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INSIDE LINEBACKERS KEYS IN 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 TNTEE 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.

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 SEAMA SEAM ASEAMASEAM BSEAMBSEAM BSEAMBSEAM CSEAMCSEAM D SEAMD SEAM CSEAMCSEAM DSEAMDSEAM DEFENSIVE SEAM DESIGNATIONS

B B A SEAMA SEAM CSEAMCSEAM PRIMARY SEAMS OF RESPONSIBILTY FOR LINEBACKERS IN OUR BASE SCHEME FLOW HERE

B B ASEAMASEAM CSEAMCSEAM PRIMARY SEAMS OF RESPONSIBILTY FOR LINEBACKERS IN OUR BASE SCHEME FLOW HERE

TE T E TACKLES PLAY B SEAM N NOSE PLAYS A SEAM TO FLOW SIDE END’S HAVE D SEAM

B B FLOW SIDE LINEBACKER SCRAPES TO C SEAM BACK SIDE LINEBACKER SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM LINEBACKER MOVEMENT TNTEE

B B FLOW SIDE LINEBACKER SCRAPES TO C SEAM BACK SIDE LINEBACKER SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM LINEBACKER MOVEMENT TNTEE

LINEBACKER KEY PROGRESSION WE USE A FOUR PHASE PROGRESSION TO TEACH LINEBACKERS WHERE AND HOW TO FIT INTO THE RUN FRONT. 1. FLOW KEY 2. GUARD KEY 3. BACK FIELD ACTION 4. 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 PROGRESSION 1. FLOW KEYS 2. GUARD KEYS 3. BACKFIELD ACTION 4. BACKFIELD ACTION + GUARD KEYS

FLOW KEYS

E T N T E B B FRONT SIDE C OFF SIDE A FLOW

E T N T E B B FRONT SIDE C OFF SIDE A FLOW

GUARD KEYS

NT T BB REACH OR CUTOFF BOTH GUARDS TAKE CUTOFF ANGLES TO THE LINEBACKERS PLAY DIRECTION

NT T BB SCRAPES TO C SEAM SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM

N TT BB ISOLATION FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS DOWN BACKSIDE GUARD TAKES CUTOFF ROUTE PLAY DIRECTION

NT T BB RESPECT INITIAL STEP OF GUARD - AS IF CUTOFF SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM DOUBLE TEAM! ROCK BACK STAY

N T T BB FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS DOWN DOUBLE TEAM! BACKSIDE GUARD PULLS TRAP! GUARD TRAP PLAY DIRECTION

NT T BB RESPECT INITIAL STEP OF GUARD - AS IF CUTOFF DOUBLE TEAM! ROCK BACK STAY SCRAPE TO OFF A FOLLOWING GUARD’S PULL

NT T BB BOTH GUARDS PULL OUTSIDE GUARDS PULL SWEEP PLAY DIRECTION

NT T BB SCRAPE TO C SEAM DECIDE HERE TO DRIVE UPFIELD OR LEVEL AND GO DOWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE *BOTH LB’S STAY INSIDE OF THE FOOTBALL FRONTSIDE MAY OCCASSIONALLY OVER RUN BACKSIDE CAN NEVER OVER RUN SCRAPE TO OFF A SEAM SHUFFLE DOWN THE LINE OF SCRMMAGE IF YOU CAN GET THE SWEEP FROM BEHIND GO!

NT T BB FRONTSIDE GUARD BLOCKS DOWN TACKLE TRAP BACKSIDE GUARD TAKES CUTOFF ANGLE TACKLE PULLS TO TRAP PLAY DIRECTION

NT T BB RESPECT INITIAL STEP OF GUARD - AS IF CUTOFF DOUBLE TEAM! ROCK BACK STAY READS CUTOFF ANGLE OF GUARD PICKS TACKLE’S PULL UP SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM

NT T BB OFFENSIVE LINE ZONE STEPS ZONE REACH PLAY DIRECTION

NT T BB FIT AT LINEMAN’S HIP FILL WHERE NEEDED FIT AT LINEMAN’S HIP FILL WHERE NEEDED

NT T BB OFFENSIVE LINE PASS SETS PASS SET

NT T BB INITIAL STEP RESPECT RUN - OPEN OUTSIDE GET DEPTH INITIAL STEP RESPECT RUN - OPEN OUTSIDE GET 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: PVEER DIVE PPOWER OR WIDE ISO PISO PCOUNTER

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 BB BB OFF A YOU HAVE DIVE BEGIN C SEAM SCRAPE YOU HAVE QB TO PITCH

POWER OR WIDE ISO BBBB C SEAM OFF A

ISO BBBB START C SEAM SCRAPE PLAY ISO LATE OFF A

COUNTER BB BB CHECK 1ST BACK WORK BACK TO OFF A GUARD KEY IS BIG FIGHT BACK TO C SEAM

SWEEP BB BB C SEAM INSIDE OUT ON SWEEP OFF A INSIDE OUT DO NOT OVER RUN

BACKFIELD ACTION + GUARD KEYS

N TT BB BOTH GUARDS COME STRAIGHT OUT NO KEY ONE BACK DIVES OVER GUARD ONE BACK RUNS PITCH PATH OPTION! START TO C SEAM HIDE AT HIP OF DT QB TO PITCH OPTION! SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM DIVE VEER OR DIVE (OPTION) BACKFIELD VEER DIVE

N TT BB FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM BOTH BACKS FLOW TO A SEAM INITIAL STEP RESPECT GUARD CUTOFF SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM ISOLATION DOUBLE TEAM ROCK BACK--STAY PLAY ISO LATE! BACKSIDE GUARD HARD CUTOFF BACKFIELD ISO

N TT BB BOTH GUARDS HARD CUTOFF BOTH BACKS FLOW OUTSIDE OF A SEAM SCRAPES TO C SEAM SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM OFF TACKLE BACKFIELD POWER OR WIDE ISO

N TT BB FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM BACKS SPLIT FLOW INITIAL STEP RESPECT GUARD CUTOFF KEYS SPLIT FLOW AND GUARD’S PULL SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM GUARD TRAP DOUBLE TEAM ROCK BACK--STAY! BACKSIDE GUARD PULLS BACKFIELD COUNTER

NT T BB SWEEP BOTH GUARDS PULL OUTSIDE SCRAPE TO C SEAM DECIDE HERE TO DRIVE UPFIELD OR LEVEL AND GO DOWN THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE BOTH BACKS OUTSIDE OF C BACKFIELD SWEEP SCRAPE TO OFF A SEAM SHUFFLE DOWN THE LINE OF SCRMMAGE IF YOU CAN GET THE SWEEP FROM BEHIND GO!

RESPECT INITIAL STEP OF GUARD - AS IF CUTOFF DOUBLE TEAM! ROCK BACK STAY READS CUTOFF ANGLE OF GUARD PICKS TACKLE’S PULL UP SCRAPES TO OFF A SEAM NT T BB FRONTSIDE GUARD DOUBLE TEAM BACKSIDE GUARD HARD CUTOFF BACKSIDE TACKLE PULLS BACKS COUNTER ACTION TACKLE TRAP BACKFIELD COUNTER

NT T BB OFFENSIVE LINE ZONE STEPS BACKS POWER OR WIDE ISO ACTION, POSSIBLE COUNTER ACTION FIT AT LINEMAN’S HIP FILL WHERE NEEDED FIT AT LINEMAN’S HIP FILL WHERE NEEDED ZONE REACH BACKFIELD POWER, WIDE ISO, OR COUNTER

N T T BB INITIAL STEP RESPECT RUN - OPEN OUTSIDE GET DEPTH INITIAL STEP RESPECT RUN - OPEN OUTSIDE GET DEPTH BOTH GUARDS PASS SET BOTH BACKS PASS SET BACKFIELD PASS SET

CREATED BY KEVIN REILLY 626 PONDEROSA DRIVE BEL AIR, MARYLAND