This is an excerpt from my upcoming new eBook on Zone Blitzing. The book will be available later this month. It will be an inexpensive, yet comprehensive look at the zone blitz and how you can use the zone blitz in your defensive scheme.
This is a look at what the zone blitz is, and why you will want to use the zone blitz in your game plan. It is also a look at the formatting of the eBook, since I literally cut-and-pasted it! (cut me some slack, the National Championship was on!)What is the Zone Blitz? You should have a little bit of an idea about why we want to use the Zone Blitz in our defensive scheme now. But we have not gotten in to exactly what the Zone Blitz is.
Zone Blitzes are a 5 man rush package that features a zone coverage behind them. The starting point for a zone blitz package is a blitz with four defensive linemen and a linebacker (if you are an even front) or three defensive linemen and two linebackers (for odd fronts). Most Zone Blitz packages use a 3 under, 3 deep zone coverage behind them. This creates safety because you always have players behind the receivers to make a tackle and line up again if the offense does have success. In man blitz schemes, you are subject to the deep ball and big plays, more so than the Zone Blitz.
Some teams also use a 4 under, 2 deep zone coverage behind their Zone Blitzes. Coupling this with the 3 deep zone coverage creates even more confusion for the offense, if your players can handle it.
From the starting point of basic one-linebacker Zone Blitzes, we can expand the package. Zone Blitz packages can include blitzes by multiple linebackers, safeties and corner backs.
Linebackers and even Defensive Linemen can get involved in the coverage package. This creates more opportunities for confusion for the offense (and for your defense if not taught properly!). It also lets you get your athletes in to a number of different positions during the course of a single defensive series.
When to Use the Zone Blitz
One of the goals of this book will be to teach you not only a variety of Zone Blitzes, but when it is best to call these blitzes. Certain calls will be more effective in certain situations.
Again, do not make calls just to make a call. Going in to a game, I only want to take a maximum of three different zone blitzes. There is just no reason to take more than that. Offenses can only do so many different things to you.
Every Zone Blitz you use should have a specific purpose. Think about what you are trying to accomplish.
- Are you trying to force the Offense to change their game plan?
- Are you trying to pick on a particular player on the offense?
- Are you trying to put your most dynamic player in multiple positions to cause havoc for the offense?
If you are using a Zone Blitz as an answer to the offense, keep in mind that you are probably letting them dictate to you. This is not the mentality we want to have.
While I will talk about some guidelines in using various types of Zone Blitzes in certain situations, the ultimate success of your package will be based on how well you game plan for your opponent. Offenses are so varied today, and the individual talent of our defenses, that we cannot get cookie cutter answer to “when to Zone Blitz.”
To learn more about the Zone Blitz, check out this Zone Blitz video from ChiefPigskin.com.
Joe- I enjoy your comments and expertise. I have several of your books aand have used many of your ideas and principles. Your idea of reminding or telling the end that he is a contain person in a man-to-man scheme is great! It will be a great coaching point! Thanks for your thought. John
In our 3-5-3 Flex, the “zone blitz” scheme should really be called, “blitz zone.” We blitz nearly every down, the offensive formation and down/distance dictating what we “flex” the 3-5 into. But pre-snap, we show three down and five LBs up and showing blitz.
At the snap, based on the gap-to-key read of the three interior LBs, they may blitz. If the read isn’t there, they go to zone. So in the right circumstance, all three LBs in the middle could be coming. The offenses in our league absolutely HATE it … because they all have yet to realize … THEY DICTATE OUR FORMATION AND OUR BLITZ PACKAGE! Yet, until they go from Down to Set, all they say is the same 3-5 alignment each and every time.
It confuses their O-line blocking calls, their RB blitz pickups and makes QB audibles very iffy … talking to the QBs in our semi-pro league, they are all hard-pressed to pick up what exactly we will do on a given play.
So, as you say, there really is no “cookie cutter” blitz scheme (at least insofar as the offense can discern
). The players know their assignments, what reads for what offensive formation, and adjust from there. After that, it is the offense that governs WHICH LBs will be blitzing on a given play (run/pass blitzing).