Stunting System and Stemming For Your Defensive Front
Stunting by the defensive line or front is used to disrupt blocking responsibilities and used primarily in passing situations. Stunts can be combinations of two, three, and four man games.
The Purpose For a Stunting Defensive Front:
1. The Purpose For a Stunting Defensive Front.
a. Creates the big play.
2. Moving and Stemming.
b. Presents confusion for blocking schemes.
3. Reasons Moving and Stemming.
c. Changes the rhythm of the defense.
4. Defensive Line Stunts and Names.
d. Moves defensive fronts in the direction of offensive tendencies
Stemming: Stemming is a technique used by a defense to cause confusion for an offenses blocking schemes. A defense will normally stem after the offense has broken their huddle and have set their offensive formation. Stemming will start from a command given by the Mike Linebacker. The alert word “Move” will be used to start the movement from one alignment to another. Stemming can be a very successful technique to confuse offensive blocking schemes that especially use line calls.
A. Thunder: Callside End and Tackle execute stunt
B. Lightning: Backside End and Tackle execute stunt
C. Storm: Both ends and Tackles execute stunt
31 Thunder Cover 34
| Callside End 6i Technique | Listen for right or left call and then align as a 7 technique. Aim and slant off the outside hip of offensive tackle. You have collapse with run away, if offensive tackle blocks out cross his face. |
| Callside Bandit 3 Technique | Callside 3 technique has “C” gap responsibility. Drop step with outside foot working off the outside hip of the defensive end. You have contain versus run to and Chase with run away. |
| Backside Tackle 1 Technique | Backside 3 technique has “B” gap responsibility. Split the crotch with inside foot. Wrong arm any trap your side. Run away collapse and play through back door. |
| Backside End 5 Technique | Backside 5 technique has “C” gap responsibility. Split the crotch with inside foot. Wrong arm any trap your side. Run away collapse and play through back door. |
| Sam Outside | Align 3 yards outside the tight end, you have secondary contain with run to and collapse with run away. Play coverage called. Play in a 2 point stance. |
| Mike Linebacker | Align in Callside “A” at a depth of 4 1/2 yards. Key near back your side, check counter with run away. Play coverage called. |
| Will Linebacker | Align in backside “B” at a depth of 4 1/2 yards. Key guard to near back your side, check counter with run away. Play coverage called. |
| Rover Outside | Align 3 yards outside the backside tackle if no tight end, align at same depth as the Linebackers. Contain with run to and play coverage called. Contain any trap or kick out. |
| Callside Corner | Play coverage called, you have number one your side. Alignment is dictated by the athletic ability of the receiver and defender. |
| Free Safety | Play cover called, responsibility dictated by coverage and formation. |
| Back Side Corner | Play coverage called, you have number one your side. Alignment is dictated by the athletic ability of the receiver and defender. |
31 Lightning Cover 34
| Callside End 6i Technique | Listen for right or left call and then align as a 7 technique. Aim and slant off the outside hip of offensive tackle. You have collapse with run away, if offensive tackle blocks out cross is face. |
| Callside Bandit 3 Technique | Callside 3 technique has “C” gap responsibility. Drop step with outside foot working off the outside hip of the defensive end. You have contain versus run to and Chase with run away. |
| Backside Tackle 1 Technique | Backside 3 technique has “B” gap responsibility. Split the crotch with inside foot. Wrong arm any trap your side. Run away collapse and play through back door. |
| Backside End 5 Technique | Backside 5 technique has “C” gap responsibility. Split the crotch with inside foot. Wrong arm any trap your side. Run away collapse and play through back door. |
| Sam Outside | Align 3 yards outside the tight end, you have secondary contain with run to and collapse with run away. Play coverage called. Play in a 2 point stance. |
| Mike Linebacker | Align in Callside “A” at a depth of 4 1/2 yards. Key near back your side, check counter with run away. Play coverage called. |
| Will Linebacker | Align in backside “B” at a depth of 4 1/2 yards. Key guard to near back your side, check counter with run away. Play coverage called. |
| Rover Outside | Align 3 yards outside the backside tackle if no tight end, align at same depth as the Linebackers. Contain with run to and play coverage called. Contain any trap or kick out. |
| Callside Corner | Play coverage called, you have number one your side. Alignment is dictated by the athletic ability of the receiver and defender. |
| Free Safety |
Play cover called, responsibility dictated by coverage and formation. |
| Backside Corner |
Play coverage called, you have number one your side. Alignment is dictated by the athletic ability of the receiver and defender. |
31 Storm Cover 34
| Callside End 6i Technique | Listen for right or left call and then align as a 7 technique. Aim and slant off the outside hip of offensive tackle. You have collapse with run away, if offensive tackle blocks out cross is face. |
| Callside Bandit 3 Technique | Callside 3 technique has “B” gap responsibility. Split the crotch of the guard, on snap of the ball drop step with outside foot and come behind slanting end aiming for inside hip of tight end. |
| Backside Nose 1 Technique | Align as backside 1 technique drop step with outside footcome behind the end you have “C” gap to outside responsibility. Contain run to and chase with ball away. |
| Backside End 5 Technique | Listen for right or left call and then align as a backside 5 technique. On snap of the ball aim for near hip of the guard and slant off his near hip, collapse on run away. |
| Sam Outside | Align 3 yards outside the tight end, you have outside responsibility and secondary contain with run to. Contain any kickout or trap to you and chase vs run away. Play coverage called. Play in a 2 point stance. |
| Mike Linebacker | Align in Callside “A” at a depth of 4 1/2 yards. Key near back your side, check counter with run away. Play coverage called |
| Will Linebacker | Align in backside “B” at a depth of 4 1/2 yards. You have “A” gap backside on run to, check counter with run away. Play coverage called. |
| Rover Outside | Align 3 yards outside the backside tackle if no tight end, align at same depth as the Mike Linebacker. Contain with run to and play coverage called. Contain any trap or kick out. |
| Call side Corner | Play coverage called, you have number one your side. Alignment is dictated by the athletic ability of the receiver and defender. |
| Free Safety | Play cover called, responsibility dictated by coverage and formation. |
| Backside Corner | Play coverage called, you have number one your side. Alignment is dictated by the athletic ability of the receiver and defender. |
About the Author of this post:
Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.