DEFENSIVE AXIOMS
There are numerous defensive alignments, just as there are different points-of-view or theories toward how defense should be played. Regardless of the differences and a coach’s particular plan, the following “musts” are considered basic axioms if a defense is to be sound:
1. The defense must not allow the opponent to complete a long pass for an “easy” touchdown.
2. The defense must not allow the opponent to make a long run for an “easy” touchdown.
3. The defense must not allow the opposition to score by running from within your 5-yard line.
4. The defense must not allow the opposition to return a kick-off for a touchdown.
5. The defense must not allow the opposition to average more than 20 yards per kick-off return.
6. The defense must intercept two passes out of every 13 passes attempted.
7. The defense must average 20 yards per return on each interception.
8. The defense must return three interceptions for touchdowns per season.
9. The defense must force the opposition to fumble the ball on an average of three and one-half times per game.
10. The defense must recover an average of two and one-half fumbles per game.
These 10 basic axioms are extremely important, and must be applied if a team is to be sound defensively.
Defense—A Team Proposition
A good sound defense is one that has every player on defense carrying out his assignment. Then it is impossible for the offense to score. Note that I said every player, which makes defense a team proposition and eliminates the individual defensive play. By this I mean every defense is coordinated and a player just doesn’t do what he wants to do. I do not mean suppressing an individual’s initiative or desire to excel while on defense, as long as the entire defense is a coordinated unit. We try to instill in every boy that he is personally responsible to see that our opposition does not score. When individual players and a team accept this responsibility, I feel we are making progress and beginning to build a winner.
Gang Tackling—A Defensive Must
During all phases of our defensive work we elaborate frequently on the importance of gang tackling. We like to see six or seven of our boys in on every tackle. Such tactics are not only demoralizing to ball carriers and wear them down physically, but represent sound football. It is difficult for the ball carrier to break loose and score when half a dozen men are fighting to get a piece of him.
We want the first tackler to get a good shot at the ball carrier, making certain he does not miss him. We want the other defenders to “tackle the ball,” and make the ball carrier fumble it so we can get possession of the football. We are trying to get possession of the football any way we can. Frankly we want the first man to the ball carrier merely to hold him up, and not let him get away, so we can unload on him. You can punish a ball carrier when one man has him “dangling,” and the others gang tackle him hard. I am not implying we want our boys to pile on and play dirty football merely to get a ball carrier out of the game. First, we do not teach this type of football as it is a violation of the rules and spirit of the game. Second, piling on brings a 15-yard penalty. We cannot win when we get penalized in clutch situations.