1. Colerain High School Running the 50 Defense
Tom Bolden and Shawn Cutright

2. Colerain High School
Division I High School (~1000 Boys) in Cincinnati, OH
11 Consecutive Greater Miami Conference Titles
Playoff Qualifier 10 of the past 11 seasons
Multiple Division I College Players
2004 Ohio State Champions
Defensive Averages Since 2005:
80 Rush Yds. Per Game
99 Pass Yds.
10 Pts.

3. Topics today… Running the 50 Defense Angle vs. 6-pack
Angle Defense Vs. 6-pack
Positions Needs
Defensive Calls
Defensive Techniques
Questions

4. Why we play the 50 defense Lack of size on the line
Advantageous to our players… speed
Difficult to get a pre-snap read
Easy to adjust to power and spread
Flexibility to change players
Ability to run multiple coverages
Keeps offense off balance with ability to angle

5. Angle defense vs. 6-pack Angle is base defense to stop run
6-pack is our blitz package
Alignment varies form one to the other
Angles changes for linemen
Alignment changes for outside linebackers
Calls are opposite

6. Angle Defense Vs. 6 Pack Position Needs

7. Defensive Line – Angle Defense
Pass/Run…….reads guards to tackle
Angles fast
Ability redirect quickly
Plays flat on the line of scrimmage
Takes up blockers so linebackers can run free
Straight tackle sets the edge
Angle tackle is a b-gap defender
Tackles line-up head up on tackles
Nose lines-up head up on center

8. Defensive Line– Angle Defense (Technique)
Stance
Modified linebacker stance (4 point)
Hands barely touching the ground
Heels in the dirt
Feet
Parallel
Under arms
Weight on balls of feet

9. Defensive Line – Angle Defense (Technique)
Angle tackle
First step should be a 45 degree angle step with the inside foot through guards neck to centers shoulder
Rips through the offensive person with opposite arm
Nose
First step should be a 45 degree angle step with the inside foot through guards neck to inside knee of tackle
Straight tackle
First step is a 6 in. movement straight ahead w outside foot
He sits the edge as a contain type player

10. Defensive Line – 6 Pack Frequently utilize this into a package
Reduce angles and press up field more
Move to 3-point stance
Nose alignment is still over center
Tackles
move to outside shade or completely outside the offensive tackle
Outside foot up, so power step is inside to reduce space
If guard gives you his face cross it, if he gives you his hip you push up field

11. Inside Linebacker – Angle Defense
Run/pass…..reads guards to tackles
Acts as quarterback on defense for front 7
Play fast and fill gaps
Mesh well with defensive line
Bench linebacker plays isolation more effective than sweep
Field linebacker runs down plays and defends the pass

12. Inside Linebackers– Angle Defense (Technique)
Bench linebacker
Better at blitzing and filling isolation
Must be aware of the TE and possible route combinations
Align outside shade of guards
Eyes on keys
Feet
Parallel
Under arms
Weight on balls of feet
Hands off knees
Field linebacker
Better at coverage and running down outside zone/sweeps
Same as above

13. Inside Linebacker – 6 Pack
Pass/Run…..reads guards to tackles
Disrupt pass routes and collision receivers
Has to identify who they are hot on, dictated by coverage and type of blitz
Hook to curl player, gives a go call when they get to curl to OLB or SS
QB breaks contain ILB to that side goes after him

14. Outside Linebacker – Angle Defense
Run/Pass…reads through tackle to QB
Most athletic and versatile athlete
Lines up on LOS
Lines up on TE almost all the time
Tough enough to take on power runs
Knowledgeable about alignment and formations

15. Outside Linebackers– Angle Defense (Technique)
Strong side linebacker
Lines up over TE
Eyes on keys
Plays better to power side
Alignment (Feet)
Splits crouch with inside foot
Inside foot forward
Weight on balls of feet
Hands in a good defensive position
Steps
Inside foot jab step into TE
Do not stand up, stay low
Engage TE shoving him inside to close gap and keep outside leverage

16. Outside Linebackers– Angle Defense (Technique)
Weak side linebacker
Lines up in space usually apex of #1 and #2 receiver
Eyes on keys
Plays better in space
Alignment (Feet)
Parallel stance on LOS
Weight on balls of feet
Hands in a good defensive position
Chase/Tuck
Rush linebacker chases down plays away when he has an angle tackle
Off linebacker tucks when he has straight tackle on plays away

17. Outside Linebacker – 6 Pack
Pass/Run..…reads through tackle to QB
Must cover well in space
Alignment varies for most formations
5 yards of ball
Coverage curl/flat
Hold curl until ILB gives GO call
Lines up on TE in single width and sometimes when TE is #2 receiver
Is in motion and timing up blitzes to hit LOS full speed

18. Defensive Backs Safeties…
In a perfect world, both safeties are capable of playing both SS & FS
Safeties need to be physical, athletic players capable of making plays in space
One of these players must be capable of making all coverage checks and communicating with the rest of the defense
Safety alignment and technique rarely changes in angle vs. 6 Pack defense

19. Defensive Backs Free/Boundary Safety
Athletic player who can cover the deep middle 1/3rd, including 4 verticals
Is also responsible for cleaning up mistakes made by the front 7 (Live to play another play!)
12 yards between the boundary upright and the hash depending on formation. Should never align outside hash.
Pedals into zone on snap (Middle or deep ½)
Cover 3 – reads through guards to quarterback for run/pass & direction, flows & fits accordingly
Cover 2 – drops into deep ½ favoring #2 WR. Eyes read #2 to #1

20. Defensive Backs Strong/ Field Safety…
Physical player who can be effective vs. the run
Most common coverage responsibility is curl to flat, must collision vertical routes
Will align on inside shoulder of #2 receiver (unless #2 is TE)
On snap will creep to 7/8 yds., reads through tackle to QB
Pass = Hot on #2, C/F defender
Run to = Attack and become force player
Run Away = Flow for cutback
Also often included in run blitzes

21. Defensive Backs Corners…
Primarily a Cover 3 team, which means our corners must be athletic enough to defend 1/3rd of the field
Must be effective tacklers to prevent big plays
Corners will usually flip sides based on ability & game plan, best coverage guy goes where they throw (Best WR, Trips side, single WR, etc.) Varies week to week.
Align 6/7 yards off the ball, inside shoulder of #1
@ snap Corners will take 3 slow pedal read steps, reading through the Tackle to QB
Hot on all 3 step routes (High ball/low ball from QB), in Cover 3 rally & make tackle
Non 3-Step pass = Get deeper than deepest threat in your zone! Stay in pedal as long as possible.
Run read – Run to = take on & defeat stalk block to support run…Run away – Take angle & pursue

22. Angle Defense Vs. 6 Pack Defensive Calls

23. Directional Calls – Angle Defense
Tight… to the tight end or strong side of the formation with no tight end
Split… away from right end or weak side of the formation with no tight end
Field… only call on hash
Bench… only call on hash

24. Movement Calls – Angle Defense
Nose and tackle away from the call angles
Tackle to the angle call plays straight
Crash…
Aggressive angle of two gaps
Tackle has A gap and outside linebacker has B gap
Inside linebacker has contain if the ball is run that way
Never run split crash

25. Movement Calls – Angle Defense
Bird…
Stunt where angle tackle and OLB switch responsibility
Double Crash…
Short yardage call
Nose plays straight
Double Bird…
Pinch…
Angle both sides

26. Blitz Calls – Angle Defense
Field corner
Bench / split lightning
Field / tight smoke
Tight / field go
Split / bench shoot

27. 4 Man Pressures
Pressures are designed to maximize pass coverage while not allowing the QB to have enough time to be comfortable.
All “Hot” Routes should be accounted for as you have 4 or 5 players in the underneath zones.
Blitzes will involve bringing any 1 of the 4 linebackers or any member of the secondary.
The 3-4 scheme allows a 4 man pass rush to be effective because the offense does not know where the 4th man is coming from
4 Man Pressures allow for more options in coverage

28. 4 Man Pressures w/OLB End Bird T N T E B B E T N T E B B E
Extension of our Angle 50, End simply rushes upfield, Tackle away from call is other contain
T N T
E B B E
- Both tackles are now contain rushers, End and Tackle to blitz call switch jobs

29. 4 Man Pressures w/ILB Typically run when we want to play Max coverage (Ends better in coverage)
Fire
Shoot
T N T
E B B E
ILB opposite call through opp. A Gap. Both Tackles contain, both Ends drop.
T N T
E B B E
ILB to the blitz call through the A Gap. Both tackles are contain rushers, Ends drop.

30. 5 Man Pressures
Pressures are designed to overload the offensive line and get to the quarterback quickly
Blitzes will involve bringing any combination of our 4 man pressures, with some additional options
We will expect the ball to be thrown quickly from a QB under pressure, this creates multiple opportunities for turnovers
We must rally to any completed ‘Hot’ routes, never allowing them to turn into a big play
Most of these are played using a 3 deep concept
You must also be aware of vulnerabilities to certain formations such as 3x1 or Empty & be willing to adjust

31. “Fire Bird”
T N T E B B E C C S S

32. “Shoot End”
T N T E B B E C C S S

33. “Bolt”
T N T E B B E C C S S

34. “Eagle Pick” LB walks up over the Guard, gives the same look as “Bolt Pick” but will time up differently
T B N T E B E C C S S

35. Questions?