Anyone who's designed or implemented a defense, at any level, knows one of the toughest decisions is deciding what the Linebacker reads should be. Options for linebacker reads include: one offensive lineman (most commonly a Guard); one offensive back; multiple offense linemen; or multiple offensive backs. There are many other variations, particularly for specialty offenses. An example of this would be coaches reading the butt of the Quarterback vs. a Wing-T.
In order to be successful, it is necessary for linebackers to read more than one player or action in a given play. Instead, you should teach a Triangle Read of some sort. For our 4-3 Defense, our Linebacker read Triangle was:
1. The snap of the football. See the football from the corner of your eye. This is not necessarily the "Primary" read, but something you have to see before anything else can happen. It may be possible to play a base defense without ever seeing the football - simply move when your 1st key moves. However, with our extensive blitz package, I believe players need ball movement to time up blitzes. Therefore, they should get used to moving on ball movement.
2. The Nearest Running Back. The Mike Linebacker would always read the Fullback - an easy concept vs. the I-Formation. The Will and Sam backers read the nearest back to them. In the I-Formation, they both read Tailback. Against certain offensive styles, this will change. It is common to "Cross-key" or read the back opposite their alignment, against a Wing-T. We may also cross-key against Zone Read Teams, including the Quarterback as one of the reads if there is no pitch back.
3. Nearest Offensive Guard. We want to look through the Guards to the backs, picking up anything strange in Guard movement with our peripheral vision as we see our primary key, the nearest back. The "Pretty Girl in the Mall" concept usually catches their attention - see guards just like you see a pretty girl in the mall. You're walking along, minding your own business - and then a good looking girl catches your eye, let your attention go to it. A Guard is usually firing out, run blocking. If you see something different - pull inside, pull outside, or high hat pass read - react to it! You will find that while Guards are the key to the offense, at the high school level they are hard to read when they are not doing something out of the ordinary (the Pretty Girl theory is stolen - but I don't know who from!).
If your experience has been anything like mine, you have found that some players prefer one type of read, while others are more comfortable with another. Perhaps if you are 100% certain that one way or another is most effective, you are more effective in coaching it. I am not, so I often find myself conflicted and tailor the reads to each individual player - so long as they generally accomplish the same objective.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_R._Daniel_III
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Creating an Aggressive Football Defense
A defensive coach must have the level of aggressiveness he desires ingrained into his football philosophy. That level may also be affected if he is not the Head Coach of the team. The aggressive nature of the Head Coach will obviously factor in to the Defensive Coordinator's philosophy within a game plan. If the play caller of a football defense does not have a defined philosophy relating to how aggressive he will be, his play calling will be erratic and without purpose or meaning.
If a defensive coordinator intends to use 5, 6 and 7 man blitzes frequently, he will be playing an aggressive style. Aggressive style includes high risk/reward play calling. An aggressive football defense uses a high percentage of man coverage, particularly press-man or Bump & Run coverage, coupled with blitzing linebackers, safeties, and even occasional corner blitzes.
The alternative to aggressive defense is to be conservative, playing a "Bend but don't Break" philosophy. The conservative play caller uses a high percentage of zone defenses, with deep defenders highly conscious of letting nothing get behind them. Conservative philosophy dictates limited blitzes and, in general, a relatively simplistic playbook. The defensive coordinator wants to make sure that his football defense does not beat itself, rather relying on the other team to make mistakes.
Neither philosophy is inherently wrong. Success can be had through a highly aggressive defensive philosophy, or a sound, safe, and conservative philosophy. Wins and losses are still dependent on superior talent, and superior teaching of the fundamentals. Teams that can pursue and tackle will defeat teams that cannot. But in order to put players in the best position possible to be successful, the defense must be run under a clearly defined philosophy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_R._Daniel_III
If a defensive coordinator intends to use 5, 6 and 7 man blitzes frequently, he will be playing an aggressive style. Aggressive style includes high risk/reward play calling. An aggressive football defense uses a high percentage of man coverage, particularly press-man or Bump & Run coverage, coupled with blitzing linebackers, safeties, and even occasional corner blitzes.
The alternative to aggressive defense is to be conservative, playing a "Bend but don't Break" philosophy. The conservative play caller uses a high percentage of zone defenses, with deep defenders highly conscious of letting nothing get behind them. Conservative philosophy dictates limited blitzes and, in general, a relatively simplistic playbook. The defensive coordinator wants to make sure that his football defense does not beat itself, rather relying on the other team to make mistakes.
Neither philosophy is inherently wrong. Success can be had through a highly aggressive defensive philosophy, or a sound, safe, and conservative philosophy. Wins and losses are still dependent on superior talent, and superior teaching of the fundamentals. Teams that can pursue and tackle will defeat teams that cannot. But in order to put players in the best position possible to be successful, the defense must be run under a clearly defined philosophy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_R._Daniel_III
Defensive Drills For Football
Every football defensive position coach needs to identify the 4 most important skills for their player to have. These skills need to be covered every single day in practice, and perhaps even during pre-game warm-up. For us, these are position-specific drills and do not include the basics which all defenders must do. We will have a separate period for pursuit, or for tackling.
There should be no discussion of individual play calls during these periods. In fact, after Day 1 or 2, there should be no discussion during this period. Everything is habit, everything is planned. This is not a time for creativity, it is a time for establishing great habits in the players.
After a warm-up using the Pursuit Drill (5 minutes), we will move directly in to individual groups to work those Big 4 skills. This period is no more than 10 minutes, and will become less as the season goes on. Linebackers may perform a drill for footwork, for block destruct, for blitzing and for pass drops. Defensive Linemen will need Get Off & Engage work, Escape technique, wrong arming and pass rush moves. We understand that if a player is an expert, a natural, in his Big 4, he can play for us.
Never ask a player to perform a task that goes against his Big 4. Do not suddenly change those techniques in the middle of the season as a knee-jerk reaction to early season failures. These are ingrained habits. They can be performed by the player without thinking, and without slowing down.
Be careful not to ask much more than those Big 4 out of a player. If a practice includes 10 minutes on the Big 4, and 20 minutes on other skill sets - you send the player the wrong message. They will get the impression, and rightly so, that the Big 4 are only half as important as the other skill sets, since practice time of the Big 4 is half as long. Use the extra time for group work, installation, film, or weight room time.
Or, just get off the field. Your hard work and preparation has led to the players gaining great football defense habits. Let them benefit from it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_R._Daniel_III
There should be no discussion of individual play calls during these periods. In fact, after Day 1 or 2, there should be no discussion during this period. Everything is habit, everything is planned. This is not a time for creativity, it is a time for establishing great habits in the players.
After a warm-up using the Pursuit Drill (5 minutes), we will move directly in to individual groups to work those Big 4 skills. This period is no more than 10 minutes, and will become less as the season goes on. Linebackers may perform a drill for footwork, for block destruct, for blitzing and for pass drops. Defensive Linemen will need Get Off & Engage work, Escape technique, wrong arming and pass rush moves. We understand that if a player is an expert, a natural, in his Big 4, he can play for us.
Never ask a player to perform a task that goes against his Big 4. Do not suddenly change those techniques in the middle of the season as a knee-jerk reaction to early season failures. These are ingrained habits. They can be performed by the player without thinking, and without slowing down.
Be careful not to ask much more than those Big 4 out of a player. If a practice includes 10 minutes on the Big 4, and 20 minutes on other skill sets - you send the player the wrong message. They will get the impression, and rightly so, that the Big 4 are only half as important as the other skill sets, since practice time of the Big 4 is half as long. Use the extra time for group work, installation, film, or weight room time.
Or, just get off the field. Your hard work and preparation has led to the players gaining great football defense habits. Let them benefit from it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_R._Daniel_III
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