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gabericks

How Do You Handle A Defense That Lines Up 7 Yards Deep

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We got killed tonight. they could see everything we ran at them b/c they were all 7 yards deep. We run a RB, Wing, WR and 3 linemen where down field blocking is technically illegal.

Any suggestions on how to deal with a defense like this in the future b/c we will see it again in other teams and our rematch with this one.

Also, our QB can run, Defense can rush after hand off. one first down on each drive, which is mid field, so you have three plays to get a first down and three plays to score. Dropped passes are back breakers so it would seem to be a running league. Just have to find out how to beat this 7 yard defense.

thanks

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Wow, that sucks! I'm glad our league isnt like that, we try to emulate (as close as we can) tackle football, it's about teaching them fundamentals and preparing them for the next level of football.

I dont know what age group you are coaching but i'd go with misdirection, maybe a reverse or even a double reverse to try and get the defense to bite on the first hand off, you could pass off that too. If you have anymore questions or would like to see what kind of play I might draw up feel free to email me kwilson512@yahoo.com

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Wow, that sucks! I'm glad our league isnt like that, we try to emulate (as close as we can) tackle football, it's about teaching them fundamentals and preparing them for the next level of football.

I dont know what age group you are coaching but i'd go with misdirection, maybe a reverse or even a double reverse to try and get the defense to bite on the first hand off, you could pass off that too. If you have anymore questions or would like to see what kind of play I might draw up feel free to email me kwilson512@yahoo.com

Thanks and thank you for not being the 81st person to view my post and not comment. This could be a very nice forum if there were more comments. There are very few helpful resources out there that are not market and money making driven in nature.

Yes, our misdirection fakes were bad and I think that was a problem. The Defense just sat back and waited for the ball carrier to show his cards. I am coaching 7-10 year olds. We are working on that this weekend.

thanks so much and I'd love to hear others comments also since I'm looking at posted playbooks and it would appear many defenses operate with all players off the line 5-7 yards. I'm also a 1st year coach with a only High School and PS2 NCAA Football experience!

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I'd run trips to one side and dump short 3-5 yard passes out in the flats to the opposite side. Once the defense made adjustments to cover the short pass, I'd pump fake and go long. If they didn't adjust to cover your trips, send one on an out pattern, one on a fly and one on a post.

If they're putting the defense in a straight line across 7 yards deep and the QB can run, you're gold. You could use trips to one side, send them on deep routes have the others running crossing patterns to the same side, QB takes off opposite side after acting like he's going to throw.

Could have twins to right side, have QB roll hard to right side acting like he's going to run, then he stops and throws deep.

I'd mix up the short and long passes, even if the long passes are over thrown to avoid an interception, it keeps the defense honest. This may mean you have to mix up your formation a bit.

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It would help if you posted the basics on your league. Looks like 7 on 7, what age? The more detail, the more likely it will be answered. Also, a hint, most of the discussion takes place on the main flag football forum.

Back when my team was playing in the 8 and under tournament, we ran into a couple of defenses that played back off the los like that. I attacked it two different ways. One, I ran very quick hitting run plays right up the middle. They had to drop a defender down close to the los to stop it because we'd gash them for 5 yards a pop. The next thing we did was throw quick passes to our wideouts right on the los. All we really needed was a broken tackle and we had big yardage. I told me guys to catch the ball, fake inside and try to beat them outside. Once they saw us going with the quick hitter, they moved the defenders up on the los, or close to it. That of course opened up the playbook. Fyi, we played 5 on 5, I-9 rules, 8 and under (when we ran into this).

And after reading Rob's response I have more to add. Our 10 and under team played a team that ran their defenders all 7 yards across in a line. This is why posting the age is important. That team was very capable of running more complicated plays and we could throw further. But against the so-called "brick wall" (that's what their loud coach kept shouting; it became a long time joke at our practices after that), I just ran some deep patterns to a side and brought a receiver underneath from the other side. The defenders had to go deep with the receivers and I would throw underneath, my receivers would catch on the run heading towards the sidelines and have lots of daylight. We killed them.

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See, in our league (6 on 6)_ the offense has got to have aminimum of 4 guys on the los and the defense has to line up 4 guys in front of them on the line, I can put 5 on the line but the defense dont have to line up over the 5th. We also have to have a balanced formation, I cant go trips.

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Thanks guys. all those posts were helpful. our league is:

-7-10 year old with average age of 7

-only direct hand-offs behind los

-no passes behind los

-only screen blocking, no down field blocking

-QB can run and has 7 seconds to throw or play is dead.

I think we were really caught off guard last game with that defense with little pass plays under our belts.

thanks

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I'm a new coach this year for my son's 8 and under 5 on 5 team. I can't really give any advice on the defense, but I would be sure to read the rules well. I have read them several times. The rules that I was given say no passes behind the los and shovel passes have to be a minimum 5 yards, no laterals, but then in a totally different section, it says pitches are allowed. I haven't seen anyone use a pitch yet, but I am considering it.

Our second game we won because the opposing coach hadn't read the rules and hadn't prepared for rushing.

Of course last week, we lost because I hadn't considered all 5 beyond 7 yards, and 5 rushers really freaked the QB out. I consider it my fault that I hadn't prepared him for the possibility. And then I saw your post.

One other thing, the rules that the league gave me and the ones that they publish online are slightly different. It hasn't been an issue, but I like to be prepared :)

Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

Brett

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We got killed tonight. they could see everything we ran at them b/c they were all 7 yards deep. We run a RB, Wing, WR and 3 linemen where down field blocking is technically illegal.

Any suggestions on how to deal with a defense like this in the future b/c we will see it again in other teams and our rematch with this one.

Also, our QB can run, Defense can rush after hand off. one first down on each drive, which is mid field, so you have three plays to get a first down and three plays to score. Dropped passes are back breakers so it would seem to be a running league. Just have to find out how to beat this 7 yard defense.

thanks

We had difficulty with this type of Defense as well. Disciplined good flag pullers staying home on the backside.

1.) Are you boys running hard with the Football? Simply put if your backs (on running plays) are running downhill with a full head of steam @ the outside shoulder of the Defender it is a difficult play to pull that flag. The problems we always encountered were when our ball carriers would check up 2 or 3 yards short of the defender and attempt to make a move. Force the Defender to "tackle" the ball carrier at full speed. All it takes is one missed flag pull. They may get them the 1st time, the 2nd time, etc but eventually they are going to miss.

2.) How is your passing game, Flood the zone? Roll out the QB with one receiver on a 3-5 yard "out" and the 2nd on a Fly. Try and put the OLB/CB in conflict and make him wrong no matter what he does. Rep this for 15 minutes with you as the DB/OLB. Most kids can make the 1 read and pick the correct target and since your QB can run you get a 3rd option, just take off.

3.) Find the weakest kid and pick on him. Run at what you precieve to be the worst flag puller, don't run at the stud.

4.) 1 trick play to add in after you get your base offense down. Reverse QB Pass. Pitch to RB who sweeps right, hands off to WR on Reverse who then gets the option to pass to QB (who has rolled out Left and gotten behind the Defense) or keep and run. Again you are trying to put the backside OLB/CB in conflict and make him wrong.

5.) Crossing passes in front of the 7 Yard Defenders. If your kids are good enough to hit the receivers in stride this may be effective as well. Mine never were.

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I sent my first play over, have practice in about 30 min but i'll convert the rest of my playbook to 7 on 7 for you tonight and tomorrow....let me know what you think.

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"Take what the defense gives you, and, eventually, they'll give you the game."

I like playing against teams that line up their entire team deep. We've had good success against it. I don't know what other coaches do, but for us it comes down to creating one on one situations and running HARD. The weakness of a flat-7 is one missed tackle = touchdown. There's no second level. I like those odds.

Some things we do (again... with the focus of isolating defenders, usually a corner).

- Get the ball out FAST underneath and attack outside.

- Run HARD, run with INTENT. No happy feet. Isolate a defender and force him to make a play. One missed flag = touchdown.

- Get to the sideline and hit the gas. Force the cornerback to defend inside-out and cause him to cut off the rest of his team's pursuit when he tackles the ball carrier. If he whiffs, touchdown.

- If you can, consider throwing deep (or, at least, running deep). Sometimes the easiest 1-on-1's to create are behind the defense. 7-10 year olds still get mesmerized by shiny objects in the backfield; they let WR's behind them all the time. Best case, you get receivers behind the defense, or get 1-on-1 with a safety. Worst case, you pull some DBs off that 7 yard line and create better odds for attacking the corner from underneath.

If we see defenders taking bad pursuit angles, or if we see they aren't disciplined about staying home, we'll sometimes pass into a flat and instruct the receiver to cut it back across the field. He needs to be FAST, but if that opposing corner leaked into the middle when he saw the ball caught on the far side of the field, racing him back to his corner can make good things happen. The whole defense will be running back that way, but the corner will cut off their pursuit as he tries to make the tackle inside-out.

Depending on how the D plays zone, running short and deep options on the same side can be good. If the corner goes with the deep man, throw underneath him and cause the next defender to pursue inside-out.

If you've got a disciplined QB, use look-offs and pump fakes to get the defense leaning away from what you really want --- those simple checkdowns. Then go pick-on their corners.

Good luck.

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Are all of your players considered eligible receivers? I would try fighting a gimmick scheme with another gimmick.

I’d pick my player with the best running moves and line him up at QB (even if he’s not your best passer, you just need to make sure he’s got a decent arm) and then line the rest of my team spread out evenly across the LOS and on the snap have them all run Go routes and tell your QB to watch the defense, if they all turn and run with their man (like I’m assuming they would) you wait until about the 5 second mark and have your QB take off, this should leave him with one man to beat. The best part of this is that if they blitz that defender, you’re QB can escape the initial pressure he’s wide open to run. Obviously, If they don’t turn and stick with their receiver then you just have your QB hit the receiver they’ve left open.

I did this growing up playing Madden and NCAA Football against my friends, it’s insanely difficult to defend because once you escape that first man, the defense is running with all their momentum away from the ball, they have to stop turn and then try to regain their zones. My assumption is that these 7 year olds will try to run to the ball, and their “stay home” mentality will go completely out the window and could allow for several big runs that should eventually force them to run a legit defense.

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