We have been looking at incorporating an Odd Front into our 4-3 Defense playbook this upcoming season, but wanted to be able to use Quarters Coverage (our base coverage) with the Odd alignment. Many of you have read my thoughts about 7-man fronts and 8-man fronts, and I figured we would have to run a 3-4 Defense in order to use a 2-high safety coverage with an odd front.I had the opportunity to talk with Shap Boyd, who I have credited many times as the man I stole my Quarters Coverage from. Coach Boyd has been using his coverage package for several years with the 4-3 Defense, and also using an odd front. But not a 3-4. After talking to him about how to incorporate the 3-3-5 Defense with Quarters Coverage, I’m sold.Let’s start by looking at the alignment changes that have to happen.
The 3-3-5 Defense as an 8-Man FrontThe original problem that I had with the 3-5-3 Defense is that it is an 8-man front, which means you have one high safety and no one is a 2-gap player across the front.
If you pull a player back and make a 2-deep safety look, you are going to need a 2-gap player or somehow make a change. I felt hand-cuffed in that the Will Linebacker (the inside backer on the weak side, stacked behind the weak side Defensive End) absolutely had to go to C-Gap and contain. There’s no way you can trust a head up or even shaded Defensive End to contain on a consistent basis.
If the weak side was into the short side of the field, I felt we could play Cover 2 with the Corner as the force player. I have done that in the past in the 3-5-3 Defense and it was okay, but you need a special Corner to consistently play that job. It was not a permanent answer.
Adapting the 3-3-5 to 2-High Safeties
Enter Shap Boyd, and a conversation that changed my view of this defense. Smarter people than me have probably been doing this for years. But I am so stuck on what is “sound” and even conventional sometimes that I do not see how to adapt.
You roll your Weak Safety back, and the Free Safety walks over to the strength to give you the two-high look. A key for the strength call, it must be to the passing strength! That means you call strength to the multiple receiver side, not the Tight End.
Since we are in Quarters, against a Pro Formation we have “Read” check on both sides. Our Weak Safety is at 8-10 yards, and is the box player. You can do whatever you like with your Defensive Line and Linebackers (we will always be blitzing one Linebacker, usually the Mike, Sam or Strong Safety).
What Happens If…
After our conversation I sat down and realized how simple this really is. Like any defensive alignment, there are formations that put it into a bind. But for the most part, this system is pretty solid.
Against a typical Slot formation with two backs in the backfield, our Strong Safety can loosen up. In a “Read” check versus a Tight End and one receiver removed, we would tighten down the SS, playing like a spill OLB in the 3-4 or even a 4-3 Defensive End. Against two receivers removed, we make the “Alert” check, and the SS walks out to split the difference between #2 and the EMOLS.
The Ultimate Question: What About Doubles?
Doubles has always been what killed and dreams I had of combining the 3-3-5 Defense with Quarters Coverage in the past. I just kills the ability to use Cover 2, and locks you into a man coverage situation on the weak side.
What we will do to fix the problem is walk the Will out. It leaves a 3-2 Box, but one I feel much more comfortable with. The Will makes a call to the Defensive Line, telling them to slant to the strong side. The weak side End is responsible for B Gap, the Will backer is boxing the play, and the Weak Safety can play the deep technique we want him to play.
You can obviously switch back to a man coverage or Clue check on the weak side and bring your Will Linebacker back in the box to create a six man box. Tightening down the Strong Safety and going Cover 0 is your final answer to get 7 in the box and make sure you shut down the run first!
I enjoyed reading the Article, because it reinforced my Philosophy of it’s not what you run, but HOW you run it that is most important…..I also like that fact that it covers various relatives of the 50 Family…Such as 34, 43, and 33…..
I agree with Tommy. It is another reason I like the 3-5, IF you have the personnel UP THE MIDDLE. We’re lacking depth with our “Elephants” or linemen, so right now, we’re battling between three and four man front. I am trying to convince my HC/DC to scheme to me “multiple” and use one of our bigger LB hybrids to be that fourth man on the LOS epending upon the call. We will see, this is more ammunition! Thanks coaches!
Hay coach this is some great info. I had a question about the alignment, if the off. comes out in a 3×1, 3×2 (empty), and finally, a 4×1 set.
Tom Cousins runs Quarters alot out of his 3-5. He calls it Cat I believe. He has tons of inexpensive resources on his site that explains how he runs his stack. Our school has become smaller up front also and we made the switch from a 4-3 two seasons ago. I am the DC and I am still fighting that battle. Good luck coaches, move the line and bring the heat.
Football fan with no coaching or playing experience here just looking to learn more about the game.
I do have a question: What about empty backfields? Now, I’m not sure if quarters coverage is generally advised on a play against an offense fielding an empty back field, but if one had to, what happens then?
Thanks!
Absolutely coach, everything works as long as it is SOUND. All that matters is how you coach up your kids.
I like the multiple fronts. IF you subscribe to a philosophy that requires certain players, and they don’t show up, you have to change your entire philosophy. Having a multiple scheme lets you just focus on one part of that scheme from year to year – and the kids like to be comfortable and not change
Against 3×1 you can use the same types of checks you use in Quarters out of the 4-3 (see the Quarters Coverage video), so you could use a Survivor check. The SS splits #2 and #3, WS gets over top of #3 and Sam or Mike (whichever is not blitzing) would get under #3. You would probably check a SS blitz to sending the Sam.
Empty – if you want to keep 6 in the box, you have to go straight man to man. No other way around it. To keep 5 in the box, you have a few choices. I lean towards a 1/4 1/4 1/2 concept, with the Corner and Free Safety playing deep 1/4s on the 3 receiver (or 4 receiver) side, and a LB and corner funneling to the weak safety on the 2 receiver side. In Quads, roll the Weak Safety over, FS down to get an extra body. Will has hook-curl-flats on the single receiver side, corner is over top. Same 1/4 1/4 1/2 concept.
That being said, a lot of teams are in Empty to do one or two specific things, so game plan dictates what you do.
Thomas Cousins stuff is great, I didn’t know he had a website so thanks for that – you can see it here. As far as switching from the 4-3 due to size, I tend to go opposite. I like the 4-3 with smaller guys. But once again, everything works!
Quarters has to adapt, you never know when the offense is going to come out in Empty and you don’t want them to dictate that you change your coverage. Most defensive coordinators use two “Empty Checks,” automatics that they go to if the offense comes out in Empty. One will be a man coverage with a blitz (usually Cover 0 with a 6 man blitz), the other will be a zone coverage. Check my response to Coach Lewis in this thread to see some ideas on defending Empty with Quarters concepts.
Thanks Joe!
That was very much along the lines of what I was thinking. I may not ever get into coaching, but I sure love learning about football
Only get into it if you have a very understanding wife and don’t value personal relationships that much. Back to work!
Joe do you know where you can “hide” newer youth players in the 3-5 until they get their legs under them (usually by mid season). This is for a 5th grade team. I probably will have a 22 man roster and half will not have played before. I want to get them all playing time, but I also want to win.
My first thought is corner, where they have secondary contain on the run and probably don’t see much of the deep ball at that age. Put your best players at the outside linebacker spots to protect them and contain the run. After that, your best players should be at Nose, Mike and Free Safety. Finishing out the defense, your Ends and the other two Inside Linebacker will be able to come along knowing that you have your best players on either side of them.