Radar Defense Part 4

For this article in the radar defense series the focus is run fits. These fits are all examples from the book and are diagrammed against Defense 1.

For these run fits the discussion will use terms from the book like F2 or B2. The F's are the front side or play side defenders while the B's are back side defenders.

Over the Center:

Fold Scheme

F1: Fill ready to play fold or crossblock

F2: Fan/Fan - Eyes inside when OT fans, cross the Fan of OG

F3: Fan/Fan - Eyes inside when TE fans, cross the Fan of OT

F4: Force

B1: Down by Center, cross the block

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Trap Scheme

F1: Fill ready to play trap block

F2: Fan/Fan - Eyes inside when OT fans, cross the Fan of OG

F3: Fan/Fan - Eyes inside when TE fans, cross the Fan of OT

F4: Force

B1: Down by Center, cross the block

B2: Pull by OT, cross the back block by the OG

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Over the Guard:

Fold Scheme

F1: Down by the OG, cross the block

F2: Fan/Fold - Eyes inside when OT fans, ready to play fold block

F3: Fan/Fan - Eyes inside when TE fans, cross the Fan of OT

F4: Force

B1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OG

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Trap Scheme

F1: Down by the OG, cross the block

F2: Fan/Trap - Eyes inside when OT fans, ready to play trap block

F3: Fan/Fan - Eyes inside when TE fans, cross the Fan of OT

F4: Force

B1: Down by the OG, cross the block

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Over the Tackle:

Fold Scheme

F1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on Center

F2: Down - Cross the block

F3: Fan/Fold - Eyes inside when TE fans, ready to play fold block

F4: Force

B1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Trap Scheme

F1: Down by OG, Cross the block

F2: Down - Cross the block

F3: Fan/Trap - Eyes inside when TE fans, ready to play trap block

F4: Force

B1: Down by Center, Cross the block

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Over the End:

Fold Scheme

F1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on Center

F2: Pull/Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OG

F3: Down - Cross the block

F4: Force

B1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OG

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

G Scheme

F1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on Center

F2: Down - Cross the block

F3: Down - Cross the block

F4: Force

B1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OG

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

With a Block by the Back:

Zone 

F1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on Center

F2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OG

F3: Down - Cross the block

F4: Force

B1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OG

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Power

F1: Down by OG - Cross the block

F2: Down - Cross the block

F3: Down - Cross the block

F4: Force

B1: Down by Center - Cross the block

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Around the End:

Onside Guard Pull

F1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on Center

F2: Down - Cross the block

F3: Down - Cross the block

F4: Force

B1: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OG

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Offside Guard Pull 

F1: Down by OG - Cross the block

F2: Down - Cross the block

F3: Down - Cross the block

F4: Force

B1: Down by Center - Cross the block

B2: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on OT

B3: Cutoff - Play lateral keep leverage on TE

B4: Cutback

Overall the fits are easy to understand when you follow the block reaction rules for the ON the LOS and OFF the LOS defenders laid out in the book. The front structure makes it difficult to get a double team effectively turning every scheme into a series of 1 on 1's. The main takeaways I had from looking at these fits is the critical nature of making a quick read of the block for the defender as well as the ability of the defender to cross down blocks or leverage cutoff blocks. Additionally many of the schemes quickly become "same as" for the defenders. While their reads and reactions are critical is seems likely they will be getting many reps of doing those limited number of reads and reactions. Repetition breeds mastery.

I could see how this type of lateral read and react style of defense could cause headaches for blocking schemes. The defenders don't try to go toe to toe and win with physical dominance. They are small quick stand up players who read and go where the blocking scheme doesn't want them to be. Combine lateral techniques with the alignments making double teams unlikely and the result is limited movement by the OL blocking at the point of attack. It also seems likely this scheme could marry nicely with some more aggressive calls that do have attacking penetrating defenders. In that case the blocking would have two very drastically different styles being threatened by the defense. The resulting challenge is the offense being forced to react post-snap if it is a read/react defense or attack/penetrate defense. It is always good to turn the supposed initiators (offense) into reactors. 

In the next article the focus will be usage, when to use which defense including some strength and stress areas of each call outlined in the book as well as adjustments.