3-5-3 DEFENSIVE LINE TECHNIQUES AND DRILLS THOMAS COUSINS

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3-5-3 DEFENSIVE LINE TECHNIQUES AND DRILLS
THOMAS COUSINS
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IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

• IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN COACHING LINEMEN IN THE
  3-5-3 VS. THE 4-3?
• WE FEEL THE ANSWER IS YES AND NO.

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NO

• TACKLING, RUNNING AND BEING TOUGH SHOULD BE A
  PART OF ANY GOOD DEFENSE.
• WE STILL READ BLOCKS, WE JUST DO IT ON THE RUN.

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YES

• SINCE OUR LINEMEN NEVER TAKE ON AN OFFENSIVE
  LINEMAN HEAD UP WE NEED TO TEACH WHAT WE CALL
  READING ON THE RUN.
• WE TEACH ATTACKING ½ A MAN WITH EITHER A RIP OR
  BY ATTACKING THE INSIDE CHEST PLATE
• THE BIGGEST THING WE WORK ON IS FIGHTING PRESSURE
  WITH PRESSURE AND NOT GETTING WASHED UP FIELD.

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ESSENTIALS OF DEFENSIVE LINE PLAY

• 1. GET OFF- YOU MUST EXPLODE OFF THE BALL AND
  CROSS THE FACE OF THE MAN YOU ARE LINED UP FROM.
• 2. PURSUIT- WE STRESS RUN, RUN, RUN.
• 3. TACKLING- WORK SOME ASPECT OF TACKLING
  EVERYDAY.

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What do we want to accomplish?

1. We want to make our defensive lineman more
   productive in the areas of tackling, pressure and
   pursuit.
2. We want to run drills that are specific to what
   we do.
3. If a drill is not football specific- dont do it.
4. We want to put our defensive linemen in
   real-life, game type situations.

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DEFENSIVE LINE FUNDAMENTALS IN THE 3-5-3

• 1. ALIGNMENT
• 2. STANCE
• 3. SLANT/ STEPS
• 4. ENGAGEMENT/ BLOW DELIVERY
• 5. READ/ PRESSURE
• 6. PURSUIT
• 7. TACKLE

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ALIGNMENT

• WE WILL WORK ALIGNMENT EVERYDAY.
• WE WILL LINE UP THREE DIFFERENT WAYS WITH OUR
  TACKLES.
• IN BASE THEY WILL HEAD UP
• IN JET THEY WILL BE IN A WIDE 5 AND A WIDE 9
• IN GOALLINE THEY WILL BE IN 4 TECHNIQUES.

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ALIGNMENT BASE
T N T
TACKLES AND NOSE WILL BE HEAD UP AND AS TIGHT TO
THE BALL AS POSSIBLE
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ALIGNMENT JET
T N T
TACKLES WILL BE JETTED 1 YARD OUTSIDE OF THE
TACKLE AND TIGHT END. NOSE WILL BE HEAD UP AND AS
TIGHT TO THE BALL AS POSSIBLE
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ALIGNMENT GOALLINE
T N T
TACKLES WILL BE IN 4 TECHNIQUES. NOSE WILL BE
HEAD UP AND AS TIGHT TO THE BALL AS POSSIBLE
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STANCE

• OUR STANCE IS A THREE POINT STANCE WITH FEET AS
  CLOSE TO PARALLEL AS POSSIBLE.
• WEIGHT ON THE BALLS OF THE FEET, KNEES IN AND
  HEELS OFF THE GROUND
• HEAD- TURN YOUR HEAD AND LOOK DOWN THE LOS AT THE
  BALL.
• ARMS- FRONT ARM SHOULD BE WELL IN FRONT OF THE
  HEAD. FREE ARM IS COCKED BY THE FACEMASK READY TO
  STRIKE.
• BACK- BUTT MUST BE HIGHER THAN HEAD.
• WEIGHT- 60 OF WEIGHT IS ON FINGERTIPS. YOU ARE A
  COILED SPRING READY TO EXPLODE.
• FEET SHOULD BE NO WIDER THAN SHOULDER WIDTH.
• DL NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO STEP WITH EITHER FOOT-
  LEFT OR RIGHT.
• HEAD IS TURNED LOOKING AT THE FOOTBALL

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SLANT/STEPS

• GET OFF
• INITIAL MOVEMENT MUST BE SIDEWAYS AND UP AT A 45
  ANGLE.
• LIKE A SPRINTER COMING OUT OF THE BLOCKSCREATE
  FORCE.
• BACK FLAT
• NUMBERS OF YOUR JERSEY OVER YOUR KNEE.
• BULL YOUR NECK.
• AIM FOR THE HIP OF THE MAN YOU ARE SLANTING
  ACROSS.
• FOLLOW QUICKLY WITH THE 2ND AND 3RD STEPS
• STAY LOW AND MAINTAIN LIFT LEVERAGE.

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SLANT/STEPS DRILLS
T N T
VERY SIMPLE DRILL DONE WITH FLAT DUMMIES ON THE
GROUND COACH GIVES A LINE CALL (IN, OUT, SLANT
STRONG, SLANT WEAK, PINCH) AND A STRENGTH
CALL. COACH SNAPS THE BALL AND LOOKS FOR
FOOTWORK, EXPLOSION, FLAT BACK, AND ARM RIP IN
GET OFF BY THE DEFENSIVE LINEMEN.
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ENGAGEMENT/ BLOW DELIVERY

• DEFENSIVE LINEMEN MUST SHOOT OFF HAND ACROSS THE
  MAN HE IS SLANTING FROM.
• WE ARE AIMING FOR THE HIP OF THE MAN WE ARE
  SLANTING TO.
• WHEN WE MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
  WE EITHER FINISH OUR RIP OR IF WE GET STONED-
  BRING BOTH HANDS UP INTO ½ OF HIS CHESTPLATE,
  LIFT, CONTROL OUR GAP AND FIND THE BALL.
• WE NEVER WANT TO GET MORE THAN 1 YARD UP THE
  FIELD.
• IF WE EVER COME OFF UNBLOCKED WE TURN AND LOOK
  INSIDE.

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BLOW DELIVERY
T N T
THE MAIN DRILL WE USE TO TEACH BLOW DELIVERY IS A
3 POINT STEP AND RIP DRILL. DL ARE IN STANCE
ACROSS FROM A PLAYER HOLDING A BAG ON BALL
MOVEMENT THEY EXPLODE AND RIP THROUGH THE MAN
ACROSS FROM THEM. COACH LOOKS FOR FOOTWORK,
EXPLOSION, PROPER ARM RIP AND GETTING TO 1 YARD
DEEP.
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Pressure drills

• Get some.
• Part of our hoop drills we do everyday.
• The defensive lineman will run two hoops in a
  figure eight.
• Around the first hoop- he will rip with his
  inside arm, against other players punching at
  him.
• Around the second hoop he will rip with his other
  arm against other players punching him.
• He will finish the drill by strip tackling a
  dummy.

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READ/ PRESSURE

• WE WILL READ ON THE RUN- IF AN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
  PRESSURES US WE WILL PRESSURE BACK BY EITHER
  CROSSING HIS FACE OR GOING BACKDOOR.
• WE CANNOT GET WASHED UP THE FIELD, BY FIGHTING
  PRESSURE WITH PRESSURE AND NOT GETTING MORE THAN
  1 YARD UP THE FILED WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS.
• IF WE SLANT AND OUR MAN TRIES TO CUT US OFF, WE
  WILL FLATTEN DOWN THE LOS AND PURSUE TO THE BALL.

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READ DRILLS- BACKDOOR

• Backdoor
• Purpose- to recreate when a defensive lineman is
  following a trapping offensive lineman or has
  ripped into a gap and feels pressure from a down
  block..
• The offensive lineman will fit on the DLs hip
  who will then in turn go backdoor to make a
  tackle.

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Backdoor
R

• Ol will fit up on the hip of a defensive lineman.
  The DL will grab the hip of the offensive lineman
  and go backdoor- pursuing flat down the line of
  scrimmage.

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PURSUIT

• WE MUST FIND THE BALL AND TAKE GOOD ANGLES TO
  INTERCEPT THE BALL CARRIER.
• WE EXPECT 11 HATS TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY. YOU
  WILL NOT GET GOOD PURSUIT UNLESS YOU STRESS
  RUNNING TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY IN PRACTICE.
• WE RUN EXTRA AFTER PRACTICE FOR LOAFS- NOT
  GETTING 11 PEOPLE TO THE BALL ON EVERY PLAY.
• WE HAVE NEVER DONE PURSUIT DRILLS ALONE, WE
  INCORPORATE THEM INTO INSIDE, SKELLY, TEAM ETC.

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PURSUIT
T N T
THE MAIN DRILL WE USE TO TEACH PURSUIT IS THE
FLOW DRILL ON BALL MOVEMENT DL WILL PERFORM A RIP
TO ASSIGNED GAP WHEN THEY GET TO 1 YARD THE COACH
WILL POINT TO THE RIGHT, LEFT OF UP FIELD. THE DL
WILL PLANT AND HUSTLE THAT WAY.
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Pursuit drills

• Rabbit
• A hoop drill we do everyday
• Two players will line up on a hoop. One player
  will get a three yard head start.
• The two players will run a figure eight, if
  player two catches player one, the drill is over.
  

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Rabbit
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TACKLING

• WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN NOT MISSING TACKLES.
• WE WORK SOME ASPECT OF TACKLING EVERYDAY IN
  PRACTICE.
• WE NEVER GO HALF SPEED DURING DEFENSIVE PRACTICE.
  WE ARE ALWAYS LIVE, NO DUMMIES, NO PADS, NO
  SHORTS MONDAY- THURSDAY.

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Tackling

• We feel that there are 6 basic elements to every
  tackle. We work these 6 elements into every
  tackling drill we do.
• Feet- never gather, always run through the
  target.
• Eyes- always on numbers
• Head placement- always up and across the ball.
• Chest- lead with your chest not your head.
• High cloth- throw arms up and around
• Hip roll- act like you have a quarter in your
  cheeks and you dont want it to fall out.

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Tackling drills

• Slip Drill
• Purpose to recreate a defensive lineman slipping
  off an offensive lineman and making a tackle.
• OL and DL will fit up as if the were engaged with
  a block. The running back will then run tight to
  either hip of the offensive lineman. The
  defensive lineman will have to create separation
  and find the ball carrier.

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ANGLE TACKLING
T
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THIS IS THE MAIN TACKLING DRILL OUR DL DOES THE
DL LINES UP ACROSS FROM ANOTHER LINEMAN AND ON
COMMAND RIPS BY THE OL -THE RUNNING BACK WILL RUN
EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT NEXT TO THE OL. IF THE
RUNNING BACK COMES TO THE SAME SIDE THE DL
SLANTED TO THE DL PERFORMS A PROPER ANGLE TACKLE.
IF THE RUNNINGBACK RUNS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE THE
DL SLANTED TO. HE MUST PLANT, FLOW BACK TO THE
RUNNING BACK AND MAKE THE TACKLE.
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TACKLING DRILLS

• Speed to burn
• We will have two defensive ends in a jet- speed
  rush coming off each corner.
• The defensive ends will have to speed rip by an
  offensive lineman and strip tackle a dummy.
• Whoever gets there the fastest is the winner.

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Closing

• We feel that by putting our defensive linemen in
  real-life, game type situations we will increase
  production as a unit.
• We have seen a steady increase in the
  productivity of our defensive linemen in the
  three years since we have introduced this concept.