by Nik Fisher

Created on: December 02, 2008   Last Updated: January 13, 2009

If you want to understand football defenses you first have to understand the different formations and strategies that coaches use. Each tactic is used to defend the run, pass, or to be ready for either. Sometimes coaches like to bring pressure to disrupt a play, often called a blitz. Other times coaches will have their players "drop back" into a better position to make the play.

When defending a pass, defenders can play man coverage or zone coverage. Man coverage refers to plays when a defender's obligation is to cover a receiver where as in zone coverage the defender will play an area of the field.

The most common formation is the 4-3 defense. Four referrers to the number of down linemen and three is the number of line backers. The 4-3 can be effective against the run or pass and is used for most teams.

Some coaches prefer the 3-4 however, with three down linemen and four linebackers. The extra linebacker gives the coach added flexibility. Line backers can cover tight ends and play zone coverage. Linebackers can also blitz the quarterback or help on run defense.

The 4-4 formation is used for run stopping. The idea is to put eight men in the "box." The box refers to the area close to the line of scrimmage where many teams choose to run the ball. Buddy Ryan invented the 46 defense, which is a variation of the 4-4. It sounds like four down linemen and six linebackers but in fact it is a 4-4 using the same personal as the 4-3. The 46 moves a safety into the linebacker position for his added speed.

The change formations (nickel, dime, quarter) refer to pass defense formations. The first is the nickel, which utilizes five defensive backs. This is done by sacrificing a linebacker or a down lineman. The dime uses six defensive backs and the quarter uses seven. The idea is to put more speed on the field to combat an offensive formation with many receivers.

Each one of these formations has their own unique blitz and coverage packages. Different personal can be substituted into each of these formations to confuses offenses and add speed or size to the defense.

You should learn to read the down and yards to go to understand if the situation calls for a running play or a passing play. Then look at the offense on the field. How many linemen, receivers, and backs are there? Defense can be much more fun to learn than offense so pay attention when you watch a football game to the formation the defense puts on the field and ask yourself why.

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