GoaLine Defense
THE OBJECT OF OUR GOALINE DEFENSE LIKE ANY OTHER IS TO PUT GREAT PRESSURE ON THE OFFENSE ASAP. OUR ALIGNMENT IS AS SHOW IN THE DIAGRAM BELOW. THE CLOSER THE BALL IS TO THE GOALINE, THE MORE THE DT'S MOVE FROM THE GAP TO THE SHOULDER OF THE CENTER. IN A 4TH AND ONE SITUATION THE DT'S WOULD ALIGN ON THE SHOULDER OF THE CENTER, STRIKE HIS SHOULDERS ON THE SNAP, AND DRIVE THE CENTER BACK INTO THE LAP OF THE QB PREVENTING THE QB SNEAK. LIKEWISE, THE SHORTER THE DISTANCE TO GO, THE CLOSER THE SS WOULD PLAY TO THE LOS SIMILARLY PREVENTING THE QB SNEAK.
THE COVERAGE CALL IS COVER 4 MAN. THE SAM LB'ER AND THE CB HAVE THE SECOND RECEIVER TO THEIR SIDE AGAINST A FULL HOUSE OFFENSIVE SET WHICH WOULD BE BACK OUT OF THE BACKFIELD. THE SS HAS THIRD RECEIVER OUT OF THE BACKFIELD TO EITHER SIDE OF THE FORMATION AS WELL AS PITCH TO BOTH SIDES OF THE FORMATION.
THE DE'S ALIGN HEAD-ON THE OFFENSIVE TACKLES WITH THE MIKE AND WILL LB'ERS STACKED BEHIND THEM. THESE 4 DEFENDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE B AND C GAPS TO THEIR SIDE OF THE FORMATION. MOST OF THE TIME WE WANT THE LB'ER TO TAKE THE C-GAP AND CONTAIN TO THEIR SIDE. AS A CHANGE UP, THE LB'ER (BY PLAYING TAP WITH THE MAN IN FRONT OF HIM) WILL TAKE THE B GAP AND THE DE THE C GAP AND CONTAIN. ALL SIX DEFENDERS RESPONSIBLE FOR GAP CONTROL OF THE LOS WILL SHOOT THEIR RESPECTIVE GAP ASAP AND DISRUPT THE OFFENSE WHILE MAKING THE TACKLE.
IF THE OFFENSE SPLITS RECEIVERS AGAINST OUR GOALINE DEFENSE OUR ADJUSTMENTS ARE AS INDICATED IN THE DIAGRAM BELOW. WE WILL STILL BE IN COVER 4 MAN. THE NUMBER ONE RULE FOR PASS DEFENSE ON THE GOALINE IS - "NEVER ALLOW THE RECEIVER AN INSIDE CUT ON THE GOALINE!" INSIDE CUTS ON THE GOALINE ARE DEATH TO THE DEFENSE. TO PREVENT THIS CUT, THE DEFENDERS POSITIONED ON THE SPLIT RECEIVERS MUST PLACE THEMSELVES UP CLOSE TO THE RECEIVERS IN A BUMP AND RUN POSITION. THEY MUST STRIKE THE RECEIVER AND FORCE HIM TO THE OUTSIDE FORCING THE QB TO THROW THE BALL OVER THE DEFENDER AND UNDER THE BOUNDARY FOR A COMPLETION (THE MOST DIFFICULT PASS IN FOOTBALL TO COMPLETE).
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