Bomber Defense Defending the Spread Steve Specht Head Coach St.

Xavier High School

sspecht@stxavier.org Cindy Thomas ootball !dministrative !ssistant cthomas@stxavier.org "#$%&'#(&')) *xt. #)+
,. -.tline % -vervie/ ,,. 0atching 1one 2hilosophy
Multiple Looks: Fronts & Coverages Front and Secondary adjustments Fire Coverage Storm Coverage

St. Xavier H.S.

om!er "e#ense

Steve Spec$t % Head Coac$ & St. Xavier Hig$ Sc$ool' Cincinnati

,. Defensive 2hilosophy !. 3hat do yo. 4hang yo.r hat on56 #. *ven vs. -dd ronts 0.ltiple ronts5 7. !ttac8ing vs. 9eading5 $. Coverage Schemes5 :. Ho/ does it fit yo.r personnel5 B. The St. Xavier 2hilosophy #. 3e had been an -dd ront ") Defense for $" years. a. Smaller defensive linemen are better s.ited for it. b. The Balanced ront forces the offense to ma8e a decision as to /here they /ant to r.n the ball. #. There is no b.bble for the ;B chec8. c. Disg.ise the red.ction by angling%slanting at the snap. 7. Base coverage scheme is a $ Deep 40atching 1one.6 a. !dditional man%men in the box for r.n s.pport b. The 40atching 1one6 concept restricts players from covering 4air6.

St. Xavier H.S.

om!er "e#ense

Steve Spec$t % Head Coac$ & St. Xavier Hig$ Sc$ool' Cincinnati ,,. 3hy s/itch to the $($(". !. The advent of the Spread -ffense <7)))= necessitated a change. #. 0ore speed on the field to cover better athletes. 7. The ->B in the ") /as al/ays a bigger player that str.ggled to cover a slot receiver. $. !s a res.lt? slo/er >B@s became Defensive *nds and the bigger safeties became Stac8 Bac8ers. B. !bility to adA.st to all formations and motion. #. Beca.se of o.r 40atching 1one6 philosophy offenses /ere able to dictate /here /e co.ld press.re by formation. 7. The ") reB.ired the ->B to thin8 more /hich forced them to play slo/er. $. ,n the -dd Stac8? only $ players /ill ever change responsibility? and the changes are simple staples from day # /hich enables .s to play faster. a. -nce the call is made? /e r.n itC :. -nly # player ever thin8s and ma8es the chec8 for all adA.stments. a. ,n o.r scheme he is called the !dA.ster < S in most systems.= C. ront has not changed. *verything /e /anted to accomplish /ith the ") ront is still applicable.

Base Defensive !lignment

E J C
Ends Nose Stack Backers Safeties

N S
Maintain Box Integrity

E W WS C

4 alignment on OT 0 alignment on OT

Stack behind Ends & Nose 3 to 4 yards yards dee!" o#tside shade of TE or imaginary TE $$$%ers#s Slot recei&er inside shade" yards dee! $$$'ash r#les 3 yards inside(o#tside hash )an &ary according to game !lan *S+,--O.(N/N0,1 O#tside shade 23 any4here from 4 to yards dee! de!ending on call $$$5 yard sideline r#le %aried according to 7ame +lan and(or defense called *8,9)ON1

)orners ,d6#ster

Stack Front versus Pro Set

Stack Front vs Doub e Set

Stack Front vs ! "# Set

!lignment !dA.stments
S+-E,; S+,--O.

N S

E J

N S A

E W WS C

WS

B9:88

N/N0,

E J

N S A

E W

WS

E J C C $ A

N S

E W

WS

Stack $it% Strong Fa con &ag

B u'' &ag

S(rea) Front $it% B u'' &ag

3.hat@s ,.mportan t D.o/5

Stac8 Defense
Strong *dge Storm
*! *+

Stunt Pattern
SS END, Penetrate strong -B. ga(/ Estab is% ine o' scri00age # yar) )ee(1 N2SE, Penetrate $eak -A. ga(/ Estab is% ine o' scri00age # yar) )ee(1 WS END, 3ea) Sc%e0e/ JE&, S%i't to a $i)e 4 a ign0ent 555Attack Force tec%ni6ue/

*# *+ *#

Secondary Rotation
SAM, 7ook8Cur De'en)er/ ADJ9S&E3, Ba ance) set or + Back ( ay )ee( 0i)) e #8!1 :&%ink -S;IN<.=1 S&32N< SAFE&>, Sea0 )e'en)er :3e( ace Jet= 3ea) *+ to *!1 WEA? SAFE&>, Dro( into Box/ 555Sea0 )e'en)er/ :3es(onsib e 'or *+ to *!= WI;;, 7ook8Cur De'en)er/ C23NE3S, ;oose Man/

C
Seam

$ J $

E
H/C

N S A
H/C

E WS W C
Seam

WS

1/3

1 Back Adjustments
! " # Sets, Strong Si)e Sa'ety auto0atica y 0akes -S;IN<. c%eck to Weak Si)e Sa'ety1 -S;IN< 39;ES. != Strong Sa'ety ro s to Sea0 De'en)er @= A)Auster auto0atica y ro s to 7o e De'en)er B= Weak Sa'ety ro s to Dee( Mi)) e #8! C= Wi ( ays backsi)e Sea0 De'en)er + " + Sets, Strong Si)e Sa'ety 0atc%es a vertica re eases by *+ receiver1 Weak Si)e Sa'ety sti ( ays )ee( 0i)) e #8! but sits %eavy on any vertica re ease 'ro0 *+ :es(ecia y $%en *+ is a s ot receiver= kno$ing %e $i receive %e ( 'ro0 Strong Si)e Sa'ety1

Coverage Options
+8!8Snake8Mouse
Fa con, $ ( ays Dee( Mi)) e #8!D A ( ays Sea0 B;9FF, $ ( ays Sea0D A ( ays )ee( #8!

7 E 7 Coverage !dA.stments
Stack Strong dge Storm
! Matc% *+ on Eertica No vertica ( ay sea0/ Middle ()* Dee( Mi)) e #8! $it% e0(%asis on 0atc%ing *+ on Eertica /

WS
H)C

A W E S N

$
H)C Seam "e#ender

C
#1

Seam "e#ender

C E
#2 #1

#2 #2 #3

4$ 0atch6 9.lesI
$= := "= 3ea8 Safety matches any vertical from F7 <Seam= Strong Safety matches any vertical from F7 <0iddle #%$= *veryone else plays their normal responsibilities

G 9eplaces Het and plays a Seam defender.<F7 to F$= 3S Seam Defender <F7 ( F$= 0atch any vertical from F7 3ill 2lays Hoo8%C.rl defender <F$ to F7= Sam 2lays Hoo8%C.rl defender <F$ to F7= !dA.ster 2lays the deep middle #%$ defender. *mphasis on 0atching a vertical release from F7. Corners >oose 0an on F#

Coverage SchemeI

$ E # Coverage !dA.stments
Stack Strong dge Storm WS
+,tra "e#ender Seam "e#ender Hole "e#ender Middle ()*

$
Seam "e#ender

C
#1

W E

S N E

A
#3 #2

J
#1

#2 #2 #3

4S>,DJ 9K>*S6
$= := "= '= Strong Safety rolls to Seam Defender !dA.ster a.tomatically rolls to Hole Defender 3ea8 Safety rolls to Deep 0iddle #%$ 3ill plays bac8side Seam Defender

G Slides to Trips and plays a seam <F7 to F$= 3ill To a single receiver loo8 .p F# and get Knder the slant. 2lays Seam defender <F7 to F$= defender Can spy bac8%;B or drop deep hole <J.2.= Sam *xtra !dA.ster 9eplaces st.nt to Trips and plays Hole defender strong <F$ to F7= Corners >oose 0an on F#

Coverage 3S Slides to Trips and plays middle #%$ SchemeI

FI3E8S&23M
-MA&C7IN< F2NE P7I;2S2P7>.
Fire an) Stor0 are t$o se(arate coverages t%at enab e us to ( ay tig%terD outsi)e everage 0an coverage on t%e $i)est receivers $%i e ( aying a tig%t 0atc% u( Gone un)erneat%1 It enab es us to get a))itiona (ressure on t%e HB $it%out (utting t%e secon)ary )e'en)ers on -is an)s. or sacri'icing t%e0 to -(ick routes. 2rigina y t%e coverage $as )esigne) to enab e us to run a B 0an b itG (ackage $it% a Gone coverage conce(t be%in) t%e b itG1 7o$everD $it% t%e a)vent o' s(rea) o''ensesD $e %ave been ab e to ( ay tig%ter coverage by 0aintaining t%e coverage (%i oso(%yD but rus%ing on y ! or @ )e'en)ers1 &%e (rogression rea) a so enab es you to a)a(t easi y to any coverage sc%e0e1 a t%oug% $e c%ange our )ee( coverage sc%e0esD t%e (rogression 'or our un)erneat% coverage stays re ative y t%e sa0e1 We ose t%e -' at 0an.as(ect o' t%eto rea) sc%e0eD coverageI but everyt%ing e se stays in tact1 L*MS s.ccessf.l
7 very good cover corners that can effectively match .p /ith speed receivers. !thletic safeties%o.tside linebac8ers that can r.n /ith slot receivers for #" yards 9o.te disr.ption of all inside receivers. Knderneath defenders that .nderstand the progression reads. Disg.ise scheme and 4mix and match6 .nderneath defenders

C!>>S%N!9,!T,-DS
ire 1one <" 0an pattern= 4 ire6 Spy /ith : 0an patternI 4 ire6 : 0an patternI 4Storm6

ire Coverage 9.les O 9esponsibilities .( receiver is automatically eliminated #rom

sc$eme 9unless $e runs a ?uick crossing route2 % Loose Man !y C "esignated Sa#ety plays middle ()*. #1 #2 #3 #2

#1

C
Seam

$
Hole

WS
Seam

A Seam Defenders Hole Defenders

-ead ./ to .* route -ead .* to ./ route progression progression 000=l8ays step 8it$ .* % Sink (> % (/ yards. 0001o immediate t$reat' (2 ./ Flat % Flat (2 .* Flat % "eliver to Seam & look up ./ on ?uick cross get under .( Man3 000Carry t$e cross & deliver to Seam /2 ./ 4ertical % Collision 5utside 6n /2 .* 4ertical % Collision and sink to (@yards 0007no8 8$ere $elp is 9Sa#ety 6nside23 000Carry to (: yards unless .* t$reatens t$e #lat 0007eep eyes !ack on ; e,pecting underneat$ t$reat t$en play #lat man % -ead ; outside 6n and release late. <ive up s$allo8333 0006# ./ tries to #ig$t to corner % Maintain outside leverage and *2 ./ Cross % take Carry t$e cross & a8ay corner Deliver to Hole route 000Look up .* out o# !ack#ield

Storm Coverage 9.les O 9esponsibilities

#3 #2 #2

$
Seam Hook/Curl

W
Hook/Curl

WS
Seam

Seam Defenders 2rogression r.les

-ead .* to ./ route progression -ead ./ to .* route 000=l8ays step 8it$ .* progression (2 .* Flat to your side % Flat Man3 0001o immediate (2 ./ Flat % Flat t$reat' .* Flat a8ay % Look up cross !ack and lock man3 get under .( % Collision 5utside 6n Man3 /2 ./ 4ertical /2 .* locks % +,pect c$eck release3 0007no8 8$ere $elp is 9Sa#ety 6nside23 000"o not gain muc$ dept$ % B % (> yards. 000Carry vertical outside)in. -ally to anyt$ing 000Follo8 same rules as ./ s$allo8333 *2 ./ Cross % S?ueeAe and gain dept$. Sit on "ig coming !ack3

Hoo8%C.rl Defenders