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AFM Magazine


Multiple Fronts Without Changing Personnel

by: Todd Quick
Defensive Coordinator, Lufkin High School TX
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No matter what defensive scheme you run, there are a few elements that must always be consistent for you to be successful. The athletes must believe in what they’re doing and they must understand what their responsibilities are. At the high school level we cannot recruit, so finding the great corners, the big Middle LB or the two big, strong, fast linemen may not happen each year. As high school football coaches we need to be able to adjust what we do depending on what the parents send us. No defense is designed to stop everything.

Here at Lufkin we are blessed with athletes that allow us to work their butts off; but most of all, they believe in what we do and what we need to do to be successful. We are a multiple defensive team that will show numerous fronts and coverages. Our kids like to apply pressure and play downhill. Our LBs would stunt every play if we let them, but not every situation calls for that. Just the threat of stunting is as good as an actual stunt. We allow our kids to “Stem & Prowl.” This is a movement prior to the snap to give the QB a false pre snap read. The only rule is that they cannot stem or prowl themselves out of position.

Each player is different. Some can move around a lot and some cannot. It depends on the player and also the position they are playing. The linemen “Stem” and the LBs and secondary will “Prowl.” We feel as a staff that this movement causes confusion in the offensive line. The real trick is to not cause confusion on the defensive side of the ball. We have found that some years we cannot stem and prowl as much as others. It depends on the make-up of your squad.

What we are going to look at today is how we stem and prowl to get the different looks in our defensive package. Our first call will be out of a 4-2-5 look (See Diagram 1). The call is Nickel 31 Robber.

Diagram 1

The numbers in the call talk to the Tackle & Nose. The word nickel tells everyone else where to line up. We want to show something different and move to the alignment called. An example would be to show Cover 2 as a pre snap alignment and then roll to the coverage. Some QBs are taught to count safeties as a pre snap read. We want to give him a false key. This can be done prior to the snap or at the snap we can roll to it (See Diagram 2).

Diagram 2

Getting into a 4-3 look is an easy adjustment. The secondary will roll to the coverage called. An example of a 4-3 call: Stack-31-Cov. 2 (See Diagram 3).

When we get into an odd front we use the term “Solid.” Solid first tells the declare side of our defense to solid up on the LOS. It also talks to the Blood and End. Solid first tells the Blood to line up in a ‘5’ and the Sam LB to line up in a ‘9’. Solid second tells the End to line up in a ‘5’ and the Will LB to line up in a ‘9’. The call is Solid-13-Cover-23 (See Diagram 4).

Diagram 3

Diagram 4

We will start out in a 4-3 look and stem and prowl to Solid-13-Cover-23 (See Diagram 5).

Diagram 5

We can move on command or move individually. This front is used in 21 personnel. The DBL number coverage call talks to both sides of our defense. The first number tells the declare side to play Cover 2 and the second number tells the back side to play a Cover 3. This gives us an inverted look. In a 2x1 set we would be in Cover 3.

The opposite call is 13-Solid-Cover-23. This is a weak eagle call that allows us to bring heat off the backside (See Diagram 6).

Diagram 6

The Stem and Prowl can change every snap with players that understand the concept of fits and responsibilities (See Diagram 7).

Diagram 7

Once we have both solid calls taught we install the DBL-Solid call. When we want to crank it down into the box we go to the DBL Solid: 22 DBL-Solid- 4 man (See Diagram 8).

Diagram 8

Moving to this front is usually done right before the snap. The safeties will give the QB a 2 deep read and then roll down into the box and read the TEs. We like this vs. 12 personnel groups (See Diagram 9).

Diagram 9

Our last front is our Okie fronts and Gator Blitz package. This is a wide 50 alignment with the ability to blitz and play man or drop maximum numbers into coverage. The big key to getting in this is the Blood. Is he comfortable in space and is he athletically capable to do what we ask him. We have been very lucky over the years to have this player. Most of the time we have taken a LB and moved him to Blood so we are playing LBs at the ends. Not having to sub gives us a definite advantage. We don’t want the offense to out-personnel us. We can get in our Okie alignment out of any front but we will look at it going from a Nickel to Okie. The call is Okie-Cover 2 (See Diagram 10).

Diagram 10

We like this front vs. 10 and 11 personnel groups. We will get into Gator personnel to put the fastest 11 on the field. It is the same alignment, same responsibilities, just speed on the field (See Diagram 11).

Diagram 11

Not every front will be used each week; but having the ability to Stem and Prowl to each front without changing personnel keeps the offense from game planning against us. All we want is a small amount of doubt in the offensive line. Giving different looks and adding in the Stem and Prowl makes it look like a lot more than it is.

We don’t think that what we do is the only way to do it. Like we said: the kids believe in what we do, they like to move around and practice is exciting because it changes every snap. The one thing we fight for as coaches is to make sure we don’t put too much on the players. We don’t want to make them passive. We shouldn’t have to think. We should react and fly to the ball. Every group is different. Some can do more, some can do less.






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