1
2
3
4
5
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
KEYSIN AN
INSIDE SHOULDER CONTROL READING
50 DEFENSE
IN THIS DEFENSIVE SCHEME LINEBACKERS:• PLAY OFF AT 4 1/2 TO 5 YARDS• THEY GET A READ AND GO!• THEY WORK DOWN HILL• THEY ARE PROTECTED TO
ENABLE THEM TO WORK QUICKLY INTO THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THIS DEFENSE IS DEFINED BY THE PLAY OF THE INSIDE LINEBACKERS. SMALLER ATHLETES WHO ARE FAST AND AGGRESSIVE CAN FUNCTION WITHIN THIS SCHEME AT LINEBACKER.
B B
T N T EE
4 1/2 TO 5 YDS 4 1/2 TO 5 YDS
B B
BALLCARRIER
B B
BALLCARRIER
B B
BALLCARRIER
B B
BALLCARRIER
B B
BALLCARRIER
B B
BALLCARRIER
B B
BALLCARRIER
B B
BALLCARRIER
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THIS DEFENSIVE SCHEME, AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW GAP RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ASSIGNED IS IMPORTANT.OUR FRONT [FLOW] SIDE INSIDE LINEBACKER DOES NOT HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR RUN DIRECTLY AT HIM.
POSITION
INSIDE
LINEBACKER
ALIGNMENT AND
TECHNIQUE
3 OFF TECHNIQUE
SEAM RESPONSIBILITY
FLOW TO C SEAM FLOW AWAY OFF A
SEAM
LINEBACKER ALIGNMENTS, TECHNIQUES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES
ALIGNMENT AND TECHNIQUE
TO DESCRIBE WHERE A PLAYER IS TO ALIGN AND THE TECHNIQUE WITH WHICH HE IS TO PLAY WE USE A NUMBERED TECHNIQUE. AT TIMES THIS TECHNIQUE WILL HAVE A TAG WORD WITH IT. IN THE CASE OF LINEBACKERS, THE TAG WORD “OFF” MEANS 4 1/2 TO 5 YARDS OFF THE BALL.
SEAMS
SEAMS ARE THE DESCRIPTION OF AN AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR EACH PLAYER IN OUR DEFENSIVE FRONT.
A SEAM
ASEAM
B SEAM
B SEAM
CSEAM
D SEAM
CSEAM
D SEAM
DEFENSIVE SEAM DESIGNATIONS
B B
A SEAM
CSEAM
PRIMARY SEAMS OF RESPONSIBILTYFOR LINEBACKERS IN OUR BASE SCHEME
FLOW HERE
B B
ASEAM
CSEAM
PRIMARY SEAMS OF RESPONSIBILTYFOR LINEBACKERS IN OUR BASE SCHEME
FLOW HERE
T ETE
TACKLES PLAY B SEAM
N
NOSE PLAYS A SEAM TOFLOW SIDE
END’S HAVE D SEAM
B BFLOW SIDELINEBACKERSCRAPES TO
C SEAM
BACK SIDELINEBACKERSCRAPES TOOFF A SEAM
LINEBACKERMOVEMENT
T N T EE
B BFLOW SIDE
LINEBACKERSCRAPES TO
C SEAM
BACK SIDELINEBACKERSCRAPES TOOFF A SEAM
LINEBACKERMOVEMENT
T N T EE
LINEBACKER KEY PROGRESSION
WE USE A FOUR PHASE PROGRESSION TO TEACH LINEBACKERS WHERE AND HOW TO FIT INTO THE RUN FRONT.1. FLOW KEY2. GUARD KEY3. BACK FIELD ACTION4. BACK FIELD ACTION + GUARD KEY
1. FLOW KEY
WHEN WE FIRST INTRODUCE OUR DEFENSE WE TEACH LINEBACKERS FAST FLOW KEYS. WE TEACH STRAIGHT FLOW IN EITHER DIRECTION.
WE USE BASIC FLOW KEYS TO TEACH OUR LINEBACKERS HOW WE WANT THEM TO MOVE AND FIT INTO THE DEFENSIVE FRONT.
WE DO NOT SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TEACHING FLOW KEYS, BUT THIS CONCEPT IS THE FIRST MOVEMENT KEY WE TEACH INSIDE LINEBACKERS.
2. GUARD KEYS
GUARD KEYS ARE OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT KEY. WE TEACH GUARD KEYS EARLY AND EMPHASIZE THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE USE GUARD KEYS + FLOW KEYS TO DICTATE OUR LINEBACKER MOVEMENTS.
WE TEACH 7 BASIC GUARD KEYS
• CUTOFF OR REACH
• ISOLATION• GUARD
TRAP• ZONE
• SWEEP• TACLKLE
TRAP• PASS
3. BACKFIELD ACTION
WE SPEND LITTLE OR NO PRACTICE TIME KEYING JUST BACKFIELD ACTION. WE DO SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MEETING TIME TALKING ABOUT BACKFIELD ACTION. MOST OF OUR TEACHING HERE IS PREPARATION TO LINK BACKFIELD ACTION WITH GUARD KEYS.
4. BACKFIELD ACTION + GUARD KEYS
OUR FINAL KEY PROGRESSION IS A COMBINATION USING GUARD KEYS COMBINED WITH ACTION IN THE BACKFIELD.
EXAMPLE:
YOUR GUARD DOES THIS…
THE BACKS DO THIS…
YOU DO THIS...
THE PROGRESSION1. FLOW KEYS
2. GUARD KEYS
3. BACKFIELD ACTION
4. BACKFIELD ACTION + GUARD KEYS
FLOW KEYS
E T N T E
B BFRONT SIDEC
OFF SIDE A
FLOW
E T N T E
B BFRONT SIDE
C
OFF SIDE A
FLOW
GUARD KEYS
NT T
B B
REACH OR CUTOFFBOTH GUARDS TAKE CUTOFF ANGLES TO
THE LINEBACKERS
PLAY DIRECTION
NT T
B BSCRAPESTO C SEAM
SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM
NT T
B B
ISOLATION
FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS DOWN
BACKSIDE GUARD TAKES CUTOFF ROUTE
PLAY DIRECTION
NT T
B BRESPECT INITIAL
STEP OF GUARD - AS IF
CUTOFF
SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM
DOUBLETEAM!
ROCK BACKSTAY
NT T
B B
FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS
DOWNDOUBLE TEAM!
BACKSIDE GUARD PULLSTRAP!
GUARD TRAP
PLAY DIRECTION
NT T
B B
PLAY DIRECTION
RESPECT INITIAL
STEP OF GUARD - AS IF
CUTOFF
DOUBLETEAM!
ROCK BACKSTAY
SCRAPE TO OFF A
FOLLOWING GUARD’SPULL
NT T
B B
BOTH GUARDS PULL OUTSIDE
GUARDS PULL SWEEP
PLAY DIRECTION
NT T
B BSCRAPE TO C SEAMDECIDE HERE TO DRIVE
UPFIELD OR LEVELAND GO DOWN THE
LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
*BOTH LB’S STAY INSIDE OF THE FOOTBALLFRONTSIDE MAY OCCASSIONALLY OVER RUN
BACKSIDE CAN NEVER OVER RUN
SCRAPE TO OFF A SEAMSHUFFLE DOWN THELINE OF SCRMMAGEIF YOU CAN GET THE SWEEP FROM BEHIND
GO!
NT T
B B
FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS DOWN
TACKLE TRAP BACKSIDE GUARD
TAKES CUTOFF ANGLE
TACKLE PULLS TO
TRAP
PLAY DIRECTION
NT T
B BRESPECT INITIAL
STEP OF GUARD - AS IF
CUTOFF
DOUBLETEAM!
ROCK BACKSTAY
READS CUTOFFANGLE OF GUARDPICKS TACKLE’S
PULL UPSCRAPES
TO OFFA SEAM
NT T
B B
OFFENSIVE LINE ZONE STEPS
ZONE REACH
PLAY DIRECTION
NT T
B BFIT AT
LINEMAN’SHIP
FILL WHERENEEDED
FIT AT LINEMAN’S
HIPFILL WHERE
NEEDED
NT T
B B
OFFENSIVE LINE PASS SETS
PASS SET
NT T
B B
INITIAL STEPRESPECT
RUN -OPEN
OUTSIDEGET DEPTH
INITIAL STEPRESPECT
RUN -OPEN
OUTSIDEGET DEPTH
BACKFIELD ACTION
WE DESCRIBE BACKFIELD ACTION IN TERMS. EACH TERM DESCRIBES A SPECIFIC BACKFIELD ACTION THAT CAN HAPPEN FROM I, SPLIT BACKS, OR A WEAK OR STRONG SET:VEER DIVEPOWER OR WIDE ISOISOCOUNTER
THE FIRST BACKFIELD ACTION WE TEACH OUR INSIDE LINEBACKERS IS WHAT WE CALL A VEER OR DIVE READ. THIS CAN BE THE MOST DIFFICULT KEY, BUT IT IS THE BEST TO BEGIN WITH BECAUSE IT DEFINES OUR LINEBACKERS’ RESPONSIBILITY BETTER THAN ANY OTHER PLAY. THE GUARDS ARE NOT A GOOD KEY ON THIS COMBINATION. MANY TIMES THEY RELEASE STRAIGHT OUT IN AN ATTEMPT TO JUST HOLD THE LINEBACKERS.
VEER DIVE
B B B BOFF A
YOU HAVE DIVE
BEGIN C SEAM SCRAPE
YOU HAVE QB TO PITCH
POWER OR WIDE ISO
B B B B
C SEAM
OFF A
ISO
B B B B
START C SEAMSCRAPE
PLAY ISO LATE
OFF A
COUNTER
B B B BCHECK 1ST
BACKWORK BACK
TO OFF A
GUARD KEY IS BIG
FIGHT BACK TO C SEAM
SWEEP
B B B B
C SEAMINSIDE OUT ON
SWEEP
OFF A INSIDE OUT DO NOT OVER RUN
BACKFIELD ACTION + GUARD KEYS
NT T
B B
BOTH GUARDS COME STRAIGHT OUT
NO KEY
ONE BACK DIVES OVER GUARD
ONE BACK RUNS PITCH PATH
OPTION!START TO C
SEAM HIDE ATHIP OF DT
QB TO PITCH
OPTION!SCRAPES
TO OFFA SEAM
DIVE
VEEROR DIVE(OPTION)
BACKFIELD VEER DIVE
NT T
B B
FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM
BOTH BACKS FLOW TO A SEAM
INITIAL STEPRESPECT GUARD
CUTOFF
SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM
ISOLATION
DOUBLE TEAMROCK BACK--STAY
PLAY ISO LATE!BACKSIDE GUARD HARD
CUTOFF
BACKFIELD ISO
NT T
B B
BOTH GUARDS HARD CUTOFF
BOTH BACKS FLOW OUTSIDE OF A SEAM
SCRAPESTO C SEAM
SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM
OFF TACKLE
BACKFIELD POWER OR WIDE ISO
NT T
B B
FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM
BACKS SPLIT FLOW
INITIAL STEPRESPECT GUARD
CUTOFF
KEYS SPLIT FLOW AND GUARD’S PULL
SCRAPESTO OFFA SEAM
GUARD TRAP
DOUBLE TEAMROCK BACK--STAY!
BACKSIDE GUARD PULLS
BACKFIELD COUNTER
NT T
B B
SWEEPBOTH GUARDS PULL OUTSIDE
SCRAPE TO C SEAMDECIDE HERE TO DRIVE
UPFIELD OR LEVELAND GO DOWN THE
LINE OF SCRIMMAGE
BOTH BACKS OUTSIDE OF C
BACKFIELDSWEEP
SCRAPE TO OFF A SEAMSHUFFLE DOWN THELINE OF SCRMMAGEIF YOU CAN GET THE SWEEP FROM BEHIND
GO!
RESPECT INITIAL
STEP OF GUARD - AS IF
CUTOFF
DOUBLETEAM!
ROCK BACKSTAY
READS CUTOFFANGLE OF GUARDPICKS TACKLE’S
PULL UPSCRAPES
TO OFFA SEAM
NT T
B B
FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM
BACKSIDE GUARD HARD CUTOFF
BACKSIDE TACKLE PULLS
BACKS COUNTER ACTION
TACKLETRAP
BACKFIELD COUNTER
NT T
B B
OFFENSIVE LINE ZONE STEPS
BACKS POWER OR WIDE ISO ACTION,
POSSIBLE COUNTER ACTION
FIT AT LINEMAN’S
HIPFILL WHERE
NEEDED
FIT AT LINEMAN’S
HIPFILL WHERE
NEEDED
ZONE REACH
BACKFIELD POWER, WIDE ISO, OR COUNTER
NT T
B B
INITIAL STEPRESPECT
RUN -OPEN
OUTSIDEGET DEPTH
INITIAL STEPRESPECT
RUN -OPEN
OUTSIDEGET DEPTH
BOTH GUARDS PASS SET
BOTH BACKS PASS SET
PASS SET
BACKFIELDPASS SET
CREATED BY KEVIN REILLY
626 PONDEROSA DRIVE
BEL AIR, MARYLAND 21014
410-638-0754