What is the radar defense? Coach Yakapovich's Radar defense used all stand up 2 point stance defenders and featured smaller quick athletic players. The front is built of all LB body types. The size of the defenders is outlined in the book.
One of the advantages of the scheme is Kenmore West HS had the players to execute the radar when those same defenders may not have succeeded in a different scheme. The defense was not an attacking pressure scheme nor an attack and react scheme. This is a read and react scheme. The decision to use 2 point stances was all about allowing the defenders the vision and time to read and react.
When discussing a traditional 5-4 defense of the era Coach Yakapovich writes "My own analysis concludes, however, that in this type of defense the initial forward movement of the defensive ball player makes it difficult for him to react to the outside; or, if he were slow in his reactions, it would be virtually impossible for him to move quickly to the proper area and he would probably be blocked by the offensive man." -pg 20
The Radar defense differed from other defenses of its time drastically in basing in a read and react philosophy.
"Radar's two major premises are the departure from those of today's game, namely,
1) lateral movement instead of penetration, and 2) non-contact instead of delivering a blow to neutralize the offensive blocker." - pg 17
The phrase "non-contact' caught my attention. The defenders are not working to simply avoid blocks. Later in the book Coach Yakapovich discusses using a two hand shiver as a block shed tool. The contact the radar defender is looking to avoid is the 3 or 4 point stance launch specifically from a head up alignment using a traditional ball get off to attack the OL. The Kenmore West defense's usage of defensive front players that averaged a little over 160lbs naturally lends itself to avoiding board drill style standoffs with bigger stronger OL. The book emphasizes the additional benefit of getting players in the reading scheme into pursuit faster than in other schemes.
The alignment of the defenders was dictated by the desire of the defense to have the closest alignment to the blocker possible to be able to make the read as quickly and accurately as possible.
"Logic dictates that the closer the defender is to the blocker, the less depth he will sacrifice to the runner. Perfect reading from the proper distance means the ball carrier will be met at the line of scrimmage for no gain. The most effective distance must be established as a firm principle. Radar linemen will get as close to the line of scrimmage as possible; linebackers will get sufficient depth to clear his own lineman if the latter reacts in the linebacker's direction." -pg 32
The positional names use a traditional old terms like 2's being defensive guards and the 5's being halfbacks. The structure is similar to a 4-4 8 man front spacing with the 2's and 3's in the diagrams being LB type bodies and using 2 point stances as opposed to being down DL.
The off the line of scrimmage players are 4" - 24" off the line.
The goal of placing those players at 4" is that depth is the closest position to make the read and to create the easiest angle to read the block and to react in relationship to the adjacent defenders on the LOS. Some players have to play deeper to make the read which is why the range of 4"-24" is given. A goal is to drill players on the reads/reactions and as improvement occurs to move that player up to play at the 4" alignment.
The base defensive alignment looks similar to the double A gap mug defense found at all levels of modern football.
Naming Structure:
Defense 1
The number defines the players off the LOS.
1: Align 4"-24" off the LOS in a square stance, elbows bent with hands ready to block shed in the A gap keying the Center and Guard.
2: Crowd the ball on the LOS in the B gap. 2 Point stance with knees bent and hands ready to block shed inside foot on the LOS and outside foot back keying the OT.
3: Crowd the ball on the LOS in the C gap. 2 Point stance with knees bent and hands ready to block shed inside foot on the LOS and outside foot back keying the TE
4: Square 2 point stance 4"-6" off the LOS, the width is placing his inside foot on the outside shoulder of the TE. If there is a wing present his alignment is outside shoulder of the wing. Keying the wing to near back or with no wing the TE to near back. The 4's are force players keeping the ball inside.
Against the pass:
The 2's and 3's are pass rushers the 1's and 4's are pass droppers in a cover 3 concept. The 5's are described as halfbacks and the 6 is a safety.
1: Crowd the ball on the LOS in the A gap. 2 Point stance with knees bent and hands ready to block shed inside foot on the LOS and outside foot back keying the OG.
2: Align 4"-24" off the LOS in a square stance, elbows bent with hands ready to block shed in the B gap keying the Guard and Tackle.
3 and 4: Same as Defense 1
Against the pass:
Even though the 1's and 2's swapped alignments the pass rush/drop responsibilities remain intact from Defense 1.
Defense 3
1's and 2's: Use the on LOS technique
3: Align 4"-24" off the LOS square stance, elbows bent with hands ready to block shed in the C gap keying the Tackle and TE.
4: On the LOS, now part of the pass rush with no pass drop responsibility
Defense 4
A 4 call should simply mean the 1-3 players play using the on the LOS technique with the 4's playing the off the ball technique from Defense 1. However, defense 4 became a staple short yardage and goal line call and ended up being slightly modified.
The 5's cheated down their alignment while the 6 aligned at 3-5 yards deep keying backfield flow.
Combination Defenses:
Defense 12
The 1's and 2's align off the ball and use the off the LOS technique. Pass defense plays out like Defense 1.
Defense 13
The 1's and 3's align off the ball and use the off the LOS technique. The 3's are off the ball and the 4's play on the LOS, into the pass rush making the 3's the C-F droppers vs. the pass.
Defense 232
The 2's and 3's align off the ball and use the off the LOS technique. The 2's are still pass rushers while the 1's will drop out the H-C drops vs. the pass. The 3's are off the ball and the 4's play on the LOS, into the pass rush making the 3's the C-F droppers vs. the pass.
That is the general structure of the radar scheme outlined in the book. In Part 2 we will dig into the individual technique and block reactions for the on the LOS and off the LOS players.
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