216 bulldogs

i wanna run a zone can some one help me please............

Mayb the league im in is crazy but we play flag 11 on 11 the ages r 5 and 6... this is my first year but i have the honor of takin over a defense of the flag team who did not lose a game last year... well last this past sat we win 12-7 but my defense looked bad. please someone help me wit a denfense that can stop the run... it has 2 b simple member they r only 5 and 6.....

can u tell me some of the zone defenses u play

In the past we have always played a hybrid man/zone, 3-4-1 defense. My stud athletes were able to play man---as they could pretty much cover the field. However, I've lost my top defensive players this season, and thus we are going full zone.

My dilemma is a bit different when it comes to practice than most of you on here. This being, while I have 12 players---we play 8 vs. 8. Consequently, it's impossible to have a "true scrimmage" with both sides of the ball netting a full unit. We have yet to have our first game (we've had eight practices--and will have 2-3 more before our first game. Thus far it has been pretty much offense---as my goal is for the players to know 12 different plays by the first game---this is going quite well.

The next few practices I want to focus on defense. In our last practice we "walked-thru" our zone defensive responsibilities. Essentially placing eight kids on defense---and I had three offensive players (one player missed practice due to swine flu concerns). I walked them through how to stay in their zones on passing plays, and to do so on running plays (until the ball passes the LOS).

Can anyone provide some tips for drills that will help the kids (a full unit) get used to maintaining their responsibilities in a zone defense?

Thanks!

there 5 and 6 but we play 11 0n 11

I HAVE BEEN READIN URE FORMS.... WHAT KINDA ZONE R U RUNNING ON DEFENSE... AND CAN U ADD A PIC I REALLY LIKE WHAT URE TALKIN ABOUT...

what age are you coaching?a 1-1-3 will not work with older kids...2-1-2 or -2-3 is your best bet with the older ones

i was gettin beat on the qb keeper and wit trips in the back feild... i have fast kids... member they win the whole thing last year but the pressures on me... i tried a 6-2 but we was gettin beat on the keeper so thats why i was thinkin zone......

Really JohnP is the one to ask.  He has a lot of experience with more kids on the field.  I've always coached 5 on 5 or sometimes 6 on 6.


I think I saw your age group is 5-6.  I'd stack as many on the line of scrimmage as possible, maybe 5-6 of them, spread out 7 yards wide each way.  I assume you have blocking too.  Stick 3-4 kids like linebackers in the middle gaps.  I would not worry too much about having cornerbacks in the traditional sense.  The other teams won't throw outside.  Have the remaining 2 kids or so as safeties more towards the middle or splitting the middle between the two of them.

Where are you getting beat?  What are the other teams doing to you?

we playa 11 on 11 i know its funny.... so how would u line them up

I HAVE BEEN READIN URE FORMS.... WHAT KINDA ZONE R U RUNNING ON DEFENSE... AND CAN U ADD A PIC I REALLY LIKE WHAT URE TALKIN ABOUT...

Most of the time we're running a 1-1-3 zone.  We bring 1 rusher.  We have a linebacker directly over the center.  Then we have 3 safeties splitting the field into thirds about 7 yards back from the los.  This is the type of zone defense that a majority of the teams in our league are running.  

Our linebacker has the responsibility of run stopping first.   If he sees that there is not going to be a run, he drops back about 5 yards and shadows the quarterback from sideline to sideline.  He has the zone immediately in front of the quarterback.

The rusher comes fast but under control.  We've been trying to teach this to our kids who in the past have blown past quick footed qbs.  I'm asking them to slow down and stay in front of the qb to create pressure eve if he does not get a sack.  Some of them are starting to get this concept.

Our middle safety is always deep lining up at 7-10 yards.  He's my reliable safety, the one who can make plays on the ball.  The other two safeties on either side play a variety of setups.  I like to start them out at 7 yards back from the los and see what the offense is trying to do.  I like them starting back and playing forward.  But if the other team is going with quick and short passes into the flats, I'll start them closer to the los, even right on the los.  I tend to flex them throughout the game but my tendency is to have them back at 7 yards if I can get away with it.

Like most defenses this one has pros and cons.  The biggest pro is that it is strong against runs and passes over the middle.  If you flex in your outside safeties it can be very strong against outside runs also.  It's weakness is that you can attack it on the outside with a variety of plays.  Quick and short passes towards the outside work but can usually be contained for short gains.  The killer is a rolling quarterback and flooding the side with receivers.  Younger teams do not do this as well but we've been working it into our offense and have had success.  Our defensive counter is to shift the zone to the side of the rollout and that's something we're trying to do but it's a more difficult concept.