Post by Coach Campbell on Jan 6, 2016 3:02:08 GMT
Defensive Philosophy and Pursuit Drill
Max Meagher
We are a multiple front slant defense that bases out of the 3-3 stack/3-4 hybrid. Our primary fronts need to allow us to play our primary pass coverages without change of alignment. Our 3 man and 4 man fronts do not change techniques for our linemen allowing us to be multiple defensively with limited teaching and more time for technique. We will occasionally play a 5 man front and always leave flexibility to make game-plan installations that match current technique and style of the opponent. We might bring in 25% of our defensive game plan as specific opponent packages. (We do not always play trips/spread/pro formations the same way each week- Maybe rare, but we spend time getting our players ready formationally for our game plan) Adjusting as a principle leads to better reaction to in game adjustments.
We are a multiple coverage defense playing primarily cover 2, 4, and man free. These coverages allow us to have the same alignments pre-snap and disguise pressure and coverage. We will utilize multiple blitzes putting us in fire zone and man free “hole-empty” coverage. We will also use and disguise pre-drop alignment to play a coverage committed defense when we are in late half/game protect the lead situations.
Stop the Run from the Inside Out- Run plays should spill out to our force/alley player and bounce back inside to our insert/cutback player. We are an attack and react defense instead of read and react. Playing inside out allows us to use both sidelines and start each play 13-11
Don’t give up the Deep Pass Play- Force a short throw and outside throws that allow us to utilize the sideline as defenders and the linemen as obstacles.
Be Extraordinary at the Ordinary Things
Play THROUGH the whistle- zero talent to hustle and hustle is the only way to compensate for mistakes
There is no way our effort, intensity, and focus can ever be simulated by an opponent’s practice or mentally prepared for.
Sure hard tacklers – Bite the Ball, Wrap & Roll, Near Arm Far Ankle
Create TAKEAWAYS –
Hustle for the strip, 2nd man eyes to the ball
Punch on Pursuit
Catch the balls that hit our hands & every ball on the ground belongs to us
Precision Pressure
When we blitz it is under control to our assignment and is a full speed start to the play therefore a blitz is not a risk
We are just as aggressive of a defense when we are not blitzing as we are when we blitz
Always under control playing behind the line of scrimmage but not up field
Regardless of Secondary Coverage our pass defenses success relies on our ability to pressure with 3, 4, 5 and occasionally 6 men
Have an Overcome Mentality
We are GANGREEN, we aren't the ones that self-destruct
The last play is only there to learn from it is the next play that matters
The offense might put us in a difficult situation- WHO CARES!
Understand Momentum as a Pendulum
In order to make a statement that we are the most relentless unit on the field we spend a great deal of time on pursuit drills and every single defensive pursuit drill is filmed. Perhaps my favorite one because it combines a number of great techniques into one competitive drill is what we call Hustle Pursuit drill. We have five players on the goal line facing the end zone in the center of the field. On the 10, 15, 20 and 25 yard lines on each sideline we have a player holding a tackling dummy. At the 35 yard line in the center of the field is one player holding a tackling dummy. The players on the goal line will chop their feet on the whistle and at hit will do an up down. On the whistle the coach will point a direction and the players must sprint and tackle the dummy with their head up. We can incorporate good form tackling into a pursuit drill without any contact for our players so we avoid injury or getting banged up. We point right at the whistle so they keep their head up while doing an up down. This drill naturally teaches players to not follow their color jersey or they won't get a dummy. The person that doesn't get the last dummy must sprint and tackle the dummy in the center. The players hold the dummy after tackling it and better get ready because this drill is run rapid fire and we don't rotate sides so players can't cheat. Another coaching point is that we do not allow a player to head to the center dummy until the 4th dummy gets tackled so we teach them to never give up or assume a tackle by your teammate. It is interesting that sometimes two players race for a dummy and the last person is rewarded for hard work by getting that 4th dummy. This is not our only pursuit drill but is probably our most competitive drill. We don't condition because I hate conditioning so we incorporate drills like these. We also do a drill each week with pursuit for our pass coverage and run fits. Also our starting defense will have a 7 play sequence against the scout where they must sprint to a sideline after the whistle and get back and be set ready for the next play. Sorry for the long post. I love pursuit drills. Thanks also to everyone else for posting.