3-5 playcalling

Coach,
What we have done was first tell our d-line where to align. 33 would tell our d-tackles to align in 3's our nose does not get a number... 22, 44,66 77,99,32 etc.... we can get into a lot of different fronts this way.. We then tell the lbs what their alignment and assignment is. Then the secondary. We do not huddle they all have bands on their hand.. a play may sound like this. 55 tom full stud man free...... 55 tom tells the d-tackles to slant out full stud tells the stude lb's to blitz. Hope this makes since....
PGOLLA

Coach

I have been messing around with this a little bit I think I have come up with a system that makes since to me, but I am still having a little trouble figuring out how to call my backers assignment. I have thought about giving the a number system and calling the plays like this Ram 55 pop 25 gold
Ram being the strong side, 55 being the tech, pop standing for power telling the d-line to slant to power, 25 is telling the strong Inside backer and the weak eagle backer to blitz, gold standing for cover 3

Do you think that would be to confusing.

Offensiveconfusion,

I like the idea of giving a name and a number but I think that it will become a tongue-twister when you add all the different names for your stunts and blitzes, especially when you throw a stunt and multiple blitzes at once. Just a suggestion...

Wow so many different ways to do things! There are some great ways to get your kids in the positions you want. I'll put my two cents in.
I'll have my "Base" front, which is the basic 33 stack, and three adjusted fronts from that same personell group. I give them each a name. They basically say who is on the line with the lineman. The kids know their alignment techniques automatically but if for some reason we need to put our lineman in a different technique, numbers are given after the front call like many of you do. They pertain only to the Ends in "Base" or the two positions that become "tackles" in other fronts--- (which are still almost always the kids that are the base Ends).
Since there are so many blitz posibilities, I have put in may blitz calls and will probably concentrate on a handfull of them week to week for each game plan. What I have done is try to name the blitzes with letters that correspond to their position name. "SuB" for example if I want my Spur and Bandit to blitz, or RaM for Rob and Mike. They just blitz their gap responsibilities unless an "X" call follows imediately in which case they will switch their gaps. I go with States for my Spur/ILB blitzes. and their University mascots for the Bandit/ ILB blitz. Spur and Mike would be "Nebraska" where as Bandit and Mike would be "Husker". My guys just remember their State and mascot.
Hope my rambling made some sense.

Gawntrail,

yup we signal each part in seperately. We will have both the MLB and FS take the play as there are a number of signals coming in and helps to ensure the entire play is in. The players expect to get the parts in order of - Front / Spur position / Slant / Blitz / Coverage and we finish with a signal to know that we have finished. This way the players know what to expect which helps them see the signals and decode them in their mind and that they have got the complete play.

Front wise it is easy to have Base, bear front, Sam on the LOS and DL on a weak shift - and Will on LOS and line on a strong shift. I know when our offense first went against it - it caused a lot of assignment problems. It looks far more confusing on the field especially when you stem than it does written down in Xs and Os. Like JTW we use blitz calls that make sense - eg WhaM (will and Mike), SlaM (sam and mike), SaW (Sam and Will). helps the players learn it.

With regards to the nose - depends on what schemes you go against. We like speed against most offenses so that we can slant - can get a big mismatch with a fast NT going against a poor old center snapping the ball. However if we are playing a team that pulls their OL a lot we will two gap the NT and look to drive the center back into the pulling lanes. You do need to make sure the NG can play the downblock by the guard though. If he is too light and struggles with this it does open up the inside running game. We started with speed at NG but have moved to more size as the season has progressed.

Signaling can be a nightmare, if you let it be. All 11 defenders for us look to the sidelines for the signal. Two guys on the field are responsible for vocalizing the call. But everyone has to know the signals.
Our front lines up the same place every time. The first call is for them. They always move, never stay still.
The last call is for the secondary, cover 1, 2, 3, 4, o etc.
Now the fun part. We can send 3, 4, 5, 6,7, or 8 guys within our system. Each postion has a name, such as Willie LB. If we want to send willie in the A gap we call that WAnda, willie in the B WeB etc. Our Dline knows what each blitz is and they go the opposite gap.
Our Edge (spur) players also have a name and blitzes so they have to be called as well.
We have combined some of the blitzes where one special term will send 2 or 3 or 4 as well.
So a call for us might go: Slant (tells the front where to go) WaCo (puts willie in the C) StaB (puts Sam in the B) 3 ( coverage).
So we rush 5, Mike is a free player, play cover three behind it.
We are working on combining more of the blitzes to get away from so much terminolgy.

Coach G

Last year we fell into just Rover (weakside) and Strong Safety (Strong). I would like to change, make it something more fun for the kids. I like STinger, STriker for strong side. Maybe Raptor or winger for the weak side.

Another issue we are wondering about is flipping at all. Is it better to just play one side (L or R) or is it best to play boundry and short or strength?

Here's my $.02

Stingers are named Stud (strongside) and Whip (weakside)
Liz, Mike, Rip are the Linebackers

Somewhat like Coach Hawkoption, we give our ends 3 spots to line up, and their stunts and blitzes are the same no matter where they line up. We drill the techniques from all the positions they'll line up at.

We also run man to man if the O has 3 threats on the line of scrimmage, and drop to a cover 3 if there are 4 threats. (we see very little of that though)

Our Stingers/Spurs have designated places on the field depending on the offensive alignment. if there is a TE to their side, they play like the 50 front defensive end. If there is only 1 wide receiver to their side, they move to play like a free safety/outside linebacker. take away slants and and play outside force. with a slot and a receiver, they'll line up over the slot/#2 receiver.

So, we'll call our defense like this:

55 Rip -- 55 is where the ends will line up, rip is the name of the blitz

or

44 Out -- out just means the ends slant out with the rip and liz blitzing b gap.

We feel there are tons of blitz combinations, and we want to attack and will include the stingers in the blitzes.