The 4-3 defense is a football staple. A classic formation that's used by championship teams at every level.... from Pop Warner to the Pros. Why is it so popular?
You only need two defensive linemen, your tackles, and one legit linebacker in the middle to stop your opponent’s downhill runs.
The offensive linemen will be occupied with your tackles and ends, so your linebackers can flow more freely to the ball on running plays… or assist in pass coverage as needed.
It’s a natural fit to stop the Wishbone, I, Wing-T, Split Back Veer… even the Spread. And because of the flexibility of the 4-3 and multiple coverage schemes, offenses can't just isolate a particular area, or try to take advantage of a weak defender.
The keys to a successful 4-3 are quickness and tenacity. As long as your kids can close to the ball aggressively and with solid fundamentals, you'll have a great chance of shutting down any team in your league.
Once your team learns the base alignments, assignments, and reads (which you can do in one 90 minute practice). They can become very aggressive in their play… and start ATTACKING the ball with blitzes and line stunts.
Despite its popularity, very few coaches truly understand how to tap into the true power of this defense. And if you're new to coaching, the whole thing can be a bit overwhelming.
That's why we created the Ultimate 4-3 Defense Playbook.
Inside, you'll discover a simple, step by step formula for installing and implementing a top notch 4-3 for any competitive level. It's packed with detailed instructions, simple diagrams, and "quick-learn" coaching pointers that you can take right to practice.
Here's a quick rundown of everything you'll learn:
The playbook starts with a quick primer on the 4-3, including alignments, assignments and gap responsibilities for every position on the field. You'll also learn exactly what skills to look for in an ideal 4-3 lineman, linebacker or defensive back.
Next, we'll dive into coverage schemes. You'll learn exactly how to lock down the passing game with three man to man coverages and three zone coverages.
In this section you'll discover nine game-tested man blitzing schemes, so you can get more penetration into the backfield, create havoc, and force tons of turnovers!
Zone blitzing is when your d-lineman pretends to blitz, then drops back into pass coverage to replace the spot vacated by a blitzing linebacker or defensive back. You'll learn nine zone blitzing schemes to disrupt your opponent's game plan, keep 'em guessing, and cause more turnovers!
($59.99 Value)
After you download the playbook, you have my permission to reprint up to 50 copies of it for your own coaching staff and players... so you can get your entire team up to speed as quickly as possible!
PLEASE NOTE: the playbook is copyrighted so you can't share it with other teams or post it online (trust me - you're going to want to keep these wickedly effective plays to yourself anyway!)
These one-page printouts illustrate all the alignments and positional responsibilities for each section of the playbook. You get 4 basic alignment diagrams, 6 coverage diagrams, and 18 blitzing diagrams.
It's a perfect "quick-reference" for your coaching binder, a handout for getting new coaches up to speed, or giving kids "football homework" they can work on at home!
Save the PDF playbook directly to your computer or mobile device, you can access directly on your device or print.
Our playbooks are simple to install and help you win. Thousands of players, coaches & parents report back with more wins while doing less work.
My little New Braunfels Junior Ravens had an undefeated season with 6 shutouts and only 3 touchdowns scored on them the entire season. Thanks!
Rick A. Kiesling
New Braunfels Junior Ravens, Texas
We won the WLJFL Championship this year! We got more work done in less time, which gave us more time to run plays. Thanks Coach Steve for getting all the coaches together in this form.
Eric Carrier
Livonia Orioles, WJFL 11-12 Year Old Champs
Using these concepts, I'm now able to approach game planning with a more organized approach. We increased our scoring by 5 points per game in the last two years. I liked the clarity, and would recommend this to ANY coach who needs help with game planning.
Stu Wyckoff
Aroostook Huskies Football Club, Presque Isle, Maine
My little New Braunfels Junior Ravens had an undefeated season with 6 shutouts and only 3 touchdowns scored on them the entire season. We used quite a few of the drills and such from your books this year and it really paid off. Thanks!
Rick A. Kiesling
New Braunfels Junior Ravens, Texas
As a first time youth head football coach, I was looking for a system that would help me run drills and set up practice. Your practice plans have helped me immensely. Now there is a good tempo to practice with new drills, and the kids love it!
Mike Dutra
Coastal Tritons Pee Wee, San Diego, CA
Using the practice plans, we won the WLJFL Championship this year! We got more work done in less time, which gave us more time to run plays. Thanks Coach Steve for getting all the coaches together in this form.
Eric Carrier
Livonia Orioles, WJFL 11-12 Year Old Champs
It was a huge help because it gave me tons of new drills to run throughout the year that I was not previously aware of. The program gave me drill options that I can use now when my boys are young and drills I can implement as they get older. Our record was 6-0-2 for the regular season.
Todd Kepler
McAdenville Dolphins (5-6 Yr Olds), McAdenville, NC
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