Whitehall Football
Installing the Defensive Package:
Front 7
Defensive Foundation
• Alignment
• Assignment
• Swarm to the football
Defensive Characteristics Necessary
• Attitude
• Concentration
• Effort
Defensive Line Techniques
and Teaching Progressions
• Alignment
• Assignment
• Stance
• Get-off
• Block Reaction
Alignment and Assignment
• Defensive Ends
– 9 technique is responsible for strong D-gap
– 5 technique is responsible for weak C-gap
• Defensive Tackles
– 3 technique is responsible for strong B-gap
– 1 technique is responsible for weak A-gap
Stance
• Inside hand down, inside foot back with
toe-to-heel stagger. (DE’s can be
staggered slightly more)
Get-off
E
T
T
E
Block Reaction:
Defeating and Shedding
Base Block
• Blocker fires ahead, trying to drive you off ball
• Explode hands through breastplate on 2nd step
• “Squeeze”, or leverage him back, keeping your gap
• Lock out, find ball, and shed
DT
DT will drop right shoulder, and rip through
with right arm to shed---then make tackle
DT
DT will drop left shoulder, and rip through with
left arm to shed---then make tackle
Reach Block
• Blocker steps outside to reach
• Re-direct on 2nd step as you explode hands
• Press the outside pec of blocker and pull inside pec
• Find ball, shed, and make tackle
• If DL can’t make play, he should at least make ball
bubble deeper
DE
DE
DT
Down Block
• Blocker steps inside, not attempting to block you
• Re-direct hard inside on 2nd step
• Look for trap or kick-out block
• Wrong-arm trap or kick-out block
• Force ball to spill outside and run it down if cutback
DE
DT
DE wrong-shouldering a long trap
DE
DT
DT wrong-shouldering a quick trap
Pull Block
• Blocker turns his shoulders to pull inside or outside
• Re-direct hard on 2nd step, expecting Down block
• Compress down block, squeeze, keep gap leverage
• Steer down blocker’s far shoulder back towards LOS
• Shed block and make tackle
DE
DT
DE
DT
Double Team Block
• Blocker comes forward to Base block
• Defender feels second blocker coming down on him
• Re-direct feet, hips, butt towards Down blocker
while staying engaged on Base blocker
• Down blocker shoulders toward you, it’s Double team
– Corkscrew
• Down blocker shoulders upfield, it is a “chip” block
– When “chip” block leaves, play as a Base block
DE
DT
DT will "corkscrew" the double teamblock
DE
DT
DT will leverage to his outside, and make a
playafter the "chip" leaves
Defensive Line Stunts
E
T
T
E
"Zip": good vs. double teams on 3-technique
E
T
T
E
E
T
T
T
E
E
T
T
T
T
E
"Twist"
E
T
"Strong"
E
E
"Knife": linemen will fire-out low at knees
of blockers, taking them out of play
"Tex": good vs. double team on 1-technique
E
T
T
E
"Weak"
E
"Slant": good vs. TE tendency
E
T
T
E
"Jet": good pass rush stunt; slightly
wider alignements
Linebacker Techniques and
Teaching Progressions
• Alignment
• Assignment
• Stance
• Flow Keys
• Block Protection
Alignment and Assignment
• Sam
– 50 technique, responsible for strong C-gap
• Mike
– 10 technique, responsible for strong A-gap
• Will
– 50 technique, responsible for weak B-gap
Stance
• Feet under armpits, flat back, arms loose
• Weight on balls of feet--key backs
Linebackers: Alignment
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
Backfield Keys
• Key near back
• In “I” formation, Sam and Will key TB
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
Full Flow Strong
Full Flow to A-gap
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
When Mike sees both backs coming to A-gap, he is shot out of a
cannon, and blows up the FB on inside half. Samwill attack downhill,
then squeeze to the inside. Will attacks downhill, then "overlaps", going
over when Mike goes under.
Full Flow to C-gap
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
Samsees both backs coming to C-gap, and blows up FB on inside half. Mike
attacks downhill, and goes "over" when Samis "under". Will secures his gap,
and flows inside-out.
Full Flow Outside
T
E
S
T
E
M
W
Samflows downhill, then goes over or shoots open window, depending on TE's
block. Mike secures his gap, and is running inside-out. Will is running right
away.
Full Flow Weak
Full Flow to B-gap
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
When Will sees both backs coming to B-gap, he is shot out of a cannon, and blows up
the FB on his inside half. Mike comes downhill, then goes "over" when Will goes
"under". Samsecures his gap, then is flowing inside-out.
Full Flow Outside
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
Will attacks downhill, then goes over or attacks open window", depending on T's
block. Mike and Samsecure their gaps, and flow inside-out.
Split Flow
Split Flow Strong
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
Mike attacks FB dive. Will secures his gap, and flows inside-out. Sam
attacks downhill, and goes over or shoots open window, depending on TE's
block. He has QB on option.
Split Flow Weak
E
T
S
T
M
E
W
Mike attacks FB dive. Samsecures his gap, and flows inside-out. Will
attacks downhill, and goes over or shoots open window, depending on T's
block. He has QB on option.
Cross Flow
Cross Flow
E
W
E
T
T
M
S
Will has no near back, so keys far back to come across. Sam's key
goes away, so he looks for something coming back towards himas
he flows. Mike attacks FB as he does in flow to strong A-gap until
he's sure FB doesn't have ball.