Post by Coach Campbell on Apr 4, 2013 14:41:07 GMT
4-3 defense
Basic 4—3This base defense consists of four defensive linemen, three linebackers, and four defensive backs (two safeties, two corners). Against two-receiver offensive sets, this formation is effective against the run and the pass. In the 4—3, the linemen tend to line up in the gaps between the offensive line. On passing downs, the Mike (middle linebacker) is often responsible to cover any running backs, the Sam (strong-side linebacker) covers the Tight End, and the Will (weak-side linebacker) either covers a back or blitzes in an attempt to sack the quarterback. This formation was invented by former Detroit Lions Head Coach Buster Ramsey. There are several different variations of the 4—3 defense such as the 4-3 under defense, 4-3 over defense, 4-3 umbrella defense, 4-3 swim defense, and 4-3 slide defense.
6—1 defenseThe 6—1 defense basically has the personnel of the 4—3 defense, but instead of the outside linebackers playing behind the defensive line, they line up alongside of the defensive line. The middle linebacker is the only one directly behind the line.
3—4 defense
Basic 3—4This is the base defense of some teams. It consists of three defensive linemen, four linebackers, and four defensive backs (two safeties, two corners). The advantage is that while 4 players still usually rush the line, the quarterback can be less sure of which of the 4 linebackers will join the 3 linemen. This formation sacrifices some size (of linemen) for speed (of linebackers), but coaches choosing to utilize this formation as their base defense typically choose larger players in the front 7 to make up for the shortage of size. In this formation, the single tackle usually lines up directly over the "nose" of the ball, and is often called the "nose guard". In this formation, the linemen often line up directly in front of the offensive line, while the linebackers "shoot the gaps". There is also a variation of this defense called the 3-4 under defense. This defense is a one gap version of the 3—4 defense.
2—5 defenseIn this variation of the 3—4, known also as the "3—4 eagle", the nose guard is removed from play and in his place is an extra linebacker, who lines up on the line where the nose guard would be, sometimes slightly behind where the nose guard would be. It allows defenses more flexibility in man to man coverages and zone blitzes. It was created by Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, and evolved from Buddy Ryan's 46 defense. Shurmur created the defense in part to take advantage of the pass rush abilities of Kevin Greene, a defensive end sized linebacker. The "eagle" in the formation's name comes from the late 1940s-early 1950s Philadelphia Eagles coached by Greasy Neale.
The original Eagle defense was 5—2 arrangement, with five defensive linemen and two linebackers. In Neale's defense, as in Shurmur's variation, the nose tackle could also drop into pass coverage, thus Shurmur's use of the Eagle defense name.
4—4 defenseMain article: 4—4 defense
The 4—4 defense consists of four defensive linemen, four linebackers, and three defensive backs (one safety, two corners). Puts "eight men in the box" to stop the run, but it sacrifices deep coverage against the pass, especially if the opponent's receivers are better athletes than the cornerbacks. The formation is popular in high school football as well as smaller collegiate teams. If the opposite team is a good passing team, outside linebackers are usually called on to defend slotbacks.
38 defense (split middle) 38 refers to the positions of the defensive players on the line of scrimmage. Two "3" techniques (DT, lined up outside eye of guards) and two "8" techniques (DE, lined up outside of end man on line of scrimmage). The DT's are the only down lineman. Two standup players (Monster and Rover) are in "5" techniques. Two Linebackers are 3 yards off the ball behind DT's. A combination of the 4—4, 6—2, and the 46. Designed to stop the run and to confuse offenses. 3 players in secondary all covering deep thirds. The confusing element is either the "5" techniques or the "8" techniques can rush or drop into the flats. LB's have hook zones. Each player on the line has a Two Gap responsibility.
46 defense
The 46. Notice the strong safety in the box and the 2 outside linebackers shifted to the same side outside of the defensive endThis formation was invented by Buddy Ryan, defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears during the 1980s. Instead of having four linemen and six linebackers (as the name may suggest), it's actually a 4—4 set using 4—3 personnel. This was accomplished by moving a safety up into the "box" instead of a fourth linebacker. The '46' refers not to any lineman/linebacker orientation but was the jersey number of hard hitting strong safety Doug Plank, the player Buddy Ryan first used in this role at Chicago. The other feature of the 46 was the placement of both "outside" linebackers on the same side of the formation, with the defensive line shifted the opposite way with the weak defensive end about 1 to 2 yards outside the weak offensive tackle. This defense was the philosophical equivalent of the "Notre Dame Box" offense devised by Knute Rockne in the 1930s, in that it used an unbalanced field and complex pre-snap motion to confuse the opposing offense. Chicago rode this defense into a 15—1 season in 1985, culminating in a 46—10 win over New England in Super Bowl XX.
5—2 defense
The 5—2. If the defensive ends drop into pass coverage, this formation becomes functionally equivalent to a 3—4The 5—2 defense consists of five defensive linemen, two linebackers, and four defensive backs (two corners, two safeties). Used to stop the run without sacrificing a safety. This formation is common in high schools.[citation needed].
Nickel formationMain article: Nickel defense
While the original Nickel defense utilized 5 defensive backs in conjunction with a 4 man rush, and but 2 linebackers, modern definition calls any formation that utilizes 5 defensive backs (from nickel = 5 cent piece) a Nickel defense. The Nickel defense originated as an innovation of Philadelphia Eagles defensive coach Jerry Williams in 1960 as a measure to defend star tight end Mike Ditka of the Chicago Bears.[6][dubious — discuss] The Nickel coverage scheme is often used when the offense is using an additional wide receiver as it matches an extra cornerback against the extra receiver. The extra corner is often called a nickelback. Some variations use an extra strong safety instead of an extra cornerback. Strong safeties are often the more physical of the safeties, often resembling linebackers, so a Nickel with the extra safety can be more effective against the run than one wth an extra corner. The Nickel formation comes in several varieties:
4—2—5 nickel defense
4—2—5The 4—2—5 removes a linebacker from the standard 4—3 to get the extra defensive back. A variation is the 2—4—5, which is primarily run by teams that run the 3—4 defense. They replace a defensive tackle with a corner.
33 stack
33 stack greenThe 33 stack uses an extra strong safety, and "stacks" linebackers and safeties directly behind the defensive linemen.
3—5—3
3—5—3The 3—5—3 refers to a defense that has three down linemen (the "3" level), three linebackers and two corners (the "5" level), one free safety and 2 strong safeties (the "3" level). This is similar to a 33 stack, but with players more spread. Also called the "umbrella" defense or "3-deep". In this set, the third safety would be referred to as a "weak safety" (WS) and allows two position safeties at the mid-level with a third safety deep. It is because of this that the secondary safety in a football defense is called a free safety rather than a weak safety
Dime formation
A 4—1—6 (typical dime set-up)Main article: Dime defense
Any defense consisting of six defensive backs. The sixth defensive back is known as the dimeback and this defense is also used in passing situations (particularly when the offense is using four wide receivers). As the extra defensive back in the nickel formation is called the nickel, two nickels gives you a dime, hence the name of the formation.
Quarter and half-dollar formations (prevent defense)See also: Prevent defense
3-deep quarter formation (3—1—7), the most common
The 0—4—7 quarterDefense consisting of seven (quarter) or eight (half dollar) defensive backs. The seventh defensive back is often an extra safety, and this defense is used in extreme passing situations (such as to defend against a Hail Mary pass). It is occasionally referred to as the prevent defense because of its use in preventing desperation plays. The cornerbacks and safeties in a prevent defense usually make a point of defending the goal line at the expense of receivers in the middle of the field, thus making the formation susceptible to running plays and short passes.
The quarter formations are run from a 3—1—7 or a 4—0—7 in most instances; the New England Patriots have used an 0—4—7 in some instances with no down linemen. Half dollar defenses are almost always run from a 3—0—8 formation. The eighth defensive back in this case is usually a wide receiver from the offense. The wide receiver can capitalize on interception opportunities in the expected high-risk offensive play.
Unlike other formations, the extra safety is not referred to as a quarterback or halfback (except in Canadian football), to avoid confusion with the offensive positions of the same names, but rather simply as a defensive back or a safety.
Goal line defense
A goal-line defense with "9 in the box"Defense used on the goal line or in short yardage situations where the entire defense lines up close to the line of scrimmage in an attempt to stop an expected running play. It is usually used to counter a Goal Line offense. Since there is not more than 10—11 yards of field left, the safeties can be pulled for more linemen or linebackers.
However, depending upon the abilities of a particular receiving corps, some defenses may be forced to keep their defensive backs in goal-line situations, weakening their ability to stop the run.
Other variants Clearly, the permutations are endless, bound only by the individual and collective abilities of a defensive unit. More extreme formations may be called for when a coach feels that his team is at a particular disadvantage due to personnel matchups. For example, Eric Mangini, former coach of the Cleveland Browns and the former coach of the New York Jets, has employed a scheme that involves 1 defensive lineman and 6 linebackers. Prior to the snap, only the lineman assumes a three-point stance, ready to rush the passer. The 6 linebackers "rove" up and down the line of scrimmage, attempting to confuse the quarterback as to whether they will rush, drop into coverage, or blitz. This defense, combined with poor weather conditions, did serve to improve the Jets' pass rush against the New England Patriots offensive line. Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady was limited to just 14 completions out of 27 attempts, with no touchdowns and one interception during their December 16, 2007 game, but the defense proved ineffective in stopping the Patriots' running attack as the Patriots won.