Installing Gap 8 Mirror

Coach DT,

Pressure is a very important characteristic of any successful defense in my opinion and is especially relevant at the youth level, where offensive players and coaches are often times not adequately prepared to handle it. The Gap 8 puts a great deal of pressure on any offense but, like any defense, it has its weaknesses as well. Whether or not the offenses your team will face during the course of a season will be able to take advantage of them is another thing altogether! If you've read Coach Reed's books on the subject and follow his installation points, you should be very effective against most teams you face. The biggest risk you take in playing a Gap 8 type front is that wherever your weakness is, it should be visible to a team that has scouted you and unlike more traditional defenses, your ability to "play behind it" is lessened. It can be vulnerable to lead plays (Iso/Power) because of its "all or nothing" penetration and teams with solid (1-3 step) passing attacks are also a viable threat. That being said, if you're not likely to come across a team with a great passing game, the advantages to playing this kind of front might very well outweigh those risks inherent in its design. Just my opinion on things of course.

The great thing you'll find about this board is that you can usually count on a variety of responses from coaches at all different levels, with varying backgrounds and experience levels. The diversity of experiences this forum draws from is what makes it the best one going in my opinion.

Best of luck with your new assignment "on the dark side" and welcome to the youth forum here on Coach Campbell's site!

Dave Hartman
CYFL Coach

COACHDT19,

The gap 8 is an old established GOAL LINE defense that is not utilized much anymore, FROM ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE ALABAMA 6-5 WAS GOING STRONG, although I was a proponent of it for years. As Dave pointed out so aptly, it is vulnerable in several areas, especially the short passing game. But, he also makes a very salient point when he says your success with it will depend upon your opponent's ability to block it. At the age group mentioned, I would say you have a definite advantage by lining up and sending "the house" ( all 8 ) because there is a great chance that sheer weight of numbers will befuddle the blocking schemes of most teams at that age bracket.

Coach Easton-TIGER ONE

COACH DT,

As the game becomes more and more sophisticated each year now days, the defenses are the first to change to keep abreast. No truer saying than: OFFFENSE GETS THE GLORY BUT DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

I went to a 4-2-5 base 20 years ago, and although we have some 25 or so 50 fronts we use, we try to stay in base as much as is possible. The GAP 8 is a tough run stopper, but todays passing game dictates that you have to be a little more mobile, in my opinion. That was my primary reason for changing.

Coach Easton