Creating An Effective Game Plan In The 50 Defense

Head Coach – Tom BoldenDefensive Coordinator – Shawn Cutright

Secondary Coach – Phill Joseph

COLERAIN FOOTBALLRUN FAST! HIT HARD!

About Us

• Division I High School (Approx. 1100 Boys) in Cincinnati• 11 Consecutive Greater Miami Conference Titles

• Playoff Qualifier 10 of the past 11 seasons• Multiple Division I College Players

• 2004 Ohio State Champions• 127 – 14 with 35 All-Ohio players since 2000

About Our Defense

Defensive Averages Since 2005:• 80 Rush Yds. Per Game

• 99 Pass Yds.• 10 Pts.

• 3 Ohio Defensive Player’s of the Year Since 2000

Why Run The 50?• Lack of size on the line

• Advantageous to our players… speed• Difficult to get a pre-snap read

• Easy to adjust to power and spread• Flexibility to change players

• Ability to run multiple coverages• Keeps offense off balance with ability to angle

Colerain Defensive Philosophy

• Use formation recognition & game situation to make defensive adjustments/alignments

• Be flexible enough to react to what the offense is doing, even if that means changing our call

• ILB’s & Safeties are leaders on the field & must completely understand the game plan each week

• Allow them to get us into good situations through checks

• Take advantage of team speed • Run all defensive calls from the same look

Defensive Goals @ Colerain

1. Win2. Hold Opponent under

10 points3. Hold under 100 yds.

rushing4. Hold under 125 yds.

Passing5. No plays over 25 yds.6. Force 3 Turnovers

7. Score/Setup a Score8. Win all sudden changes9. Prevent Back-to-back 1st

downs after we score10. No penalties to extend

drives11. Hold Opponent to

under 33% on 3rd down12. 5 Sacks/TFL

Creating The Game Plan: What We Want to Know

• What do they want to do & when do they do it?• What are they best at/What do we have to stop?• What can we do best against them?• Personnel – Who’s the guy?

– Best Player– QB Ability– Worst OL/Do they flip O-Line– Do they have packages?

Phases of Creating an Effective Game Plan

1. Film Breakdown (Coaches)2. Game Plan Creation/Scouting Report3. Film Study (Players)4. Practice5. Putting it all together & Making adjustments

in-game

Phase 1:Film Breakdown

• Meet & get it done in 1 day. • Defensive staff meets & begins film breakdown

@ 7am Saturday, typically finished before 2pm• Breakdown 3 films*

– Last 3 opponents or 3 opponents who run the 50 defense

• Make sure that every coach has responsibilities & let them create a system to meet them

Film Breakdown Responsibilities

• Coach 1: Inputs Formation, Play, Play Type, Play Direction, Field/Bench

• Coach 2: Inputs Location, Down & Distance, Result

• Coach 3: Draws all run plays• Coach 4: Draws all pass plays/create passing chart• Coach 5: Watch/note personnel, begin to draw

scout cards

Film Breakdown Continued

• After 3 Films are finished:– Create personnel sheet for scouting report– Determine basic tendencies (run/pass, field/bench)– Draw enough cards for Monday practice– Create a Run & Pass Summary page– Draw each formation & label plays from them– Discuss initial thoughts & Go home!

• Coaches may need to finish drawing cards, generate tendency reports, watch additional film

Phase 2: Creating the Game Plan

• Sunday is spent creating the game plan & scouting report. By Sunday night this is finished

• Assistants finish scout cards, begin writing scripts, create film playlists, etc.

• Coordinator reviews all information, contacts coaches, reviews film, etc. to formulate plan

• If you play angle defense, tendencies are critical to your game plan

Tendency Reports

We want to know as much as we can about what the opponent will do in almost all situations. Tendency reports will determine our automatic checks, the direction we want to angle, where to bring pressures, what coverage's to play when, etc. We start by looking at the following:

• Run/Pass • Hash/Direction• Each formation

• Tight End• Motion/Type of Motion• Backfield Alignment• Down & Distance

• Combinations of any of these• Anything else we may see that week

Scouting Report FormatHanded out @ 7am Monday morning

• Title Page – Paragraph summary of opponent• Personnel Page• Keys to Victory by position (3-4 each)• Tendency Nutshell• Down & Distance Tendencies• Checks & Game Plan Page (What we will call & won’t)• Run Summary Page• Pass Summary Page• Passing Chart• Formation Drawings with plays

Phase 3: Film Study

• Your players can never watch enough film!!• Short 15 – 20 min. sessions if possible• Teach formation recognition during film• Our online system is extremely helpful

– Playlists are created and sent to players via text & email each week.

– Players can now see what is important for them quickly & easily

Film for Players

• Players will watch opponent film Tues./Weds./Thurs./Fri. from 7 – 7:25 am

• We typically watch the film from previous seasons game on Friday morning

• Players are expected to watch film from the playlists created online

• Players are quizzed during film sessions about information from scouting report

Phase 4:Practice

• Monday – Learning Day– Use walk-thru periods, be patient, adjust if need be

• Tuesday – Chaos– Up-tempo, lot’s of mental mistakes, focus on effort

• Wednesday – Get it Right!– Should be few mental mistakes, correct anything that

goes wrong• Thursday – Perfect Practice!

– As game-like as possible, no mistakes

Practice Continued

• As much about coaches learning & adjusting as it is for the kids (debrief after each day)

• Film practice! We watch practice film with players everyday

• Utilize opportunities for 1’s on 1’s• We try to see every situation in practice, almost

100 plays a day• The key to this is having scout cards & scripts

done right

Creating Scout Cards & Practice Scripts

Scripts• Have the same coaches

responsible for creating them

• Make sure you see a variety of plays

• Put players in good & bad positions

• Pay attention to details like down/distance, hash

Scout Cards• We draw EVERY PLAY!• Typically from 3 films this

means we have over 250 plays, we use about 90 a day

• Cards are numbered, drawn, color-coded, and have hash and field position labeled

Monday PracticeFull Pads/Full Contact

• 10 – 15 minute Walk – Thru – Done every Monday!! Take as long as you need!

• Individual– Walk – thru again by position, discuss keys for the week, fundamental drills

• Interior & Perimeter Periods – 32 Plays Each – 8 plays of 1’s on 1’s during interior– Group your plays by formation to help players learn checks– Put them in good situations a lot

• Team Period – 33 Plays– 8 plays of 1’s on 1’s– Arranged by hash & down/distance– Group plays together by formations

TuesdayFull Pads/Full Contact

• Tuesday is mistake day! High-paced practice, energetic/enthusiastic coaching.

• Individual– Work on opponent specifics (DB’s = Route Combos, DL/LB = Key

Drill)• Interior (32 Plays, Including 8 1’s on 1’s & 5 Goal Line)• Perimeter (32 Plays)• Team (33 Plays including 8 of 1’s on 1’s)

– Players will make multiple mental mistakes, coach the physical!!– Put players in bad positions and see how they react– Repeat checks later on to see if they are learning

WednesdayHelmets & Shoulder Pads Only

• Walk thru again if need be• Individual

– Usually Combo’s or fixing something from the previous practices

• Interior (32 Plays), Perimeter (32 Plays/ 8 are 1’s on 1’s), &Team (33 Plays)– Checks should run smoothly– Mix up formations & plays– Challenge your players mentally & physically

Thursday

• We simulate this as close to a game as possible

• Put players in positions to make plays• Coach in between series• Players should make all checks with little or no

problem• Be as positive as possible so your players leave

confident

Friday - Gameday

• 3 pm – Review of Defensive Goals with team, pass out incentives

• 4:30 pm – Position Meetings with coaches• Remind them of checks, keys, answer

questions• Pre-game warm-up's = no checks• Run Fast! Hit Hard!

In Game• ALWAYS HAVE A C.O.P. READY!

– We always have something just in case• Check on Personnel (Pre-game & during)• Chart tendencies from press box

– Down/Distance– Field/Bench– Formation & Play

• Chart what you are doing effectively/ineffectively• How are our guys doing?• Listen to your players & adjust

Questions/Contact

Shawn Cutrightdcutright@nwlsd.org

Phill Josephpjoseph@nwlsd.org

Colerain High School8801 Cheviot Rd.

Cincinnati, OH 45239

PLAY HASH D & D CARD PLAY NAME DEFENSE1 M 1 & 10 542 G Rt Closed Trips Lt 60 Boot2 M 2 & 2 39a St. I East 19T3 M 3 & 4 754 G Split Blue 60 Hitch4 M 1 & 10 23 G Split Blue Rocket 14TT5 R 2 & 8 300 G Rt Bengal 60 Out6 R 3 & 2 8a Wk I Red Launch 17 Jet7 R 1 & 10 37a Closed TE Trips Lt Rocket 258 R 2 & 7 78 G Lt Red West 14TT9 L 3 & 6 122 G Empty Rt TE Lt Launch 50 JB10 L 1 & 10 42a G Rt Trips Rt Counter 15 TT11 L 2 & 12 75 G Rt Blue East 24CB12 L 3 & 10 118 Closed Trips Rt 60 CSF13 M 1 & 10 72 G Rt Blue East 19T14 M 2 & 3 210 G Rt TE Trips Lt Rocket 50 HB Wheel15 M 3 & 3 74 Wk I West Bounce Lt 16 Ctr Toss16 M 1 & 10 71 Bengal 2517 R 2 & 1 123 G Rt Blue East 50 JB & Go18 R 3 & 1 41a St I West 10T19 R 1 & 10 55 G Lt Red West 18T20 R 2 & 7 132 Bengal 50 Boot21 L 3 & 11 305 G Lt Closed TE Trips Rt 60 Under22 L 1 & 10 76 Bengal Rocket 16 Jet23 L 2 & 7 17a Closed TE Trips Rt 2524 L 3 & 5 1008 G Lt Red West 60 Hitch25 M 1 & 10 28a G Rt Trips Rt Counter 15 TT26 M 2 & 6 330 Bengal 50 Out N up27 M 3 & 6 323 G Rt Dbl Slot Stallion28 R 1 & 10 73 G Lt Bengal 2429 R 2 & 12 319 G Empty Bunch Lt 50 Seam Switch30 R 3 & 5 100 Bengal 60 Slant 31 L 1 & 10 70 Bengal 2432 L 2 & 8 302 G Rt DS 50 Dig Wheel33 L 3 & 1 31a Blue 1 Dive

COLERAIN FOOTBALLTeam Script

ST. X #1

Offensive Tendencies - Week 3

COLERAIN vs. Fairfield

52% Run vs. 48% Pass

98 Plays to the Field vs. 27 to the Bench

63 plays to the Left vs. 79 to the Right

Passing Game: 91% to the field 57% to the right Favorite Routes – Hitch, Post/Out, Smash, Screen Running Game: 69% to the Field 54% to the Left Favorite Plays: 56/57, 10/11, Toss Sweep Motion: Rip/Liz Motion, Both Plays to that side Rocket/Launch, 2/2 Pass to the motion Return Motion, 2/3 Plays away from the motion Gun 1 RB – 30 Passes & only 6 Runs Gun 2 RB – 27 Passes & 15 Runs Shotgun Totals – 57 Passes & 21 Runs Under Center – 36 Runs & only 9 Passes Trips Formations : 11 Runs, 22 Passes 23 of 33 Plays to the Trips (Plays away = Ctr Trey, Boot) If RB is AWAY FROM trips 13 of 14 plays = pass East & West = 8/8 Pass, always to twins Single Width – 11 of 15 plays to the strength, away from nub

Down & Distance and Field Position

1st & 10 – 75% Run vs. 25% Pass

2nd & 10 or more 2nd & 5-9 yds. 2nd & 5 or less

77% Pass vs. 23% Run 65 % Run vs. 35% Pass 67% Run vs. 33% Pass

3rd & 10 or more 3rd & 5-9 yds. 3rd & 5 or less

87% Pass vs. 13% Run 92% Pass vs. 8% Run 50% Run vs. 50% Pass

4th Down = 1 Run (less than 5 to go) & 1 Pass (more than 5 to go)

Red Zone Tendencies: 8 Passes (Smash, Slant, Outs) & 12 Runs (56/57, Toss Sweep)

Goal Line: 1 Pass & 1 Run

Passing Chart

3 Game Totals: 5 – 22, 126 Yds., 1 TD, 1 INT

5 Sack, 3 Scramble

Season Leaders & Totals: Kyle Sess, 13 -36, 300 Yds., 4TD, 3 INT

Receiving:

Darius Hillary, 4 Catches, 116 yds., 2 TD Will Bundy, 4 Catches, 143 yds., 3 TD

21 Yards & Up

1 – 5, 39 yds.

1 TD!

21 Yards & Up

0 – 3, 0 yds.

21 Yards & Up

1 – 2, 39 yds.

11 – 20 Yards

0 – 3, 0 yds.

1 INT

11 – 20 Yards

1 – 1, 15 yds.

11 – 20 Yards

1 – 2, 16 yds.

0 – 10 Yards

1 – 1, 3 yds.

0 – 10 Yards

0 - 1, 0 yds.

0 – 10 Yards

0 – 4, 0 yds.

SYCAMORE DEFENSIVE CHECKS

Tight Angle Defense:

Gun 1 RB ANGLE TO RB

Angle AWAY from twins in DBL east and west

Angle to TE

Angle to trips

DO NOT Check angle W MOTION……UNLESS THEY MOTION TO QUADS IN EMPTY

Angle to Unbalanced

In EMPTY……KEEP ANGLE CALL….ANGLE TO THE 2 PLAYER SIDE

Angle to Offset I

6 PACK

Check WEAK in closed trips

NUT SHELL

1. 2/1 plays to the field

2. Pass 40% out of I backs

3. Shot gun 2RB….RUN 51/53

4. Pistol 1 RB…..11/11 run (speed option 8/11)

5. 74/228 total plays where QB RUNS

6. #74 is there best O-LINEMEN

7. #3 is a DB…watch HIM getting the ball when he comes to OFFENSE

8. #3 runs wildcat sometimes

9. KEEP ALL FIELD/ BENCH CALLS

KEYS TO SUCCESS VS. SYCAMORE

TEAM

1. PLAY LIKE HELL AND ENJOY THIS GREAT GAME OF FOOTBALL! 2. Run fast and hit hard. 3. FIGHT FOR EVERY INCH, NEVER GIVE UP! 4. CREATE TURNOVERS.

DEFENSIVE LINE

1. PLAY ON THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE – DO NOT GET PUSHED AND ANGLE FLAT! 2. GET YOUR GUY EVERY PLAY! 3. The favorite run is QB TRAP, 40/41 AND 24/25. 4. This game will be WON by stopping the run!

LINEBACKERS

1. Be physical. Stop the run with authority #8 is there best player. 2. GET YOUR GUY and get all checks. 3. Best run is the QB TRAP, 40/41 AND 24/25. 4. This game will be WON by stopping the run!

ENDS

1. Best run is the QB TRAP, 40/41 AND 24/25 – BE PHYSICAL! 2. Read the end man on the line and close on all down blocks. 3. #8 IS THE MAN… you are QB KILLERS! 4. This game will be WON by stopping the running!

SECONDARY

1. Run to the ball and be great tacklers. Support the run by being physical. 2. Cover the 3 step and quick passes - make plays on the ball! 3. Eliminate the big plays by being great in coverage and doing your job. 4. This game will be WON by stopping the run!

Remember: When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft!

SYCAMORE GAME PLAN RUN DEFEND RUN ATTACK T < 2 T < 4 T < CRASH 2/3 F/T smoke 3 S < 3 T < 3 S lightning 3 S shoot 3 T BIRD F < 2/3 B < 3 T STRAIGHT 3 Tuff St. Tuff St. 3 Tuff St. Dbl Falcon 3 Tuff St.Fire 3 Tuff St. Dbl Pick 3 Tuff St. Pick Rt/Lt 3 Tuff St. Fire Dbl Pick 3 Tuff St. Falcon Rt/Lt 3

Tuff St.FireDblFalcon 3

PASS DEFEND All ABOVE 6 PACK 2 MAX (Fire) Nickel Dbl Fire 2 Trail 6 PACK END 3 6 PACK 3 MAX (Fire) Nickel Dbl Pinch 2 Trail 6 PACK WK END 2 PASS ATTACK (5 man) 6 PACK BOLT 3 6 PACK DBL END 3 6 PACK BOLT SWITCH 3 6 PACK BOLT PICK 3 6 PACK SHOOT END 3 6 PACK BOLT PICK SWITCH 3 6 PACK FIRE BIRD 3 6 PACK EAGLE 3 6 PACK TWIST END ALL 6 PACK WEAK BLITZES 6 PACK SHOW BOLT PICK 3 and 3 MAX PASS ATTACK (6 / 7 man) 6 PACK BOLT X 3/1 6 PACK FIRE BIRD X 3/1 6 PACK EAGLE X 3/1 6 PACK DBL BOLT 0 6 PACK DBL BOLT PICK 0 6 PACK DBL FIRE BIRD 0 6 PACK DBL EAGLE 0 6 PACK DBL EAGLE PICK 0