COACHING THE RV 3-5-3
JASON LYNCH
Head Football Coach
River Valley High School
JLynch@rivervalley.k12.oh.us
(740)725-5837
OUTLINE

PHILOSOPHY
 FRONTS
–
–
–
–

Base
Gap
Solid
Bear
BLITZ PACKAGE
– Fire Zones

COVERAGES
WHY RUN THE 3-5-3?

It suits the available personnel.
 It allows the defense to be aggressive and
dictate tempo.
 It keeps the defense active. We want our
LB’s to “prowl.” Never be static.
 It’s easy to teach and learn.
 Players can be active and have a part in the
decision making process.
PHILOSOPHY





We will be a gap control defense, and utilize
stems.
Our goal is to score on defense, or at a minimum,
set up a score.
We will make the offense adjust to our defense.
We will force offenses to max-protect, thus
minimizing the the number of receivers we must
cover and how long.
We will attack!!
ALLOWS FOR BALANCE
BASE
GAP
SOLID
BEAR
LINE STUNTS
RV BLITZ PACKAGE

We will blitz over 75% of the time.
 To run this defense, you must be willing to
take risks and live with the results. You
must be able to play (teach) man-to-man
techniques.
 We spend extensive time game planning our
blitz package for each opponent.
RV BLITZ PACKAGE (cont.)

We use BTF (blitz-to-formation) calls. We entrust
our LB’s to make these calls. Therefore, the LB’s
must be schooled in our tendency breakdowns and
scouting reports.
 We give written quizzes, to all players, every Wed.
Scouting reports are distributed on Mon.
 Our LB’s never make a “wrong” call as long as
they blitz the gap opposite of where they deal the
defensive line.
1-MAN BLITZES

We can blitz to any particular gap by calling
Strong A, Weak B, etc.
 We can blitz off the edge by calling Bam or
Ram.
 In one backer blitzes, we typically play
Cover 3. We will either blow a zone or roll
coverage to the blitz.
2-MAN BLITZES

These are our most common blitzes.
 We play man-free behind this.
 We teach LB’s to blitz through blockers,
and don’t let anyone cross their face.
 The 2-Second Rule:
– If you cannot reach the QB in 2seconds or less,
the blitz is useless. LB’s must “spark” through
the gap.
DOUBLE “B”
DOUBLE “C”
DOUBLE “D”
STINGER
THUNDER
SLAM
WHAM
3-MAN BLITZES

We use these when we need a big play or
sudden change.
 Must be willing to play man-free (cover 1)
or cover 0.
 Teach a “peel” technique to account for
flares and swing passes.
DEAL
HOUSE
ZONE BLITZES





Allow us to be aggressive in our scheme.
Multitude of possibilities in developing defensive
pressure schemes.
Allow us to blitz and still be “safe.”
We are no longer gambling with one-on-one
coverage.
Feel we are better at stopping the run in zone
coverage, with all 11 defenders keyed to the ball.
FIRE ZONE - MaRk
FIRE ZONE - WilliaM
FIRE ZONE - WeBster
FIRE ZONE - MattheW
COVERAGE RULES





We typically play a Cover 3 Zone or Cover 1
(Man-Free).
We want a player in the middle of the field as
much as possible.
You do not need exceptionally “fast” players to
play “Man” but they must have good technique.
We will not give up the inside in man coverage.
Force QB’s to throw “outs” and “fades.”
Stop “slants” and “curls” at all costs. Take the
penalty if necessary.
COVER 3







Bandit/Rover have curl-flat.
Sam/Will have hook-curl.
Mike has middle underneath.
Corner/Free have deep thirds.
Keep eyes on the QB. Get in passing lanes.
Get contact on crossers.
Completed passes are not a problem. Yards after
catch are problematic. Focus on teaching good
open-field tackling skills with your DB’s.
COVER 1 (MAN-FREE)

This is our base coverage.
 C’s have #1.
 B/R have #2.
 S/W have #3.
 M has FB Circle route or mirrors QB.
 Inside leverage is crucial.
COVER 0








Keep use at a minimum.
Can play with “press” or not.
C’s have #1.
F has #2 to the strength.
R has #2 weak.
B has #3 strong.
S/M/W have any backs out of the backfield.
We do not believe in running man-to-man against
Wing-T or Option teams.
COACHING THE RV 3-5-3
RV
Vikings
The River Valley
coaching staff would
like to thank Jake
Bruner and Bucyrus
football.
JLynch@rivervalley.k12.oh.us
740-725-5837