The 4-3 MLB

Not sure there is such a thing as a "traditional" 4-3 defense. You have 43 OVERS, 43 UNDERS, 43 OVER/SHADES, 43 UNDER/SHADES, 43 (61)/TILT NOSE, 43 (61) DALLAS "FLEX", ETC., ETC., ETC.! Also - gap responsibilities may CHANGE vs. a 2 tight end team (with 8 defensive gaps), as opposed to a 1 TE team with only 7 defensive gaps.

The 3-4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3-4 defense is so named because it involves 3 down linemen and 4 linebackers. There are usually 4 defensive backs. However, most teams since the 1990s have been using the 4-3 defense, primarily because football is fundamentally a "rush first" game, and the 4-3 defense's 4 down linemen make rushing more difficult by adding one more down lineman to fill gaps. By the same token, fast linebackers, sitting back to survey the offensive set, can key in on an inside ball carrier and "hit the gaps" quickly to offer help to the 3 down linemen when defending the rush. In pass coverage, the 4 linebackers are already in a "sitting back" position, able to see the patterns develop and cover the short/intermediate pass.

Notable teams that use the 3-4 defense are the Cleveland Browns, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The San Francisco 49ers use a combination of 3-4 and 4-3 defense. The Arizona Cardinals are also considering a change to the 3-4 defense in the future because their head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, was a coaching assistant for the Steelers. The Cardinals already incorporate the 5-2 defense, an older variation of the 3-4, in some of their defensive schemes. The Miami Dolphins have also incorporated elements of the 3-4 defense into their scheme, under defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, the Dolphins are said to run what is called a 'Hybrid 3-4' which incorporates elements of both the 3-4 and the 4-3 defense depending on the situation and personnel on the field. With the hiring of defensive coordinator Dom Capers, the Green Bay Packers will be also be switching to a hybrid 3-4 defense in 2009. This will result in them moving Aaron Kampman to outside linebacker. Also with Mike Nolan becoming the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos, they will also be switching to the 3-4 defense in 2009. The Kansas City Chiefs may also become a 3-4 in 2009.

The Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins are the only NFL teams which have never used the 3-4 as their base defense. Conversely, the Steelers have used the 3-4 as their base since 1982, the season after Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Mean Joe Greene and end L.C. Greenwood retired.

The 3-4 defense was originally devised by Bud Wilkinson at the University of Oklahoma in the 1940s. Chuck Fairbanks learned the defense from Wilkinson and is credited with importing it to the NFL.[4] The 1972 Miami Dolphins were the first team to win a Super Bowl with the 3-4 defense, going undefeated and using number 53, Bob Mathison as a down lineman or rushing linebacker. When the Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV, it marked the first Super Bowl in which both teams used the 3-4 as their base defense. Also notable, the 1986 New York Giants won Super Bowl XXI with a 3-4 defense and all-time great Lawrence Taylor as outside linebacker. By the mid-1990s, only a few teams used a 3-4 defense, most notably the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers.[5] In the early 2000s, the New England Patriots won three Super Bowls using a version of the 3-4, causing the number of teams using that scheme to increase.

Mike in a 4-3 usually has Strong A because of the 1 tech by the DT. But he also has deep middle in a Cover 2. In my opinion to run a 4-3 you have to have a STUD at Mike because he is going to get blocked. I used a 4-3 my first year in coaching but quickly switched to a 4-4 because Mike was getting hammered. Depending on the teams you face, I think a 4-4 is a better defense against most youth and High School teams.

It is very hard to run a 4-3 without a select team. You have to be solid 1 and 3 tech (double team type 3 tech) and have a 9 pass rusher with a run playing 6 or 7 tech. Each has to control the LOS otherwise your LB's are getting occupied by OLinemen. Having O linemen in your LB's face is not good in a 4-3 defense.

JMHO

This type of formation is a real problem for a 4-3 cover 2 team:



X.............T.G.C.G.T..Y
...H.................Q.............................Z

.......................F

If you walk your WLB out far enough to help on slant/seam, bubble screen etc, you are a man short in the box and you will get beaten up by IZ weak, trap strong etc. I would be curious to here how you coaches defend this type of thing.