Introduction - Defending the Flexbone with the 4-3 Defense
The Flexbone is a difficult offense to slow down, much less stop. Defensive players must be disciplined and fundamentally trained to be automatic in their responses to what the offense is doing. This automaticity that is required to defend this offense does not occur in one week of practice—rather, it must be practiced against at the beginning of the year in spring football, fall camp, and in small segments throughout the year.
Paul Johnson and the Georgia Tech coaching staff do a phenomenal job of coaching the Option, and in his second year at Georgia Tech, the Flexbone averaged 35.3 points per game for the 2009 regular season. They won the ACC with an 11-2 record and faced Iowa in the Orange Bowl. Iowa DC Norm Parker took full advantage of the added preparation time for the bowl game to thwart the Georgia Tech attack. Iowa's scheme was simple, disciplined, and very effective in holding the vaunted Georgia Tech offense to only 14 points. I was the Offensive Coordinator for a team that started out running the Option this year, but the Flexbone offense has fascinated me for years from a defensive standpoint on how to defend it. My film study this past off-season started with investigating the Iowa game and expanded to a study of the Georgia Tech offense vs. 4-3 teams for the 2009 season. The cut-ups are a great teaching tool in themselves, but to top it off, I have assembled a dream team staff of defensive coaches to talk about the fundamentals for each of the positions in the 4-3 Defense: DTs, DEs, Mike LB, OLBs, FS/SS, and CBs. The best thing about this great collection of coaches is that these guys are all about helping other coaches and they have been more than willing to share all they know in these articles. The result will be something that I hope will be an invaluable resource for coaches. Cripes! It's All about Fundamentals!
The emphasis of the film study and these articles will be on fundamentals, not on scheme. There is no one defense or exotic blitz that can be installed in one week's time that will magically shut down the Triple Option. Any success had by 4-3 defenses vs. the Georgia Tech Option in 2009 was due to a focus and emphasis on defensive fundamentals for each position. The best coaches also know that the emphasis on fundamentals must be season-long. Teams cannot stop working once they reach a certain level of fundamentals and expect those fundamentals to last for the rest of the year, for they will certainly atrophy and waste away.The guest writers have an expert knowledge and experience in defending the Option and they will talk about the fundamentals for each position as well how to teach them.
We will start this series with the defensive line. Deuce says that, "You build a house from the foundation up...the line is YOUR foundation..." The play of the DTs in the 4-3 is where we will start building this house and I got the best six-shooting 4-3 DL guy I could to write up on it...the grey rider himself, Outlaw Josie Wales.
History of the 4-3
Back when I started the 50 and the Split-4 were the standard defenses for most schools. The 50 dominated college ball. The 50 in particular was not designed to stop the Triple Option, it was designed in the 1950's to stop the T and the Wing-T offenses by reading the Guards. However, the 50 was out of its element in trying to stop the Triple Option offense.
The Defensive Tackle sat on an island and was the object of the 1st phase of the Triple Option—meaning the Veer and the Wishbone attacked the Tackle in the 50 and worked from there.When I first learned the principles, rules, laws, and philosophy of the 4-3, I found it very radical to everything I was taught. So much so, that I had a hard time convincing staff members to accept the ideas.Also, remember that the "newest" competing defensive idea was the "46" or Bear defense, with the success of the Chicago Bears defense in the mid to late 1980's—the very time that the U. of Miami was developing their ideas of the radical 4-3 defense.The 4-3 defense was developed to stop the Wishbone Triple Option offense, it was later found to work on everything else. However, as I was taught, it was has a weakness in the Off-Tackle area—a reason the that Power-O has become a favorite play with power-running teams.However, the Miami 4-3 was a defense that was created in our generation. Its principles and philosophy guide most football teams in America.Block-Down Step-Down (BDSD), Spilling, and Wrong-Arming - The Philosophy of Defense That Holds the 4-3 Together
The origins of Block-Down Step-Down (BDSD) are murky to say the least. However, up until I was taught the 4-3 by Tommy Tuberville in the late 1980's, the entire idea was only thought of as "squeeze down." Even then, it wasn't a hard and fast rule, more of a suggestion.I think that the 4-3, which I affectionately call the Miami 4-3, is the defense of our generation. The other defenses that dominated football when I got in were from a previous age. The 4-3 was codified by the coaches at the University of Miami back in the mid 1980's to do one thing: stop the Wishbone offense of Barry Switzer. More than X's and O's were at play here—lots of history between Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson. Out of this grudge-match came a defensive idea that took the world by storm: the Miami 4-3.It was the first defense that I actually learned on paper. The other defenses that I coached were taught to me through other coaches through the years. It was very radical and violated most of the philosophies that I was trained in, both as a player and as a young coach.That being said, I think that the "glue" that holds the entire thing together is the idea of closing down all the inside gaps and forcing the ball carrier to run where he doesn't want to go. This has been labeled "Spill" by most coaches.The 4-3 defense has "Spill" philosophy as its main theme, however it doesn't actually work unless the defensive linemen obey the "Block-Down Step-Down" law. Since the 4-3 is a gap-control or 1-gap defense, the defensive linemen absolutely must maintain their control over the gap they are aligned in. This is the reason that the defensive linemen must be coached on maintaining their fundamentals.It is important for coaches to learn these basic tenants and then teach them to their defensive linemen. Every part of a defensive lineman's individual technique goes together in an exact way to give him his best chance for success—everything from his stance all the way to his tackling technique is important to make this entire defense function.Block-Down Step-Down comes from a defensive lineman's hand landmarks. The lineman will come out of his stance aiming his inside hand at the middle of the breastplate and the outside hand attacking the outside edge of his particular offensive lineman's shoulder pad.As he is going for his landmarks, he will see or feel his offensive lineman doing something. This "doing something" is his clue. I use the word clue because so many defensive coaches do not use the work "read." They think that "read" is a bad word because they say they are NOT a reading defense but an attacking defense. This is totally semantics.A defensive lineman "reads" at the snap. His clue is what the offensive lineman is doing. If that offensive lineman down blocks, also known as blocking toward the Center, the defensive lineman will react to this move and Step-Down hard inside.The next part of BDSD that works together with the Spill concept is called "Wrong-Arming." The idea is that the defensive linemen or End attacks the upfield shoulder of the trapper. Even if the "trap" is a kick-out block by the Fullback. The term "Wrong-Arming" comes from the act of doing the opposite of what was taught by defensive coaches for ages. It means to attack the trapper with what would naturally seem to be incorrect. In fact, it is incorrect, if you are running a 50 front defense as it was originally taught.All three of these concepts work together to operate under the 4-3's philosophy of "Spilling." It all must work together. The 4-3 is a system that is held together by a philosophy of defense. BDSD - The One Little "Trick" That Changed Option Football
In the past, the Wishbone offense would put the Defensive Tackle "on an island" and whatever he did created the actual offense. Wishbone offenses ran roughshod over the 50 defenses of the 1970's.BDSD defeated the blocking of the Wishbone offensive line by successfully moving inside by rule and not by choice. The defensive linemen no longer had a choice of going to the FB or QB; his rule was to Step-Down inside, every time. The Triple Option then became a double option by rule.The Defensive End also followed BDSD and this stopped both the Outside Veer dilemma and the QB keep on the Triple Option. QBs had to begin to fear a fast onrushing Defensive End essentially stunting toward him every play.The Defensive Tackle shutdown the Dive and the Defensive End shutdown the QB Keep. This left the Pitch as the only play left in the Triple Option playbook. Coaches who know the Wishbone realize that this is actually the weakest part of the Triple Option—the ball simply isn't pitched that much.This fulfilled the philosophy of shutting down all the inside gaps and forcing the ball carrier to the edge where the Cover 2 Cornerback would cut down the Running Back.Without BDSD, you cannot shutdown all the inside gaps and force the ball to the edge—it cannot be done.The new trend of Midline is essentially a Trap play, much akin to the Wing-T Fullback Trap. The rules of BDSD tell the defensive linemen to step down hard inside if his lineman is blocking inside toward the Center. BDSD works well against a standard FB Trap.On the Trap, the defensive lineman attacks his offensive lineman and feels that lineman blocking down toward the Center. He immediately steps down into the gap. In fact, he is literally dragged into that gap if he is properly attacking his offensive lineman. His landmarks move inside, therefore he moves inside also. This also has the added effect of keeping that offensive lineman off one of the linebackers. In the 4-3 it is usually the Mike Backer that the linemen are attempting to block.
DT Play vs. the Flexbone
Also at issue is that the Flexbone isn't an offense that is seen very often. The spread offenses, with their emphasis on the pass, have caused defensive coaches to spend most of their practice time on pass rush and pass rush schemes. Because of this emphasis, many 4-3 philosophy fundamentals have been neglected.
There are two other areas that a pass-rush mentality of defense causes poor Dline play:
1) Playing too high and getting pushed off the LOS (line of scrimmage) and 2) not dealing properly with double team blocks. With emphasis on the speed rush needed to stop the spread offense, linemen are simply getting knocked off the ball. A defensive lineman CANNOT allow himself to be pushed out of his gap. This is an idea from a "bygone" day, however, the Flexbone thrives on pushing defensive linemen off the ball. A linemen must attack quickly, this is true; however, he must NOT give up his gap.A defensive coach must practice a Dlineman defeating a double team. The Flexbone will double team at the POA (point of attack). While there are many strategies and methods, a particular method must be adopted and worked. (Ed. note - Both DTs in the 4-3 will end up facing double teams vs. Inside Veer to their side—surprisingly Georgia Tech ran this play a lot to the 3 technique side in 2009 and it was very effective.) Coaches and defensive linemen must remember that the 4-3 defense was developed in the mid 1980's to stop the Wishbone offense and was very successful at doing so. The Flexbone is a form of the Wishbone offense. However, the fundamentals that made this defense work when it was originally developed must be learned and adhered to at all levels.The concept of Block-Down Step-Down is a very important element in attacking Triple Option offenses, however many coaches do not spend the proper time on BDSD with their linemen. Plainly stated
—you cannot run the 4-3 Over Defense properly without adhering to this concept. The defensive lineman MUST step flat down the line when his corresponding offensive lineman blocks inside toward the Center. That "inside" block is the "Block-Down" portion of the equation, and the corresponding action by the Defensive Lineman is to "Step-Down" inside and take away the Dive portion of the Triple Option. The 4-3 defensive lineman is not given a choice which player to attack vs. the Triple Option Offense
—he simply obeys his rule.
Defensive linemen not following the Block-Down Step-Down rule make the entire 4-3 Over Defense untenable. This seemingly small mistake causes the 1-gap "Spill" philosophy to be nullified and the entire defense to collapse. It only takes one defensive lineman not doing his part for any Triple Option Offense to become successful.
Here is the video:DT Keys 1. Block-Down-Step-Down vs. Midline
2. vs. Run
3. vs. Double Team
4. vs. Sprint Pass
DT Mistakes
1. Not squeezing down hard enough
2. Not getting hands on OL
3. vs. Double Team, must put hips in the hole
4. Don't go behind the play
5. Slow off the ball
6. Too high4-3 vs. the Flexbone - Schedule of Posts
Wed. January 12 - DT Play
Sat. January 15 - DE Play
Wed. January 19 - Mike Play
Sat. January 22 - OLB Play
Wed. January 26 - FS/SS Play
Sat. January 29 - CB Play
Feel free to ask any questions for OJW or any of the other guest writers to answer.
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