Linebacker Play-Reading Windows To Stop The Run

Stopping the run is always the number one concern of any defense. At O’Fallon Township High School, we have developed a scheme that allows linebackers to make an initial read and attack the ball carrier. We utilize good pursuit angles and have an understanding of the opponent’s blocking scheme that is simple to learn for the players and allows the coach to use the offense’s blocking scheme against them.
At OTHS, we are a single gap, block react defense. We are counting on the front seven to work together in order to make tackles, or bounce the play to our unblocked player. There are two key terms that we use in the run game: “Hammer” and “Spill.” In fact, in our defense, when we talk run game, there are only two types of players on the field, “hammer” players and “spill” players.
I have been on both sides of the issue of terminology many times in my career, but I have come to the conclusion that words do matter. If you want to have a “contain” player, that’s fine for you. But what I have found is that when a kid hears “contain” he simply thinks: “be outside the play, and I am doing my job.” That is the farthest thing from what we want, so we changed the term to reflect more of what we actually want these players to do on the field--we want them to tackle or at the very least “hammer” the ball back to our pursuit. We never want a player to simply “be outside of the play.” Our corners and safeties are always our “hammer” players.
Since we have the edge set by our “hammer” players, our defensive line and linebackers are our “spill” players. The first thing we want our linebackers to do is to think pre-snap about the open windows if they have run to or run away. Mike thinks in terms of run strong and run weak. This also includes thinking about the movement that has been called for the defensive line as well, and how that affects open windows (See Diagram 1).


Diagram 1 shows the pre-snap thought process that the linebackers will go through. In this call, there are three open windows: Strong C, Strong A, and Weak B. So each linebacker’s pre-snap thought process is to consider which window to run. Sam would think: “Run to: Strong C, run away: Strong A.” Mike would think: “Run Strong: Strong A, run weak: Weak B.” Will would then go through the thought process: “Run to: Weak B, run away: Strong A.” We ask our linebackers to go through that thought process so that they are actively engaged in stopping the run first and have an idea of where they may end up as the play develops. However, there is simply no way to leave it at that. Once the play starts, gaps move, so we have to have a teaching progression that accounts for the changes that will occur during the play.
Our defensive linemen will block react in front of our linebackers, and offensive linemen will combo, zone, pull, or down block, changing the landscape of the field in front of each of our linebackers as the play develops. We ask our linebackers to make an initial read based on what the back does. When the play develops, all three linebackers will take read and balance steps. What we teach them is to punch the balls of your feet into the turf quickly, then go. This allows a fraction of a second for our linebackers to react to what they are seeing and ensures that they have a very good chance of making the first read the right read. Which particular back we ask them to read depends on the type of offense and our game plan for the week. You can tailor your own coaching to what you see from week to week as well. For the sake of teaching, we’ll assume we have an I formation iso/ stretch/ counter team. Our linebackers will make their initial read on the tailback, mirroring his path. We ask our LB’s to take the same path he does: he’s down hill – I’m downhill, he angles at the end man on the line of scrimmage – so do I, he heads straight to the sideline – so do I (See Diagram 2).


Diagram 2 shows the reactions to the stretch play that our linebackers would initially take. As the play develops, all three will work together to take away all cutback lanes that the back is looking for during the play. Sam runs over the lead of the fullback, playing the tailback inside out. Mike ends up finding a window in the neighborhood of what used to be the Strong C gap because of the path the back took during the play. Will finds a window in the neighborhood of the Strong A gap if the back turns downhill. If he continues to the sideline, so does Will. We do not force our LBs to stay in an assigned gap but rather to “run to the window that opens.” The beauty of teaching this scheme is pursuit and pursuit angles. If a window does not appear for Will in the Strong A, the back cannot possibly cut back there so he continues on to wherever the first window shows.
I’m sure that there are plenty of offensive coordinators that will see that flow and want to come back with a counter to catch the defense over-pursuing. Let’s talk through how this teaching progression addresses that issue. Pre-snap reads are the same for the linebackers, but the path of the back, and the windows change in front of them. On counter and bend, the path of the back is much tighter than on stretch for his first step, so the back has already made our angles tighter, making playing the counter/ bend play an easier reaction because of this tighter angle. Mike and Sam are going to have to redirect on the play, so what we teach them to do is punch the balls of their feet into the turf to change direction as fast as possible. Mike is going to redirect his path from the Strong A to the Weak A, or farther to the sideline if the play bounces. Sam is going to redirect from his Strong C to the Weak A or outside as the play bounces. Will, however, is going to be screaming downhill as his reaction to the back’s path and the window that opens in front of him (See Diagram 3).


Diagram 3 shows the beginning of the play, with the blocks happening front side and the trap coming from the back side. Since we read windows, Will sees a massive window opening in front of him (as shown in the diagram) and he comes downhill through it as fast as he can. The match-up is a pulling offensive tackle, racing against our most athletic linebacker. There are two possible scenarios that unfold: our block reaction is good and Will shows up on the edge because that is where his window appears (See Diagram 4),


or our block reaction is bad, and he shows up in the Weak A (See Diagram 5).


Will reacts and runs his window, either closing the gap for the back to run through, or making the tackle in the hole. If the back bounces because of Will’s reaction, he bounces to an unblocked, free player, our free safety. Some people argue this reaction will not work for all formations, but I disagree. If it is a split back formation, the Sam sees the near back hinge and comes downhill through the window vacated by the pulling guard. Out of flexbone, the same thing occurs. The reaction to the back, combined with running the first open window, results in our having one more than the offense no matter what the formation.

The Extra Player

How does this reaction respond to an extra player being inserted at the point of attack? Let’s again take an example for the purpose of teaching. I formation, ISO weak is coming at our Will linebacker. The extra player here is the fullback, dividing the strong B gap into two distinct gaps on either side of him (See Diagram 6).


The initial path of the backs will be downhill, getting a downhill reaction from both Mike and Will. What we teach on ISO is for Will to take the outside shoulder and Mike to take the inside shoulder (See Diagram 7).


In actuality, what is happening is that Will “hammers” the ISO back to Mike, or makes the tackle. Mike, in turn, “Spills” the ISO to Will, or makes the tackle. The quick downhill nature of the play, along with our hitting the window on either side of the extra player, causes the play to be stuffed or bounced to our unblocked player. Again, in this case, it’s the free safety.

Teaching

Contrary to what you may be thinking, we do not spend time on the chalkboard drawing up blocking schemes with our players. The defensive coaches draw up the run cards and schemes as a part of game planning but that would be too complicated to introduce to our players. Instead, we use our interior session early in the week to “walk through” each offensive run, showing our defensive linemen what block reaction should look like, and also showing our linebackers where the windows will appear. This is a far simpler and much more practical means of teaching this concept.
We have had a great deal of success in teaching and utilizing these concepts in run defense. Your scheme and game plans will dictate the specifics of how you implement this system, and your players will dictate how you choose to teach it to them. My hope is that you have found something that is applicable to your scheme and your program. This scheme produced three 100+ tackle linebackers this season, and two 100+ tackle defensive ends. It has helped our ability to stop the run, and it can do the same for you.