Pass Rush Progression in The 3-5-3

PASS RUSH PROGRESSION IN
THE 3-5-3
THOMAS COUSINS
aphsfootball@yahoo.com 1
PASS RUSH
• SINCE WE ARE A SLANTING DEFENSE,
WE EXPECT OUR DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
TO ALWAYS BE IN “PASS RUSH” MODE.
OUR RUN READS AND PASS READS ARE
NO DIFFERENT. WE SLANT- FIND THE
BALL THEN RUN, RUN, RUN.
• BUT BECAUSE OUR DL WILL ENGAGE
THE OL AFTER THEY HAVE LOST
GROUND TO CUT US OFF WE MUST USE
MORE TRADITIONAL PASS RUSH MOVES.
THE INTERSECTION
• WE TALK ABOUT BEATING THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TO THE INTERSECTION. THE

INTERSECTION IS THE POINT AT WHICH HE TRIES TO CUT OFF YOUR SLANT.
• IF WE BEAT THE OL TO THE INTERSECTION WE CONTINUE WITH OUR RIP AND WORK UP
FIELD, IF HE KICKS OUT OR BACK AND BEATS US, WE MUST FLIP OUR HIPS AND WORK A
MOVE.
THE INTERSECTION
T N T
WHAT A GOOD PASS RUSHER
MUST ACCOMPLISH
• You must constrict the QB’s area.
• You must not give the QB time to look around or
throw to a secondary receiver.
• You must force him out of his area and throw on the
run.
• You must cause the QB to lose confidence in his
blockers.
• You must keep your feet moving up field, if your
feet stop you are dead.
• You must not get out of your lane.
Principles of pass rush
1. A pass defense is only as good as it’s rush.

2. You must get off the ball.
3. Your transition to pass read must be
seamless.
4. You must flip your hips and grab cloth.
5. Never attack a full man.
6. Always have a counter move ready.
A pass defense is only as good as
it’s rush.
• You only have 3 seconds to get to the

QB so you can’t have any wasted
movement.
• Force the QB to make bad decisions.
Everyday musts
• Get off
b. Tennis ball drills- ball must not bounce
twice. (teaches get off and staying low.)
c. Get off with football, accelerate 10
yards up field.
Hip flip
• The most essential element of pass rush.

• You must create separation with the offensive
lineman.
• If you don’t create separation he will hold you.
• By flipping your hips you not only create
separation, but you assure yourself that he will
only get ½ of your body.
Everyday musts
• Hip flip
b. Pair off (two players face each other.)
c. Reach for shoulder pad and flip hips.
Get perpendicular.
Hip flip
Everyday musts
• Hoops- (Teaches body lean and

footwork.)
a. figure eight (two hoops together for lean
and change of direction)
b. speed (one hoop- full speed all the way
around.)
Hoops
Hoops Rabbit
Everyday musts
• Grab
b. Grab cloth
c. Propel hips up field
d. Work seamless transition from hands in
chest to hands on shoulder.
Grab
Everyday musts
• Bull rush
• Everything starts from a bull rush.
• If the offensive lineman is leaning back,
accelerate your feet and bull rush.
• This is the only time you will not flip your hips.
• Push the offensive lineman into the
quarterback.
• Be ready with a counter in case the offensive
lineman anchors.
Bull rush
Everyday musts
• Swim
b. Pull down and in
c. Punch arm over and get hips up field.
d. Slap the offensive lineman on the butt
to clear his body.
Everyday musts
• Rip
b. See the target (put your eyes on the target.
Aim for the bicep.)
c. Grab outside cloth and shoot arm through. Lift
and push up.
d. Lean into the rip and accelerate up field.
Everyday musts
• Club
b. Stab off numbers, use head fake to that
side.
c. Club with opposite hand.
d. Rip/ swim over.
Everyday musts
• Speed rush
b. Get off the ball.
c. Beat the blocker to the intersection ( 1.5
yards wide and 1.5 yards deep)
d. Accelerate by the blocker.
Speed rush
Everyday musts
• Spin
b. Used only when parallel with the quarterback.
c. Reach with inside hand and pull.
d. Sit down.
e. Hook with outside hand.
f. Swing your head around.
g. Stab the offensive lineman in the back to clear his
body.
Everyday musts
• Counters
b. If using swim, counter with rip.
c. If using rip, counter with swim.
Schedule
• When we are in individual defense (20

minutes,) the defensive linemen will mostly
work run reads. When we go to skelly (20
minutes) they will shift to pass reads.
• Our defensive line coach will work the same set
of drills everyday. We feel that it is better for us
to be great at a few things that average at a
bunch of different skills.
D- line practice schedule example
• Hoops
• Grab 10- minutes
• Bull rush
• Hip flip
• Rip
• Swim
10- minutes
• Spin
• Counters
• Speed

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PASS RUSH PROGRESSION IN

• WE TALK ABOUT BEATING THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TO THE INTERSECTION. THE

1. A pass defense is only as good as it’s rush.

• You only have 3 seconds to get to the

• The most essential element of pass rush.

• Hoops- (Teaches body lean and

• When we are in individual defense (20

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