Teaching Defense to Football Coaches who want to Dominate on the Field
At one of our recent Web Clinics, Kevin stepped up to show us a stunt that he used recently against a Power running attack to help his 3-5-3 Defense. Here we diagram the blitz and talk about how it was used, why it was successful, and some other options that are similar. [Read more...]
Recently on X’s & O’s Labs there was a report from Dan Ellis on his Georgia Scheme, which he uses for big gains against the Odd Stack. Coach Ellis runs a Spread, Zone scheme and likes this play as a big hitter against 3-5-3 Defenses.
After looking at the play, I have to say that against the Stack, I love it. The rules are such that you could still successfully run it against Even Front teams, just not as smoothly. That’s not to attack the play, either. Coach Ellis is clear that they love this play specifically against Odd Stack teams, and I can see why.
While it is basically a Pin & Pull Outside Zone scheme, using the scheme from a 3 x 1 set against Stack fronts really opens it up. Let’s take a look at how to lessen the blow if this play against your 3-5-3 or 3-3-5 Defensive Front.
[Read more...]The technique of teaching Defensive Linemen to slant effectively in your 3-3-5 Defense is often overlooked. We think about all of the stunts and blitzes we can draw up, we worry about our plethora of Linebackers and Safeties, but we often overlook the teaching of the Defensive Line.
In fact, you are likely running this defense because you feel that you don’t have any defensive linemen! So why would your focus be on teaching technique to them?
You probably have only one or two true defensive linemen anyway. The other guys are going to be able to rely on their speed, right?
If you are running the Odd Stack (another name for the 3-3-5 or 3-5-3 Defense), you should be slanting your linemen on the majority of snaps. They may shade at times, you may even two-gap them on occasion. But most of the time, they slant. [Read more...]
We have always taught Linebackers to bluff their blitzes occasionally, but I never made it a point to practice “bluffing” until we installed the 3-3-5 Defense, or the Odd Stack, a few years ago. At that point, teaching Linebackers to move before the snap became a key to the defense.
As a 3-3-5 Defense Linebacker Coach, you want to establish rules for your Inside and Outside Linebackers to move before the snap, and practice that movement. You can see a huge difference in our movement if we can work in a 5 minute Prowling period each day.
The 3-3 Stack has long been criticized, wrongly so, for being weak against the run. The truth is, you should never be using a 3 man front on a run down. Instead, you want to create 4 and 5 man fronts using a variety of well planned blitzes.
Most teams are in the 3-3-5 Defense because you have to defend the spread offense, so you need more speed on the field. And if you are defending the spread offense very often, then you have to stop the Zone Read.So let’s take a look at 3 blitzes that should be on your call sheet when the opponent tendencies signal you that the Zone Read is coming.
What the Offense Looks For
You need to have a grasp of what the offensive coordinator looks for. First of all, you have the advantage because 90% of coaches start the season looking at their Zone Read against an Even Front. Off the bat, especially early in the season, your 3-3 defense can present some unique challenges.They expect to run at the 3 technique, meaning they want the strength to be opposite the back. This puts the bubble tight, in the A Gap, and the cut back in the weak B gap. [Read more...]
