Coach's Corner: Rules, Gaps, Techniques, and Blitz packages in the base 3-3-5 -- Part 3 Shade and G Alignment

Posted at 8:00am -- 4/9/2010

Coach's Corner: Rules, Gaps, Techniques, and Blitz packages in the base 3-3-5 -- Part 3 Shade and G Alignment

We have already covered defenses where linebackers shade and shift over and have explained the gap coverage. Today we will look at the several parts/versions of the overall defense where the front three play a shade technique or shift.

3-3-5 (Shade) vs. Pro Set

......................................TB
.
......................................FB
.
......................................QB
...FL.................TE...T...G...C...G...T...........................SE
...........................^........^..........^
...........................DT......NT..........DE
.
.............^...........^...........^.........^............^
.............S.........SLB.......MLB......WLB..........B
.
.
^..................................................................................^
FC...............................................................................BC
.
..................................^
..................................FS

DT: Greg Banks
NT: Renaldo Sagesse
DE: Ryan Van Bergen

WLB: Jonas Mouton
MLB: Obi Ezeh
SLB: Craig Roh

BC = J.T. Floyd
FC = Troy Woolfolk

SS: Thomas Gordon (Bandit)
SS: Jordan Kovacs (Spur)

FS: Cam Gordon (Deep Safety)

Here are some rules and terminology clarification. Remember, programs use terminology that is not always universal.

Technique Chart:

..TE .... OT .... OG .... OC ..... OG .... OT .... TE ....
9.8.7..5.4.4i..3.2.2i...1.0.1...2i.2.3...4i.4.5...7.8.9.

Gaps:

(D gap) TE (C gap) OT (B gap) OG (B gap) OC (A gap) OG (B gap) OT (C gap) .. (D gap)

Rules

DT: he plays a 5-technique and has C gap responsibility.

NT: he plays a 1-technique to the strength of the formation and has one A gap (his side) responsibility.

DE: he plays a 4-technique and has B Gap responsibility

SLB (Strong-side Linebacker): he stacks behind the defensive tackle (at four yards off of the ball) and has B gap responsibility.

MLB (Middle Linebacker): His alignment is a 0-technique (positioning four yards off the ball) and he is responsible for the A gap opposite the Shade nose tackle.

WLB (Weak-side Linebacker): he stacks behind the defensive end and he has C gap responsibility, but he tracks through the B gap.

Spur (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 (yards) off of the tight end, or the last man on the line of scrimmage, and he has D gap responsibility.

Bandit (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 (yards) off of the last man on the line of scrimmage, and he has D gap responsibility.

Field CB: plays 1x8 (yards) on the outside of the #1 wide receiver, he is to secure the sideline.

FS (Deep Safety): he plays 12 yards off the ball, splits the two #1 receivers and is the alley player against the running game.

Boundary CB: he plays 1x8 (yards) outside the #1 split end, he is to secure the sideline.



3-3-5 (G Alignment) vs. Pro Set

.....................................TB
.
.....................................FB
.
.....................................QB
...FL................TE...T...G...C...G...T...........................SE
.........................^.......^........^...^
........................DT......NT..MLB.....DE
.
...............^.........^.....................^..............^
...............S......SLB..................WLB.............B
.
.
^................................................................................^
FC.............................................................................BC
.
.................................^
.................................FS

DT: Greg Banks
NT: Renaldo Sagesse
DE: Ryan Van Bergen

WLB: Jonas Mouton
MLB: Obi Ezeh
SLB: Craig Roh

BC = J.T. Floyd
FC = Troy Woolfolk

SS: Thomas Gordon (Bandit)
SS: Jordan Kovacs (Spur)

FS: Cam Gordon (Deep Safety)

Here are some rules and terminology clarification. Remember, programs use terminology that is not always universal.

Technique Chart:

..TE .... OT .... OG .... OC ..... OG .... OT .... TE ....
9.8.7..5.4.4i..3.2.2i...1.0.1...2i.2.3...4i.4.5...7.8.9.

Gaps:

(D gap) TE (C gap) OT (B gap) OG (B gap) OC (A gap) OG (B gap) OT (C gap) .. (D gap)

Rules

DT: plays a 5-technique, with C gap responsibility.

NT: plays (inside shade) 2i-technique to the strength of the formation with A gap responsibility.

DE: plays a 5-technique with C gap responsibility.

SLB (Strong-side Linebacker): He stacks behind the defensive tackle at four yards off of the ball and he has B gap responsibility.

MLB (Middle Linebacker): he aligns in a two-point stance in a 3-technique and he has the responsibility for the A gap, he is to beat the offensive guard across his face at the snap.

WLB (Weak-side Linebacker): he aligns in the B gap to the quick side of the formation at four yards off the ball. He has B gap responsibility.

Spur (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 (yards) off of the tight end, or the last man on the line of scrimmage he has D gap responsibility.

Bandit (Strong Safety): he plays 4x4 (yards) off of the last man on the line of scrimmage he has D gap responsibility.

Field CB: he plays 1x8 outside of the #1 wide receiver, he is to secure the sideline.

FS (Deep Safety): he plays 12 yards off the ball, splits the two #1 receivers and is the alley player against the running game.

Boundary CB: he plays 1x8 outside the #1 split end, he is to secure the sideline.


Written by GBMW Staff

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