PURPLE SWARM

DEFENSE
3-5-3
2015
11 Year Old Defensive Playbook

Philosophy
- Aggressive yet sound
- Similar to 5-3 but Stud and Tomahawk
do not rush the passer
- Sam, Will, and Mike are stack LBs
we will send Sam and Will 75% of the
time or more to create confusion
among the offensive line
- Seahawk tackling methodology
- Never man coverage we dont want
to ever turn our back to the LOS.

1 5

1 5

Base Formation 3-5-3

Cover 3
F

1 0

1 0

TH

QE

M
N

TEMPLATE

AE

BC

ST

FC

Position Attributes, Technique &

Responsibilities
Nose Tackle

2 Gap player
Fire off low and hard from a 4 point stance
Drive Center backwards and blow up counter
Get stalemate at worst! If being driven back, grab cloth and sit down!
Get to heels of OL and hunt ball
Eyes on FB after snap get head on FB side of C

Anchor End

Align on strong side OT (4 tech)

More Aggressive DE
Able to stalemate double team
Command a double team
If being driven back, grab cloth and sit down!
Get to heels of OL and hunt ball
Slant hard to B or C Gap aiming point is next players hip pad
Rip Aggressively

Position Attributes, Technique &

Responsibilities
Quick End
Align on weak side OT (4 tech)
Able to stalemate double team
Command a double team
If being driven back, grab cloth and sit down!
Get to heels of OL and hunt ball look for counter!
Slant hard to B or C Gap aiming point is next
players hip pad
Rip Aggressively

Mike
Heels at 5 yards over C (or middle of formation vs.
unbalanced Take read steps with key
Must be able to take on FB and/or wedge and be
very physical
Sideline to sideline player
Must make strength call quickly

Position Attributes, Technique &

Responsibilities
Will
Align in stack over Quick End at 4y and creep on
snap count
Go opposite gap as Quick End
Get to heels of OL and hunt ball
Play Downhill must be a player willing to run
through contact
Will occasionally drop into coverage or read
Get in gap fast to cause OL conflict
Key player in stopping power run team

Sam
Align in stack over Anchor End at 4y and creep on
snap count
Go opposite gap as Anchor
Get to heels of OL and hunt ball
Play Downhill must be a player willing to run
through contact

Position Attributes, Technique &

Responsibilities
Stud
- Align 2x2 outside OT, On outside shoulder of TE,
split the difference between EMLOS and inside
receiver if twins or trips
- Must be physical enough to take on lead block and
force play inside.
- Keep shoulders parallel to LOS to avoid being
kicked out easily
- Force player Set the edge RIGHT NOW!
- Does not box or crash, does not rush passer
- Flats responsibility in pass defense if read pass,
get to flats NOW!
- Kill Tunnel in screen game
- Must stay home for bootleg, counter, reverse

Tomahawk

Position Attributes, Technique &

Responsibilities
Field CB
- Aligns on wide side of the field, inside foot of
receiver, 4y off LOS
- Best tackling corner
- Backpedal 2 y during read, if read is:
- Run at you plant foot and fight through
inside shoulder of WR, read the Stud setting
the edge if successful run fit inside Stud, if
ball carrier bubbles, run fit outside Stud.
- Run away insure against bootleg, counter,
reverse once sure take angle and cap play
at 20-30y depth
- Pass get to deep 1/3 in backpedal and break
on ball Do NOT turn your back to LOS unless
you need to make up ground on WR
Boundary CB

Position Attributes, Technique &

Responsibilities
Safety
-

Aligns at ~10 yards depending on speed of the

other team
Aligns over center of formation unless trips
Stays at depth against trips, twins, etc
Alley player in run game
Check TE release and fill alley aggressively
Give big hit when possible but insure tackle is
made
Hit ball if player is engaged
Must be fast
On pass must decide between ball and man when
ball is in the air and must be correct.

1 5

1 5

Pass Responsibilities Cover 3

FS

BC

FC
1 0

1 0

F
MLB
TH
BC

W
TH

QE

M
S
N

TEMPLATE

AE

STUD
ST

FC

10

DL Calls
Pinch DEs slant to B, Sam
and Will slant into C
Fan DEs slant to C, Sam and
Will slant into B
Right DEs and NT slant right
Left DEs and NT slant left

LB Calls (Will and Sam are always going

unless read or cover is called)

Read Heels at 4 yards, read near back
through G and T
X MLB taps NT and blitzes opposite A
gap
Wham Will and Mike tap stacked
linemen and blitz
Smash Sam and Mike tap stacked
linemen and blitz
Tomahawk Tomahawk blitzes off edge
Stud Stud blitzes off edge

1 5

BC

TH

QE

S
N

AE

ST

1 0

1 0

1 5

3-5 Cover 3 Vs. Trips

FC

We will not honor trips with a man to man match up. Stud splits distance
between EMLOS
and inside receiver. He robs slant and attacks tunnel, gets to flat after
checking slant. Will blitzes weak while Tomahawk is free rusher on pass.
Will and Sam are force (QB defender) on option to weak side, Tomahawk
and Stud have pitch man. FS is 10-12
on inside receiver. He still has deep
TEMPLATE
middle on pass. And must drop at 45 degree angle if reading pass. 13

1 5

1 5

3-5 Cover 3 Vs. Spread (4-wide)

F

1 0

1 0

TH

QE

S
N

AE

ST

BC

M
FC

We will not honor twins with a man to man match up. OLBs between
EMLOS and inside receiver. OLBs rob slant and attack bubble, get to flat
after checking slant. Will blitzes weak, Sam blitzes strong. Will and Sam
are QB force on option, TH and Stud are pitch back on option. If OLBs
read option he gets QB NOW and forces a quick pitch. FS is normal depth,
deep third. Mike has RB on read option
and /or speed option.
TEMPLATE

14

1 5

1 5

Bama 3-4
Cover 4
F

TH

W
QE

S
N

AE

1 0

1 0

BC

ST

FC

If playing a team that throws the ball often, and efficiently, we can make a
Bama call to become more sound against the pass. Our Mike will drop to
be our 2nd safety and we will be in base Cover 4. The 2 corners and the 2
safeties will divide the field into vertical parts. This is an easy adjustment
because all of our alignment rules are the same with the exception of the
safeties which play over just outside of the offensive EMLOS at ~10y.
TEMPLATE

15

Hokie 3-4
Inverted Cover 2

TH

W
QE

M
N

F
S

AE

1 0

FC

1 0

1 5

1 5

BC

ST

Against teams that want to primarily run the ball and we have trouble
stopping with the 3-5 front, we can add another defender to the box with our
Hokie call. Our Corners align at ~ 8y and split the field. Mike aligns as in the
3-5 front and our free safety aligns over the strong side TE at 6y.
TEMPLATE

16