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Doug

South
53 Base
Defense
“You go to war with the
army you have”
The Mentalist

Do what your players can be successful at.


Start from simple go to complex.
 Be Simple

 Use Gap Assignment Principles

 Spend time on Tackling

 Use conditioning time to promote pursuit


 Align correctly

 Pursue the football

 Make the Tackle


 There is no perfect defense. If there was every
game would end in a 0-0 tie because everyone
would use it.

 Know the weakness - Offense will trap you, run


underneath you and screen you. Be ready to defeat
these concepts.

 On some play, the offense will find the seams. Stop


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

TE
ST SG C WG WT
“Y’

S E N E W

B B
M

F
Gap Assignment Defense

Contain C B A A B Contain
TE
ST SG C WG WT
“Y’

S E N E W

B B

M
Run Defense

TE C

S E N E W

Trail Gap Two- Gap Gap Trail

B B

Cutback M Cutback

Inside / Out
Option Defense

TE C

S E N E W

Pitch Gap Two- Gap Gap Pitch

B B

QB M QB

Dive
“Jet”

Contain C B A A B Contain
TE
ST SG C WG WT
“Y’

E N E W
S

B B

M
“Bullets”
Shade or Slant To “B” Gaps

Contain C B A A B Contain
TE
ST SG C WG WT
“Y’

S E N E W

B B

M
“Lion”
Shade or Slant to Left
Opposite call is “Ram”
Contain C B A A B Contain
TE
ST SG C WG WT
“Y’

S E N E W

B B

M
Nose “Tap”

A A
TE
ST SG C WG WT
“Y’

S E N E W

B B

M
“Crowd”
Can use Three Man to Six Man Pressure

A B

Z Q

Y C X

S E B N M B E W
C
C

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

Contain B A A B Contain
ST SG C WG WT

S E N E W

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

Contain C B A A B C Contain
TE TE
ST SG C WG WT
“Y” “X’

S E N E W

B B

M
Heavy Adjustment
Strong Wing

TE
Contain “Y’
ST SG C WG WT Contain

S B E N E W

M
B

“Slide”
To Four Blockers
Heavy Adjustment
Tackle Over

TE TE
Contain “Y’
T T SG C WG
“X’ Contain

S E N E W
B

M
B

“Slide”
To Four Blockers
Heavy Adjustment
Bunch

Z B

TE
Contain “Y’
ST SG C WG WT Contain

B E N E W
S

M
B

“Slide”
To Four Blockers
Closed Set Adjustment

B Z
Contain D C B A A B C D Contain
TE TE
ST SG C WG WT
X’ “Y’

S E N E W

B B

M F

C
C
“Duce”
Two Deep / 5-4 Front
Trips Adjustment

Q
Z B
Y C X

S E N E W
C
B B

M C
F
Empty Adjustment

Q
Z B A

Y C X

S E N E W
C
B B

M C
F
Quad Adjustment

A
Q
Z B
Y C X

S E N E W
C
B M B

C
F “Slide”
To Four Receivers
Pass Defense

TE C

1 E N E 5

2 4
3

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

TE TE
ST SG C WG WT
“Y’ “Y’

S E N E W

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

TE C

1 E N E 5

OUT OUT
2 4
IN 3
IN
HOLE

Coaching Point
•No numbers with a front. call.
Pass Defense
Four Man Pressure

TE C

1 E N E 5

OUT 2 4 OUT
3
IN IN

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

TE C

1 E N E 5

OUT 2 4 OUT
3

Hole

Coaching Point
•Two Linebackers will blitz, remaining Linebackers will rotate to three short zones
•Two Numbers with front call.
Pass Defense
Six Man Pressure

TE C

1 E N E 5

2 4
3
SPY SPY

Coaching Point
•Three Linebackers will blitz, remaining Linebackers will rotate to two short zones
•Three numbers with a front call.
Three Deep Zone behind Short Zones
•Cornerbacks play Deep pass first, if run, they become “TD
Savers”.
•Free Safety keeps the football and deepest receivers in front of
him. On run, cover “Break Away”.

DEEP
DEEP DEEP
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