Doug South

53 Base Defense

“You go to war with the army you have”

The Mentalist

Do what your players can be successful at. Start from simple go to complex.

Be Simple

Use Gap Assignment Principles

Spend time on Tackling

Use conditioning time to promote pursuit

Align correctly

Pursue the football

Make the Tackle

There is no perfect defense. If there was every

game would end in a 0-0 tie because everyone would use it.

Know the weakness - Offense will trap you, run underneath you and screen you. Be ready to defeat these concepts.

On some play, the offense will find the seams. Stop the big runs at the second level (Free Safety).

C SG ST WG WT TE “Y’

E N E S W

B B M

Positions Defined

F

•Cornerbacks are pass defenders and should lead the team in interceptions. •Free Safety should be a good open field tackler and be able to cover the deep pass from sideline to sideline. •Strong Dog is a run defender and is a combination of a Defensive Lineman / Linebacker. •Weak Dog is a pass defender and is a combination Linebacker / Safety. •Middle Backer should be the best run pursuit defender and should lead the team in tackles. •Ends are gap defenders and edge defenders. •Nose should the strongest down lineman on the team. •Backers are inside linebackers, being aggressive is more important than size.

C SG ST WG WT TE “Y’

Gap Assignment Defense

Contain C B A A B Contain

E N E S W

B B

M

C TE

Run Defense

E S E N W

B B

M

Trail Gap Two- Gap Gap Trail

Cutback Cutback

Inside / Out

C TE

Option Defense

E S E N W

B B

M

Pitch Gap Two- Gap Gap Pitch

QB QB

Dive

C SG ST WG WT TE “Y’

“Jet”

Contain C B A A B Contain

E N E S

W

B B

M

C SG ST WG WT TE “Y’

“Bullets” Shade or Slant To “B” Gaps

Contain C B A A B Contain

E N E S W

B B

M

C SG ST WG WT TE “Y’

“Lion” Shade or Slant to Left Opposite call is “Ram”

Contain C B A A B Contain

E N E S W

B B

M

C SG ST WG WT TE “Y’

Nose “Tap”

A A

E N E S W

B B

M

C Y

“Crowd” Can use Three Man to Six Man Pressure

E S E N W B B M

X

Z

B

Q

A

C

F

C

C SG ST WG WT

No Tight End Adjustment Coaching Point: alignment of Strong Dog determines strong side.

Contain B A A B Contain

E N E S W

B B

M

C SG ST WG WT TE “X’

Two Tight End Adjustment Coaching Point: alignment of Strong Dog determines strong side.

Contain C B A A B C Contain

E N E S W

B B

M

TE “Y”

C WG WT SG ST TE “Y’

Heavy Adjustment Strong Wing

Contain Contain

E N E W S B

B M

Z

“Slide” To Four Blockers

C WG T SG T TE “Y’

Heavy Adjustment Tackle Over

Contain Contain

E N E W S B

B M

“Slide” To Four Blockers

TE “X’

C WG WT SG ST TE “Y’

Heavy Adjustment Bunch

Contain Contain

E N E W S B

B M

Z

“Slide” To Four Blockers

B

C SG ST WG WT TE “Y’

Closed Set Adjustment

Contain D C B A A B C D Contain

E N E S W

B B

M

Z

“Duce” Two Deep / 5-4 Front

B

TE X’

F

C C

C Y

Trips Adjustment

E S E N W

B B

M

X

Z B

Q

A

C

F C

C Y

Empty Adjustment

E S E N W

B B

M

X

Z B

Q A

C

F C

C Y

Quad Adjustment

E S E N W

B B M

X

Z B

Q A

C

F C

“Slide” To Four Receivers

C TE

Pass Defense

E 1 E N 5

2 4

3

Coaching Points: •Pass Defense is packaged by pressures. •Blitzers are numbered. •Strong Dog identifies his alignment before each snap. •Strong Dog raises hand and calls out, “1” is here. •One to three numbers can be used.

C SG ST WG WT TE “Y’

Tight End Trade Changes # System

E N E S W

B B

M

TE “Y’

“One is on other side”

Blitzing Concepts •Teach Linebackers how to blitz. •Constant movement (“Show Movement”) and pressure. •To “Dance” is to move back and forth, side to side, gap to gap, be at different levels. Defender must remember with movement, do not get out of position on snap of football. •The Dogs can “Walk Out” into pass coverage before snap. •The Front can “Show & Go” or show one blitz and on snap execute another. •Middle Backer or Backers can be “Decoys”, show blitz, but do not go. •The Dogs, Backers and Middle Backer can “Hide” a blitz or show no movement. •Middle Backer and Backers “Walk Up” to a particular stunt, start off in a base alignment, as the cadence starts, move into the blitz.

C TE

Pass Defense Three Man Pressure

E 1 E N 5

2 4 3

OUT OUT

IN IN

HOLE

. Coaching Point

•No numbers with a front call.

C TE

Pass Defense Four Man Pressure

E 1 E N 5

2 4 3

OUT OUT

IN IN

Coaching Point •One Linebacker will blitz, remaining Linebackers will rotate to four short zones. •One number with front call.

C TE

Pass Defense Five Man Pressure

E 1 E N 5

2 4 3

OUT OUT

Hole

Coaching Point •Two Linebackers will blitz, remaining Linebackers will rotate to three short zones •Two Numbers with front call.

C TE

Pass Defense Six Man Pressure

E 1 E N 5

2 4 3

SPY SPY

Coaching Point •Three Linebackers will blitz, remaining Linebackers will rotate to two short zones •Three numbers with a front call.

•Cornerbacks play Deep pass first, if run, they become “TD Savers”. •Free Safety keeps the football and deepest receivers in front of him. On run, cover “Break Away”.

DEEP 1/3 DEEP

1/3 DEEP 1/3

Three Deep Zone behind Short Zones

F