This article was originally posted on the Glazier Coaching Blog.
Nick Pelham, Head Coach, White Knoll HS (SC), has several reasons that he likes to change between even and odd front on passing downs.
Among his reasons are:
- The opponent must prepare to protect against even and odd fronts
- It allows you to take advantage of matchups
- Better for simulated pressures
- Allows you to stand up edges
You can view his entire clinic on Pressures & Simulated Pressures out of the 3-4 & Even Front Nickel Without Changing Personnel on Glazier Drive.
- Strategic Advantage: Mixing even fronts with odd fronts forces offenses to prepare different protection schemes, creating confusion about identifying the “mike” and setting protections properly.
- Matchup Benefits: Even fronts allow defensive coordinators to place their best pass rushers in advantageous positions (particularly at three-technique) to exploit one-on-one blocking matchups.
- Simple Terminology: The system uses intuitive calls that don’t require defensive players to learn new fronts:
- First word identifies which linebacker becomes the fourth pass rusher (Wolf, Fox, Jet)
- Direction word (right/left) indicates alignment
- “Go” tag tells defenders to focus solely on pass rush, not playing run
- Personnel Flexibility: The system can adapt based on which defender is your best pass rusher:
- Wolf (wheel linebacker)
- Fox (field outside linebacker)
- Jet (boundary/joker linebacker)
- Coverage Integration: Works with various coverages including two-high safety looks and Cover 3, allowing for both safe coverage and pressure packages.
- Pressure Packages: Details the “Nickel Fox 3” pressure where the defense brings edge pressure while maintaining sound run/pass rules through “me” reads (face/butt keys) for defensive linemen.
Coach Pelham emphasizes this approach simplifies defensive calls while maintaining pressure capabilities without substituting personnel.
