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DC...Since I plan on utilizing your playbook....
By: Dum Coach
You asked a very bright question. The answer is as follows. Your number of studs (3) determines the number of linebacker and free safeties you can play. So the defenses that will best suit you have either three linebackers and no free safety or two linebackers and a free safety. The defenses that fit this description are 1) 4-3 2) 6-3 3) 8-3 and 4)The DC Pro 4-3. Notice the "46" (7-3-1) did not make the list? It's because it plays three linebackers and a free safety, or four studs. Hopefully, I haven't left any choices out. Assuming I haven't, the first on the list, the 4-3, is not a youth defense and is pretty much quaranteed to give up 5 yards a play, but no more than 5 yards a play, every play until the cows come home. It's a great way to keep a team from scoring quickly but, 12 plays later, they will still score. So let's scrap that. Next, is the 6-3. It looks like this:
S S
B M B
E T G G T E
O O O 0 O O O
O
O
O O
or, against an unbalanced look: S S
B M B
E T G G T E
O O O 0 O O O
O O
O O
The coverage is zone, even if the players are told they are in m/m. It still works out to zone. The two outside LBers have to defend off tackle and the flats, so they are positioned halfway between those two areas. They do not cover a receiver deep. That is the job of the two safeties. Because they can't be run off by a receiver, any attempt to run a sweep, left or right, will run into the stud OLBer who won't move. He's always there. The MLBer (M) is usually free to roam because most youth offenses asign the center to block him and this really can't be done. So the MLBer can defend the middle or either outside. The next two most talented players are at the DE position and they have contain. It is up to the OLBer, MLBer, and DT to stop the off tackle play. Although the defense can only cover two receivers deep, the defense is willing to take that chance, betting that either the six man rush will sack the QB before three receivers can get deep or the QB will miss the long throw, or the receiver will drop it. The defense usually wins this bet. The 6-3 is weak to the following:
S S
B M B
E T G G T E
O O O 0 O O O
O O
O O
The right TE is now open for a deep pass over the middle. However, very few youth offenses play a splitend but, instead, play two TE's, so this situation almost never happens. Your small, fast guys play the safety positions and have one rule - NOBODY GETS BEHIND THEM. The leftovers are at DG and DT.Reed's GAM is another three stud defense with the small, fast guys usually playing corner. The coverage is man and the OLBers must be trained in this. The DG's and DT's in the 8-3 don't do much of anything but spill plays outside, while the DE's play contain and spill the plays inside. Thus, the runner gets funneled right into the stud OLBer on every play. He gets all the tackles - usually for no gain. If he misses, the middle stud arrives and makes the tackle. The defense is weak to a play where the TE heads downfield, taking the stud OLBer with them, and blocks the MLBer. The offense now runs the ball towards where the TE left. The DG's and DT's spill the play outside and DE's spill the play back inside. The runner is again funneled into "C" gap but now, this time, both studs are gone (One is blocked and the other one is chasing the blocker), so the runner just keeps on going. Fortunately, most youth offenses don't do this. They have the TE block the OLBer in front of him, the stupidest they can possibly do. Another weakness of the GAM is that no one is assigned to the QB. The difference between the two defenses is that the 6-3 does not funnel the play into one defender. It simply keeps the studs unblocked to arrive at the POA. Without a funnel, the offense can run anywhere it wants. This gives the DG's, DT's, and safeties a chance to make a tackle (or miss). Thus, over a period of years, the 6-3 players tend to gain experience and get better. With the GAM, the ball constantly hits "C" which means the DG and DT's never make a tackle unless they're very good at penetration. These defenders often "bearcrawl". They never get better and they never gain experience. The GAM is probably the superior defense but it does not develop skills in anyone except the OLBers. Okay! The next defense is the DC Pro 4-3. It looks like this.
WS SS
M
B E T G G T E B
O O O 0 O O O
O O
O O
There are only 2.5 studs in this defense. The two studs are WS (weak safety) and MLBer (M). The half stud is the SS (strong safety). Your next two best players are at the OLBer (B) positions. Unlike the GAM or the 6-3, it can get all three studs to the POA and not just two. Like the 6-3 it's zone under but man deep (The safeties are playing man coverage). On snap, the OLBers back up 3 steps into their zone and read the center. If the center doesn't come out, play is pass and they have the first back to show to their side. If the center comes out, play is run and they reverse direction, come forward and play sweep or reverse to their side. Like the 6-3, you can't move these guys. Again, like the 6-3, the center is left to block the MLBer (which really can't be done) so M roams free as does WS behind him. The WS does not play deep since passing is not a concern (The TE's can't get off the line because the DT and DE knock them backwards on snap and the flanker is being covered first by a LBer and then by your half stud SS so he should catch no passes either.). If you notice, there is a player (T) in "C" gap, the same as the GAM. With the TE going backwards, this DT is not being blocked and can defend "C". The MLBer can also play "C" as can WS. So we actually have one more player arriving at "C" than the GAM does. Also, the TE cannot run his coverage off like he can in the GAM, making the DC Pro 4-3 the better defense. If the offense tries to run "D", It will have to get past three defenders, "B", "M", and WS - or four if you count the SS who also reads the center for run or pass - So he too cannot be run off. "M" also has a read on the run that tells him which hole is being run. The DG's play wedge, trap, and dive. Nobody's "bear crawling". Everybody learns football. But your question was also if you should buy Calande's "Gambler 46"? The answer is sure - why not? You can start out in the GAM and, once you feel your players are ready, shift to the "46". To go from the GAM to the 46 only requires that two players be moved. But the change is dramatic. You've gone from a defense for "goofballs" (the GAM) to a pro defense for four studs and seven solid players. Also, keep in mind that Calande is a professional teacher. When he's not teaching football, he's still teaching kids. When his players leave the classroom for the football field, they're really headed for another classroom. Calande is waiting with his greaseboard instead of a blackboard, and the classroom teaching of "Football 101" begins. By comparison, while he's conducting a classroom, you may be conducting a "boy scout" meeting. I don't think anyone here can stuff a kid's head with as much information as Calande can. He's a teacher. It's what he does. I seriously doubt that you can compete with that. Now I can, and would, teach "46" to your group. My 7-8's run "46". But, IMO, my 46 is simpler than Calande's and, therefore, is in keeping with my lesser teaching abilities. I think Calande could teach his 46 to your team because he's a very good teacher. But can you? You sound pretty bright. Maybe you can pull it off. But if you have trouble getting it to work, you'll start out losing games you could have won using GAM or 6-3 or DC Pro 4-3. So buy the tape and then decide. My DC Pro 4-3 is free if you want it. That defense requires that you be able to get your defenders to look at the center for their run/pass read. It's 16 pages long.
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