1

2

3

4

5

INSIDE LINEBACKERS

KEYSIN AN

INSIDE SHOULDER CONTROL READING

50 DEFENSE

IN THIS DEFENSIVE SCHEME LINEBACKERS:• PLAY OFF AT 4 1/2 TO 5 YARDS• THEY GET A READ AND GO!• THEY WORK DOWN HILL• THEY ARE PROTECTED TO

ENABLE THEM TO WORK QUICKLY INTO THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE

THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THIS DEFENSE IS DEFINED BY THE PLAY OF THE INSIDE LINEBACKERS. SMALLER ATHLETES WHO ARE FAST AND AGGRESSIVE CAN FUNCTION WITHIN THIS SCHEME AT LINEBACKER.

B B

T N T EE

4 1/2 TO 5 YDS 4 1/2 TO 5 YDS

B B

BALLCARRIER

B B

BALLCARRIER

B B

BALLCARRIER

B B

BALLCARRIER

B B

BALLCARRIER

B B

BALLCARRIER

B B

BALLCARRIER

B B

BALLCARRIER

IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THIS DEFENSIVE SCHEME, AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW GAP RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ASSIGNED IS IMPORTANT.OUR FRONT [FLOW] SIDE INSIDE LINEBACKER DOES NOT HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR RUN DIRECTLY AT HIM.

POSITION

INSIDE

LINEBACKER

ALIGNMENT AND

TECHNIQUE

3 OFF TECHNIQUE

SEAM RESPONSIBILITY

FLOW TO C SEAM FLOW AWAY OFF A

SEAM

LINEBACKER ALIGNMENTS, TECHNIQUES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ALIGNMENT AND TECHNIQUE

TO DESCRIBE WHERE A PLAYER IS TO ALIGN AND THE TECHNIQUE WITH WHICH HE IS TO PLAY WE USE A NUMBERED TECHNIQUE. AT TIMES THIS TECHNIQUE WILL HAVE A TAG WORD WITH IT. IN THE CASE OF LINEBACKERS, THE TAG WORD “OFF” MEANS 4 1/2 TO 5 YARDS OFF THE BALL.

SEAMS

SEAMS ARE THE DESCRIPTION OF AN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR EACH PLAYER IN OUR DEFENSIVE FRONT.

A SEAM

ASEAM

B SEAM

B SEAM

CSEAM

D SEAM

CSEAM

D SEAM

DEFENSIVE SEAM DESIGNATIONS

B B

A SEAM

CSEAM

PRIMARY SEAMS OF RESPONSIBILTYFOR LINEBACKERS IN OUR BASE SCHEME

FLOW HERE

B B

ASEAM

CSEAM

PRIMARY SEAMS OF RESPONSIBILTYFOR LINEBACKERS IN OUR BASE SCHEME

FLOW HERE

T ETE

TACKLES PLAY B SEAM

N

NOSE PLAYS A SEAM TOFLOW SIDE

END’S HAVE D SEAM

B BFLOW SIDELINEBACKERSCRAPES TO

C SEAM

BACK SIDELINEBACKERSCRAPES TOOFF A SEAM

LINEBACKERMOVEMENT

T N T EE

B BFLOW SIDE

LINEBACKERSCRAPES TO

C SEAM

BACK SIDELINEBACKERSCRAPES TOOFF A SEAM

LINEBACKERMOVEMENT

T N T EE

LINEBACKER KEY PROGRESSION

WE USE A FOUR PHASE PROGRESSION TO TEACH LINEBACKERS WHERE AND HOW TO FIT INTO THE RUN FRONT.1. FLOW KEY2. GUARD KEY3. BACK FIELD ACTION4. BACK FIELD ACTION + GUARD KEY

1. FLOW KEY

WHEN WE FIRST INTRODUCE OUR DEFENSE WE TEACH LINEBACKERS FAST FLOW KEYS. WE TEACH STRAIGHT FLOW IN EITHER DIRECTION.

WE USE BASIC FLOW KEYS TO TEACH OUR LINEBACKERS HOW WE WANT THEM TO MOVE AND FIT INTO THE DEFENSIVE FRONT.

WE DO NOT SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TEACHING FLOW KEYS, BUT THIS CONCEPT IS THE FIRST MOVEMENT KEY WE TEACH INSIDE LINEBACKERS.

2. GUARD KEYS

GUARD KEYS ARE OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT KEY. WE TEACH GUARD KEYS EARLY AND EMPHASIZE THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE USE GUARD KEYS + FLOW KEYS TO DICTATE OUR LINEBACKER MOVEMENTS.

WE TEACH 7 BASIC GUARD KEYS

• CUTOFF OR REACH

• ISOLATION• GUARD

TRAP• ZONE

• SWEEP• TACLKLE

TRAP• PASS

3. BACKFIELD ACTION

WE SPEND LITTLE OR NO PRACTICE TIME KEYING JUST BACKFIELD ACTION. WE DO SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MEETING TIME TALKING ABOUT BACKFIELD ACTION. MOST OF OUR TEACHING HERE IS PREPARATION TO LINK BACKFIELD ACTION WITH GUARD KEYS.

4. BACKFIELD ACTION + GUARD KEYS

OUR FINAL KEY PROGRESSION IS A COMBINATION USING GUARD KEYS COMBINED WITH ACTION IN THE BACKFIELD.

EXAMPLE:

YOUR GUARD DOES THIS…

THE BACKS DO THIS…

YOU DO THIS...

THE PROGRESSION1. FLOW KEYS

2. GUARD KEYS

3. BACKFIELD ACTION

4. BACKFIELD ACTION + GUARD KEYS

FLOW KEYS

E T N T E

B BFRONT SIDEC

OFF SIDE A

FLOW

E T N T E

B BFRONT SIDE

C

OFF SIDE A

FLOW

GUARD KEYS

NT T

B B

REACH OR CUTOFFBOTH GUARDS TAKE CUTOFF ANGLES TO

THE LINEBACKERS

PLAY DIRECTION

NT T

B BSCRAPESTO C SEAM

SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM

NT T

B B

ISOLATION

FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS DOWN

BACKSIDE GUARD TAKES CUTOFF ROUTE

PLAY DIRECTION

NT T

B BRESPECT INITIAL

STEP OF GUARD - AS IF

CUTOFF

SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM

DOUBLETEAM!

ROCK BACKSTAY

NT T

B B

FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS

DOWNDOUBLE TEAM!

BACKSIDE GUARD PULLSTRAP!

GUARD TRAP

PLAY DIRECTION

NT T

B B

PLAY DIRECTION

RESPECT INITIAL

STEP OF GUARD - AS IF

CUTOFF

DOUBLETEAM!

ROCK BACKSTAY

SCRAPE TO OFF A

FOLLOWING GUARD’SPULL

NT T

B B

BOTH GUARDS PULL OUTSIDE

GUARDS PULL SWEEP

PLAY DIRECTION

NT T

B BSCRAPE TO C SEAMDECIDE HERE TO DRIVE

UPFIELD OR LEVELAND GO DOWN THE

LINE OF SCRIMMAGE

*BOTH LB’S STAY INSIDE OF THE FOOTBALLFRONTSIDE MAY OCCASSIONALLY OVER RUN

BACKSIDE CAN NEVER OVER RUN

SCRAPE TO OFF A SEAMSHUFFLE DOWN THELINE OF SCRMMAGEIF YOU CAN GET THE SWEEP FROM BEHIND

GO!

NT T

B B

FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS DOWN

TACKLE TRAP BACKSIDE GUARD

TAKES CUTOFF ANGLE

TACKLE PULLS TO

TRAP

PLAY DIRECTION

NT T

B BRESPECT INITIAL

STEP OF GUARD - AS IF

CUTOFF

DOUBLETEAM!

ROCK BACKSTAY

READS CUTOFFANGLE OF GUARDPICKS TACKLE’S

PULL UPSCRAPES

TO OFFA SEAM

NT T

B B

OFFENSIVE LINE ZONE STEPS

ZONE REACH

PLAY DIRECTION

NT T

B BFIT AT

LINEMAN’SHIP

FILL WHERENEEDED

FIT AT LINEMAN’S

HIPFILL WHERE

NEEDED

NT T

B B

OFFENSIVE LINE PASS SETS

PASS SET

NT T

B B

INITIAL STEPRESPECT

RUN -OPEN

OUTSIDEGET DEPTH

INITIAL STEPRESPECT

RUN -OPEN

OUTSIDEGET DEPTH

BACKFIELD ACTION

WE DESCRIBE BACKFIELD ACTION IN TERMS. EACH TERM DESCRIBES A SPECIFIC BACKFIELD ACTION THAT CAN HAPPEN FROM I, SPLIT BACKS, OR A WEAK OR STRONG SET:VEER DIVEPOWER OR WIDE ISOISOCOUNTER

THE FIRST BACKFIELD ACTION WE TEACH OUR INSIDE LINEBACKERS IS WHAT WE CALL A VEER OR DIVE READ. THIS CAN BE THE MOST DIFFICULT KEY, BUT IT IS THE BEST TO BEGIN WITH BECAUSE IT DEFINES OUR LINEBACKERS’ RESPONSIBILITY BETTER THAN ANY OTHER PLAY. THE GUARDS ARE NOT A GOOD KEY ON THIS COMBINATION. MANY TIMES THEY RELEASE STRAIGHT OUT IN AN ATTEMPT TO JUST HOLD THE LINEBACKERS.

VEER DIVE

B B B BOFF A

YOU HAVE DIVE

BEGIN C SEAM SCRAPE

YOU HAVE QB TO PITCH

POWER OR WIDE ISO

B B B B

C SEAM

OFF A

ISO

B B B B

START C SEAMSCRAPE

PLAY ISO LATE

OFF A

COUNTER

B B B BCHECK 1ST

BACKWORK BACK

TO OFF A

GUARD KEY IS BIG

FIGHT BACK TO C SEAM

SWEEP

B B B B

C SEAMINSIDE OUT ON

SWEEP

OFF A INSIDE OUT DO NOT OVER RUN

BACKFIELD ACTION + GUARD KEYS

NT T

B B

BOTH GUARDS COME STRAIGHT OUT

NO KEY

ONE BACK DIVES OVER GUARD

ONE BACK RUNS PITCH PATH

OPTION!START TO C

SEAM HIDE ATHIP OF DT

QB TO PITCH

OPTION!SCRAPES

TO OFFA SEAM

DIVE

VEEROR DIVE(OPTION)

BACKFIELD VEER DIVE

NT T

B B

FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM

BOTH BACKS FLOW TO A SEAM

INITIAL STEPRESPECT GUARD

CUTOFF

SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM

ISOLATION

DOUBLE TEAMROCK BACK--STAY

PLAY ISO LATE!BACKSIDE GUARD HARD

CUTOFF

BACKFIELD ISO

NT T

B B

BOTH GUARDS HARD CUTOFF

BOTH BACKS FLOW OUTSIDE OF A SEAM

SCRAPESTO C SEAM

SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM

OFF TACKLE

BACKFIELD POWER OR WIDE ISO

NT T

B B

FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM

BACKS SPLIT FLOW

INITIAL STEPRESPECT GUARD

CUTOFF

KEYS SPLIT FLOW AND GUARD’S PULL

SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM

GUARD TRAP

DOUBLE TEAMROCK BACK--STAY!

BACKSIDE GUARD PULLS

BACKFIELD COUNTER

NT T

B B

SWEEPBOTH GUARDS PULL OUTSIDE

SCRAPE TO C SEAMDECIDE HERE TO DRIVE

UPFIELD OR LEVELAND GO DOWN THE

LINE OF SCRIMMAGE

BOTH BACKS OUTSIDE OF C

BACKFIELDSWEEP

SCRAPE TO OFF A SEAMSHUFFLE DOWN THELINE OF SCRMMAGEIF YOU CAN GET THE SWEEP FROM BEHIND

GO!

RESPECT INITIAL

STEP OF GUARD - AS IF

CUTOFF

DOUBLETEAM!

ROCK BACKSTAY

READS CUTOFFANGLE OF GUARDPICKS TACKLE’S

PULL UPSCRAPES

TO OFFA SEAM

NT T

B B

FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM

BACKSIDE GUARD HARD CUTOFF

BACKSIDE TACKLE PULLS

BACKS COUNTER ACTION

TACKLETRAP

BACKFIELD COUNTER

NT T

B B

OFFENSIVE LINE ZONE STEPS

BACKS POWER OR WIDE ISO ACTION,

POSSIBLE COUNTER ACTION

FIT AT LINEMAN’S

HIPFILL WHERE

NEEDED

FIT AT LINEMAN’S

HIPFILL WHERE

NEEDED

ZONE REACH

BACKFIELD POWER, WIDE ISO, OR COUNTER

NT T

B B

INITIAL STEPRESPECT

RUN -OPEN

OUTSIDEGET DEPTH

INITIAL STEPRESPECT

RUN -OPEN

OUTSIDEGET DEPTH

BOTH GUARDS PASS SET

BOTH BACKS PASS SET

PASS SET

BACKFIELDPASS SET

CREATED BY KEVIN REILLY

626 PONDEROSA DRIVE

BEL AIR, MARYLAND 21014

410-638-0754