7-9 year olds. League rules on defense

[kfriendii]

Majortom-It is indeed Pop Warner.  I'm not sure what the deal is with the Mighty Mite rules in this league though. There are other rules like, the ball is spotted on the 40 yard line for the other team after a score is made (no kickoff).  There will be no change of posession during kickoff/punt, so onside kicks are pointless.

I'm putting everything together based on last years rules.  I'm assuming the same rules will be in place this year, although I can hope that they won't be. =)

As I mentioned, I picked up a copy of the Jack Gregory 63 yesterday and I started reading it yesterday/last night and my brain is starting to melt.  Between everything in the Cisar system and potentially running the JG 63, I think we have solid information that has been widely tested and used successfully...the only thing left to do now is EVERYTHING! It's quite a bit to take in, I've got many months to prepare myself and the assistant coaches, it's just a huge undertaking, quite a bit of responsibility. I'm looking forward to the challenge and I am sure you fine Coaches will see me around here frequently with all of my questions!

Regards,

Ken

[jkoester]

Yeah, leagues just can't leave well enough alone.  The national mitey mite rules are bad enough, then they have to go screwing with them even more.  It's ironic that they allow a N, but require two S's.  I wonder wtf THAT's about, LOL.

I started with that age group, coached them for 3 years - but our only limitation was no blitzing, and blitzing was VERY loosely defined.  I remember being frustrated by the D, and tried to draw something up on a napkin to fit what we were struggling with.  In retrospect, I came pretty close to Jack's 63.

I think I'd make sure I had the spread call in, where the OLB's are moved out a bit.  I think I'd even considering using that as a base.  Sweep to the fastest kid seems to be a pretty popular play at that level, and second level blocking is both rare and not very good.  So if you stick the LB head up or even outside shade of the TE and 3 yards deep, he'll be able to make a lot of plays.  MOST MM teams don't have B gap plays.  It's either up the middle, wide sweep, or an occasional off tackle.  That OLB is in a good spot there for wide and off tackle at that age level.

[CoachMarty]

Unstable- Our league runs roughly the same rules through sixth grade.  There is no blitzing, but once the linebackers and d-backs "read" the direction of the play, they can cross the LOS to make a tackle.  We run a 5-2 with very quick nose gaurd.  I've found that physical size is not important at that position.  As long as he's quick to a gap and disrupt backfield play, good things will come.  Also, we often (not always) fan out the OLB's, not even making contact with the TE, into the backfield- thus hopefully taking away the big play sweeps and reverses with focus on containment.  I know this is a high risk, but most of the big offensive plays are to the wide side of the field, like most youth football.  Our OLB are usually our most aggressive and best tacklers on the field.  We try to push everything inside.  We are weakest at off tackle plays and quick passes to the TE, so we try to keep a couple kids that have better skills at ILB and safety. 

[kfriendii]

Thank you for all of the tips.  From what everyone is saying, it looks like it falls right in-line with the Gregory's 63.
It's just so much information to process, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. I've got a whole new respect for you Coaches that have been doing this for so long, you folks make it sound and look so easy.

[jkoester]

I'll just add - one danger with an even front is the first sound QB sneak - I LOVED running that play with that age group, the D was just never ready for it.  We always felt like we needed a N because of that - any time we had A gappers, a QB would be able to split them.  Bad coaching, yes.  But something to think about.

Second thought - we also tried the small quick kids at N, and ultimately they didn't work for us.  Again, at that age group, many offenses are built from the ball out.  I know mine was - I always had my best linemen at C and G for exactly that reason, I couldn't afford to have the D onto the ball that fast.  So my O was NEVER bogged down by a N.  And that was our experience against other teams on D, we could never get penetration up the middle.  Frankly, the snap itself is such an iffy thing at that age, that coaches really pay attention to it, and over compensate to protect that position.

If I was going to do this age group now, I'd strongly consider running JJ's 33 in GRIM RED (two Reapers, no middle stacker, and the outside stacks reading as OLB's but playing very aggressively).  I'd roll the CB's up a bit too since my two R's would essentially be the S's.  Again - my priority would be outside edge, then off tackle, then up the middle.  If I had the talent, I'd put a good N there that could bull rush the C and control the QB sneak.  If not, then I'd have a couple of okay players there and teach them to crap/cut the C to create a pile in the middle.

And Jack's 63 would be my fall back if I felt like I needed to use two A gappers instead of a N.

[kfriendii]

jkoester-
Sorry for my ignorance here...I'm still doing my best to understand how the 63 works.  Are you saying with the QB sneak, the play ends up running right past the guys shooting the A-gap?  If so, short of running a 7 man front, are there any coaching points I should hit upon?

Being that I have to play the stacked linebackers 3 yards off of the nearest lineman, if I've got one stack running an out (linebacker hitting A gap oh his side), there seems like there *might* be enough of a delay (due to yardage + reaction time) to squash the QB sneak for any sort of gain.  Does that sound reasonable or am I completely lost?  I'm going into my second year of coaching, it's been a long time since I've played the game and playing isn't coaching...Just doing my best to make sense of it all.

Respectfully,

Ken

[jkoester]

jkoester-
Sorry for my ignorance here...I'm still doing my best to understand how the 63 works.  Are you saying with the QB sneak, the play ends up running right past the guys shooting the A-gap?  If so, short of running a 7 man front, are there any coaching points I should hit upon?

Being that I have to play the stacked linebackers 3 yards off of the nearest lineman, if I've got one stack running an out (linebacker hitting A gap oh his side), there seems like there *might* be enough of a delay (due to yardage + reaction time) to squash the QB sneak for any sort of gain.  Does that sound reasonable or am I completely lost?  I'm going into my second year of coaching, it's been a long time since I've played the game and playing isn't coaching...Just doing my best to make sense of it all.

Respectfully,

Ken

I don't want to say that as I haven't run Jack's D by the book.  I have run JJ's 33 stack in a 4-2 and 6-0 alignment, but we put our inside guys in the A gaps, not head up on the G's.  If they're in the A gaps and pinching, then no, you don't really run the risk of QB sneak.  It's just something you have to practice against.  Even running the 33 with taps, in a scrimmage a QB popped through because our N went to one side, the MS to the other, and the QB just split them, LOL.  Happened once, never again.

Going back to my time with 7-9's, sometimes our DL was too slow off the ball, and yes, vulnerable to the QB sneak.  I didn't have a lot of knowledge then, and we didn't do a lot of get off work.  So I can't say whether that was technique, age, coaching, or what.  I just know we went back and forth and always ended up wanting a N.  We've since had success in the 4-2 look out of the 33 (which is VERY close to Jack's base alignment for the 63), so it's probably not a huge deal, but that's also with 9-11's, where we have kids there that can react a bit quicker.

[dalasbob]

Run a 54 with 2 deep safeties. This way you can attack the snap of the ball right at the center. Too me, this makes the most sense. It has the ability to stop the offense before it can get going. This also allows you to use both "Fat Freddy", and "Tiny Tim" at NT. Tiny Tim will see the most 1 on 1 blocks because the Center will think he can just move him out of the way. Once Tiny Tim has beaten the Center a few times, send in Fat Freddy. Now the OLine sees this huge kid come out and they think they have to help, so he ties up blockers freeing the Linebackers to make the plays.
Use the DT as MPP's and have them line up in the B Gap and Attack!!! Have the DE's line up outside the TE's and use either a "box" or "switch" call. Box has DE's boxing as in a GAM defense, with OLB's attack the C Gap. Switch has the DE's attack the outside shoulder of the TE and driving him into the tackle, while the OLB's loop around and play contain. The Safeties play man on the TE's and line up at the depth required, but even with the OT. The OLB's line up at the required depth over the TE's. The ILB's line up at the required depth but over the OG.
The NT calls are also easy. Use "Green" "Gold" and "Black".
Green-NT slants to right A Gap, LILB has left A gap, RILB has nearest RB.
Gold-NT slants to left A Gap, RILB has right A Gap, LILB has nearest RB.
Black-NT attacks Center head on. ILB's have A gap on their side.
Use Green and Gold wristbands to help. Use black tape on facemask to help as well.

[jkoester]

Tell you what - just sat through Glen Harris presenting at Glazier, and he did his slant 50 D.  Basically a 5-4 with inverted CB's.  Very interesting stuff.

[Shamrocks]

Tell you what - just sat through Glen Harris presenting at Glazier, and he did his slant 50 D.  Basically a 5-4 with inverted CB's.  Very interesting stuff.

You have any more info on this guy and his D?  Really looking for a solid 5-4 D to explore, otherwise, I will go with a 4-4.........

[jkoester]

youthfootballguru.com, the slant 50 D.

Basically - 404 on the DL.  DE's can be standing or down in a 3 pt stance, outside shoulder of TE or on air if no TE.

Two ILB's over the G's (WIL and SAM), and the two OLB's stacked behind the DE's.  Inverted CB's 7-10 yards deep.

Typically slant to strength, seemed like the DE's hunt.  ILB - SAM has strong B gap, WIL weak A gap.  He recommends they flip so that the kids only have to learn their one assignment. 

I'll have to take a peek at his presentation again for more.  I didn't get his defensive DVD's, so don't have a ton of detail.  But I think there was more in his PPT presentation, which I have.  I know he plays two coverages out of it.