Football: Coaching the 5-2 Defense

The 5-2 defense is a well know defense that is taught around the country. It is used at all levels of football, from grade school to the National Football League. It is a defense that employs great run support as well as pass support. The techniques and examples used in this article are proven strategies that I have been teaching for the past seven years. Some programs teach multiple defenses to secure victories.

Grade school fifth and sixth grade

With my fifth and sixth grade players I employ the 5-2 defense to stop mostly run plays to the outside. Most kids at this level when the hole is closed on the inside they automatically run to the outside towards the side line, because they don't want to be tackled. On this level you want to put your biggest and fastest kid at the nose tackle position. He will disrupt anything going on up the middle, and force the player out side if he does not tackle the quarterback or ball carrier right away. At the three technique or sometimes we employ the four technique opposite the three technique, if you are running both three techniques then you want to put some of your big some what slow players here that can clog up any holes between the guard and tackle. You want these kids to give you a good push to collapse the B gap and make the guard and tackle block them, this will leave the nose tackle one on one with the center. Your Defensive ends or outside line backers will be in a seven technique, and a five technique to the weak side. If you don't have enough linebackers you can use a defensive lineman at this spot, as long as he is fast and can control the tight end or full back blocking him. Tell the ends not to get hooked by the blocker and maintain outside containment, forcing everything back inside. The two inside linebackers will be your most aggressive kids that love to hit and tackle. These two kids will love to run and finish plays once they get there. Your two corner backs will be guys that can cover one on one and listen to what you tell them when it comes to playing pass first and run second. If the guys playing this position can not grasp this concept then they can not play the corner position. Reason why is that teams will notice them not playing pass first, and will save a play until the end to pass the ball and catch your team off guard. Now your safeties will be one the free safety that is the fastest on the team, he will catch players that get past your two good linebackers. Your strong safety will be a player that is fast but also a good tackler. He will be the player that gets the most interceptions in practice and is always around the ball.

The Pros use it too

The Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Charges, and the New England patriots all use a version of the 5-2. They call theirs a 3-4 defense, but they employ and use the same stunts as the 5-2 defense. Only difference is that in the Pros they use linebackers all the time on the outside was I lined up my defensive ends at.

Using Multiple Defenses

In order for the 5-2 scheme to work you have to use multiply formation and blitz packages. If you employ 3 linemen make sure they are the best lineman on the team, because those two linebackers in the middle will be counting on not being touched by the offensive linemen. If they are then you can scratch this defense, because it will be a long day and your players will be tired and exhausted at the end of the game.