110 FOOTBAIL COACHING STRATEGIES

FIGUBE
3 weak oLB beatingFB btock
If the outside linebackers donl apply the pres-
sure in ar Okie defense, th€ quarterbacks are
going to have too much time to throw. There

Itr ob
with the forearm shiver. Don,t get me wrors_
Defensive players have to be very proficient at
usingtheirhands in this ela offootball. Howeve!
I believethat the best way for a tinebacker to at-
tack a pass blockff is to let the situation dictat€
htu technique. For example, using th€ hands to
strike a blow requires a lot ofupper body shength,
whereas a forearm blow can be mor€ explosive
and is definitely morc aggressive.
should be a mismatch with the weak outsideline-
backer rushing againBta halfback,and that,s the
way it should be introduced to the backex
The inside linebacker is rarely involved in a
pass blitz against the dropback pass,unless the
defense is playing some form ofstraight man cov-
erage with the free safety covering one of the .e-
maining backs. When the quarterback is mmmg
a designed pass play to break the contain and
challenge the d€fense at the perimete! the in-
side linebacker must now support, get to his point,
and attack. The sprint-draw passplay is the most
efective way to do this, becauBethe fake to the
halfback affects both linebackers (see Figure 4).
fl0uBt 4 r rrBi"""r""d
r"bri'

Ifthe outside linebacker is not able to contain

the quarterback, then he has to get help from the
inside linebackex The inside linebacke. has to
make up his mind to support and then attack the
quarterback. The inside linebacker now becomes
the contain man, and he must force the quarrer-
backwirh in6idFlaverage on rhe batt.tfhc misses
him, the quarterback at least has to cut back in-
side where the inside linebacker shoutd get help
ftom purudt (see Figure 5).
For the inside linebacker to get to the point of
attack, he must precisely read his key and diag,
nose the play. Film study should tell him whether
he is seeingsprint drau or sprint-drawpa6".His
fusr ke) i. Lhegudrd, and his secondkey is rhe
ball. The angle ofthe ball can atso be a facmx
 EMPHASIS ON DEFENSE 111

FIGUBE
5 FlcuRE
6 r;;;'."
".i","r,,t"d
o
o
o
h o ro T.
R(
I
I
E:
PW
/
o-rr A otrore\
/ rl N
lvl---->
\

FI0UBE7 l r,,rLBoLB
Linebackers Versus the Run ".d ".,*
So far, I have talked on)y about pass rush, sup-
port, and contain principles. But t€ams that can
consistently win have an effective running attack.
For every r-un play there is a d€termined point
ofattack. This ar€a is where the play is design€d
to go, and all of the oflensive blocking schemes
are designed to get the ball carier thmugh that
area. The team that gets to that arca with the
nost peoplehas the best chancefor success.For
defenseto win ihis battle, they have to have at
least one defender movirg forward to fiIl th€ area. A RW
In Figure 6, the pointofattackis the otr-tackle +|VFi+IJ

area. For a defenseto have success(a) the nose

guard cannot be hook blocked or scoopblocked;
b)the outside lineback€r has to go meet the full-
back as far in the backfield as possible,attacking
with his insid€ shoulder and keepinghjs outside
arm free; and (c) the middle linebacker must
-hum. and alrackthe gxard. not q art lor him.
In Fieure 7, both th€ middle and outside line-
back€rs have to attack in order to turn the play
back inside.
I view the point of attack as that area where
the defensehas to apply pressure with defend-
els. It does not matter if it is a quarl€rback thrcw-
ing from the pocketor sprinting out and challeng-
ing the perimeter.At least one linebacker has to
be assignedto contain the play and feel that it's
his rcsponsibility io attack with leveraee.
On r-un plays, you can't be passive and wait
and seehow you are going to be blocked.By g€t-
ting def€nders to the area wherc the of€nse wants
to attack, you have a much bett€r chanceofstop-
ping them.

198:) Pturppdinp. cooth Gppn is J,pod "oo,1, fo hp Mtna.soto vibtFL,

I 112 FOOTBALL COACHING STRATDGIES

r $ ! t,,f & tfi Et {t f i $; , ! $! 8{{ | rNt t ttt,,

Getting Run Support
From the Secondary
IIAYDEN FRY TTTT
BILL BRASHIER
$$*&c$f*xii$$s**xQrtct&,t,t,g,,*$&
It is our belief that the most important thing
ar,out run support is the position that the defen_
Wide Play Run Support
Bivebacks assume and keep on the ball. If thev Obiectives
understandlhe posirionlhat rheymusr haveanl
The two main objectives are to funnel the ball
then-do everything they can do at that position,
into the YES areas, and prevent the ball from
the chances for a long nrn are greatlv minimizeal. getting into NO areas (see Figure 1). AJI eecond_
The following diagrams anal comments illus_
ary coverages will be designed to funnet the ball
t€te the basic principles we try to adhere lo r€_
into areas where the defense wants the ball. T.he
garilJe63oft he covemgewe are using.Atrhough
quicker you can forc€ the balt into t}le desired
\ ere rocusrngon the positionof rhe defensive
areas, the better offyou are.
backs, it's important to understand that the fmnt
peoplemusr remain on their feel and oursue wirh
goodangles to allo\a rhe delensivebacksr,oset ro FIOURE
I O€t€ftive secondary run
lheir desired position. All defensive secoridarv supporl wlde ptay defeme
supporl dependson properpursuit from r,hefronr

Run Support Positioning

In primary run sL,ppon.the ptayer responsiblc
lbr lal{jngrhe pirchor trorcing
any wideplay back
to the inside is a defensive back or a delensrve
€nd. Secondary run support responsibilities ofthe
defensive backs are to:
. Keep the ball from going inside the plrnary
support and back to the outside.
. Keep-inside posir,ionon rhe ball as you
ap-
proachthe stoveDiD€.
. Be the last man io make play, deep
in siove-
pipe or on the boundary (see Figu.e 2).

Delemive
€€condary
run
Th€ desired results of primary and secondary
.rn support are to (a) forc€ the ball inside with
eosition on both sides of the stovepipeto make
:he ball go perpendicular to LOS; and (b) force
ihe ball to bounceoutside deep,allowing the sec-
rndary run support to make th€ play on or near
:he LOS.
Run Support Example
\ow let's look athow the objectivesand position-
.ng for run suppod apply to an acrual play.in
rhis case,against the veer run to th€ shongside
seeFigure 3).
EMP}IASISON DEFENSE I13
The defensiverun support responsibilitiesand
poBition are as follows:
Strcng end For veer call-TE release, you
have pitch; sky according to block you're fac-
ing: if the TE blocks down, play frrst threat in
your area (dive or QB).
Strcng sal6ty-For veer call-TE release, play
dump passfirsr,thensupporlinsidedefcnqive
end for first theat. Ifthe TE block down, you
have pitch. Play accordingto block you're fac-
ing. Play sweep aggr$sively, forcing it iNide
or bouncing outside deep.
Stiong coiner-Secondary run support.
Don't let ball inside the primary run support
(SS or SE) and back to the outside. If ball
bounc€s,support outside on or near LOS.
Freo safety-Secondary run support. Always
keep inside position onba[. Make approachto
ball as you pass the center. You should be able
ro rake a QB kecpingand be in stovepipeon
all wide playB.
Weak comer-You're the last man. You must
make play deep in stovepipeor on the bound-
arv
Inside PIay Run Support
Obiectives
The run support strategy veruus irEide runs ls
much the 6ame, but the positions obviously
change. Again, you want to keep the bal rn the
lTS area andnever allow it in theNO areas (see
Figure 4).
FIGURE
4 l- r""rd",,"""",.,r,,.*
c
?a
lc
ocQtrQQ oYY
NO YES r NO
Defenden must maintain their initial outBide
position to the ball. The stov€pipe must be
squeezed down as much as possible and defend-
ers must still maintain the proper position on the
ball. Positions move as the stovepipe moves (the