3-5-3 DEFENSE: ALIGNMENTS, STUNTS & GAMES TO HELP THE DBS AND LBS

Tim Racki Head Football Coach Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park, IL tracki@nazarethacademy.com 708-387-8566

3-5 OUTLINE
SESSION #1 IMPLEMENTING THE 3-5
EVOLUTION & POPULARITY OF THE 3-5 PHILOSOPHY / STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES COACHING POINTS PERSONNEL DECISIONS INSTALLATION SCHEDULE

3-5 OUTLINE
SESSION #2 3-5-3 D-LINE ALIGNMENTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND GAMES TO HELP THE LBS AND DBS
ALIGNMENTS GAPS BASE FRONTS D-LINE CALLS LB ALIGNMENTS CUT TAPE

ALIGNMENTS
WE USE A NUMBERING SYSTEM SIMILAR TO MOST DEFENSES FOR OUR ALIGNMENTS ALIGNMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS: DL SINGLE DIGIT, LB DOUBLE DIGIT, START WITH A 2, DB DOUBLE DIGIT, START WITH A 3

GAPS
WE USE A GAP LETTERING SYSTEM SIMILAR TO MOST DEFENSES GAPS BETWEEN:
CENTER & GUARD = A GAP GUARD & TACKLE = B GAP TACKLE & TIGHT END = C GAP OUTSIDE TIGHT END/ALLEY = D GAP

BASE 50

END & TACKLE NOSE STUD & WILL MIKE & MAC X LASER & JET FIRE

3 Tech 0 Tech 5 yds x 5 yds 25 Tech 20 Tech 7 yards off 10-12 yards off

B-Gap Strong A-Gap D-Gap C-Gap Weak A-Gap No Run Support No Run Support

50 GAP

END & TACKLE NOSE STUD & WILL MIKE & MAC X LASER & JET FIRE

B-Gap 0 Tech 5 yds x 5 yds 25 Tech 20 Tech 7 yards off 10-12 yards off

B-Gap Strong A-Gap D-Gap C-Gap Weak A-Gap No Run Support No Run Support

50 HEAD

END & TACKLE NOSE STUD & WILL MIKE & MAC X LASER & JET FIRE

4 Tech 0 Tech 5 yds x 5 yds 24 Tech 20 Tech 7 yards off 10-12 yards off

C-Gap Strong A-Gap D-Gap B-Gap Weak A-Gap No Run Support No Run Support

50 HEAD
IT IS THE MOST COMMON LOOK BY PEOPLE WHO RUN THE 3-3-5 STACK WE CAN PLAY A LOT OF GAMES OUT OF 50 HEAD BECAUSE OF THE ALIGNMENTS THE STACKED LOOK OF OUR LBS ALLOWS US TO EXCHANGE GAP RESPONSIBILITES WITH THE DL WE CAN PINCH OUR LINE INTO THE B-GAPS AND ALLOW OUR LBS TO TAKE THE C-GAPS WE CAN BLITZ OUR LBS TO MORE GAPS BECAUSE OF THE ALIGNMENTS

50 HEAD PINCH

END & TACKLE NOSE STUD & WILL MIKE & MAC X LASER & JET FIRE

4 Tech 0 Tech 5 yds x 5 yds 24 Tech 20 Tech 7 yards off 10-12 yards off

B-Gap Strong A-Gap D-Gap C-Gap Weak A-Gap No Run Support No Run Support

50 WIDE

END & TACKLE NOSE STUD & WILL MIKE & MAC X LASER & JET FIRE

5 Tech 0 Tech 5 yds x 5 yds 24 Tech 20 Tech 7 yards off 10-12 yards off

C-Gap Strong A-Gap D-Gap B-Gap Weak A-Gap No Run Support No Run Support

STEMMING FRONTS
WE CAN STEM FROM ONE FRONT TO ANOTHER VERY EASILY THIS CAN GREATLY EFFECT AN OFFENSIVE LINES BLOCKING RULES AND CALLS WE HAVE USED IT A LOT AGAINST PASSING TEAMS IN ORDER TO SET UP OUR BLITZES YOU WILL SEE THIS IN THE CUT UPS EXAMPLE M 55 HEAD
IN THIS EXAMPLE, WE WOULD SHOW OUR 50 M FRONT AND ON THE FIRST SOUND, WE WOULD SHIFT INTO A 50 HEAD FRONT

IF WE GET CAUGHT IN A SHIFT, WE TELL OUR PLAYERS TO PLAY FOOTBALL AND TO GET TO THE GAP THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO

DL CALLS
WE USE VARIOUS CALLS THAT ALLOW US TO CHANGE THE WAY OUR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN PLAY THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES A LOT OF THE CALLS WE LIKE TO USE ARE IN OUR 50 HEAD FRONT THIS GIVES US THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE BLOCKING FOR THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN WITHOUT ACTUALLY CHANGING THE FRONT WE ARE IN EXIT REDUCE LB AND STUNT WITH END TEX REDUCE LB AND STUNT WITH TACKLE

DL CALLS - Pinch
PINCH IS USUALLY USED IN SHORT YARDAGE SITUATIONS, OR WHEN WE SEND A BLITZ THROUGH THE C-GAP THE CALL SENDS ALL OF THE DL INTO THEIR INSIDE GAP THE AIMING POINT FOR THE DL IS THE OUTSIDE HIP OF THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN INSIDE OF THEM THEY MUST KEEP THEIR SHOULDERS SQUARE!!

BULL

DL CALLS - Bull
BULL IS USALLY USED WHEN WE WANT THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TO STAY ENGAGED WITH THE DL. THIS ALLOWS OUR LBs TO SCRAPE FREE THIS CALL TELLS THE DL TO BULL RUSH THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OVER THEM AND THEN RIP TO THE BALL

DL CALLS
WE WILL ALSO CALL SLANT OR ANGLE WHICH WILL TELL OUR LINEMAN TO MOVE A GAP OVER IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITY
SLANT TELLS OUR LINEMAN TO OCCUPY THE GAP TO THE STRONG SIDE ANGLE TELLS OUR LINEMAN TO OCCUPY THE GAP TO THE WEAK SIDE

LB ALIGNMENTS
WE CAN REDUCE OUR LINEBACKERS ON THE LOS WITH VARIOUS CALLS THIS ALLOWS US TO BE IN OUR BASE 50 LOOK, BUT TO THE OFFENSE IT LOOKS LIKE A 5-3, 4-4, ETC THE CALLS STAY UNIVERSAL THROUGHOUT OUR DEFENSE ALLOWS US TO CALL MULTIPLE FRONTS, BUT THE KIDS HAVE LESS TO LEARN

M ALIGNMENT
THE MIKE AND MAC LINEBACKERS REDUCE ON THE LOS. THEY FOLLOW THE TE RULE (IF THERE IS A TE OR WING, THEY ARE IN A 6 TECH, OTHERWISE THEY ARE IN A 5 TECH). THEY MUST HOLD THE LOS AND THEY STILL HAVE THE SAME GAP RESPONSIBILITY. THE STUD AND WILL STACK BEHIND THEM IF THERE IS NO SLOT RECEIVERS.

MIKE
THE MIKE LINEBACKER REDUCES ON THE LOS. HE FOLLOWS THE TE RULE (IF THERE IS A TE OR WING, HE IS IN A 6 TECH, OTHERWISE HE IS IN A 5 TECH). HE MUST HOLD THE LOS AND STILL HAS THE SAME GAP RESPONSIBILITY. THE STUD WILL STACK BEHIND THE MIKE IF THERE ARE NO SLOT RECEIVERS.

MAC
THE MAC LINEBACKER REDUCES ON THE LOS. HE FOLLOWS THE TE RULE (IF THERE IS A TE OR WING, HE IS IN A 6 TECH, OTHERWISE HE IS IN A 5 TECH). HE MUST HOLD THE LOS AND STILL HAS THE SAME GAP RESPONSIBILITY. THE WILL STACKS BEHIND THE MAC IF THERE ARE NO SLOT RECEIVERS.

SAW ALIGNMENT
THIS CALL TELLS THE STUD AND WILL TO REDUCE ON THE LOS. THEY WILL STILL HAVE THEIR REGULAR D-GAP RESPONSIBILITY, SO THEY WILL LINE UP IN A 7 TECH AGAINST A TIGHT END OR WING, AND IN A GHOST 6 TECH WITHOUT A TIGHT END OR WING.

STUD
THIS CALL TELLS THE STUD TO REDUCE ON THE LOS. HE WILL STILL HAVE HIS REGULAR D-GAP RESPONSIBILITY, SO HE WILL LINE UP IN A 7 TECH AGAINST A TIGHT END OR WING, AND IN A GHOST 6 TECH WITHOUT A TIGHT END OR WING.

WILL
THIS CALL TELLS THE WILL TO REDUCE ON THE LOS. HE WILL STILL HAVE HIS REGULAR D-GAP RESPONSIBILITY, SO HE WILL LINE UP IN A 7 TECH AGAINST A TIGHT END OR WING, AND IN A GHOST 6 TECH WITHOUT A TIGHT END OR WING.

EAGLE
THE MIKE LINEBACKER REDUCES ON THE LOS. HE FOLLOWS THE TE RULE (IF THERE IS A TE OR WING, THEY ARE IN A 6 TECH, OTHERWISE THEY ARE IN A 5 TECH). THE STUD LINEBACKER REDUCES ON THE LOS. HE LINES UP OUTSIDE THE MIKE LINEBACKER.

HAWK
THE MAC LINEBACKER REDUCES ON THE LOS. HE FOLLOWS THE TE RULE (IF THERE IS A TE OR WING, THEY ARE IN A 6 TECH, OTHERWISE THEY ARE IN A 5 TECH). THE WILL LINEBACKER REDUCES ON THE LOS. HE LINES UP OUTSIDE THE MAC LINEBACKER.

FALCON
THE MIKE AND MAC LINEBACKERS REDUCE ON THE LOS. THEY FOLLOW THE TE RULE (IF THERE IS A TE OR WING, THEY ARE IN A 6 TECH, OTHERWISE THEY ARE IN A 5 TECH). THE STUD AND WILL LINEBACKERS REDUCE ON THE LOS. THEY LINE UP OUTSIDE THE MIKE & MAC LINEBACKERS.

X STRONG
THE X LINEBACKER REDUCES ON THE LOS TO THE STRONG SIDE. HE FOLLOWS THE TE RULE (IF THERE IS A TE OR WING, HE IS IN A 6 TECH, OTHERWISE HE IS IN A 5 TECH).

X WEAK
THE X LINEBACKER REDUCES ON THE LOS TO THE WEAK SIDE. HE FOLLOWS THE TE RULE (IF THERE IS A TE OR WING, HE IS IN A 6 TECH, OTHERWISE HE IS IN A 5 TECH).

CUT-UPS
DIFFERENT LOOKS AT THE VARIOUS 3-5 FRONTS THERE WILL ALSO BE A LOT OF OTHER FRONTS OBSERVE THE TYPES OF PERSONNEL USED AT EACH POSITION ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE THROUGHOUT

ALIGNMENTS, STUNTS, & GAMES

ALIGNMENT & GAP SYSTEM BASE YOUR DEFENSE OFF 3 TO 5 FRONTS INSTALL A SYSTEM TO STEM YOUR FRONTS D-LINE CALLS: PINCH, BULL, SLANT, ANGLE LINEBACKER ALIGNMENTS: MIKE, STUD, MAC, WILL, M, & SAW QUESTIONS??