Installing The 5-2 Defense

ATTACHED is our "5-2" Defense that was given to us by Bud Wilkinson (Oklahoma).  It was great for us over the many years (very good vs. Wing-T, Wishbone & Split Back Veer, etc.). 

We used the enclosed STUNTS (P. 3) to eliminate any "honey holes" the offense might find.  We use these 'STUNTS" to get penetration at a point on the LOS where we anticipate their running (& if they run at this point, we should tackle them for a loss).

NOTE:  From our 4 Deep Secondary, we used Cover 3 (Sly/Cloud), and Cover 4.
billmountjoy@yahoo.com

Defensive Principles

Installation of The 50 Defense



1. To have a great defense you must start with a philosophy. The coaches and players must believe in it and stick to it. You will not be a great defensive team by changing your philosophy from week to week or at mid season.



2. Give Great Effort: You must establish a way of playing each week, regardless of the opponent, score, situation, or time on the clock (etc.)



3. The 50 defense can be centered on the philosophy that this defense and its athletes will be known for always running to the football. You will always be an aggressive swarming type of defense that will always have people around the football. You must have patience and understand that you may give up a few yards and some first downs, but feel on a long drive that sooner or later you will make the offense make a mistake or you will come up with a big play that will put them in a second and long or a third and long situation.



4. Pursuit and Gang Tack!



a. 11 people to the ball, getting a piece of the ball carrier.

b. Demoralize the ball carrier by physicalness and buzzing around the ball, taking all escape routes away.

c. Eliminate the big play.

d. Create turnovers Fumbles/Interceptions.



5. Communicate: Each of the 11 players on defense communicates with each other and is receptive to communication.



6. Execute: On each run or pass play, each Man has an assignment.



DO IT!! If one man fails, all 11 fail. Anticipate what can happen to you.



7. Team Unity: You cannot have a great defense with individuals playing only for themselves. You must have pride in yourself, but at no point can your satisfaction be more important than the TEAM. Respect your teammates. You help them win and they in return, will help you win.

1. ALERT Indicates the possibility of the change of one coverage to another based on the _opponent's formation.



2. ATTACK ZONE - That area from the goal fine to the 15 yard line offensively coming out where youwill aggressively hold the offense to less than 10 yards.



3. BALL A call made when the football is in the air or on the ground. This alerts total defense that the football has been thrown or fumbled.



4. BANJO Two defenders playing man to man coverage on two receivers using an inside outside technique.



5. BASE This is a term that signifies that someone from the secondary has primary force.



6. BLITZ A call that indicates a secondary person who comes on the snap of the football. Usually the remaining secondary personnel plays man coverage



7. BLUE AREA - Area into sideline where pass defender does not enter until the ball is thrown. For a flat defender the area is 6 yards from the sideline; for a deep defender the area is 9 yards from the sideline.



8. BOOMERANG Receiver that starts into motion and comes back.



9. BOOT A pass in which the QB rolls away from full How or pre-called play action away.



10. BREAK Term signifying defenders to break towards a thrown pass, immediately and at full speed.



11. BUMP Alignment and technique where defensive back crowds the L.O.S. taking away the inside by alignment and by controlling receiver's inside shoulder.



12. CHASE CONTAIN Backside pursuit responsibilities vs. (1) cutback, (2) boots. (3) Reverse.



13. CHEAT - Technique of disguising coverage initially, but moving cowards true alignment prior to snap of the football.



14. CHECK - Call made by the safety to indicate that you are changing the coverage from what was originally called in the huddle.



15. CHOKE Man to man technique in which the defensive back uses a slow controlled back pedal to aggressively take away underneath routes.



16. CLOUD Secondary rotation placing the comer in the flat with force responsibility.



17. CLUB ALIGNMENT 2 yards outside of receiver and 2 yards deep versus Wing T or Power I.



18. COAST ALIGNMENT - (Corner! Align 2 yards outside and 5 to 7 yards deep versus a T.E



19. CONTAIN - Keep the ball on the inside shoulder on pass or run.



20. CRACK - Call made by the corner alerting the people inside that an outside receiver is blocking back towards the football.

21. CRACK ALIGNMENT - This refers to the strong safety walked off on the wide receiver with his back turned to him 2 yards inside wide receiver and 2 yards off L.O.S..



22. CROSS - Communication call indicating that a receiver is running a route across the formation.


23. CURL - Pass zone outside of hook area and extending towards the flat area Usually an area of the field 3 yards inside the wide receiver and 12 to 15 yards off the L.O.S.



24. CUSHION - A relationship between the defensive back and receiver in which the DB maintains a 3 5 yard vertical depth relationship.



25. DEEP ½ - Deep pass zone that extends from sideline to an imaginary fine bisecting the field.



26. DEEP MIDDLE 1/3 Pass zone, deeper than all receivers from hash to hash.



27. DEEP OUTSIDE 1/3 Pass zone, deeper than all receivers from hash to sideline.



28. DELAY A communication call that signifies a potential receiver has waited a count or two, before releasing into his route.



29. DIME Six defensive backs in the game.



30. DISGUISE - The hiding of a coverage, stunt, blitz, dog, and or pre-snap alignment. Makes coverage hard to recognize until after the snap.



31. DOG - Rush of a linebacker, or combination of linebackers, through a designated gap.



32. DRAW - Call to indicate that the QB has executed a delayed hand-off after a play action pass fake.



33. DRIVE - The breaking on the football when it's thrown.



34. DROP BACK - Type of pass action where QB drops straight back behind the center, either a 5 or 7 step drop.



35. E.M.L.O.S. - End Man On The Line Of Scrimmage



36. FAST DEFENSE - When you opponent goes into a two-minute offense, or starts running plays without huddling, is called a fast or hurry-up offense.



37. FIELD - Call used to tell the defense that strength is to the wide side of the field, regardless of the offensive formation.



38. FILL - Inside out responsibilities on the football - QB on option.



39. FLAT - Area of the field outside of the widest offensive man, or zone, located 5 yards deep from the curl area to the sideline.



40. FLEX - 2 to 5 yard split by a T.E., which signifies that a pass may be coming.



41. FLOOD - 3-tiered pattern to one side, utilizing a back out of the backfield.



42. FLOW - Backfield flow refers to the direction of the backs. Ball flow refers to the direction of the ball.



43. FLY - Backfield motion away from the two-receiver side of the formation. Also, a pattern run straight down the field.



44. FORCE - Outside-in responsibilities on the football, immediate up field pressure from the secondary, or linebackers, on run plays. Pitch an option.

23. CURL - Pass zone outside of hook area and extending towards the flat area Usually an area of the field 3 yards inside the wide receiver and 12 to 15 yards off the L.O.S.



24. CUSHION - A relationship between the defensive back and receiver in which the DB maintains a 3 5 yard vertical depth relationship.



25. DEEP ½ - Deep pass zone that extends from sideline to an imaginary fine bisecting the field.



26. DEEP MIDDLE 1/3 Pass zone, deeper than all receivers from hash to hash.



27. DEEP OUTSIDE 1/3 Pass zone, deeper than all receivers from hash to sideline.



28. DELAY A communication call that signifies a potential receiver has waited a count or two, before releasing into his route.



29. DIME Six defensive backs in the game.



30. DISGUISE - The hiding of a coverage, stunt, blitz, dog, and or pre-snap alignment. Makes coverage hard to recognize until after the snap.



31. DOG - Rush of a linebacker, or combination of linebackers, through a designated gap.



32. DRAW - Call to indicate that the QB has executed a delayed hand-off after a play action pass fake.



33. DRIVE - The breaking on the football when it's thrown.



34. DROP BACK - Type of pass action where QB drops straight back behind the center, either a 5 or 7 step drop.



35. E.M.L.O.S. - End Man On The Line Of Scrimmage



36. FAST DEFENSE - When you opponent goes into a two-minute offense, or starts running plays without huddling, is called a fast or hurry-up offense.



37. FIELD - Call used to tell the defense that strength is to the wide side of the field, regardless of the offensive formation.



38. FILL - Inside out responsibilities on the football - QB on option.



39. FLAT - Area of the field outside of the widest offensive man, or zone, located 5 yards deep from the curl area to the sideline.



40. FLEX - 2 to 5 yard split by a T.E., which signifies that a pass may be coming.



41. FLOOD - 3-tiered pattern to one side, utilizing a back out of the backfield.



42. FLOW - Backfield flow refers to the direction of the backs. Ball flow refers to the direction of the ball.



43. FLY - Backfield motion away from the two-receiver side of the formation. Also, a pattern run straight down the field.



44. FORCE - Outside-in responsibilities on the football, immediate up field pressure from the secondary, or linebackers, on run plays. Pitch an option.

69. PICK - A screen by a receiver on a defensive back, or linebacker, to take him out of coverage.



70. PITCH MAN - A running back, or receiver, who receives the football from the QB on any type of option or outside run.



71. PLAY PASS or PLAY ACTION - When the QB fakes a running play, then drops back in an attempt to throw a pass.



72. P.O.A. - Point of Attack



73. POP or PLUG - A linebacker stunt run through the A or B gap.



74. PRESS - An alignment which places an outside linebacker directly in front of the wide receiver. The purpose is to hld the reciever up.



75. PREVENT - A defense used in long situations, used prior to the half ending, or at the end of a game. Designed not to let you opponent score.



76. PURSUIT - An angle taken by a defender to cut of the ball carrier.



77. RAIDER - This term, or any term that you feel comfortable with, can describe a defensive call hat shows blitz prior to the snap of the football, and then back off to run coverage called.



78. RAM - A call directing the safety to the right, in order to help on certain coverage's, or rotation.



79. READ - A term that signifies someone from the secondary may have force, depending on the blocks of the offense.



80. RED ZONE - An area of the football field from the 20 yard line in. An area which the defender does not let a pass receiver in.



81. ROLL - A coverage for a secondary rotation with the corner up, or when the QB reverses, and comes out on the corner in an attempt to pass.



82. SCRAPE - A technique which moves a linebacker up field depending on the direction of the ball.



83. SECONDARY CONTAIN - Pertains to the linebacker coming out of his coverage responsibility, to contain the QB when primary containment breaks down.



84. SETTLE - When a secondary defender stops gaining depth and/or width in an area, and stays in that area.



85. SHOW - Disguising a coverage by showing another coverge, nd then backs out.



86. SKY - A coverage call for the free safety and strong saftey playing in the curl/or flat are in zone coverage.



87. SLAM - A term used to describe a strong safety blitz.