The 3-4 Defense: Developing the Personnel for the 3-4

*This is the 2nd post in a series on installing a 3-4 defense for use in high school and small college football.

In my last post I briefly discussed the skills you are looking for in each of the “Box” players. Box players are the positions that we use to identify the front 7 (Anytime I add a safety to the Box with a pre-snap alignment we alert the front 7 with a “BOX” call from the safety to remind them of his presence). Our goal is to play multiple fronts to defeat the offenses personnel, formations, and tendencies. Despite the effort to be multiple, I try and limit the number of techniques and skills that each player must learn. Below is a rundown of the alignments and skills each player must focus on:

NOSE-Alignment: Our Nose will only play two alignments. He will play a shade on either side of the offensive center, he will also align in a head-up Zero but will never be asked to two-gap as he will always slant with the call.
-Technique: The nose has one major rule – demand a double team. We want to keep the linebackers free to make plays. The Nose will always try to fit into the block and make it tough for any zone scheme or double to work up and “trade” him off to another lineman.

TACKLE-Alignment: The Tackle will play three alignments. He will align in a tight 5 technique, a 4i, and a 3 technique. He will play a three technique on either side of the center (Under and Solid), but the technique is the same. *Note: some coaches I know have chosen to use either a 4i or 3 and not both*-Technique: Like the Nose, the Tackle will always fit into the block and fight pressure with pressure. He will squeeze any down block.

END-Alignment: The End only has two alignments. He will play a 5 technique and he will play a 4i.
-Technique: In an “Open” formation – without an in-line TE – will focus on squeezing any down block. Against any other block he will try to fight up field and turn the ball back inside unless a stunt sends him anywhere else. He will align in a five and slant inside to B gap. Against a TE, or when in a 4i, he must fight force with force play into the block.

The 3-4 Defense: FRONTS/ALIGNMENTS/PLAYERS

A SERIES ON IMPLEMENTING A 3-4 SCHEME APLLICABLE AT ALL LEVELS OF PLAY

One thing I feel certain in saying is that there is no defense that serves as the definitive “answer” for stopping offenses. At the end of the day your ability to stop offenses relies on 1) the player’s that you have on defense, 2) your knowledge of the defense and ability to apply it against your opponents, and 3) the opponents ability to both excel and/or shoot itself in the foot. There are many great coaches that swear by certain schemes, fronts, and coverage’s. You look around the country and you see different schemes working all over the football map. TCU’s 4-2-5 has been a hot topic lately. The success of Dom Capers (Green Bay) and Dick Lebeau (Pittsburgh) in the NFL has kept the 3-4 newsworthy. Too many programs have success with the “multiple” 4-3. I see merit in each and every scheme out there, but at the end of the day I have a certain affinity for one: the 3-4.

Why the 3-4? Several reasons:
Personnel: some areas/schools seem to “grow” a certain type of athlete, but at most of my stops I see more hybrid type kids than I do true defensive ends. I think find it easier to find a hybrid kid that can do multiple things than I do kids that I feel safe anchoring down as a four man front DE. I think that this defense also lends itself Nickel and Dime package(s).

Box Alignment: I think the 3-4 allows you to be multiple in your box alignment. I also think that your alignments can more easily be tailored to your strengths in this front.

Secondary Alignment: My preferred coverages will come later, but I think that a 2-high shell is the best starting place when designing the back end of your defense and the 3-4 allows you to use the 2-high shell but still adjust as needed.

Balance: I think that the “base” alignment for a 3-4 defense allows you to balance up to any formation. This benefits the defense in the run game, passing game, and also in the pressure/blitz game.

DISCLAIMER: Below are a few things that I want to put out there before I go any further, some of this applies to football schemes in general and not just this post –

1. We all know that the last guy with the pen wins on the grease board. Players make plays, not markers and diagrams.

2. Almost all schemes are related in some way. This scheme, like others, employs certain principles that make it akin to other defenses so I know some things might enter your head as being “contradictive” to my argument for the 3-4.

3. Most of my 3-4 knowledge comes from a good friend and former co-worker and an outstanding clinic weekend with the defensive staff at Liberty University (Parcells/Belichick/Groh line of 3-4 coaches) and a staff I worked on.

4. It is my blog so I can say what I want.

Don't Call It A Comeback...

I've been here for years. Well, I've been here for a month anyway. Of course I disappeared for a few weeks...

I'm back now though!

Things have been hectic and posting had slipped way too much. All I needed was a good shot in the arm. Thanks to the vote of confidence over on Brophy's site (thanks BTW) I am ready to work again.

In the few weeks since my last post quite a bit has happened. There has been a change of power on our coaching staff as a good friend and boss stepped down, and a new (and respected) coach was hired. I tested the waters (just in case) and had one great interview and several very positive conversations (that could still lead to something). I've endured, and almost completed, the start of track season (I am the Girls Head Coach) and the mountain of paperwork that goes with it. Then of course there are the five classes of 9th grade Language Arts that I teach. Needless to say, it has been all I can do to stay afloat...




The truth is without it all I would get bored. Work is what keeps me going most days because I love it. I might not love every aspect of it, but it is a part of who I am. I love knowing that I could be making a difference, and I love coaching. Sometimes working is hard when suddenly nothing is guaranteed and that is when you need a plan. My plan is simple: keep working. I have no idea what or where the next step for me may be, but I plan to keep working as hard as I can. My life, my accomplishments, my team(s), and my resume are only as good as the work I can produce. Therefore I grind. Oh, and hopefully post more updates to this site.

A few links to share:
A guy that makes a difference

A guy to admire

Y-Stick

Continuing on the theme of the 3 step passing game, it is important to recognize Y-Stick and note its prominence in modern football. Y-Stick has become one of the most popular passing plays that coach coaches utilize in early down situations. Many offensive coaches consider the Y-Stick to be a free 4-5 yard play. I prefer to use the Y-Stick concept while still keeping our customary access rule on the back side of the play. Other teams, like the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers, get more creative on the backside, especially in empty sets.

I prefer Y-Stick from some type of 3 X 1 formation. Pretty much any form of a 3 X 1 will work.

We use our Access Rule on the backside of Y-Stick. The Concept Side of the play is as simple as it gets. I believe in giving young QB’s simple and sure reads so that they can make a throw with confidence.

Our Progression: (With Access CLOSED)
Z: is a pre-snap read only. Z is out of the equation unless we see two things: Man Coverage or Cover 2 with a big window.

Y to H: The rule is simple; the ball automatically goes to the Y unless color covers the route. Color = H on the speed out.

The goal is to out-leverage the invert or force defender with a horizontal read and make him wrong.