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Hi Tom,
I'm looking for any information you have on calling signals to the defense on the field. A little background on my experience. I've coached youth football at the 12- 13 year level for 10 years and am moving up to coach defense at the high school junior varsity level this year. I'm planning on running a 5-2 to start due to a lack of linebacker candidates, but as the season moves on I would like to also run a 4-4, as soon as the kids pick it up. I'm planning on playing an attacking style of defense also. Any help or suggestions you may have is greatly appreciated
Thank-You
Jerry Aults
Hi Jerry,
There were a couple of rules that I always tried to follow when signaling in my defensive calls:
- Have your signals match exactly with the way the call will be made in the defensive huddle (this is very important).
- Front 5-3 or 4-4 with line charge (slant – loop – pinch) if any.
- Any blitz (single or double LB & game with DL) if any.
- Pass coverage (1, 2, 3, 1 blitz).
- Defensive signals must be practiced away from team practice with multiple players in case of injury (I used my MLB to make my calls).
- Practice sending in your signals every time during the week when you have a defensive team period (or offensive team period if they are running against your defense). Make the player be in the huddle when he receives your defensive call and try not to use any verbal commands at this time.
As far as actual signals:
- I used the fingers on both hands to signal the front (DL on one hand & LB the other) and the right hand to signal a line charge.
- Next if we were going to blitz, would come the actual LB’er doing the blitz with the right hand in one of four positions on the right side (sam – mike – mac – will – or dog or dig right or left) – followed by any DL or other LB game (x-it – twist – spear with both hands if needed).
- Next would come the pass coverage using both hands. The fingers of right hand were usually the correct signal, followed by any word to be added to the coverage (1 free, 2 man, 3 free, 1 blitz, 3 inside).
You should develop the actual signals that you will use so that they are easily understood by the player on the field and so that they always follow the exact way that you want the defense to be called in the defensive huddle.
You may not need to consider an opposing coach stealing your signals, as we did, and practiced varying our signals to avoid this happening. What would trigger the correct signal and call was decided before the defensive team went on the field for the next series. On one series we would go by the down; matching first, second, or third down with the first, second and third signal given.
On another series, we would have a coach who was near me, position his towel or clip board (around his neck – at his chest or side – in his left or right hand) for the real signal but be able to change it from series to series as well as game to game.
Finally we would decide on the sideline that no matter what I signaled, we would call and run only one defense (this was especially good against the teams that were signaling the quarterback when they thought we had called a blitz and we were actually playing a zone defense).
Practice your signal calling every practice, use it as much as you can for team period, test your signal callers before practice each day, try to make your signals match your defense and have any new additions you anticipate adding to your defense factored in your mind, prior to the start of fall practice so that you can keep the continuity of your calls.
Good luck and have a great year,
Coach Tom Bass.