPublications.com 47

GRIDIRON Coach




must be very physical. Nothing dirty–everything betweenthe whistles, but very physical. North Carolina utilized thisstyle in the first half of its game with FSU and created

three turnovers.

Next, there are a couple of things which the Seminolesdo which will actually help

us defensively:

• They do not really usevery much motion, so

for the most part whatyou see when they break the huddle is

what you’re going toget. When they do gomotion it will be with

their backs and not with their receivers.

This fact should limitthe adjustments we

will have to make while Ward calls thecadence.

• We are going to sit in

some fronts andcoverages that we hope

will take away thepass, but they will stilltry to pass the ball

against them. Why?Because they have thepremier player in thecollege game atquarterback and they

want the ball in hishands. He threw for27 touchdowns withonly 4 interceptionsand was sacked only

10 times in 12 regularseason games. Withthat type of successeven when other teams

were trying to take away the pass you know that they aregoing to stay with it, especially when you’ve got the most

supremely confident and most unflappable quarterback inthe game pulling the trigger.

With those things said, I will concentrate on the questionsbrought up in Situation Four and at my specific game plan forlimiting the Florida State offense.

Pressure on the Quarterback

Several of the questions you mentioned pointed toward how toget pressure on Charlie

Ward. First of all, we wilplay a contain/read fron

with each defensive lineman in our basic 4-3 se

responsible basically for asmall area around the line

of scrimmage. What we would really like to d with our defensive ends isto charge hard up the fieldto contain Ward from get-ting outside, then come

back underneath the offensive tackles to get to

Ward. FSU does not leavebacks in to protect agains

the rush of the defensiveline so they depend solelyon their linemen for that

Also, if we can get somegood pressure out of our

line we may be able to goto only a three man fronand drop eight into cover-age. Notre Dame did thissome and was still able toget to Ward with just the

front three.

We will on occasiosubstitute linebackers forends (more quickness andperhaps better pressure)and defensive backs forlinebackers (better passcoverage against the in-

side receivers and backsout of the backfield; lim-its mismatches). We wilsit predominantly in zonecoverages with some dif-ferent variations. We wil

blitz some and play some man-to-man, but only in select situa-tions. Florida, if I remember correctly, often tried man coveragesearly and got whipped pretty badly. You’ve got to remember thatthe Florida State receivers go up against some of the premierdefensive backs in the nation every day in practice, so they havehoned their skills against top man defenders. We do not want to

Diagram One

Trips

Spread

Doubles

E T ET

B B C

SC

S S

1

4 1

4

1

2

E T ET

B B CC

S

1

3

1

3

1

3

S

B

E T ET

BB C

C

SS

B

1

2

1

2

48

GRIDIRON Coach





give up the big play (either on a shortthrow and missed tackle or on a deep ball)and this could very easily happen in man.

Additionally, the Seminole receivershave built in adjustments if Ward beginsto scramble and if you are in a man andyou get caught looking at Ward and won-

dering if you should go help make a tackleon him, he will throw it over your head toyour man, much like he did to Matt Frierin the Miami game. Therefore, our phi-losophy will be primarily to sit in the zone,give up the short throws, make sure and

hard tackles, put pressure on Ward withour linemen, and force FSU to use a lot of plays in moving the ball down the field.The more plays they must run, the greaterthe chance that they will make a mistake

we can take advantage of. Remember, they

are a highly penalized team. I will get moreinto the specific coverages and the blitzes we will use in a moment.

Finally, how can we cover the runninggame? Remember, as I said earlier, FSUreally doesn’t want to run because it takesthe ball out of the hands of their mostdangerous offensive weapon. In their loss

to Notre Dame the Seminoles ran only 27times for 96 yards and they threw 50times. Against Nebraska in another close

game they rushed 24 times for 47 yardsand Ward put the ball in the air 43 times.

With our basic alignment and our line-backers at different times faking or show-ing blitz and dropping into coverage we

will be able to neutralize any rushing at-

tack they show us. Their basic runningplays (the fullback dive, the lead, the sweep,and even the direct snap from the center tothe lone back) will not hurt us as long asthe game is tight and they don’t have us off balance.

We can now look a little more closely atthe various schemes we will use againsttheir basic formations in order to limit theSeminoles offensively.

Diagram Two

E EN

B B CBC

S S

1

4 1

4 1

2

B

man coverage here and utilize a blitz suchas this.

Spread

Spread. Here we are looking at a three-deep secondary with the strong side safety

jumping up into the hook/curl area whereFSU so often likes to go. With this type oaction we may be able to confuse Wardmomentarily and force some bad throwsObviously we will not be in this coverexclusively. We will at times rotate oursecondary to the strength so that the cor-ner becomes the flat defender and the

strong side safety plays the deep third. Amuch as Ward likes to throw the quick fiveyard out we would like to have the cornerin somewhat of a position to pick this ofor make a good solid tackle on the manmaking the reception. We may play someman underneath here because we would

still have two deep safeties to help outThat would not be the case if we blitzed

which we may do occasionally but thbackers on the outside, if they were going

would have to be very aware of where therunning backs are. If the backs run theflare routes FSU likes, then out backers

would be forced to break off their rush andpick up the backs.

This formation scares me the most asfor the Seminole rushing attack is con-cerned because they’ve got two runningbacks in there plus Ward. They like to

Trips

Trips. Basically against this formation weare looking at having four defenders un-

derneath and three deep with the threedeep players responsible for quarter/quar-ter/half coverage. Our best coverage backer

will be responsible for the strong side flat while the weak corner must funnel the

backside receiver (to help the safety) andthen play the flats. He may have an oppor-tunity to help deep since from this forma-tion FSU shows no threat of the back leaking out to his side for a pass. The othertwo backers must be very alert for two

types of routes - the hook/curl at about 10

yards and the crossing route. Communi-cation is vital if we are going to play a lot of zone coverages and these players especially must constantly have their heads on aswivel while taking their drops. This is nota big rushing formation for FSU so we willprobably not respect the run very much,but we must be aware of it, particularly at

the linebacker positions.

If they show us this formation a lot wemay go to our three man front more often.

With this look we could basically play

five underneath and three deep, whichcould really cause FSU some problemsbecause of their affection for the shortthrow. Again, a lot of this hinges on beingable to get at least a little bit of pressure outof the front three. We may also go to some

www.GridironPublications.com49

GRIDIRON Coach




establish the lead across the formation(with the weak side runner leading thestrong side back through the guard/tacklegap) and then fake this and roll Ward out.

That thought in itself is almost enoughto keep me in my base alignment and justlet my players react, but I don’t want to

limit their aggressiveness by never blitzingor taking some intelligent chances.

Doubles

Doubles. Florida State has not shown thepropensity for sending all four receivers

vertical, so we feel pretty comfortable go-ing two-deep in the secondary. We wantour backers, particularly the weak backerto at least show blitz on just about every

play just so the FSU linemen will have tolook at him, the receivers may make sometype of “hot” adjustment, and Ward may be fooled into a mistake. It may also limitthe activity of the back in the passing

game. If we come it will be with the weak backer or perhaps even with the weak sidecorner. Either way it will be from Ward’sbackside and away from the lone runningback who is probably checking only hisside for pass blocking responsibilities.

With the weak backer inside showingblitz quite often it also gives us the look of having six men in “the box” so FSU willhave only five to block us with and there-fore may shy away from the running game.

We would like to use this basic approachversus any formation they give us. Dia-grams x, x, and x illustrate a couple of blitz

looks, although I am not too excited aboutgoing after them with no safety free tohelp out in any trouble spots.

That concludes for the most part my brief analysis of how to limit FSU’s offen-

sive unit in 1993. I would like to com-ment, though, on one area you neglectedto mention in the situation which I feel isa real key to having a chance against FSU—goal-line defense. The Seminoles are go-ing to move the football no matter whatkind of scheme you have, but if you can

50

GRIDIRON Coach





Diagram Three

E EN

B B CBC

S S

B

(FREE)

Diagram Four

Diagram Five

Diagram Six

E ET

S

BC

BC

S

(FREE)

T

B

E ET

S

BCB

C

S(FREE)

T

B

E ET

S

BCB

C

S

(FREE)

T

B

limit them to field goal attempts rather than touchdowns (likeNebraska did) then you can stay within striking distance.

Once they cross the 20 yard line and enter the “red zone” I would stay with my basic defenses until they moved inside the 10.If they were inside the 10 but outside the 5, I would go to more of a gambling, blitzing package to force Ward to hurry or to hang upthe fade or corner to Kevin Knox or Kez McCorvey. Let your best

man defenders do their thing and coach them to use the sideline

as their teammate. Remember,a pass caught out of bounds isas good as an incompletion.FSU will help us do this be-cause, despite their love of thequick short pass, they do notrun the traditional slant routeoften and that is without a

doubt the most difficult pat-tern to defend in man cover-age and particularly on the goalline. If they do move inside the5 yard line they will probably tighten the formation and we

will do the same. Fullback William Floyd made a livingoff of short touchdown runson the dive play. From the Iformation, they may go to thesweep and let Floyd do what

he is better at than any full-back in the country at—throw-ing the crushing lead block.

With a player like Ward atquarterback, the option wouldbe a difficult play to defend onthe goal line or anywhere elseon the field for that matter,but FSU wouldn’t dare run it

and risk an injury to its topplayer.

If we can stop them or holdthem to only a field goal, it

would be obviously a tremen-dous boost for our team.

In my brief coaching career

I have been involved in only one championship game. Weallowed only 159 total yards,but we turned the ball overand lost the field position battle

with our special teams and

wound up getting beat 28-19.If my mythical team which Ihave created here was to dobattle with Florida State we

would not expect to shut themdown entirely or shut themout. That, I believe, is impos-sible. However, by keeping inmind the simple keys I wrote

about at the beginning and byplaying a lot of soft zone cov-erages and mixing in some ef-fective blitz packages and thusforcing FSU to work very hardfor all of its points I think wecould limit them to the poin

where we could be in it at the

end and probably win it with afield goal at the final gun.

John Lilly, a true fan of the FSUSeminoles, is the Assistant Coach aNorthwest Guillford H.S. inGreensboro, North Carolina. If youhave any questions regarding thiarticle, Coach Lilly can be reached bycalling (919) 668-2124. n

51

GRIDIRON Coach




GRIDIRON Coach

52



From Reading to Attacking:

Merging The 4-4 and The Bear 4-6

OVER THE COURSE OF MY coaching

career, I have been associated

with some form of an odd read-

ing front. About five years ago, I was

confronted with three problems de-fensively.

Number one: Given the wide open

offense that we were running the old

“bend but don’t break” philosophy was not getting the job done. We were

not getting the big plays to stop

drives. Thus, our high powered of-

fense was spending too much time on

the sidelines.

Number two: Working in a small program, we have to rely

on a significant number of young players and JC transfers. With the multiple formations we were facing, we were

spending more and more of our time teaching alignments

and adjustments than techniques and tendencies.

Number three: With all the adjusting we were doing, our

players were suffering from “paralysis by analysis.” The

bottom line was that our players were performing like ro-

bots rather than turning it lose like the athletes we had

recruited—they were not having fun! Each week we ran a

pass under pressure blitz period versus our own offense. I

became convinced that a change was in order when I no-

ticed the tremendous increase in our players’ enthusiasm

during this blitz period. They were having fun: “you’ve gothim, you’ve got him and the rest of us are turning it loose!”

In looking for a change, we focused on a defensive schemethat would:

• Attack and disrupt the flow of an offense

• Create the big plays and turnovers allowing our offense

more possessions

• Create confusion and on-the-field decision making by

the offense and thus impact offensive execution

• Cause preparation problems by utilizing a scheme that

was unique for our opponents to prepare for

By Ron FlowersHead Football Coach

Southwest State UniversityMarshall, Minnesota

“We emphasize

speed in our off-season

program and will

sacrifice size for speed

in the placement of our

personnel. Remember

though, that speed is

relative. We need to be

as fast or faster than

the people we play.”

• Keep adjustments and assignments simple to allow our

players to turn it loose and use their athletic abilities

• Bring back the aggressive, emotional, and fun part of

playing defense.

What we settled on was a merger between the 4-4 and the

Bear 4-6. These two fronts and our ability to alternate from

one to the other have proven to be very effective. There are

several key factors in the successful execution of an attack-

ing defense.

Our defensive lineman crowd the ball.

Their primary responsibility is to re-establish the line of

scrimmage in the backfield. We do not “read and react”, we

“attack and act.” While they are responsible for the gap they

are aligned on, they are not responsible for protecting line-

backers.

Flexibility in alignment.

Both schemes give us the ability to place eight players in

what we call the “attack zone.” Our linebackers play at the

heels of the defensive line and always present the offense with the heat of a LB run through. With the addition of a

“up” call, we can align ten and sometimes eleven players on

the LOS.

Easy to disguise.

Our coverage package is simple and built around the base

coverages that resemble one another. This makes it easy for

us to disguise our intentions. Our coverages consist of a

robber scheme, 3-deep zone, man free, and a “0” or blitzcoverage.

We emphasize stemming and moving.By stemming we are referring to the individual movements

of all 11 players. Because the scheme is simple, after our

players understand their basic responsibilities they are en-couraged to move around on their own. For example, while

our LBs have split gap responsibilities based on backfield

flow, they do not have a fixed alignment. They are taught

their basic responsibilities and then given the latitude to

vary their alignment. Because the defensive concepts are



GRIDIRON Coach

53



simple, we are able to focus on the offense while much of

our stemming and alignment variation is determined by the

offenses’ formation or tendencies, etc.

By moving we are referring to a coordi-

nated movement of the entire defense

from one package to the other. Thecombination of stemming and moving

make audibles difficult and creates

offensive confusion that leads to mis-execution.

Emphasize pursuit and speed.

To play this package, you must be able

to play man coverage. Without the

ability to play man you cannot utilize

a blitz/pressure system. We emphasize

speed in our off-season program and

will sacrifice size for speed in the

placement of our personnel. Remem-

ber though, that speed is relative. We

need to be as fast or faster than the

people we play. While NFL speed would be nice, it is not necessary.

While all defenses talk about pur-suit, we must “bleed” it. A big play

defense can just as fast become a big

play for the offense if pursuit is notemphasized. We talk it, we walk it and

we drill pursuit like nobody’s business.

What might be unusual is that we do not do a lot of “extra”

conditioning after practice. However, in every phase of

practice, from individual, group and team work, we empha-

For a complete listing of GRIDIRON Coach archived articles, call (320) 734-4940.

Diagram One: Base Front

C

T N ES M WR

C

FS

E

Bear Front

C

T N WR M

E

C

FS

S N E

Up Bear

Diagram Two: Up Base

CT N ES M WR C

FS

E

C T N WR ME

CFS

S N E

Move Base “To Whip”

C

T N

R M C

FS

SE WE

Diagram Three: Move Bear “Away from Whip”

C

T N

R MC

FS

S EE

W

Sam

C

T N

S MC

FS

E

R W

E

Mike

C

T N

S MC

FS

E

R W

E

Dog

Diagram Four: Pressure SchemesCrash

C

T NS

MC

FS

E

R

WE

C

T NS

MC

FS

E

R

WE

size some aspect of running to the football. Our players are

preached to that if on the last snap of practice if they are

not spent they have not run to the football the way they

must—it is game day everyday when it comes to pursuit!

The following diagrams illustrate our

Base Front and Bear Front.

Our move is always determined by

the location of our weak OLB or

Whip. We either slide to or away from the Whip. With a move call in

the huddle we will line up in the op-

posite defense and move to the de-

fense called. The diagram below illus-

trates how we do this.

I can honestly say that, if for no

other reason than our kids have fun

playing defense, I am glad we no

longer “read” and now “attack.” Theresults speak for themselves.

Since adopting this concept, wehave finished no lower than second in

our conference in all defensive catego-

ries. In addition, we have led the

conference in minus yardage and

sacks. We now average eighteen tack-

les for a loss per game (not including

sacks, which we average 3.5 per game)

and have had as many as twenty-five

tackles for a loss in one game. Can you imagine one third

or more of your opponent’s plays resulting in negative yard-age! So much for the bend but don’t break philosophy.n



GRIDIRON Coach

54

In the ’60’s Bob Troppman, published, “FOOTBALL’S

MASTER DEFENSE GUIDE.” At the time it was oneof the most useful publications around dealing with defen-

sive alignments and adjustments. A revised edition, “THE NEW MASTER DEFENSE GUIDE 2,” published in the ’80’s,added additional ideas relating to pass coverages and the de-fense of the option. The theme of both books was to developa system of calls to enable a coach to adjust to any offensiveset he may face. The calls were based on a numbering systemestablished by the techniques or alignments of the defensive

tackles and the nose. The numbering system was organizedby using even numbers for head up alignments and oddnumbers for shaded alignments. (See Diagrams One andTwo.)

Chart I *0 – Head up on the center. *1 – Inside shade of the guard.

*2 – Head up on the guard. *3 – Outside shade of the guard.

*4 – Head up on the tackle. *5 – Outside shade of the tackle.

*6 – Head up on the end. *7 – Inside shade of the end.

*8 – Two yds. Outside the end. *9 – Outside of the tight end.

*8 – Contain: 2 to 3 feet outside

*8 – the tackle to the S.E. side. #5 – Eagle: An end technique,

*8 – Designed to defend the option. #5 – outside of the tackle as close

*8 – Away – A walk off position. #5 – close to the L.O.S. as possible.

*8 – Out – Head up on the S.E.

*8 – Stack – Stacked behind the

*8 – tackle to the S.E. side.

A series of words were used to provide a variety of additionaladjustments. The most significant of these referred to the Noseand Backside End. Words for the Nose were: Stay, Shade, Slide,

Over, etc. These words determined the technique of the Nosein relation to the strength of the formation, or to the tight endto the left side of the defense. (See Diagram Three a–e.) Toestablish such techniques to the opposite or quick side, away from a right tight end the words were preceded by the word,Under. Example: Under Shade, Under Slide, etc. Backside endresponsibilities, also described by words, Away, Out, Eagle, etc.are the last part of the defense called and are included in Chart Iand several diagrams.

A. The linebackers align themselves accordingly.1. If the down tackles align to the right, move right, the

backers move left.2. If the tackles move left, the backers align right. (See

Diagram Five.)

B. Secondary calls, in the Master Defense are determined by acolor call system (see Chart II).

Adapting the Master Defense

to an Even Alignment

By Donald J.NimphiusDefensive Coordinator,

Shoreham Wading River

High School,

Long Island, NY

Diagram One

Even Numbers

02468 2 4 6 8

Diagram TwoOdd Numbers

13579 1 3 5 7 9

Diagram Three

Alignment of the Nose

N

a. 0–Stay Technique

N N

N N

b. 0–Shade Technique

c. 1–Slide Technique

T N

d. 2–Technique

(over-under technique)

NN

e. 3–Slam Technique

Diagram Four

0204060 20 40 60

10305070 10 30 50 70

a.

b.





Chart II 1. RED CALL: Strong Safety support to the two receiver side.

2. WHITE CALL: A two deep alignment with five (5) underneath

the zone.

3. BLUE CALL: A four across secondary.

a. Blue Cloud: corners up.

b. Blue Sky: safeties up.

4. GREEN CALL: Man to Man with a free safety.

5. BLACK CALL: The same as White except Man coverage under-

neath.

6. ORANGE CALL: A check call against a slot formation.

Of course, any additional calls may be added as you see fit.• Ex. SILVER CALL: A traditional three (3) deep sec-

ondary.

C. To set the defense the basic principal is determined by calling;1. The secondary by color: RED, WHITE, BLUE, etc.2. The alignment of the tackles by numbers: 55, 35, 53,

etc.

3. The alignment of the Nose(s): by word: Stay, Shade,Slide, etc.4. And last the alignment of the backside end also by

word: Away, Out, Eagle, etc.

Thus an odd call, 5 – 2, with strong safety support, would be:RED / 55 / STAY / AWAY (See Diagram Five)

The entire system was based on an odd front alignment.Although comments were made about how to adapt even con-figurations they were not complete.

D. To adapt the MASTER DEFENSE to an Even alignmentdemands that three (3) decisions be made.

1. Determine if one of the secondary people, backers ordefensive backs can effectively play someplace in thefront. Usually you can find a backer who can play as aNose, a Down Tackle or an End.

2. Determine if you have a substitute who can play downbetter than any of the backers or defensive backs.

3. Are you willing to play with one (1) linebacker and/or athree (3) deep secondary with run support via a rotation?

a. A pro 4-3 or 6-1 traditional.b. A 6-2, split 6 (4-4) traditional.

Once these decisions have been made the following MUST bedone to adapt the MASTER DEFENSE to even configuration.

After the substituting an additional down lineman, Nose,for whomever the word EVEN must be added to the call.

EVEN, meaning there are now two nose guards in the gameand that they are to align as determined by the call. Addition-ally, the word SLAM is added to the Nose techniques to enablea simple call to align with an EVEN front. Since two NoseGuards are now in the game it might be wise to proceed theNose alignment words with the word Double. Ex. DoubleSlide, Double Over, etc. (See Diagrams Four, Five, Six, Seven,Eight, and Nine.)

The Nose guard(s) techniques would then be:

Chart III

0 – Stay 1 – Slide/Under Slide0 – Shade/Under Shade 2 – Over/Under

0 – **3 – Slam/Under Slam 0 – ** A new alignment

The 3 Slam/Under Slam technique has already beenincluded in the tackle techniques. (See Diagrams One and Two,and Chart I.)

All calls will still be determined by the system of:1. Secondary Color:2. Tackle technique:3. Nose alignment:

4. Backside end position:

Examples of several defensive calls are as follows:1. A pro 6–1 traditional, vs. a pro set, becomes a:

WHITE / 55 / EVEN / SLAM / UNDER SLAM(Double Slam) / AWAY

2. A pro 4-3 traditional, vs. a pro set, becomes a:RED / 95 / EVEN / SLAM / UNDER SLAM (DoubleSlam) / AWAY Note: The aligned tackle, an end technique.

GRIDIRON Coach

55

Diagram Five

Red / 55 / Stay / Away

NT 5

E9

C

T 5

C

F

B20

B20

E (away)SS

Diagram Six

White/55/Even/Slam/Under Slam (Double Slam)/Away

59

C C

SL

AM

AWAY

SS

5UNDER

SL

AM

FS





3. A pro 6–2 traditional, becomes a:**SILVER / 55 / EVEN / SLIDE / UNDER SLIDE(Double Slide) / AWAY

4. A traditional Split – 6, becomes a:**SILVER / 55 / EVEN / SLAM / UNDER SLAM(Double Slam) / AWAY Note: Double Slam in place of Slam/Under Slam

Note: No provision was ever made for a traditionalthree (3) deep secondary. Add SILVER, as a three deepzone, corners and the safety each cover 1/3.

5. A traditional 4–4, would become a:RED / 95 / EVEN / SLAM / UNDER SLAM (DoubleSlam) / AWAY Note: 9 aligned tackle, an end technique.

The MASTER DEFENSE has been very effectively used asa system of calls and adjustments under game conditions. Thus,it has simplified game plans. However, it is an excellent practicetool. From summer camps to the preparations for champion-ships it gives a coach the opportunity to inject complete flexi-bility into his defensive program. With the addition of the EVENadaptation there is no reason why it cannot succeed from youthleague, at least, through high school. Scout teams will be able

to easily align in an opponents defense and perform effectively,thus helping the offense. Whatever defensive alignment you arecommitted to it should be completely adaptable to this systemof calls. It is not necessary for you to change one bit of yourphilosophy. It will also provide an increased confidence in theperformance of your players. They will have regularly practicedevery technique they will ever need, No surprises!

Footnotes1. New Master Defense Guide – page 252. New Master Defense Guide – pages 26–31

3. New Master Defense Guide – pages 53 & 544. New Master Defense Guide – pages 20–27

Bibliography:New Master Defense Guide. Bob Troppmann. Parker Pub-

lishing Company, Inc. 1983. West Nyack, N.Y.

Coach Nimphius has been coaching football since 1960, most of the time as an assistant coach. He has also been a football official for 16 years. He retired

from teaching in 1987. He developed most of his concepts of line play from practical applications. He would enjoy speaking to you on any defensive topic.He can be reached at 10 Tree Road, Miller Place, NY 11764, or by telephone at 516/473-0369. n

GRIDIRON Coach

56


Diagram Seven

Red/95/Even/Slam/Under Slam (Double Slam)/Away

9

C

C

SL

AM

AWAY SS

UNDER

S

L AMFS

B B

C

Diagram Eight

Silver/55/Even/Slide/Under Slide (Double Slide)/Away

59

C

C

SLIDE

AWAY

S

5UNDER

SLIDE

C

B B

Diagram Nine

Silver/55/Even/Slam/Under Slam (Double Slam)/Away

9

C C

SL

AM

AWAY

UNDER

SL

AM S

B B

Diagram Ten

Red/95/Even/Slam/Under Slam (Double Slam)/Away

9

C C

SL

AM

AWAY

UNDER

S

L AMF

SS B B




GRIDIRON C



Our Secondary Philosophy Because of the academic pressures of ourschool and the general inexperience of most of our athletes, we have uniqueteaching needs and time limitations thathave to mold our coaching philosophy.These two issues may philosophically setus apart from other programs. In the lastcouple of years, we have combined twocontrasting coaching approaches to

working with the secondary that havepaid big dividends.

Before joining Milton Academy as areceiver and secondary coach, CoachGorman spent several years coaching in

the NFL and at the College level. He has always preferred afour deep zone coverage for run and pass. After over 10 yearsleading a very successful local parochial school program, CoachMacdonald preferred the 3 deep monster coverage. The defen-sive coordinator for the last several years, Geordie Dunnington,

had always used a 4-4 front with a 3 deep zone.

There is only one constant in life and that is change!Because of this, we as coaches need to be constantly adjustingand blending our philosophies with those with whom we work.In 1995 our school celebrated its first undefeated season inexactly 50 years. The team also increased its 1995 interceptionstotal from 3 to 12 over the previous year in a primarily run-ori-ented conference. In 1996 our interceptions rose from 12 to 20and we were again undefeated and came out on top in theClass C New England Title game,beating a strong Thayer Academy

squad.

What we are about to say is dan-gerous because no one likes to becategorized. We believe that mostcoaches fall into two “teaching” cat-egories. They are either strategistsor technicians. A strategist is an X and O’s type of coach, a person thatloves to argue what coverage or

front to use in any particular situation. A technician is the pson that stresses how to open your hips on your drop in mancoverage or how to use your hands when redirecting a receivHe is the one constantly thinking of drills that work on gamspecific player situations. In a perfect world we would say th

we need to be both types and that is certainly true! However we still believe we are either one or the other at heart.

We knew right away that we believed deeply in vastly diffent styles of front and secondary play, but because we are bo

at heart technique coaches, we were less concerned with whadefensive fronts and coverages we were in. What we weremainly concerned about was how our kids were going to mareads and what techniques they were going to employ whenthey reacted to each particular play.

We have always felt that the techniques and read-drills th we have used and believed in for years were the most importaspects in helping our athletes to be successful. The strategicdifferences that we all shared were not something that we

were going to lose sleep over! In this article we will share the

twists that we have employed in adapting these three contrasing coverage philosophies and a few of our favorite practiceread-drills.

Practice Schedules We have an unusually limited amount of time to work with athletes. We usually have only about one hour a day after

warm-ups and conditioning. Because of this we are usually ato do each drill only once a week. While we share some zoneread-drills, we want to stress that even in zone coverage we

believe that tight zone ends upbeing a form of “man” coverage.

This is without as much fear connected with starting out in man

We also like to play in combo coerage whenever we can, i.e., weplay man coverage underneath ahave free-safety zone support ontop. So even though we really juplay zone, most of our work isbased on reading a specific manand coverage techniques accord-

A Secondary Blueprint for Success:How We Adapted Three Coaching Philosophies Into

A Successful Defensive Scheme

By I.J. GormanKevin Macdon

Receiver and Second

Coach and Head Co

Milton Acade

Milton, Massachus

There are many keys

that work together for

the success of any

team. For a team to

succeed you have to

have the athletes,

coaches and the

support of your

administration and

families. We have

certainly been blessed

in each of these areas!



GRIDIRON Coach

www.GridironPublications


58

ingly. The athletes also find it easier to read their man andenjoy playing in a tighter one-on-one situation in practice.

Multi-Level Key-Reading Program We have tried various keys to give out defensive backs effectiverun/pass keys. This is especially important in our defensivescheme where cornerbacks often have contain responsibilities.Others who need to learn these reads are our strong safeties in

the 5-2 as well as our outside linebackers in the 4-4. This is sothey can fill quickly on run plays.

Many secondary players initially key an uncovered lineman,reading pass if the lineman sets up and run if he fires out.However, this key is misleading on play-action passes where thelinemen fire out before recoiling and setting up to pass protect.Instead, we teach our cornerbacks to initially key on the num-ber one or widest receiver. Our strong safeties key on thenumber two receivers (counting from the outside in). The sec-ondary should then refocus in the offensive backfieldto get its confirming read. Our free safeties read,

however, is completely different. His only runresponsibility is delayed fill. Because he is our lastline of defense he must momentarily delay any fill toguard against the halfback pass and flea-flickers.

Both our corners and free safeties are taught toback pedal as they read their keys. The first priority is to never allow a receiver to get behind them. Onthe other hand, our strong safeties are taught to holdtheir ground until they determine their read, as theirfirst responsibility is to fill on the run.

Drills We have found that a simpledrill practices 5 minutes a day,three times a week allows oursecondary, particularly our cor-nerbacks, to read their keysquickly and effectively anddeliver the minimum number of reps for us to be successful. Theirreads are learned by rote andthus become second nature.

The Cornerback (CB) drill istwofold.

Part 1 - We read Flankers (FL) and Wide Receivers (WR) Against WR and FL we tell our CB that there are only threethings a playside WR/FL will do: (1) run a pass route, (2) stalk block, or (3) crack back. (You may want to add a fourthoption: the hitch pass.) We split our athletes into two groups.One plays the receiver and other plays the CB position. We

align at a depth of 8-yards off and one yard inside. The coacstands facing the receivers but behind the cornerbacks. Thecoach communicates the reads through predetermined handsignals to thereceivers.

In the stalk block, see dia-

gram 1, thereceiver will exe-cute a verticalrelease and thecoach will yelloption to simu-late the safeties’call of the play. The corner will back pedal until recognitionthe play and will then break upfield keeping his outside shouder free thus maintaining his contain responsibility. He shou

breakdown one step over thline of scrimmage and sque

the play inside. (Another hful read to the stalk block ithe WR is looking at the D

WR’s usually don’t look at DB if he is doing a passroute.)

In the Crack back, see digram 2, the CV will backpeuntil he reads the crack the

will break upfield maintaining his containment all the time

yelling “crack” to his teammates inside. Again, he will get toone stop over the line of scrimmage squeezing the play insid

In the pass pattern, see diagram 3, thereceiver usually avoids eye contract and tries toeither get into his pattern as quickly as possiblehe tries to close down on the DB’s cushion tobreak off into his predetermined or read patternEither way we are dropping to our zone andyelling pass.

Part 2 - We read Wing Backs (WB) and

Tight Ends (TE)In the second portion of the drill, the CB alignyards deep and 2-yards outside the TE or WB.

tell our DB’s that there are only three things that a playside T WB will do: (1) hook block, (2) down block, or (3) release fopattern. ( You may want to add a base block as a fourth optio

In the hook block, see diagram 4, the CB should break frhis backpedal and yell “sweep” and break upfield to his normcontain responsibility mentioned above.

Diagram One

WR Stalk

CB

LOS

“option”

stalk block

squeeze

Diagram TwoWR Crack

CB

LOS

“crack”

crack block

squeeze

Diagram Three

WR Pass

CB

LOS

“pass”

pass

release



GRIDIRON C



In the down block, see diagram 5, the CB reaction would bethe same as the sweep except he would yell “run” instead of sweep. We feel that if an athlete uses the right word on a con-sistent basis he and his teammates better understand the run-ning attack that is coming at them.

In the pass pattern, see diagram 6, the CB should continuehis drop to his zone and yell “pass.”

Coverage TwistsThe most important adaptation and compromise strategy-wiseon which we agree is putting in a fourth defensive back in obvi-ous passing situations. However, we needed to not compromiseour philosophy of not getting beat by the run. To do this webegan using our four deep coverage if it was a drop-back pass,but if the ball went to one side or the other we had our sec-

ondary go into a wheel rotation toward where the ball wascoming. This was consistent with our contain principals, seediagrams 7 and 8. We call this coverage and run support“Three Ball.”

If you are not familiar with this coverage, you have the Cnearest to the side where the ball is headed attack the play asrunning play, from the outside in. It is great for option, spri

out and quick hitch support also.

I.J. Gorman is a former NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach, and hacoached on the college and high school level. When Milton Academy won tNew England Class C title he was the Varsity Secondary Coach and now serves as the Head Middle School Coach. He can be reached at (617) 898

2247 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Kevin Macdonald is the Head Football Coach of Milton Academy and hcoached for 13 years at the high school level. He may be reached at 170 Centre Street, Milton, MA 02186.n

Diagram Four

TE Sweep

CB

LOS

“sweep”

hook block

squeeze

Diagram Five

TE Down

CB

LOS

“run”

down block

squeeze

Diagram Six

TE Pass

CB

LOS

“pass”

pass

release

Diagram Seven

Left Corner

Left Safety

Right Safety

Right Corner

Ball Diagram Eight

Left Half

Free Safety

Right Half

Ball



butt down, weight on the balls of his feet). Five yardsdirectly behind the offensive blocker set up a lead blockerand a ball carrier.

On the whistle, the defender is instructed to play off thereach block of the offensive blocker using his hands, thenplay through lead blocker keeping his shoulders square, thenexplode and make a good form tackle on the ball carrier

Coaching Points1) Make sure the defender understands there are times

when he doesn’t hve to take on the lead blocker. Hecan just rip through and make the tackle.

2) The defender must keep his shoulders square to theLOS, keeping his outside arm and leg free.

3) When making the tackle the defender must get hishead across to the outside number of the ball car-rier.

4) Have the defender drive the ball carrier back for 5-yards while making the tackle.

Introduction We got this drill from Butch Davis, Defensive Coordinatorof the Dallas Cowboys. They think it is the best defensivefootball drill you can do.

PurposeTo teach defenders to

maintain a good tackling position,keep shoulders square to the LOS,maintain balance when taking on a block,keep the outside arm and leg free when taking on a block,read the relationship between the lead blocker and the

ball carrier, andproper takling technique.

DrillSet up an offensive blocker in a 3-point stance. Thedefender lines head up with the blocker in a good footballposition (head up, back straight,

In this section, we run our favorite drills submittedto us by coaches from all over the country. Send us your favorite drill and if we publish it, we will send you a great give-away for your time and ef-fort. It may be a video, a book, a coffee mug, or perhaps even a t-shirt!

Send all drills to: GRIDIRON Coach Drills,7 Hansbrinker Court, Liberty Township OH 45044. G

R I D

I RON D

r i l

l s

G R

I D I RO

N D r

i l l s

The String Drill

Submitted by Jeff Wallace,Head Coach, Kirksville High School,

Kirksville, MO

Diagram

= Ball Carrier

Lead BlockerDLB

OB

LB

BC

BC

Good Form

TackleDrive Back5-yards


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