Defensive Formations
What are the different defensive formations?
There is a tonne of them. You got your four -three, you got your three-four, you got your three-three-five, you got your three-three stack, you got your nickel defense or dime defense, you also got your tempa tu, you got your six-two fronts, you got your eight Men down line. There is tonne of different formations that are ran on any on a given Sunday or any given Saturday, so there's a wide variety of defensive formations. You do it to gain an advantage. If an offense knows exactly where defense is doing, if a team stays in a four-three and that is all they run the whole game, an offense can game plan for that. It can come up with the variety ways to beat that defense so you will see a lot of defenses run the four-three, browse the run the three-three stack, and change it up, that means three down line men, and three line backers and five defensives back. So it gives an offense different looks and different preparation that you have to do to that defense.
What is a '3-4' defense?
A 3-4 defense is three down linemen, four linebackers, and teams use this for a variety of reasons. If they think a line backing core is better than a defensive line and they want to get those guys on the field, they'll take a defensive lineman out and put in an extra linebacker in. Other reasons why they'll do it is if you play a team that passes a ball a lot, that you can get one of your linebackers matched up on a tightened or a slot receiver.
What is a '4-3' defense?
4-3 defense is four down linemen, three linebackers. And the reason why a lot of teams use the 4-3 is it's really good against the run. You get your two defensive ends that are usually your bookends, and they create havoc as far as pressuring the quarterback, getting to the ball carrier. And a 4-3 defense is still used a lot today, and usually your defensive linemen are the staples in that defense.
What is a 'nickel package'?
A 'nickel package', and you hear it a lot on TV, the 4-3 nickel. Basically they take a linebacker out and put a extra defensive back in to cover a team that's a very good passing team.
What is a 'dime package'?
A dime package, also called four three dime, is basically you take your two linebackers out, your mike linebacker, your sand linebacker and put in two defensive backs to cover a team that either runs like a spread offense or has five receivers on the field and that enables you to get your defensive backs on the field to stop their offense.
What is a 'prevent defense'?
A prevent defense I consider the worst defense in football and I think prevent defenses lose football games. Basically what it is is that you bring in five defensive backs, you play off-coverage, usually about 15 to 20 yards off, and let the offense what's called "nickle and dime" you down the field. That means throw everything in front, not let them get the big play, but it enables them to stay on the field. And I wouldn't recommend using the prevent defense. I think that defense gets you beat. A lot of teams still use that but I don't recommend it when I coach.
What is a 'Tampa 2' defense?
Tampa 2, the reason why it's called Tampa 2, is Tony Dungy, when he was the defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers, came up with this defense. Basically what it does is that it plays the two safeties off the hash and the middle linebacker runs down the middle of the field to control the middle and this defense has been around for a long time, but Tony Dungee kind of brought it back into form and that's where the nickname came from, Tampa 2. And basically it's not your traditional Cover 2. Your traditional Cover 2, the safeties stay on the hash and they try to make sure no one gets down the middle of the field or off the hash and in the Tampa 2, they get a little wider off the hashes and the middle linebacker, his job is to control the middle of the field so it allows those safeties to play off the hash and make plays down the field.
What's the difference between zone defense and man-on-man coverage?
Zone defense is basically you control a zone. If you have cover too, the few safeties control the two halves of the field, and then the corners play the flags. If it is cover three then they have a third of the field. This corner has this third. The safety has that third. And that corner has the third. Man defense is basically exactly what it says. It is man defense. You cover the guy that you are on right now, so the corner will have the receiver on this side. The left corner will have the receiver on this side. The safeties will play the tight ends and the other safety will play the slot guy. So it just depends on how your personality is on defense whether you want to play zone or man.
