A defensive coordinator must must select a defense that fits his players and is best suited to defend the offenses that that he will encounter throughout the season. You may know exactly what you need to do to stop every offense, but you also know that you cant’t teach everything to your players. This is our challenge as coaches. How do we remain versatile enough to deal with many different offensive looks without out over complicating things for our players? Most of us would prefer our players to play fast. To react and not think.
In the video below Coach Rick Stewart form Porterville High School (CA) discusses his defensive system which allows him to shift easily between a 4-4, 3-4 and 4-2-5. If you are interested in learning more about Coach Stewart’s system click the link Installing the 4-2-5 ‘Gang Green’ Multiple Defense
Coach Stewart has four goals for his defense.
1. Do Your Job – Each player has one particular assignment (that is easy). As much as possible that assignment does not change. His coaching point here is “alignment doesn’t change assignment”
2. Bend But Don’t Break – He feels that if his defense can just execute that eventually the offense will screw up. He wants to make the offense execute multiple plays correctly to attack his defense. For this reason he wants to keep everything as simple as possible. Let the other guys screw up first.
3. Line-up vs Everything – He only uses two checks based on formations. He refuses to let the offense dictate how he will line-up.
4. React and Don’t Think – This allows them to play faster.
The foundation of his defense is predicated on inside linebackers reading the offensive lineman. His basic adjustments as he moves from the base 4-4 to 4-2-5 are as follows (assume two backs and one tight end)
The Panther and the Will linebacker will drop back to provide a Cover 3. The corners simply step up and jam their receiver and force inside as they now have help deep. The Stud and Tackle on the strong side, as well as the end on the weak side, have the same assignment as in the 4-4. They jam the guy front of them and keep those linemen of the linebacker. The nose tackle’s job remains the same and is to fight around the center and attack one of the A gaps.
If Coach wants to slide into a 3-4 (cover 2) from the base 4-4. The tackle, nose and end have the same assignment. The Sam, Mike and Will do nothing different. They will feel like they are in a base 4-4. The Panther drops deep to give a two safety look. The corners are up forcing receiver inside. The one guy that must make a big change is the Stud. He must now go from a down position and jamming to standing up in space (if no tight end). This means this player must be strong and athletic, much like a power forward in basketball. In order to make this adjustment, you must have one special player. Everyone else is making either no adjustments or very small adjustments.