Thrawn87

I run man to man against teams that spread. But when they bunch up, we typically switch to a 3-2 or a 1-3-1, depending on if the team likes to run or pass. Its always good to have versatility on your defense.

Man to Man =Trouble in my leauge. Man coverage can be effective depending on the formation. If the offense is spread out, man coverage can be very effective if you have the athletes to match up. I coach 6-8 graders and some teams have kids so fast and quarterbacks so accurate that zone simply doesn't work. We go man to contain the other teams best athletes with our best athletes and pressure the QB. If the offense is spread out, the throws generally have to travel farther so if we can keep those players covered a little longer and bring pressure, it can cause inaccurate passes. The risk with man is you're susceptible to runs, but at this level, you don't see end arounds or reverses anymore. Most of it is spread passing formations.

Have a defender mirror the player that winds up with the ball with the run/pass option. Keep that defender close to the line if scrimmage before the snap. As soon as the hand off or pitch takes place, have that player blitz. Once that hand off happens, the 7 yard rush does not apply. It will make the player with the ball rush the play.