Fusing Bracket Coverage

& Pressure Concepts

in the 3-3 Defense

JOHN RICE
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
CANYON SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL
MORENO VALLEY, CA
(951) 537-9902
zacoach102@aol.com
 Pressure Component

• Pressure concepts carry over

from base package to eliminate
new teaching
• We are sending 4, 5, or 6
 Coverage Components

• Bracket
• Man coverage
• Dime Assignment
 Bracket Component
• Begin teaching in Spring, carry on through
Summer
• Utilize extensively in 7 on 7 during summer
• May play “up/back” or “under/over”
• Must practice checks vs. motion from day 1
 Bracket Technique (in and out)

Z Z

C C
F

Corner maintains outside leverage on

Free Safety maintains inside leverage on
All routes on the outside of passing tree
all routes on the outside of passing tree
 Bracket Technique (in and out)
Z

7-8 yds
deep F C

Free Safety maintains inside leverage on Corner maintains outside leverage on

all routes on the outside of passing tree All routes on the outside of passing tree
Dime ($) Assignment Component
• Taught during summer
• Work on it during 7 on 7 during the summer
• 4 techniques, 1 for each assignment
– Hole (Low Hole)
– Robber (High Hole)
– Deep Middle (“Free”)
– Deep Half (“Deep”)
– Off Man (covering for blitzing Spur)
 Man Coverage Component
• May assign press man technique or off man
technique
• Concept is a carry over from base package,
eliminating new teaching
• Inside press technique (inside/outside
bracket) and trail man technique
(under/over technique) is taught
 Bracket-Pressure Schemes
• 1 bracket
• Duo
• Dime Lock
• Vise (Spur or Bandit)
• Numbers
 From Base Package
• 1 bracket package (Free safety & pass
defender on one receiver)
• “Duo” package
 1 Bracket Package (from Base)
• Free Safety is in bracket coverage with a
defender and a pre-determined receiver.
• Example- if double coverage is desired on
#89, then the huddle call would be:
• “(blitz) 1 bracket #89)
• Of 3 stacked Linebackers, two will blitz; the
remaining backer will play a low hole
technique
1 bracket
Linebacker play in “1 bracket”
“1 Bracket” Formation/Motion
Checks
Formation/Motion: Check:

Trips/Motion to Play it
Trips
Empty/Motion to Ram or Lion man on
Empty #3, Tiger or Ox
Bracketed Player in Play it with in-out
the backfield alignment
adjustment
 “Duo” Package

S E N E B

N M $
C C
F

Corners Man on #1; keep inside leverage

Spur Bracket #2; outside leverage
Nickel Bracket #2; inside leverage
Mike Pressure
Dime Bracket #2; inside leverage
Bandit Bracket #2; inside leverage
Free Safety Pressure
 “Duo” Package

• Best when back is in protection or not a

significant threat to release into the pass
pattern
• Effective vs. “Big on Big” (man) protection
 Duo Pressure

E N E E N E

M M
Tags:
F Right F
“Indiana Right” Left “Indiana Left”
Field
Boundary

E N E E N E

M M

F F
“Ohio Left” “Ohio Right”
Dime Lock
 Dime Lock Package
• More effective if back is left in protection
• Has built in remedies if back releases
• If back is frequently releases into pass
pattern, we will go to “hang” package.
Dime Lock Switch
 Dime Lock vs. Various Sets

S E N E S E N E B
B
C L M C L M C C

$ FS $ FS
Q

S E N E S E N E
B B
C L M C C L M
C
$ FS $ FS
Dime’s Assignments in ‘Dime Lock” Hole

E N E B
S
L M
C C
Hole

$ F
Dime’s Assignments in “Dime Lock” Free

E N E B
S
L M
C C

Free/Deep Middle
$ F
Play: Post,
Verticals by #2s
Dime’s Assignments in “Dime Lock” Deep Half

E N E B
S
L M
C C

Deep Half
$ F
Play: Stop-n-go,
Smash-Corner,
Verticals
Dime’s Assignments in “Dime Lock” Robber

E N E B
S
L M
C C

High Hole/Robber
$ F
Play: Dig route,
mid-level crosses
Dime’s Assignments in “Dime Lock” Adjuster for Blitz

E N E B
S
L M
C $ C

F
 Dime Lock Tiger (Swap) Hole

E N E B
S
L M
C C
Hole

$ F
Dime Lock Tiger (Swap) 1 Free

E N E B
S
L M
C C

Free/Deep Middle
$
$ F
Play: Post,
Verticals by #2s
 Dime Lock Tiger (Swap) “Deep”

E N E B
S
L M
C C

Deep Half
$
$ F
Play: Stop-n-go,
Smash-Corner,
Verticals
Dime Lock Tiger (Swap) “Robber”

E N E B
S
L M
C C

High Hole/Robber
$ F
Play: Dig route,
mid-level crosses
 Dime Lock Tiger (Swap) Spur

E N E B
S
L M
C C

$ F
 Dime Lock Ox (Swap)
Hole, Free, Deep,
Robber, or Spur

E N E B
S
L M
C C

$ F
 Dime Lock Cross Plug
Hole, Free, Deep,
Robber, or Spur

E N E B
S
L M
C C

$ F
 Dime Lock Spur Cross Plug
Hole, Free, Deep,
Robber, or Spur

E N E B
S
L M
C C

$ F
 Dime Lock Red “Hole”

E N E B
S
L M
C C
Hole

$ F
 Dime Lock Anchor
Free, Deep, Robber, or
Spur

E N E B
S
L M
C Low Hole C

$ F
 Dime Lock Anchor Robber

E N E B
S
L M
C Low Hole C

High Hole/Robber
$ F

Coaching Points: Use vs.

Multi-leveled crossing routes
 Dime Lock Torpedo
Hole, Free, Deep,
Robber, or Spur

E N E B
S
L M
C Low Hole C

$ F
 Dime Lock Torpedo Robber

E N E B
S
L M
C Low Hole C

High Hole/Robber
$ F

Coaching Points: Use vs.

Multi-leveled crossing routes
 Dime Lock Cross Plug
Hole, Free, Deep,
Robber, or Spur

E N E B
S
L M
C F C

$
 Dime Lock Zoo
Hole, Free, Deep,
Robber, or Spur

F B
C C
R M L
S
E N E
Motion vs. Dime Lock
Dime Vise
 Dime Vise Anchor

E N E B
S
L M
C $ Low Hole F C
 Dime Vise Torpedo

E N E B
S
L M
C $ Low Hole F C
 Dime Vise Tiger (Swap)

E N E B
S
L M
C $ F C
 Dime Vise Ox (Swap)

E N E B
S
L M
C $ F C
 Dime Vise Red :

E N E B
S
L M
C $ F C
Coaching Point:
Very High Risk
 Dime Vise Cross Plug

E N E B
S
L M
C $ F C
 Motion vs. Dime Vise
Possible Checks
Formation
Check #1 Check #2 Check #3
or Motion
Bracket # 1 Play it; LB to
Cover 4
Trips to vacated Trips man on
Deep side #3
Empty Cover 4 Bracket off to
Trips side; FS or
Play it; LB to
(3x2) Deep $ man on #3 Trips man on #3

Bracket # 1 to
Cover 4 vacated side;
Quads Spur/Bandit go over
Deep on #3: FS or $ man
on #4 to quads
Q-What if a team starts sending
the back into the pass route?
Answer-Although it is NOT part of the
bracket/pressure package,the “Hang”
strategy is an answer to this offensive
strategy.
Dime “Hang”
 “Hang” Package
• Utilized exclusively to defend offensive
strategy of releasing back into pass routes
• Is a combination coverage
– Man coverage with no safety help
– Spur and Bandit are flat defenders
Numbers package
 Numbers Package with Pressure
• When double-bracket coverage with
pressure is desirable as part of a package
• May play single bracket with pressure if
desired
• When a team places their best receiver at
various positions in the offensive formation
 Dime Numbers “11” Anchor

E N E B
S
L M
C $ Low Hole F C
 Dime Numbers “12” Anchor

E N E B
S
L M
C $ Low Hole F C
 Dime Numbers “11”Torpedo

E N E B
S
L M
C $ Low Hole C
F
 Dime Numbers “12” Torpedo

E N E B
S
L M
C $ Low Hole C
F
 Numbers 11 Tiger (Swap)

E N E B
S
L M
C $ C
F
 Numbers 12 Tiger (Swap)

E N E B
S
L M
C $ C
F
 Numbers 11 Ox (Swap)

E N E B
S
L M
C $ C
F
 Numbers 12 Ox (Swap)

E N E B
S
L M
C $ C
F
 Dime Numbers “11” Red

E N E B
S
L M
C $ F C
Coaching Point:
Very High Risk
 Dime Numbers “12” Red

E N E B
S
L M
C $ F C
Coaching Point:
Very High Risk
Dime Numbers “11” Cross Plug

E N E B
S
L M
C $ F C
 3-3 Coaching Resources
A partial list of coaches who either run the 3-3 now or have experience running it

• Joe Lee Dunn, Def. Coor. U of Memphis Contact: : 901-678-2341

• Charlie Strong, Asst Head Coach, Florida Contact: 352-375-4683 x4100
• Todd Graham, Head Coach, Rice University Contact: 713 348-6900
• Bronco Mendenhall, Head Coach, BYU Contact: 801-422-2916
• Dean Campbell, DB Coach, Air Force Contact: Dean.Campbell.ctr@usafa.af.mil
• Rocky Long, Head Coach, New Mexico Contact: 505-925-5700
• Vic Shealy, Defensive Coordinator, UNLV Contact: vic.shealy@unlv.edu
• Jeff Casteel, Defensive Coordinator, WVU Contact: (304) 293-5621
• Dave Doeren, Defensive Coordinator, Kansas Contact: ddoeren@ku.edu
• Taylor Burks, Def. Coor, Georgia Military Contact: (478) 445-2690
• Richard Bell, Def.Coor., Air Force Academy Contact: Richard.Bell.ctr@usafa.af.mil
• Brad Lambert, Linebacker Coach, Wake Forest Contact: lamberbl@wfu.edu
• Ron Roberts, Def. Coor., Delta State U (MS) Contact: rroberts@deltastate.edu
• Paul Golla, Head Coach, Bakersfield HS, Bakersfield, CA Contact (661) 324-9841
• John Rice, Def Coor.,Canyon Springs HS, Moreno Valley CA Contact: zacoach102@aol.com
• Jerry Campbell, HC, Victoria Memorial HS, Victoria, Texas jerry.campbell@visd.com.
• George Contreras, Def Coor, Rio Mesa HS, Oxnard, CA gcontre@ouhsd.k12.ca.us
 3-3 Media Resources

Video by Buck
DVDs by Vic Shealy, formerly of Air
DVD by Jeff Casteel, Roggeman (Pacific
Force Academy Series of eight videos
WVU Grove High School
(CA) By Georgia Military staff
http://www.championshippr http://www.championshipproductions.com/
coacheschoice.com http://www.championship
oductions.com / productions.com/

All seven John Rice 3-3 defense video

programs on one DVD. Includes 3-3 Defense: 30-Stack videos by Todd
Understanding the Basics, 3-3 Defense:
Applying Pressure, 3-3 Defense vs. The I Graham, Head Coach,
formation, 3-3 Defense vs. Spread Rice University (formerly
Formations, 3-3 Defense vs. Empty
Formation 3-3 Defense vs. Two-tight End of Tulsa). Call (918) 595-
Formations, and 3-3 Defense vs. Defending 7945 ASK FOR PENNY
Special Formations and Plays.
GRAHAM.
Also available individually on VHS
www.coacheschoice.com
 Websites books, & articles about or with content dealing with the 3-3 defense

Coaching Nickel & Dime Defenses

Defending the Spread Offense Coaching Football’s 3-3-5 Defense
Manual by Jerry
By Leo Hand and Rick Molina
Campbell
*Both have sections on the 3-3 defense
101 3-5 Stunts
http://www.jcfb.com/
Books by John Rice By Leo Hand
http://www.coacheschoice.com http://www.coacheschoice.com

30 Stack Forum (Coach Jerry Campbell Website)

Articles online: www.jcfb.com
Georgia Military College’s Devastating 3-5 Defense
By Bert Williams, Head Football Coach MULTIPLE 3-3-5 DEFENSE
http://www.americanfootballmonthly.com/Arena/NS_Magazine/Current/GMC.html ...HARDING UNIVERSITY STYLE
By Ronnie Huckeba,
SHARKS IN THE WATER Defensive Coordinator/Defensive line, Harding University
COACHING LINEBACKERS TO ATTACK IN THE 3-3 DEFENSE
By Ron Roberts
http://americanfootballmonthly.com/Subaccess/Magazine/2005/mar/delta.html http://americanfootballmonthly.com/Subacces
s/Magazine/2004/feb/multiple_335_defense.ht
Command of the Line ml
Georgia Military College’s Applications of the
3-5-3 Defense By Taylor Burks Defensive Coordinator, Georgia Military
College http://americanfootballmonthly.com
VIDEO CUT-UPS
 The End

Contact Info:
JOHN RICE
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
CANYON SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL
MORENO VALLEY, CA
(951) 537-9902
zacoach102@aol.com