By Mike Kuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs 

Insiders Members: Click here to login to the Insiders and read the full-length version of this report including diagrams and spring practice film.

Editor’s Note:  We all know the success that Virginia Tech has had on the defensive side of the ball.  Defensive coordinator Bud Foster and the rest of his staff have continually developed top tier defensive units.  X&O Labs Senior Research Manager Mike Kuchar spent time talking with Torrian Gray, the Hokies defensive back coach, talking about Cover 89, the Hokies short yardage coverage.

Philosophy

The Hokies traditional defensive structure is generically made off of two fronts- a 4-4 “G” package that Bud Foster helped develop and honed into a dynamic unit against pro-style offenses.  It consists of a four-down front with two interior linebackers (Mike and Backer) two exterior backers (Whip and Rover) and a Free Safety meant to “rob” any underneath routes (Diagram 1).  For the last few years, Virginia Tech has used more of a 4-3, Quarters type structure (Diagram 2) particularly against some open sets that the Hokies have encountered in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In Virginia Tech’s terminology any even numbers (0,2,6,8) represent that “G” package while odd numbers (1,3,5,7) are indicative of the 4-3 front.  For example, Cover 8 is a base robber coverage from a 4-4,while Cover 9 is a pure quarters coverage.  When those ACC teams start to creep into the 16-yard line (or what Foster calls the red zone) the Hokies will combine both Cover 8 and Cover 9 into what they call “Cover 89” which is a man/zone matchup. Cover 8 pertains to the field side of the coverage (who is playing robber with on exception on the Free Safety which will be explained below) while the boundary side is playing Cover 9.   “Cover 8 is a pass thought progression.  It’s a pass coverage where we’re going to play in and out routes with the Corners and the Whips and Rovers. Cover 9 is a man principle backside.”

“Cover 9 is the red zone version of our Quarters coverage backside,” said Torrian Gray, the defensive backs coach.  “ The corner is locked backside and the Rover Safety is locked on two vertical on any outside release.  If the ball is in the middle of the field, we would play a Strong G instead of a Field G.”  Cover 89 consists of what is known as a “play it” or “lock it” call given by the Corners which is all based on down and distance.  The scheme will be explained in more detail below.

Cover 89 Coverage Fundamentals

We all know the scheme is always over rated, it’s the fundamentals that make plays, so we wanted to detail some of the more important coverage techniques that Torrian Gray teaches his Corners and Safeties in the passing game.

Corners Technique

Gray wants his Corners to have hard, square, inside alignment with no tilt.  “We try to deny the inside and easiest throw,” said Gray.  “We want to force the outside route and make him throw it through our body.  Against an extended number one receiver, we want to see the ball being snapped.   I don’t want to be just looking at a receiver because if he moves he’s gained leverage.  Once the ball is snapped our Corner’s eyes are going to the inside hip of that receiver.  We use a good two-handed collision to force him outside and make him throw it to our body.”

According to Gray, he doesn’t like to press his Corners inside the red zone because it invites the fade ball, which can be a particularly easy completion in the back of the end zone where space is limited.  “Some of those guys prefer pressing and sitting on the route so I let them play with it based on their individual strength,” said Gray.  “Right now I got a 220 pound guy who likes to get his hands on receivers so I will allow it, but I prefer for them not to do that.   You don’t want to give them an extra shot at the fade route because to me two/thirds of fade routes get completed.”

Rover/Whip Technique

The Whip and Rover have a dual responsibility of playing number to the flat (based on number one’s release) as well as playing force in the run game.   The Whip is the field safety and the Rover is the boundary safety in the Hokies scheme.  Their pre-snap eyes will be consistent. They will key the number two threat whether it’s a Tight End or number two detached anyway.  The “play it” or “lock it” call given by the Corners, tells them to trigger the run or the pass.  “If they get a play-it call, it would be pass in their mind, so they should sneak out to one and see his release instead of waiting for a verbal from the Corners,” says Gray.   When a lock-call is given, it gives the Whip/Rover freedom to tighten up to the box, telling them to be more involved in the run game while playing anything to the flat.

Mike and Sam Technique

In this defense, the Mike and Sam linebackers are freed up to play the run game.  They don’t need to worry about any particular play action, because of the presence of the five coverage defenders.  “They will relate off the back,” said Gray.  “If they get a flair by the back they are freed up.  If the back leaks through the line they will match him up. They don’t worry about a back flaring because it will always be picked up by an outside backer, Nickel, Whip or Corner.    The linebackers  play their run gap and play off that single back.”

FTB Adjustments

In some instances, teams will line up in FTB – Formation to Boundary, meaning the receiver strength will be to the boundary.  According to Gray, this could present some issues.  “We see Tight End and two receivers to the boundary.  You get it enough for teams to show it so you can work on it.  Our adjustment is our Whip or Nickel would have to come over to the boundary and he’d play number three on a vertical or outside release.  He’s locked up on three (Diagram 11).”

To see practice cutups from this Spring of Virginia Tech’s “play-it” and “lock-it” coverage concepts, click in the link below:

What you’re missing…

X&O Labs Insiders members will gain full access to the entire clinic report on Virginia Tech’s Short Yardage Coverage including:

• The difference between the “play-it” and “lock-it” call in short yardage based on the Corner’s communication.
  

• How the Whip and Rover- two outside linebackers in the Hokies system- play match-up principles based on the release of number one.

• The techniques needed to train a Robber Free Safety to undercut routes, something he’s not used to doing. 

• Handling problem routes in short yardage including curl flat combinations and common 3×1 concepts. 

• Plus practice film from Virginia Tech this Spring executing this coverage concept.

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Conclusion

Virginia Tech devotes a good deal of practice time on Cover 89, starting during the Spring .  “We install it in Spring Ball and we continually use it in fall camp,” said Gray.   “We practice it on Monday practice focus with red zone and short yardage.  Thursday we do a red zone script skelly from the 25 yard-line in so I’m making those calls when we get inside the 12 yard-line.  I’ll make my 8 and 89 calls depending on down and distance.  We will do a red zone period again on Thursday.  Friday we start on the field and we end up in the red zone to mentally put them in the game. “

By Rick Wimmer

Head FB Coach

Fishers HS (IN)

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Editor’s Note:  Rick Wimmer has been the head football coach at Fishers High School (IN) since 2006 when the school opened.  Despite going 1-10 in the schools inaugural season while playing a varsity schedule with no seniors, the Tigers have recorded a 54-29 record in 7 seasons including 2 conference championships, 2 sectional championships, and the 2010 Indiana 5A State Championship.  Prior to arriving at Fishers, Wimmer also served as head coach at Greenwood, Merrillville, and Zionsville High Schools.  In 30 years as a head coach, Wimmer’s teams have compiled a 218-112 record earning 9 conference championships, 6 sectional championships, 3 regional championships, and 2 Indiana State Championships (2010, Fishers (5A);  1987, Zionsville (3A).

It seems many of the highly productive offenses today have gone in one of two directions.  A very popular mode of offensive attack today calls for a no-huddle, fast-paced attack.  Often, but not always, these offenses use a limited number of personnel groups and formations so they can get to the line of scrimmage quickly, align properly, and execute plays rapidly to put constant pressure on the defense.  The other end of the spectrum is to use multiple personnel groupings, break from the huddle, and put pressure on the defense by giving them very little time to recognize and adjust to a variety of alignments by shifting to multiple formations.  We have found using movement at the line of scrimmage to be an effective way to pressure the defense and add multiplicity to our offense.

We have three ways to change alignments at the line of scrimmage:

1. The first is simply motion.  Many offenses use motion to change a player’s alignment and often to change the strength of a formation.
2. The second is a shift.  For us, a shift is resetting the alignment of any number of players after we get to the line of scrimmage.
3. We call our third method of changing alignments a stem.  In our nomenclature, a stem starts with a single player in motion across the formation to change the strength followed by one or any number of players moving to another position to complete the stem as the original player in motion resets.

Benefits of Pre-Snap Movement

Shifts and stems will affect defenses differently depending on the scheme of the defense and how the opponent wishes to handle movement.  There are several reasons we choose to use movement in our offense.  Many times the advantage we can gain from a shift or a stem depends on how the defense chooses to react to our movement.  Here are the reasons we may choose to use certain kinds of movement against an opponent:

• The defensive players will have less time to recognize a formation and process what tendencies we may have from a particular set.
• For defenses that want to flip personnel to put particular players to the TE strength, we may be able to get our TE(s) matched up on players not as comfortable or effective playing against a TE  or a 3-man surface.
• Quick movement and realigning can help the offense outflank the defense or, by adding TEs to the surface of a new alignment, can create extra gaps that must be defended by aligning properly very quickly.
• Should a defensive coordinator choose to move personnel as our offense re-aligns, those defensive  players must then re-set, refocus on their key, think about what blocking schemes they might get  from the final alignment, and still try to play fast and aggressively.  This can be difficult.
• For reduction type defenses, players will either need to slide their front, probably forcing them to play positions they are not accustomed to playing (1technique becomes 3 technique;  5 technique  becomes a 7 or 9 technique) or change the defense and, probably as a result, the coverage (Over  front becomes Under front).
• Motion, shifts, and stems create multiplicity in the offense.  We allow certain players freedom to align anywhere they choose in pre-shift or pre-stem alignments creating a variety of pre-set alignments which may often be unpredictable.  When you combine such movements with a variety of personnel groups, the pre-set formations and final alignments are multiplied without creating  much additional learning for your own players.

Sometimes we think our opponent may be more likely to stay in balanced, generic fronts to reduce the need to make many adjustments.  For example, a 30 front team may be more likely to stay in a balanced 30 front as opposed to reducing the defense to or away from a TE.  Some defenses may be less likely to use stunts and blitzes as the shifting and stemming may require changes in the calls or at least some thinking and possible hesitation in their execution.

Controlling Your Movement Package

Getting the players to be able to execute different movements effectively and efficiently is very important.  We have a variety of motions, shifts, and stems but we will generally go into a game with just a couple of those shifts and stems.  However, by mid-season our opponent will have seen 6 or 7 different movement patterns.  The opponent will have to practice against all of our motions, shifts, and stems while we are preparing 2 or 3 for a particular game.  Also to add to the multiplicity for our opponent, most of our shifts and stems allow certain players to have a pre-shift alignment of their choosing.  Our communication of a single shift or stem of our players may look like several different re-sets to our opponent that will need to be drawn on a scout card and practiced against their own defense.  Also we choose to tie our movements to our snap count.  We believe this also helps us with the efficiency of our movements.  Some teams elect to use foot movements or hand movements by the QB to trigger motions and shifts.  By tying our movements to the snap count, we are able to automatically vary the snap count and, we believe, it helps w/ the timing while not putting another responsibility on the QB at the line of scrimmage.

For example, with some kind of long motion (WR across ball or TE/FB across ball and back), we might want the ball snapped “on one.”  i.e.  “Set – 2 (motion begins), 14 – 2, 14 – Hut” (ball snapped).  With a short motion (FB/TE motion across ball or WR short motion toward ball), we might call for the snap count to be “on the numbers.”  i.e. “Set – 2 (motion begins), 14 – Hut.” (ball snapped).  Without divulging all of our various snap counts and specific movements that are coordinated with them, our various shifts, double shifts, shifts with motion, and stems all require specific snap counts and cadence mechanics that help us vary the snap count during the course of the game. 

Of course, the QB and moving players must understand that shifting players must re-set for a full second before the snap or before another movement can be executed.  This will, at times, require the QB to “hold” certain parts of the cadence with a pause before continuing.  This adds a non-rhythmic aspect to the cadence for the opponent but, because it is expected by our players, it really creates a rhythmic advantage that helps us with our takeoff. 

Purposeful Pre-Snap Movements

One factor that is important for players to understand and execute is the speed and purpose of their movements.  Players must move quickly with certainty to their new alignments.  We want to put pressure on the defenders to make any necessary adjustments quickly.  Even if they make no alignment adjustment, there is likely to be some thinking and hesitancy as defenders work to recognize the new possibilities they are facing from a new alignment.  In order to practice these movements and to help our players become confident so they can move quickly, we will generally work a 5-10 minute period on Tuesday and Wednesday to rep our movements against air.

Working movements against air allows us to move much faster getting more reps while not being slowed down by a scout defense that needs to get set.  We also can execute quickly because we are not having to worry about blocking assignments.  We simply will practice our cadence, time our movements, and work on coming off the ball in the run game with proper footwork or throw play-action passes.

Shift Package

We have five shifts that are easily executed and, because of the liberal alignment rules for certain players, may appear to be several different shifts to our opponents.

The first shift we call “Move.”  The words “Move to” are called in the huddle before the formation call to alert players of the shift.  “Move” tells our R-back (could be our Fullback, 2^nd TE, or a 3^rd WR) to align in a position other than where he will end up.  Below are two common “Move” shifts:

Move to Twins Right Far (21 personnel)

Move to Tight Left Queen (13 personnel)

By creating a 4 man surface and adding 2 gaps to what was originally the weakside of the formation, the defense could be outflanked quickly.  This is a great shift to help us gain the edge with zone or pin + pull principles.  Sometimes inside gaps will be compromised with defensive adjustments.  It is also great for play-action passes as we are presenting a strong running formation.

Jump Package

“Jump” is a way to change the strength without having the Y TE flip across the formation.  We have sometimes changed how we do this from game to game or year to year.  The Y TE will have a pre-shift alignment in a flexed position on the same side as he will end up after the shift.  Below are a couple of examples of how we have used this shift:

Jump to Twins Right Queen  (12 personnel)

This is another shift we like if we can get a personnel mismatch or if we can get an adjustment that forces several players to move causing confusion or loss of gap integrity.  Again, we like Inside and outside zone, pin + pull concepts, gap scheme, and play-action passes off our best runs.

Jump to Tight Left Near (22 personnel)

Tango Package

Our final shift is called “Tango.”  “Tango” tells an OT to Trade across the formation.  Our Y TE will Trick if we are moving to an Over formation, coming back to form a 2-man surface but, of course, he is an eligible receiver.  When we Tango to a Heavy set, the TE will Trade with the OT to the new position.  The R-back again has freedom in his pre-shift alignment but will end up in the formation called.  We use Tango to shift to Tackle Over and Heavy (unbalanced, 4 man surface) sets.

We have occasionally used it to go from Over or Heavy formations back to conventional alignments.

Tango to Over Right Queen (12 personnel)

We like using Tango to Over formations to get 2 OTs on the same side of the ball.  This can help us get the edge on the outside by putting 2 of our best linemen next to each other.  We use all our same concepts in Over formations (zone, pin + pull, gap, play-action).  Releasing the Y TE  from the 2-man surface on a play-pass can be effective if protection is not compromised.

Tango to Heavy Left (22 personnel)

Using Tango to get to an unbalanced Heavy formation, forces the defense to make some decisions regarding moving the front and/or rolling the secondary.  We still run our basic zone, gap, and play pass concepts.

Conclusion

One thing coaches need to come to grips with when using movement in practice is that it does reduce the number of plays you will be able to run in a given segment.  This is another reason we like to practice our shifts and stems in a Speed segment (runs vs air) or Play-Action vs Air segment (no linemen).  Then when we use a scout defense, we will minimize the number of times we will use movement in our practice scripts so we can play faster and get more reps.

The number of times we will use a shift or a stem in a given game will vary depending on how the defense reacts and what degree of advantage we believe we are getting from the use of movement.  Sometimes, when the outcome of a game is decided relatively early, we may elect not to use many shifts.  Although we did use a shift or a stem in every game this past season, there were 4 games in which we used these movements 3 times or fewer.  However, it was not uncommon for us to use these movements 10-12 times in most of the remaining 9 games.  This past season, we used shifts or stems 93 times in 13 games.  This number does not include the snaps in which we used motion alone.  We are now beginning to realize that even when we don’t recognize a specific advantage we are gaining in alignment or personnel matchups, we often gain the advantage of giving the defensive players a very short time of recognition as well as forcing the next few opponents who see us on film to take practice time to prepare for these movements.  We hope to continue to find ways to improve the effectiveness of movement by studying how to better manipulate the defense, how to better incorporate movement into the game plan, and how to better teach it to our players and practice it effectively.

What you’re missing…

X&O Labs Insiders members will gain full access to Coach Wimmer’s full length clinic report including:

• How to stems combined with personnel changes can quickly force secondary and front adjustments.

• How Coach Wimmer’s “Trade” and “Trick” packages can confuse a defense without requiring new learning by the offense.

• Downloadable Practice Scripts that Coach Wimmer uses to rep his shifts as part of his broader offensive gameplan.

• Plus many more concepts with diagrams and film.

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By Brian Scott

Associate Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator

Old Dominion University

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Editor’s Note:  Coach Scott is the offensive coordinator at Old Dominion completed his sixth season with the program in 2012.  Prior to the 2012 season, the ODU offense under Scott was one of the best in the nation, ranking in the top-10 nationally in several categories. This season the Monarchs led the FCS in scoring offense with 45.15 points per game, passing offense at 393.85 and total offense with 548.23 yards per game.  In 2009, Coach Scott was among the four finalists for FootballScoop.com’s D-1AA Coordinator of the Year.

The success we have had in our program at extending the play stems from our overall offensive philosophy of running an up-tempo offense at a high rate of efficiency. Our system is simple which makes us efficient, we refuse to have “paralysis of over-analysis”, we cannot execute our system with the speed and tempo that we need if we are over thinking. The success that we have comes from our quarterback; he must be a great decision maker and put our offense in the best situation at all times during the game even when a play breaks down.

Quarterbacks must always bring calmness to the offense, even amidst the “chaos”. Our rules are simple; just take what the defense gives you.

To see how Coach Scott designs his “Extend the Play” concepts, click on the link below:

What you’re missing…

X&O Labs Insiders members will gain full access to Coach Scott’s full length clinic report on scramble rules including:

• The adjusted routes of both play side and back side receivers when in a scramble situation. 

• How he teaches his QB to use his feet and eyes to escape pressure and develop throwing lanes.

• Adjustments that Coach Scott will make based on types of pressure.

• A video tutorial of Coach Scott’s scramble drill with in-game footage from this past season.

• Plus much more…

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X&O Labs Columnist

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Editor’s Note: Coach Dan Ellis is one of X&O Labs’ most popular monthly columnist.  His columns focus on offensive schemes that just flat out move the ball.  His previous post have been some of the most read and commented articles in X&O Labs’ history.  Ellis is the former record-setting quarterback at Virginia and currently serves as the Head Football Coach at West Chester East High School (PA).  And one of the best things about Coach Ellis is that he takes the time to answer any and all questions asked. So, if you have any questions after reading his column, just post it in the comments section below this report and Coach will respond shortly.

A play that we use, primarily as a QB counter, is tackle wrap.  We view this play not as a finesse play, but as a downhill power/iso type of play that can be used as a 1 back run play and a QB counter.  We try to get our guards help with the center at the point of attack to stop penetration.  As our offensive line coach, Cody Loeffler, is famous for saying to our offensive line, “Our offense is like a mullet, business up front and party in the back.”  Looks like a lot going on, but up front its basically downhill running game.  Spoken like a true offensive line coach!

Wrap vs. Even Front

Essentially against an even front defense, we will combo the A gap defender and pull for the PSLB.  Again, for us this is a downhill play.  We’re leading just as if it was an isolation, but we are using our tackle instead of a fullback.

We prefer to run this play to the A gap defender and we will often combo the play.  If we are running it with the RB, the QB will read the backside C gap defender.  If the QB is running the ball, the RB will account for the C gap defender by carrying out his fake and blocking him.

See the diagrams below vs. a 4-4 look (Diagram 1).

Apexed OLB

The only adjustment against a 4-3 look would be if the BSLB is completely out of the box where our slot receiver can block him.  By game plan in those situations, we would tell the play side combo to combo to the MLB and ALSO the BST pulling for the same player.  If the backside outside linebacker gets too close, we just combo to him.  We also run this play out of trips to the split side and it looks very similar to a 4-4 look (with a 4-2 box).

Rules for Odd Front

Against a true odd front, we adjust this play to more like our power concept for simplicity.  We love our single back power.  The simple change is to pull our BSG instead of the BST.  The BST tackle is now cutting off or sifting the B gap.  This allows us to get the guard quickly around the combo to the PSLB.  This way it happens very quickly and we’re downhill.

See the diagrams below vs. a 3-4 look (Diagram 3).

Rules vs. and Odd Stack

Against the stack, we combo the PSG and C up to the MLB and the BST is now sifting the B gap looking for the stacked OLB to blitz B gap or the defensive end to spike the B gap.  The QB (on RB wrap) would be reading the C gap defender.

The only odd front we like to run this against is a true 50 defense.  Teams that will run a 4I and 9 tech we will run it either into the 4I and fan the PST and PSG or we can run it back to the bubble with the nose and the 5 tech.  Running it into the 4I can be difficult on the C and BSG combo to the BSILB.  Running it to the bubble can make the read for the QB difficult with a 4I and another defender outside.  Because of those difficulties, we usually will run the QB wrap to the 5 tech side (Diagram 5) and the RB wrap to the 4I (Diagram 6.)

What you’re missing…

X&O Labs Insiders members will gain full access to Coach Ellis’ full length clinic report on including:

• Specific coaching points used to attack both odd and even fronts.

• Additional diagrams that show how Coach Ellis attacks different front and box looks.

• Multiple variations of the Wrap Concept including the increasingly popular Pistol 2 back option.

• Plus video on all of these concepts.

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Conclusion

The Dart play is a great downhill play that we have found to be very effective in terms of having a downhill scheme that we could combine with much of the variations that are out there now in wide use.  There is no reason you can’t be downhill from a spread set.

Editor’s Note:  X&O Labs Senior Research Manager Mike Kuchar spent time this spring at Kean University (NJ) talking with head coach Dan Garrett and the rest of his defensive staff about the Cougars 50 front zone pressures.  The Cougars finished 2nd in the NJCA in total defensive in 2012 and qualified for the Division 3 playoffs in 2011, the first in program history.

The Pressure Process:

Much like many other successful coaches, one of Dan Garrett’s primary philosophies is that the process is more important than the result.  This can be true in many elements of football, but perhaps none more so than when installing pressure packages.  Too often players are so consumed with whom to blitz and where to blitz and losing sight of the entire concept of the blitz.  While this process may not be new to some coaches, it’s inherently built in Garrett who does everything methodically when implementing his blitz patterns.  According to him, this is a culmination of the schemes he learned current University of Miami head coach Al Golden when he was with the University of Virginia.

The key in any system is to play fast, so Kean uses a five-man pressure system with a three-deep, three under coverage system.   According to Garrett, he’s tried other concepts such as the two-deep system Wagner College uses (add Wagner College piece link here) but he felt it was often too much for his players to handle.    In either case there are main focus points he makes sure his players understand when implementing the zone pressure.  They are below:

Something we felt Coach Garrett does with his staff is breakdown to his players the type of blitz angle they are on when they are sent.  We’ve seen too many players not understand how to blitz, often taking themselves out of the play by the time the ball is snapped.  In order to alleviate this, Coach Garrett gives his blitzers the following aiming points:

• First level blitzer- Blitz to the heels of the offensive line, then react to ball movement.
• Second level blitzer- Blitz to depth of QB post-snap and get home, reaction to ball movement might be later.
• Third level blitzer- Blitz to up-field shoulder of deepest offensive player.  This blitz Is usually responsible for turning the ball back into pursuit.

Controlling Your Blitz

Once Garrett and his staff teach the coverage zones of the pressure, he progresses into how he controls the blitz.  Controlling the blitz simply means calling the pressure based on what tendencies you see from your opponent.  Garrett will game plan his blitzes based on offensive tendencies and formations.  According to Garrett one of the benefits of the odd front pressure scheme is that both sides are mirrored.  This helps with any change of strength or motion.  Whatever pressure you select, both sides of the defense need to be prepared to execute it- depending on the offensive formation.  “Certain offensive coaches do certain things and now you can neutralize or attack those tendencies,” said Garrett.  “A high percentage of the time you will be right- at least much more than you will be wrong.  It takes proper homework on your opponent.”

The concept of the tag blitz puts the defensive coach in control of where the blitz is coming from.  Kean University’s zone pressures attack four particular offensive elements:

• “Closed” Blitzes attack the Tight End side of formations.
• “Open” Blitzes attack the Split End side of formations.
• “Strong” Blitzes attack the strength of the formation.
• “Weak” Blitzes attack the weak side of formation.

Mirrored Teaching

When Coach Garrett implements the pressure patterns, he uses the whole, part, whole methodology by just putting up X’s on the white board or having random players stand-in on the field during walk-through’s.  He pairs the Open or Weak blitz with the Closed or Strong blitz so that players are mirroring each other.  In the example below, Garrett is using a four strong (or weak) concept.

Once he feels if his players understand the concept, he’ll progress to adding defenders based on position into the pressure.

In the next example, Garrett now will progress to change-up the blitz to an alternate side pressure, where one outside linebacker will blitz with the opposite inside blitz.  Again, this is done in a mirrored fashion with “X’s” so players understand the concept.

Once he feels as if his players understand the concept, he’ll progress to adding defenders based on position into the pressure.

Blitz Patterns

Florida

Florida is four weak or four strong pressure that sends the inside and outside linebacker to the call side.  Garrett likes to blend his Florida concept with a “Cavalier” front which means the Defensive Ends will be in solid 4 techniques- head up the offensive Tackles.

Below, the blitz is drawn up against defending the QB in the read zone game.  Notice how the pressure comes right when the QB pull the ball.  It forces the pull read for the QB.

If Garrett wants the running back to keep the ball, he’ll “tag” the blitz away from him forcing a give read for the QB.

To see video of Cavalier Florida, click on the line below:

What you’re missing…

X&O Labs Insiders members will gain full access to the full length clinic report on including:

• How Coach Dan Garrett and the Kean defensive staff train their Corners footwork to react off the QB in zone pressure coverages.

• Their methodology in tagging a pressure based on certain offensive tendencies.

• Kean University’s formation adjustments in their four base zone pressures.

• How Kean is able to tag pressures based off threats in the read zone game.

• Plus game film of all these concepts.

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Conclusion

By using mirrored fronts that the Odd Front provides, the multiplicity in the zone blitz patterns can be abundant while the teaching time is shortened.  According to Garrett, the key to the scheme is making sure both sides of the defense (strong and weak) know who is blitzing and where they are coming from.  This comes with constant reinforcement in the classroom and on the field. 

By Jason Thier

Defensive Coordinator

University of Montana Western

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Editor’s Note:  At 24 years old, Jason Thier became the Defensive Coordinator at The University of Montana Western in 2011. Prior to coming to UMW, Thier spent two seasons at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. In 2010, he helped coach the team to a 10-1 regular season record and the NCIS South Division Championship. In his young career he has coached five all-conference players and one all-region player, at both the linebacker and safety position. Thier played at Truman State University where he was a three-year starter at linebacker, earning All-MIAA Defensive honors his senior year. 

There is no question that the game of football is in constant motion. It is a continual machine of change. Each year it seems like there is a new offensive scheme that is gaining momentum and earning the reputation of being unstoppable. It then spreads like a wild fire across the country, traveling with coaches from team to team, conquering the game one conference at a time. Because of this, defenses are forced to adapt and adjust to combat all the latest and greatest offensive trends. This process is cyclical: offensive minds come up with new ideas and defensive minds find ways to stop them. However, there is one thing about football that will never change: it is a game of numbers and match-ups. A team’s ability to gain the numbers advantage and create favorable match-ups has a direct correlation with their ability to achieve victory.

That is one of the main reasons why we have chosen to run a 3-4 defense here at Montana Western. It garners the ability to eliminate offensive mismatches and exploit match-ups of our own. It also gives us the ability to line up and adjust to all offensive schemes and formations. Being a base 3-4 team, we ran 46% of our plays last season out of reductions fronts (four fronts using a linebacker as the fourth linemen). It is the flexibility to move in and out of reduction fronts that gives the 3-4 defenses the adaptability to defend all offensive attacks. In order to be successful playing in reduction fronts we have to do a great job of teaching our linebackers to play on the line of scrimmage. This article is going to be two tiered; first I am going to focus on how we teach our linebackers to play on the line of scrimmage and secondly I am going to introduce you to the multitude of reduction fronts we use in an effort to eliminate mismatches.

Stance and Technique

When playing up on the line of scrimmage we want our linebackers to be physical and aggressive, attacking blockers and delivering contact. In order to do so, a linebacker’s stance when playing on the line of scrimmage must be low, powerful, and comfortable. Regardless of which stance you choose to use when playing a linebacker on the line of scrimmage, above anything else it must incorporate those three things. If a player is not comfortable in his stance, his first movement will be to get comfortable, creating wasted movement. Our goal is to eliminate all wasted movements. If the player is not in a low and powerful position to engage a blocker he is at a disadvantage to give up ground immediately on the snap. Last season we started the year with our linebackers using what we call a HIP stance when they were playing on the line.

Fundamentals of the HIP Stance

• Eyes are keying the near shoulder of the man you are shading. Read his tip to determine the block (To, Away, Back).
• Inside foot is up, the back toe is to the heel of the front foot, and the feet are slightly inside of the shoulders.
• The knees are bent, shoulders are back, and chest is big.
• The hips are aligned with your aiming point (usually the outside tip of the man you are shading).
• Hands are relaxed in front of your body ready to strike.
• The first step is a six inch power step with the inside foot, into the crotch of the man you are shading. Be careful not to over stride. Violently fire your inside hand to the V of the neck and outside hand to the shoulder of the offensive player. Step and strike should happen at the same time.

However, after our week four game we noticed that instead of stepping with the inside foot to engage blockers, our players were stepping backward with their outside foot to absorb contact. We also noticed that on the snap our guys were lowering their pads and repositioning their base. This indicated a lack of comfort and proper pad level. We then decided that we needed to make a change. We decided to put our players in a better position to be successful and to accomplish what was most important about playing on the line of scrimmage: being low, powerful, and comfortable. We then implemented what we refer to as the WAR stance.

Reduction Fronts

Before I go into the different reductions fronts that we use I must explain how we personnel our linebackers. Before the days of the spread offense it was easy to have cookie-cutter linebackers, all interchangeable with one another. With offenses doing a great job of getting athletes in space in today’s game, it is our job as a defense to do the same. Within our scheme we want to be able to match personnel with the offense, big with big and speed with speed.

We call our four linebackers the Bull, Wolf, Mike, and Sam. The Wolf is our field outside linebacker. He should be more of a linebacker/safety-type player. The Wolf needs to be athletic in space, good at open field tackles, and solid in coverage. This is a great position for that safety which is not quite fast enough but is strong and physical. The Bull is our boundary outside linebacker; he should be more of a linebacker/defensive end-type player. The Bull needs to be good on the line of scrimmage, a capable pass rusher, and able to play in the box. This is a great position for that smaller athletic defensive end. The Mike is our weak inside linebacker. He is our true inside backer type player. The Mike needs to have the best instincts of all the backers, play extremely well inside the box, and have some range in coverage. The Sam is our strong inside backer. The Sam should be your best overall linebacker. He needs to be a jack of all trades. Out of all the backers he is going to be the one who is asked to do the most; therefore, he needs to be intelligent and savvy. Setting up our personnel the way we do allows us to eliminate most match-ups we don’t like and create the ones we do like. It also allows our players to use the skills sets they are best at and confident in.

Knowing how we personnel our backers will help you understand why we run so many different reduction fronts. Again, each front is used to help us keep the match-ups we believe can give us an advantage. One reason why reduction fronts are great out of the 3-4 defensive is because they force an offense to learn how to block all their run plays against three man, four man, and five man fronts. This can force an offense to limit what they run because they do not have enough time to practice how to block it all. Another reason why I like reduction fronts is because it aligns all your players in shades verse the run. If you have a young player or player that struggles with movement, it places them in a gap and lets them play fast. Reductions fronts also make it easy for backers to align to 3×1 formations when the ball is on the hash. This helps take away leverage the offense can gain versus a three front. Finally, reduction fronts out of the

3-4 are valuable because they help disguise zone blitz and drop a linebacker from the line of scrimmage instead of dropping a defensive lineman.

We use the Bear Bryant terminology when talking about our defensive line alignments or techniques. It is with that terminology that we dictate where our players line up in our different reduction fronts (Diagram 3). We implement seven different reduction fronts throughout the course of the year. That does not mean we use each front in every game; instead, we chose the fronts we think will work best and practice those to prepare for our opponent. We can run all of our line stunts out of each front. When we teach our line stunts we teach them by the technique not the player. Our seven base reduction fronts are as follows: Under, Short, Over, Sting, Wide, Even, and Bear. We also use a front strength and coverage strength when in reduction fronts to guarantee that the Wolf goes to the multiple WR side in the middle of the field.

Under and Short

The Under and Short fronts puts our defense in a front shifted to the weak side. The 3 technique is weak and the 1 technique is strong. To an opposing offense the two fronts look exactly the same, but where they differ is in the personnel playing each technique. In Under it is the weak-side outside linebacker that becomes the fourth player on the line as the weak 5 technique, bumping the defensive line to the strength (Diagram 4).

In Short, the Sam becomes the fourth player on the line as the 1 technique strong, making the nose the 3 technique. You could also choose to play the Sam as the 3 technique if you like that match-up more (Diagram 5).The Under front is good when the ball is on the hash versus 10 and 11 personnel because it puts the Bull on the line in most cases (our best rush linebacker). By calling it on a hash it allows us to keep a two linebacker box, with the Mike not needing to push outside of the box into the boundary. It also gives us the possibility of an athletic mismatch with our linebacker versus most offensive tackles and a quicker player running line stunts. Of all the reduction fronts, we are in Under the most. The Short front is a good call in the middle of the field versus 10 personnel when you want to be in an Under front look. It allows you to keep your outside backers outside the box in space to take away screen threats, and it gives you a mismatch of a faster linebacker on a slower offensive linemen. Depending on what coverage you like to run, it also can place the force players in a favorable leverage position to begin with.

Over, Sting, and Wide Fronts

The Over, Sting, and Wide fronts puts our defense in a front shifted to the strong side. The 3 technique is strong and the 1 technique is weak. Like Under and Short, to an opposing offense the three fronts look the same, but where they differ is in the personnel playing each technique. In Over it is the strong-side outside linebacker that becomes the fourth player on the line as the strong 5 technique versus a two man surface or 9 technique versus a three man surface, bumping the defensive line away from the strength (Diagram 6).

Even

The Even front puts our defense in a balanced front. The weak-side outside linebacker becomes our fourth player on the line as the weak 5 technique. The weak end plays a 2 technique, the nose plays a strong 2 technique and the strong end plays a 5 technique (Diagram 9). From Even you have the ability to easily slant into the Over or Under fronts once the ball is snapped.

Since Even makes the weak outside linebacker the fourth rusher, it is great in all the same situations as Under. It is also good in true pass situations since you can easily run mirrored line games.

Conclusion

If you are going to run a 3-4 defensive it is simple by getting into reduction fronts to become multiple and to obtain the most from your personnel against any offensive structure. However, it does not matter which reduction fronts you use or how many, if you do not teach your linebackers how to properly play on the line of scrimmage. I hope that you are able to take something from this article and that it will help you and your program as you compete in the future. Thank you again for the opportunity to share this information.

What you’re missing…

X&O Labs Insiders members will gain full access to Coach Thier’s full length clinic report on including:

• The edge stance that Coach Their used with his first-level linebackers which cut opponents offensive productivity by 100 yards per game.

• A video tutorial on how he teaches his OLB’s the hard edge technique, the chase and squeeze technique and line games and pass rush.

• Coach Thier’s “Sting” Front variant, an adjustment used to defend strong side run schemes.

• Coach Thier’s “Wide” Front variant, an adjustment used to defend perimeter schemes.

• Coach Thier’s “Bear” Front variant which defends 12 and 22 personnel groupings.

• Plus video on all of these concepts.

Join X&O Labs’ Insiders Website. Click Here!

Offensive Coordinator

Irving High School (TX)

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Editor’s Note:  Todd Allen is in his ninth year coaching football and his first year as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks’ coach at Irving High School (Texas Class 5A). Under his tutelage, the Tigers saw a 186% increase in points per game and an 82% increase in yards per game from the previous three year average. Prior to his arrival at Irving High School, Coach Allen was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks’ coach at The Colony High School (2007-2011).  Under his guidance, the Cougars broke 26 offensive school records and routinely were a top performer in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. From 2007-2011 seasons, The Colony experienced a 71% increase in points per game and 56% increase in yards per game from the previous three year average. Currently, Coach Allen has published two books with Coaches Choice Publishing and is under contract for a third, which is expected in the spring of 2014. 

I’ve been extremely fortunate to work for two head coaches who have great trust in their offensive staff — asking only that we move the football and score points. As luck would have it, we have done just that. In only one season under this current offensive regime, Irving High School (Texas Class 5A) saw a 186% increase in points per game and an 82% increase in yards per game from the previous three year average. This can be attributed to three things: a great offensive staff, which prides itself on cohesion and honesty about what our kids can and cannot do; great kids willing to adapt to a new system; and a solid, balanced scheme.

While I could write hundreds of pages on the former, it is the latter that will garner the focus of this article. At Irving High School, we run what is generically called a pro-spread offense, assuming we can agree any offense utilizing three or more receivers in multiple formations is in fact an evolution of the spread, and that incorporating a tight end and full back makes you pro style. Moreover, our goal at IHS is to be balanced offensively. It is our opinion this can be achieved in a multitude of ways, with the most obvious being an approximate balance between run and pass. Our identity, however, is truly found in our run game: a scheme utilizing misdirection as well as zone and gap scheme concepts.

The primary focus will be on four plays: 1) pop, 2) pop-power, 3) pop-zone and 4) pop pass. All of these plays begin with the “pop” or “fly” sweep. Obviously, the ability to run just the pop is a great, but is not necessary to achieve success with the other plays as the misdirection will achieve the desired affect regardless, albeit a slight ruse.

For the purpose of time and space, the four plays outlined in this article will only be shown against one front.

Play 1:  Pop Play

The first play illustrated is the pop. Timing is critical and will be a theme throughout. The inside receiver must sprint across the formation at full speed. It is not his job to slow down and receive the football. The quarterback is responsible for getting the football cleanly to the receiver. Likewise, he must snap the football as the inside receiver is approaching the near tackle. Once the ball is snapped the quarterback will put the ball in the receiver’s belly and ride him for two steps, ultimately relinquishing the football. The fullback will offer a hand to the defensive end and will work to the force player. The running back (T) will attack the force player right now and work to next level if the force player is already engaged. The offensive line will execute a full zone technique, working to space more so than a man.

Play 2:  Pop Power

Timing is vital in this package. It is crucial the ball be snapped just before the inside receiver reaches the offensive tackle. The pop runner must be at a full sprint by the time he reaches the tackle. The running back (T) must allow the pop runner to clear as he takes a small slide step toward the quarterback. This action does two things; it allows the running back to see the hole develop and slows him down, forcing patience. The quarterback will offer the ball quickly to the pop runner, and then open his body to the running back, placing the ball in his belly and stepping with him into the line of scrimmage before ultimately relinquishing the football. The quarterback should then take a quick three step drop showing an action pass.

The offensive line play through the three plays outlined in this article utilize power zone and gap scheme. We feel this allows for greater movement and angles. In this particular example, our left tackle will combo block with the left guard to the number two inside linebacker. It is critical we achieve movement and do not get stalemated. The center will block back on the defensive tackle. The right guard will hug the combo block as he pulls around looking for the number one play side linebacker or first off-colored jersey to show in the hole. The right tackle will hinge and protect. The key block on this play is the Y, or tight end. He must read the action of the defensive end. If he can dig out the end, placing his head on the inside shoulder, then he will. However, because we run so much power and counter, our Y’s and guards must realize that if the end washes himself inside in an attempt to spill the play, we must log the end and be prepared to bounce the play outside.

Play 3:  Pop Zone

The third play in this series is the pop-zone. The zone is our number one running play; therefore, any time we can couple zone with misdirection we feel like it should be a safe and successful play. As was the case with the previous example, timing is critical and the receiver must be at a full sprint when the ball is snapped. The running back will open play side then begin downhill, attacking the play side “A” gap. We teach all of our running backs (T) this is a bang or bend play, meaning, this play could go play side A, or even back side A/B gap. Essentially, the running back must be ready to put his foot in the ground and be an athlete. The quarterback will offer the ball quickly to the pop runner, and then get the ball as deep as possible to the running back. He will then show action pass and pop up at 8 yards depth.

The offensive line will execute power zone blocking. The back side tight end is on an island and must dig out the 7 technique. The left tackle and left guard will combo block the defensive tackle to the backside linebacker. The center and right guard will combo block the defensive tackle to the play side linebacker. The right tackle and play side tight end will combo the defensive end to the corner or a stack linebacker. The wing will work to the force player.

Play 4:  Pop Pass

The fourth and final play in this sequence is the pop pass. We believe in having a play action concept for every part of our run game. In this particular play, we show the exact same action as Fig 1.3. The receiver must sprint across the formation and give a great fake as he continues toward the sideline ultimately becoming the flat runner. The running back open play side and attacks the line of scrimmage eyeing the play side linebacker. The quarterback must sell the run action first and foremost. It is imperative he get to 8 yards depth for spacing and timing purposes. The play side tight end will take an outside release then attack the near hash and work to the middle of the field. The wing will release outside, through the outside shoulder of the force player and work up field between the numbers and the sideline. His width is critical for spacing.

The offensive line will execute a 5 man slide protection with the play side tackle locking on to the defensive end. It is critical the back side tight end and all offensive line man take an aggressive play side zone step and maintain a low hat to achieve the desired run action. Once the run action has occurred all lineman must protect their gap not a man.

What you’re missing…

X&O Labs Insiders members will gain full access to Coach Allen’s full length clinic report on including:

• The advantages that Coach Allen finds from using is “pro-spread” offense. 

• How Coach employs this concept against different looks and varies playcalling during games.

• An exclusive interview with Coach Allen that details additional coaching points.

• Plus game film of all these concepts

Join X&O Labs’ Insiders Website. Click Here!

By Sam Nichols

Managing Editor

X&O Labs

Insiders Members: Click here to login to the Insiders and read the full-length version of this report including a detailed breakdown of their spring practice.

 
Editor’s Note: This spring X&O Labs was invited out to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI to get an up close look at the changes that are taking place under 1st year head coach PJ Fleck.  Western’s staff, to a man, thanked us for our work in helping coaches and allowed us full access to their practice and staff afterwards.  The story that emerged was different than the one I expected to write, but it is one that we can all learn from and has lessons we can all use in our own coaching starting today.

What does a 32 year old, first time head coach choose to base his program on as he takes over an FBS program? Flashy offense? Blitzing Defense? Neither. Instead, PJ Fleck came into Western Michigan looking to find the root of the reason that recent teams had not lived up to their billing. After some research, he and his staff determined that the difference between winning and losing Western Michigan University is protecting the football.

The data tells the story. Over the past few years, WMU is 4 and 39 when they lose the turnover margin. Conversely, the Broncos are 43 and 24 when winning that margin. Coach Fleck decided to take this idea and run with it, focusing all energies of his new staff on convincing their new team that “The Ball is the Program.” This refrain can be heard and seen throughout their practice and facilities and was the obvious focal point of the team during the practice that I viewed on April 29th. The concept was present in every individual, group, and team segment of their 24 period practice.

Defining “The Ball is the Program” Mentality

Coach Fleck made it very clear… controlling the ball is more than not fumbling or throwing interceptions. It is a mentality that every player needs to take personally and apply within his own position. For offensive players, this means holding on to the football, moving the chains, and even being in the right position to jump on the ball should it pop out. Defensively, the coaches impress the disciplines of what they call “ball disruption.” The spend time working on stripping the ball, batting it down, and scooping and scoring when the opportunity presents itself.

In addition to the reasons already stated, WMU’s coaches also acknowledged that their decision was a practical one for a first year staff. They said that ball security and ball disruption is a skill that is mostly a learned skill. That is to say that any player, regardless of talent level, can be taught these skills in a short time. This is important since they did not recruit any of the players they were working with this spring and there are talent deficiencies on their roster that can’t be addressed until later in the program building process. They believe that they can address those deficiencies by ensuring every player they put on the field can execute their ball security / disruption skills at a high level.

To get a better idea of how the WMU staff is implementing these skills with their players, I interviewed Bronco Offensive Coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca. Here is a transcript from that interview.

SN: Coach thanks for your willingness to share with us today. I love the concept of ball security / disruption I saw on the field today. Can you tell us where that all starts for you guys on the offensive side of the ball?

KC: Well the first thing for us is education. We need to educate the team on why it is so important. We talk to the guys about the connection of turnovers to wins. If I could look at only one stat to tell me who won a game, I would ask what the turnover margin was. We believe that it is the biggest predictor and the great thing is that it doesn’t have anything to do with ability level. We show them statistics to prove the concept and then impress it upon them that they have the ability to make an impact by focusing on ball security.

Once we have educated them on the concept as a whole, we can then move to teaching them the fundamentals. We teach the “chin” concept where the tip of the ball is tucked up under the runners chin. They also are expected to have 5 points of pressure on the ball at all times. 1 is the claw over the tip of the ball. 2 is the inside of the forearm. 3 is the tip of the ball under the bicep. 4 is pressing the ball against the peck and 5 is the elbow against the ribcage. We expect that at all times. It never leaves that position because the ball is the program.

Again this goes back to educating them. In our first team meeting, we show them how they are expected to carry the ball. From that moment on, all of our coaches will be on them to make it happen. We will chase them down the field to impress it on them. We are yelling “chin” all day long at our practices. Nothing else matters if we can’t take care of the ball.

SN: Yeah I heard that coach. It is obvious you guys really believe in the importance of this concept. What do you do in addition to yelling “chin” to teach the ball security basics?

KC: Well we certainly drill the concept. We have a ball security segment in every signel practice and we have a bunch of different drills we rotate through for players based on their positions. These range from fumble recovery to catching the ball and getting it to the chin position, to taking a handoff and getting it into the 5 points of pressure position. Again these change up every day and focus on different parts of the ball security concept. But really, it is about emphasis. We want to make it overwhelmingly clear that this is a priority for us and is essential if we are going to win games. We tell them it is the most important thing, so we have to show them that as well.

SN: So you have a variety of drills for each position that you use on a rotational basis I assume?

KC: Yes and of course we will change it up as needed to address problems. We are also willing to completely stop practice to address an issue in this area if it comes up. You saw that today. Coach Fleck saw a teaching moment with that fumble so he stopped the whole thing and impressed on the players the importance of holding on to the football and even scooping and scoring instead of jumping on the ball for the defense.

Coach Fleck tells us to forget about if a guy ran the route wrong, forget about his bad splits, and forget about his footwork on his handoff. If he doesn’t take care of the ball none of that other stuff matters. We cannot move on until we fix the ball security problems.

SN: Is this concept something you have done at your other stops at Rutgers or Delaware or is this something unique to what you guys are trying to do here at Western?

KC: Honestly it is something I have always focused on and something I am really proud of. Everywhere I have been we have made this a priority and we have seen success because of it. Conversely the teams that haven’t done well have not taken care of the ball. One year when I was at Delaware, we were 2-3 after 5 games because we weren’t taking care of the ball. We were able to turn it around and low and behold, we were protecting the ball better in the second half of that season.
A lot of people talk about the importance of the big play or explosive plays on the outcome of the game, but we think that a lot of times that has to do with ability. Taking care of the ball, on the other hand, has nothing to do with talent or us calling the right play. It has everything to do with them respecting the ball and respecting the program. It was the same way when Coach Fleck and I were together at Rutgers.

SN: That makes sense coach. You know everyone talks about ball security, but it is obvious that you guys live it here. Starting and ending practice with this stuff show a real dedication to the concept.

KC: Yeah I agree. I don’t know if it is really that unique to us or not, I just know that it is a big part of our formula for success.

SN: What about the individual positions? How do you stress these concepts to the line for instance?

KC: Well the line works on fumble recovery. We teach and drill the correct way to finding and recovering the ball. We have a method to that concept. They are also taught to cover the run. We tell them all the time that we are not lucky to be in a position to jump on a loose ball. We make our luck by chasing the ball and being aware of the potential. We have a few different drills where we work on that stuff. One is where the line is protecting and the QB has the ball stripped and has to turn and find the ball.
With the quarterbacks, we emphasize having to hands on the ball at all times. They also are taught to protect the ball with their throws. Making good decisions. Understanding the difference between being open and not being open. That said, this is a fine line since we want them to be aggressive but smart at the same time. We also teach them to eliminate unforced errors like sack fumbles due to only having one hand on the ball or throwing the ball back across their body when they scramble.
The runningbacks are taught to immediately get 5 points of pressure on the ball and placing the ball in the chin position. We even work through how we want them to go to the ground and maintaining 5 points of pressure as they go down.

The same goes for the receivers and to be honest, they oftentimes need more work than the backs. This is partially because many of them have not learned it in his school, but also because they might not have ever fumbled before. They have had far fewer touches in most cases so they haven’t felt what it is like to have the ball pried from their body.

SN: Will you guys carry that daily ball security drills into the fall as well or is the emphasis more consistent in the spring?

KC: No this is who we will be and what we will do year round from spring ball to fall camp to the season. We believe in this concept and we think it will win us ball games so we won’t be letting up anytime soon.

SN: That is what I thought you would say coach. Well thanks again for letting X&O come by today and watch coach. I know I learned a lot and look forward to coming back soon to see more of what WMU will become under Coach Fleck and yourself.

KC: It was our pleasure coach. We are glad to help and like what you guys are doing so thanks for the opportunity to share.

What you’re missing…

X&O Labs Insiders members will gain full access to this full length interview and report on including:

• How ball security and ball disruption concepts are built into WMU’s entire practice.

• How WMU uses the “Quick Draw Drill” to ramp up competitiveness at the beginning of each practice.

• How the “Whiz Drill” is used to create rapid fire reps focused on alignments, assignments, and execution through the first three steps of a play.

• Two special teams rotationals that reinforce the essential skills for Kickoff Coverage and Punt Block.

• A look at the Ball Security Drills that WMU uses at the end of EVERY practice.

• Plus diagrams, coaching points, and much more.

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Conclusion

As I left practice, it was obvious that Coach Fleck’s staff practiced what they preached. They truly believe that “the ball is the program” and that their ticket to success in the MAC and beyond is directly tied to their ability to hold on to the football. The challenge is now instilling this mentality within the program so deeply that the entire program is “rowing the boat” together.

As someone who has watched Western very closely for years, it will be interesting to see how quickly this transformation takes hold and how effective their ball security focus can be in helping them win games. I look forward to running the numbers this coming winter to see just how drastic the change in turnover margin will be due to their increased focus.

Final Note: I was very impressed by the way this staff handled business from beginning to end, but perhaps the most impressive statement I heard dealt with their openness toward high school coaches. Coach Fleck personally greeted the few coaches willing to brave the sub-freezing temperatures that Friday morning and told them that their coaches will be available 45 minutes after each practice to talk about any part of their program.

By Mike Kuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Introduction

It’s that time of the year when offenses are either being constructed or retooled, so we felt there was no better timing than now to release our latest study on defensive identifiers.  The following information is based on a collection of surveys designed towards offensive coaches in an attempt to decipher the progressions used in three major defensive identifiers- front, second level players and coverage.  While we realize all programs may have different methodologies in uncovering these structures, our goal was to find and provide a common denominator for each.

Case 1:  Identifying Defensive Front

The first part of any identification systems seems to be recognizing the defensive front and more importantly which player makes the call to do so.  Our research was split down the middle when deciding which player makes the front identification call.   According to our research, 53.6 percent of coaches will have their Center make the call to recognize front while 22.6 percent will have their QB handle that responsibility.   Rich O’Connor, the offensive coordinator at Montclair State University (NJ) has his Center’s make all the checks for two main reasons- he’s usually more versed in studying defensive fronts and it’s just another thing that QB’s don’t have to worry about.  “Our QB is asked to do a lot in our system, so we just felt that this is something the Center can handle,” says O’Connor.  On every snap, he’ll have his Center make three calls: identify the front, identify the Mike LB and then give the box count (the amount of players in the tackle box).

We also had a good faction of coaches split the responsibility between the Center and the QB.  “The quarterback and center both have a role in identifying the front. The center is going to make an odd or even call, and identify the Mike,” said James Vint at Cornado High School (TX).  “The QB is going to identify and communicate the “Q” player. The Q player is the defender the quarterback is responsible for in our option schemes.”   Some coaches, particularly at the high school level, will even let their most experienced offensive lineman handle the call.   Others will also have their running back make the call for the skill players.   Regardless of the call, 82.1 percent of coaches surveyed will always identify the defensive front on every snap.

We’ve found that 29.9 percent of coaches use a combination of a numbering system and a name system to identify defensive fronts.   A numbering system mainly refers to the technique of the first level defenders, which would read from left to right.  So in an even front a 13 front would resemble a one-technique or shade to the left and a three-technique to the right.  If the number were 31, than a three-technique would be to the left side while the shade or one technique would be to the right.   Some coaches, particularly spread system coaches even use a color system to indicate where the three-technique is in an even front.  For example, the “red” side may denote the side of the three technique, while the “white” side may be the shade side.    One of the coaches who took our survey verbalized how he identifies an even front.  “When we are facing an even front team the Center will ID the 3 tech with a “red” or “blue” call then he will ID the Mike linebacker twice.  If the defense aligns with a two-technique, the C will make a DEUCE call, then ID the MIKE.  If the defense aligns into an Over front the Tackle that has the ghost 9 tech will make an OSCAR call to the C, the C will repeat and ID the MIKE.  When facing a 34 team the Center makes an OKIE call, then IDs the Mike.  When facing a 33 Stack – the Center makes a “Stack: call, then IDs the Nose guard with a “Zero” technique call.

When we researched this further we did find that 87.5 percent of coaches don’t deviate from a shade and 3-technique side against four down fronts mainly due to the multiplicity that defenses present by pre-snap stems and post-snap movement.   So what is the benchmark number of fronts that offenses should be identifying?   What is too much?  The base number seems to be three or less- 61.9 percent of coaches only use up to three identifications while 34.9 percent use between 4-7 identifications.   Offenses are not trying to limit their verbiage in identifying fronts.  Now, we’ve found that spread teams are simply identifying only the bubble (a gap not accounted for by a first level defender) for zone techniques. They will only use two names and cut the ball in half if either you have an open B gap or a closed B gap.   “ Our Center ID’s front based on where A & B gap defensive linemen are aligned,” said Coach Hagebusch at Nowata High School (OK).  “Next he ID’s the MLB or the LB most likely to blitz to help with pass pro.”

Coach Hopkins at Basehor-Linwood High School (KS) follows the same methodology.  “We only say odd or even. We really don’t consider it “odd” unless there is a true zero-technique Nose guard and we don’t care if there are two or three linebackers,” said Hopkins.   “Due to stemming by linebackers, we don’t focus on names such as Eagle, Bear, etc.”   We did find coaches like Bryan Moore at Heidelberg College who will only identify the front if it is a Bear front-which denotes a zero technique Nose guard and two three-techniques.   Rick Wimmers at Fishers High School (IN) believes in the same simple methodology.  “The Center IDs all fronts as either 3 Down (1 defender in A & B gaps), 4 Down (2 defenders in A & B gaps), or 5 Down (3 defenders in A & B gaps),” says Wimmers.  “The QB IDs the Point with the defender’s number (“51′s the Point!”).”

Some coaches like Thom McDaniels at Glen Oak High School (OH) ties the front into their cadence.  “Our Center will make an Over (4-3), Under (Shade), Odd (3-4), or Even (4-4) call to identify the front,” says McDaniels.  “Our QB identifies the coverage in his cadence.  For example: Red 4, Red 4, Set, Hut declares the coverage as Cover 4; Blue 1, Blue 1, Set, Hut declares the coverage as Cover 1. The color is not significant to the front or coverage. Our OG’s will then make a Tim (inside) or Tom (on or outside) call to identify the location of the first defender to his side.”

Coach Restifo of St. Ignatius High School (OH) does the same thing.  “Our QB calls out the front, the amount of linebackers and the secondary coverage in the cadence,” says Restifo.  “In other words if the defense aligns in a 4-3 Cover 2. His cadence will start with 432, 432 and then the rest of the cadence.”

Front Denominations

Bryan Ross, the offensive coordinator at Siloam Springs High School (AR) makes five denominations when identifying the front.  “The Center makes the call based on what he has in front of him,” says Ross.  “If he is uncovered with a head up backer is middle (4-3), uncovered with no head up backer is even (4-2), covered with no head up backer is odd (3-4), and covered with head up backer is bulldog (3-3 Stack). Guards and tackles call what technique they have with each other. QB and receivers are responsible for identifying coverage on their own. QB and slot receivers are responsible for handling a blitz off the edge (“hammer”). – Bryan Ross, Siloam Springs High School

Other Examples from Survey:

From Coach Learman:

Odd = one on the center no one on the guards

Even both guard covered and no one on the center

Strong = Center and Strong Guard covered

Weak = Center and Weak Guard Covered

Eagle = Center and Both Guards covered

1 = 1 MLB

2 = 2 MLB i.e. 2 inside backers

Drew Gibbs, Ramapo High School  (NJ)

Even = Centered Uncovered no LB over him

Ace = Center Uncovered LB in his cylinder

Okie =Center Covered, Guards Uncovered

Center Calls Okie Guard can answer “Eagle” if he is covered

Bear=Center Covered both Guards Covered

Mark Melnitsky, Trinity College

Center will identify the front as one of the following:

“30″ (Both Guards uncovered w/ 2 LB’s in the box)

“Split” (Even front with 2 LB’s in the box)

“Middle” (Even front with a middle LB)

“30 Stack” (Both Guards uncovered w/ a middle LB)

“Double Eagle” (Both Guards and the Center are covered)

Case 2:  Identifying Second Level Players

This second part of our report focuses on identifying second level defenders such as linebackers and drop safeties.  These players are not only vital in the run game, but also just as important when tied into protection.  Some interesting notes from our survey are below.  Please note all percentages are based on majority. 

• 71.0 percent of coaches identify linebackers as names such as Mike, Sam and Will
• 36.0 percent of coaches only identify outside linebackers and drop safeties if they are two yards or less from the Defensive End.
• Many use game plan identifiers based on how they will line up to various formations both wide and compressed.

All of this information ties into what is commonly referred to as the “tackle box.” While we have conducted research on the tackle box before (Insiders click here to view Coach Nichols complete article)  we’ve found that the tackle box is a constantly changing variable due to an offense’s ability to either spread or shrink the field based on formations.   So when we conducted research this time around we were more specific with our questions.  Our findings are below:

• 40.8 percent of coaches call the “tackle box” the area from the Tackle to Tight End (or opposite Tackle).

• 36.4 percent of coaches use a number system to identify the tackle box (41, 42 etc.)- mainly in open sets.

What we’ve found is coaches are becoming less concerned with the tangibility of the tackle box and instead relying on if defenders can be factors in the play call.   These defenders, particularly edge players are usually in a position to be influenced by run or pass action and have a dual responsibility (run and pass) once the play develops.   “We do not use yards,” said Coach Lytle from Euclid High School (OH).  We just say if the defender is in position to help in the run game he is in the box.”  Coach Wimmers abides by the same philosophy.  “We seldom talk about the box,” said Wimmers.  “We ID threats as any non-down player who is in position to blitz or can make a tackle at the LOS and must be blocked.”  Coach Nelson of Roosevelt High School (SD) echoes the same methodology.  “We focus on how do they play the run?” he says.  “Are they quickly in their gap, or slow to fill?

However there are some coaches like Coach Weakland of Sioux City East High School (IA) who include the box defenders in their count system.  “We are an inside/outside/gap team that runs Spread no-huddle who goes as fast as we can,” says Weakland.  “We have gotten away from calling things 4-3 or under, or stack. We ID simply by the number in the box and 1 or 2 high safeties. We call defenses 4-0 (yes teams give us 4 in the box), 4-1, 4-2, 3-2, 3-3. We don’t see 4-3 or 5-2. It’s made it simpler for our OL. We don’t ID Mikes, we ID play side inside linebackers or first linebackers in the box play side and count back from there. We block Defenders by their gap alignments. For example, in inside zone, play side Tackle has C Gap, play side Guard has B game. We do the same things with our protections. Everybody is responsible for their calls (Me You to 48).”

James Vint at Cornado High School (TX) uses what he calls the six-second of focus, which is something he requires his QB to do pre-snap on every play.   The responsibilities of each player are below:

Center: Front- Odd or Even, identify and communicate the Mike

QB: Middle Open or Closed

Depth-Eyes-Leverage of Corners

Finds the inverts

Communicate the Q

Checks Play if needed

Begins Snap Count

Case 3:  Identifying Secondary and Coverage

Our last component of research was focused around the identification of secondary and coverage rotation.  Before we address numbers we wanted to give credence to what has become a more holistic approach to recognizing coverage- the R4 system devised by National Football Academy’s Dub Maddox and Darin Slack.  X&O Labs released several components of the system in a prior report (Insiders click here to view Coach Maddox’s complete article).  This system is geared around the identification of “tubes” on the field and where defenders are in relation to what Maddox calls the “hard deck” an imaginary line between 5-7 yards from the line of scrimmage.  While understanding the language could be a barrier at first, we’ve found a good number of those surveyed have adapted their offense to this system.

The majority of coaches, 45.6 percent, use a number system to identify coverage, more so than MFO (Middle Field Open) or MFC (Middle Field Closed) concepts.

Pre-Snap Identifiers

• 48.8 percent of coaches feel the number and depth of safeties is the most successful pre-snap identifier for QB’s. Corners can cheat, safeties don’t lie.

• 49.0 percent of coaches use Safeties pre-snap vertical leverage as the number one identifier for their QB’s.  They found it was more important than horizontal leverage.

Examples of QB’s Pre-Snap Recognition (Concept Structure)

“ We read the triangle of OLB, CB & FS (width of FS & depth of CB)- Jeff Craig, Blanchard High School (OK)

“Once we determine that it is one high safety or two high safeties then the key that tips the coverage the most is keying the slot defenders. They are going to show you whether they are in man or zone because they are run force guys and will tip it with feet, eyes and alignment when they are in zone,”-  Keith Simons, Analy High School (CA)

“Our QB looks pre-snap for the safety(s) and their depth. Secondly, he checks the weak side linebacker (Will) to see if the safety is sneaking up or over to allow him to blitz the QB from the backside. A strong side blitz will usually be tipped by the depth of that Strong Safety.”- Coach Hopkins, Basehor-Linwood High School

“He checks the number of defenders above the hard deck then he checks the technique and angle of the corners. If need be he checks the leverage and technique of the linebackers but that will happen last.”-  Coach Gonzales, Onate High School (NM)

“We start with alignment of boundary Corner then to near Safety, then field Safety. If boundary pressed and inside we try to find if it is man press or Corner blitz? The Safeties alignment on hash or outside gives the answer. If Safety is inside hash it is Cover One or a field blitz.  If Safety is outside it is Tampa 2 or Corner fire (blitz),” Coach Marty Fine, Bryant University

We’ve found that many coaches use acronyms to teach their QB’s to identify coverage’s:

D.E.L. System- Coach Herring, Colbert Heights High School (AL)

“I always teach my QBs to read from left to right and back down to the LBs and DL. They should always read the ‘DEL” (Depth, Eyes, Leverage) of the corners, and the number and alignment of safeties. Their eyes should then flash down to the LBs (number of, alignment, etc.) and the DL (techniques). This should all be done in a matter of seconds. This is something I have to constantly train and reinforce in my QBs.”

(What’s the…)D.E.A.L.- Coach Nichols, Bethel College

D = Depth

E = Eyes

A = Alignment

L = Leverage

S.H.A.P.E. System- Coach Scott Meuller, Washington University

The S.H.A.P.E. principle is designed to focus the decision making process of the quarterback on every play.

SIGHT: Pre-Snap Defensive Alignment: How are the safeties aligned? Is access to the middle of the field open or closed (MFO/MFC)? The safeties are usually tied into area reads in the passing game or determine a force/run defender in the run game. How are the corners aligned? What are the depth, eyes, and leverage of the corners (D.E.L.) ? How is the under coverage aligned? Is a #2 rec. covered down? Are there pre-snap alley players?

HOT: Blitz: If the call is a pass, how does the blitz effect the protection? Progression? If it is a run, how does the pressure affect the run play?

ALERT: Automatic: Must be a “gimme” based on Sight and/or Hot.  By definition, a one vs. one winnable matchup 100% of the time. Normally live if down and distance allows: 1st down, 2nd down, 3rd & < 4.

PROGRESSION: Post-Snap Defensive Movement/Rec. Routes: QB’s post-snap progression based on the routes and what the area read and keys dictate. All coverage is tied into the safeties. We initially start with identifying what the call side safety does and work to our keys: usually OLB/S and CB to know where to go with the football.

EXECUTION: Delivering: Fake or Strike Point: QB’s fake in the run game, or in the passing game-correct drop, mechanics, and hitting the correct target based on the progression.

Examples of QB’s Pre-Snap Recognition (Numbers Structure)

Coach Bisson, Heritage High School

1. 1st – look for the Safeties – Single High (Middle Closed), 2 High (middle open) or Zero High(Man blitz)
2. 2nd – alignment of the corners – Single high safety with Corners off – Cover 3
   1. Single High safety with corners pressed and inside – Man free
   2. Single High safety with corners pressed and outside – Bail
   3. 2 High with corners off – Quarters
   4. 2 High with corners pressed and inside – 2 man
   5. 2 High with corners within 5 yards and outside – Cover 2

Dale Sprague, Alleghany High School (VA)

1. How MANY SAFETIES (1 high, 2 High, 0 High) and their depth and width
   1. **Note – It is HARD for a QB to judge depth at times – easier to judge width! It takes a lot of 7-on-7 work, skellies, & reps to get it down pat!
2. Number of defenders in the box
3. ILBs depth and attitude (i.e. are they juking to the LOS or aligned at 2-3 yards and threatening blitz?)
4. Corner vertical and horizontal alignment and EYE POSITION (i.e. eyes on QB is a ZONE indicator, eyes on WR is a MAN indicator).-  Dale Sprague, Alleghany High School (VA)

Bill Mountjoy, 40-year coaching veteran

1. Scan the formation for uncovered receivers. If uncovered receivers – signal uncovered check.
2. Find the Weak Safety for PRE-SNAP read.
   1. If the W/S is low – check other coverage keys for “Cover 0”.
   2. If the W/S is high – check other coverage keys for “Cover 1” or “Cover 3”
   3. If there are 2 safeties and they are both low – check other coverage keys for “Cover 0”.
3. If there are 2 safeties and they are both high – check other coverage keys for “Cover 2”, “Cover 2/Man”, or “Cover 4” (1/4’s).
4. If there are 2 safeties and they are staggered – check other coverage keys for “Cover 1/Robber” or “Cover 3/Robber”.

Mountjoy does include a plan for pressure from a well-disguised secondary.  His progression is below:

A) If there is 1 safety and he rolls down hard after the snap – HAVE A PLAN VS. PRESSURE!

B) If there are 2 safeties and both roll down hard after the snap – HAVE A PLAN VS. PRESSURE!

C) If the W/S or 2 safeties maintain their alignment after the snap – execute your progression reads with an awareness of where the weaknesses are in the coverage and which coverage defender we are attacking.

Conclusion

As in any research project, the goal of our concluding evidence is to present you with various ideas that you can incorporate into your program.  This collection of data could be streamlined into a system that you believe in and can incorporate as soon as this Fall. We’re always in the market for new research ideas so please feel free to contact us with any you may have.

By Shaun Weaver

Defensive Coordinator

Gettysburg College (PA)

Insiders Members: Click here to login to the Insiders and read the full-length version of this report including game film.

Editor’s Note:  Coach Weaver enters his seventh season as a member of the Gettysburg coaching staff and his sixth as the defensive coordinator in 2012.  Weaver will also coach the linebackers for the seventh straight season this year. Prior to his arrival at Gettysburg, Weaver served as the defensive line coach at Bemidji State University in Minnesota from 2004-05. He also spent two seasons coaching the defensive line and serving as the junior varsity defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Wilmington College in Ohio, from 2002-03. Weaver guided his players to multiple postseason accolades at both Bemidji and Wilmington, including coaching one to All-America status at the latter.

Being able to blitz effectively is a vital part of being a good defense.  Aggressive zone or man pressure calls can help your defense get more stops if executed well. One area that is many times neglected is teaching the actual technique that your players blitz with. You want to teach your players to be aggressive but not blindly run themselves out of plays that are there to be made. We teach our players basic guidelines to blitz technique that can be applied to both edge or interior blitzes to help maximize their production with any type of blitz calls.

Basic Technique

The main teaching point we try to focus on when teaching proper blitzing technique is to get our players to not break stride while blitzing. Too many times you see players throttle down when blitzing to decipher what’s happening with the play. A slower moving target is much easier to block. Sprinting at an aiming point through potential contact makes a blitzer much more disruptive. Teaching sprinting aggressively at an aiming point takes lots of practice and drill work. Players have to trust the technique and get enough reps to feel comfortable with it.  Drill work to teach the technique will be covered later on in the article.

Part of getting players to feel comfortable with this is teaching them how to protect themselves as a blitzer. Sprinting with shoulders forward and hands up puts the players in a position to attack and protects them at the same time. We compare blitzing to being a fighter. If you are going into a fight then you need to keep your hands up and protect your chest. If you go into a fight with your hands down and your upper body exposed then you are going to get knocked out. Those simple teaching points give players great confidence to blitz with full aggression and not to break stride on the way to making a play.

Aiming Points

Teaching aiming points to blitzers gives your players a specific landmark to attack and also helps the player run a straight line to that point. Having a specific aiming point for edge and inside blitzers helps your overall blitz schemes become more effective. Keeping the blitzer on a straight line teaches them proper angles while blitzing and not to waste steps. How you word your teaching of this can also help effectiveness. Sprinting at the aiming point to the ball puts an emphasis on the blitzers to be productive when blitzing while also executing their responsibility.

When a player doesn’t make a play or is in the wrong position in a blitz, you have a specific aiming point you can reference which can correct most blitz issues. If the technique is right and there is still a break down on the blitz, then the aiming point is usually off.

Edge Blitzer

As an edge blitzer we teach an aiming point of the deepest shoulder to the nearest RB/QB to the ball. This will cover all formations in both under center and the shotgun. This angle allows the blitzer to be aggressive as long as they attack in a straight line to that point. Make sure they understand that the edge man on the line of scrimmage may expand as their first threat to block them. A proper angle will make them difficult to block.  As an edge blitzer, our players know they are a force player and must make the play or force the play inside to our help. They must be direct and physical. Do not create space but limit or take away the ball carriers space. If the ball tries to bounce outside of us we must redirect on the run without breaking stride. If the ball stays inside of us, squeeze to condense space and make the play.

If you are facing an option/zone read team the blitzer is QB responsible on any pull.  As they blitz keep their eyes on the QB. You blitz at that outside shoulder until you see empty hands and redirect to the ball.

Inside Blitzer

As an inside blitzer we teach an aiming point of the apex/midpoint of the gap we are blitzing to the ball. It is vital for them to understand the aiming point will move and they have two possible direct threats to potentially block them. As an inside blitzer it is even more important to use your speed to sprint through the aiming point and run through potential contact. Do not sprint into blocks. Like we mentioned before you should have your shoulders forward and hands up ready to attack and defend yourself as the blitz progresses. If pass develops, we tell our inside blitzers to attack the near shoulder as a non-force player. If they are aggressive on that angle they will squeeze the play to the edge blitzer/force player or will make the play themselves.

If you are facing an option/zone read team the blitzer is responsible to work to the ball. We teach versus the zone read to attack the RB and then on any potential pull by a QB you can then react QB to pitch. Saying blitz to ball covers all scenarios as long as they understand they have no force responsibility as an inside blitzer.

Alignment and Angle

Part of our base blitz package is taking proper pre snap alignments to not tip to the Offense that we are blitzing. There are times and scenarios that showing a blitz is effective but it is a base part of our teaching to take a natural alignment to show a similar pre snap look every time while also giving a good blitz angle to time the blitz. We have our base alignment rules that we want the players to initially honor. Once they take this alignment and hold the initial look they can then look for the blitz cue to time it effectively from that position.

Click on the link below to view the Timing Drill Coach Weaver uses to teach the proper blitz technique:

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• Proper blitz timing as inside and outside blitzers, particularly against read zone team

• Cues that should be identified through film

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• Video of the drills coach Weaver uses to train inside and outside blitzers

• Plus game film of Coach Weaver’s concepts in action

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Conclusion

When it comes down to it, it is important to teach your players the basic most important things that will help them be a successful blitzer. Don’t make it too complicated. It is vital that they have a basic understanding of what you need them to do. With everything we should be teaching it is important to coach the fundamentals and details with good progressions and drills. At the end of the day if you can get them to time the blitz well, know their aiming points and never break stride that will go a very long way in making them and your overall blitz schemes more effective.