sound simple defensive schemes for youth football

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 1/32

THE RIGHT FIT

Building A Sound, Simple Defensive Scheme

At The Youth level

Coach William MitchellDefensive Coordinator

Ardrey Kell High SchoolCharlotte, NC

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 2/32

Why do we coach?

How do we gauge success?

What should kids get from our 

program?

•I want the kids to learn to play safe, sound

fundamental football in an enjoyable

environment.

•I can gauge my success by how many of 

my players want to play again next year.

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 3/32

Recommendations

• Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx

• Inside Out Coaching by Joe Ehrmann

• Full Throttle Online (http://playfullthrottle.com)

• Grid Notes (http://gridironnotes.blogspot.com)

• Coach Huey (http://coachhuey.com)

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 4/32

Fundamentals of Defense

• ALIGNMENT

• PURSUIT

• TACKLING

If you do these things well, scheme doesn’t matter  

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 5/32

ALIGNMENT

• 90% of playing good defense is lining up

correctly

• Protect your edges and your back end.

 – Place your best players in these spots

 – For us, these are the BANDITs & the FS

• Stay Gap Sound

 – Definite assignments = Play Fast!

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 6/32

PURSUIT

• Not as natural for kids today

• Emphasize Effort!

•  Angles & Spatial Awareness can come

later 

• Pass Pursuits / Wall Pursuits / Quick

Pursuits

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 7/32

TACKLING

• Most important thing that you can teach

• Use a definite progression.

-Be patient-Allow the players to build confidence

-Avoid mismatches

• Head Up / Chest Up / Garbage Up!• See What You Hit!

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 8/32

SITUATIONS

• What situations do I need to have a plan

for?

• What types of offensive attacks will we

see?

• Different age groups / Different needs

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 9/32

SITUATIONS

• Base Fronts – sound vs run and pass

• Stopping Power Run – 2RBs / 1 or moreTEs

• Stopping Spread Pass – 1RB / 1 or lessTEs

• Stopping Spread Run – 1 RB / 1 or less

TEs• Short Yardage

• Extra Long Yardage

• Goal-Line

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 10/32

THINGS TO CONSIDER

• You may be able to combine somesituations. (Short Yardage / Power Run)

• You want to make the defense extremely

simple for 9 or 10 positions• Have 1 or 2 positions make all

complicated adjustments. (Coach’s son,

more experienced, etc.)• In our scheme the MIKE LB & the WILL LB

are the adjustors.

• Be able to tinker with match-ups. (Spy QB,etc)

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 11/32

BASE FRONTS

• Your BASE front should be sound vs Run or Pass

• This should be the front your players know best.It is the most comfortable for them. This is whatyou fall back on when times are tough.

• I like to use a 5-3 and a 6-2 as my BASE fronts.

• The MIKE LB is the only player using a differenttechnique. BANDITs use SPLIT rules.

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 12/32

BASE 5 - 3

Q 

B

FS

C

BE

WM

N

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 13/32

BASE 6 - 2 

Q 

B

FS

C

BE

W

MN

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 14/32

STOPPING POWER

RUNNING ATTACKS

• Use vs 2 or more RBs / 1 or more TEs

•  All linemen use Gap techniques andPenetrate!

• The MIKE LB is the only player using a

different technique.

• You can look at a 7-3 or an 8 – 2 Front.

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 15/32

7  –  3 Front 

Q 

B

FS

C BE

WM

N C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 16/32

7  –  3 Front 

Q 

B FS

C

BE

WM

N C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 17/32

8 - 2 Front 

Q 

B

FS

CBE

W

MN C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 18/32

8 - 2 Front 

Q 

B

FS

C BE

W

MN C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 19/32

STOPPING SPREAD

ATTACKS

• Is the opponent a Spread-to-Run or a

Spread-to-Pass team?

• Is the QB a threat to run?

• Who is the QB’s favorite target? 

• We like to look at a 5-2 or a 6-1 look

• The WILL LB and the MIKE LB are theadjustors

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 20/32

 5 - 2

Q 

B

FS

C

B

E

W

M

N

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 21/32

 5 - 2

Q 

B

FS

C

B

E

W

M

N

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 22/32

 6 - 1

Q 

B

FS

C

B

E

W

MN

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 23/32

 6 - 1

Q 

B

FS

C

B

E

W

MN

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 24/32

SPECIAL SITUATIONS

• In short yardage, I would look at some of thefronts we used vs Power Run with coverageadjustments.

• In long yardage, I would look at some of thefronts we used vs Spread also with somecoverage adjustments.

• In Goal-Line, I like to use a Gap-8 typealignment.

• In our Victory defense, I like a backed up version

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 25/32

6 - 2 GAP Front vs Short Yardage 

Q 

B

FS

C

BE

W

MN

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 26/32

6 - 2 GAP Front vs Short Yardage 

Q 

B

FS

C

BE

W

MN

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 27/32

 5  –  2 vs Extra Long

Q 

B

FS

C BE

W

M

N

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 28/32

 5  –  2 vs Extra Long

Q 

B

FS

C B E

W

M

N

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 29/32

Gap 8 Front in Goal Line 

Q 

B X

C

BE XMN

CS

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 30/32

Gap 8 Front in Goal Line 

Q 

B X

C

BE XMN

CS

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 31/32

VICTORY Defense

Q 

B

FS

C

B

E

W

M

N

C

S

7/28/2019 Sound Simple Defensive Schemes for Youth Football

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sound-simple-defensive-schemes-for-youth-football 32/32

CONTACT INFO

Coach William Mitchell

Defensive Coordinator 

 Ardrey Kell High School

Charlotte, NC

wmitchell473@gmail.com