By Mike Kuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Editor’s Note: We should be clear that this report focuses solely on a pressure check system, meeting blitzes that are NOT called from the sideline, but instead are CHECKED from the sideline based on various offensive variables such as offensive formation, down and distance, offensive personnel and field position.

Case1:  Introduction and Protocols:

Plain and simple, this special report is centered on pressure- where to bring it, how to bring it and when to bring it.   When creatively designed and accurately called, a pressure system cannot only be detrimental to offenses it can be downright degrading.  While offensive coaches spend hours watching game film on how to attack defenses, defenses are finding new ways to counter what offenses present and they are doing so by pressuring tendencies on a down to down occurrence.  What if you were able to put your players in the best possible situation to be successful each and every play?  You’d be foolish not to.  A pressure check system allows you that opportunity. 

Why Use a Pressure Check System

There are plenty of reasons as to why coaches use a pressure checks system, all of which will be explained thoroughly in this report.  The fact is 49.7 percent of coaches have been using a pressure check system for over five seasons now.    Of these coaches, 28.1 percent will teach a check on roughly 50-74% of every called pressure down.  What this means is that coaches will want pressure and communicate they will pressure, but where they pressure depends on various variables.   We were inundated with responses from coaches at all levels preaching the advantages of using a pressure check system.  The most common benefits are below: 

• It complements no-huddle offensive systems- With offenses rushing to get on the ball and get it snapped, checking pressure eliminates any further verbiage from the sideline.  In fact, coaches like Brown University’s defensive coordinator Mike Kelleher will use one word to denote the front, coverage and pressure.  “We have about 10 calls where we will use against these up-tempo teams,” Kelleher told us.
• Takes advantage of offensive tendencies- This response was particularly common among high school coaches where tendencies are a little more prevalent.  Once your game plan is in, create your pressures based off offensive formations. 
• Eliminates bad play call capabilities- Why stay in a poor blitz call if you don’t have to?  Using a pressure check system based on offensive tendency always gives your defensive the opportunity to check out of a poor call.  
• Combats offensive pre-snap movement- Once offenses get on the ball they can get in a situation where pre-snap movement can pull you out of a pressure.  Instead of running the pressure- or checking out of it- you can adjust the pressure to attack its vulnerability.
• Attacks Protections- We have found coaches will design their pressure check system against various protection variables such as back placement, Center movement, offensive line oversets and weak spots.  Pressures can be tagged to attack each of those situations. 
• “Opposite” Calls- What this means is that if a pressure gets detected and an offense can adjust, having a pressure check system allows you call the pressure opposite the detection, thus still getting home.  Now, this part of it takes a tremendous deal of coaching, but still an advantage. 
• Harnesses Unpredictability- Blitz checks can be made instantaneously at the line of scrimmage which makes it nearly impossible for offenses to determine where the blitz is coming from.
• Can be a Game Changer- If checked at the right time against the right tendency, a pressure can not only disrupt the play but also impact the entire course of the game.
• Defends Read option teams- Depending on the placement of the back, pressure checks can be designed to attack certain zone reads and power read scenarios. 
• Fun for your players- Once you set up your pressure check system, it gives players accountability when making the checks.  They have fun doing it. 
• Helps smaller players play fast- Blitzing has always been a great equalizer on defense.  It is even a better option for teams that lack the beef up in the box. 
• Develops football IQ– This was one of the more intelligent responses we received from coaches.  In order to develop a pressure check system, you need to teach your players how to identify formations, protections and personnel groupings just to get the right pressure.  Again, it makes them accountable for their decisions, which means they have to be continual learners. 

By Mike Kuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Introduction

In this case, we will present our research on the most common pressure checks against various offensive formations and personnel groupings.  According to our research, 74 percent of coaches choose to pressure certain formations and personnel groupings, more so than any other variable.  While this may be true, we found it necessary for coaches to be efficient with teaching their players formation structures before installing their check system.  Many of the coaches we spoke with when conducting our research said that they will install all of their various types of pressures- field, boundary, tight side, open side, etc. before getting into specifics about formations.   

Pressure Checks to Closed and Open Surface

When we started to conduct our research on attacking formations/personnel groupings we’ve found coaches have two separate philosophies on identifying and pressuring formations:

• Formation classifications– This means identifying specific formations:  pro/slot, pro/trips, doubles, trey, empty, etc.  This is all relative to what your program calls these formations.  Coaches that subscribe to this method, spend a good deal of time teaching their players the proper nomenclature for these formations.  Pressure checks designed to attack specific formations are heavily based on tendency. 
• Surface classifications– This is relative to coaches identifying formations by surface.  For example, a two-man surface will usually consist of a Guard and Tackle without a Tight End whereas a three-man surface will consist of a Guard, Tackle and Tight End.  Coaches will have different pressures to attack these surfaces. 

Chris Ash, the defensive coordinator at Ohio State University, subscribes to the latter method of blitzing surfaces.  “A lot of what we do is based off formation- Tight End, open side and back,” said Ash.  “If we can gain an advantage by blitzing the formation than we will do it.   If there isn’t an advantage we can find then we won’t.” In Ash’s system, he’ll use a code work like Yankee (Y) to blitz the Tight End and an “Oscar” call to blitz the open side, which would be an entirely different blitz.  He will also have a bird check which means blitz the back.  “The question is how much can they manage?” asks Ash.  “If they are the same blitzes each week, you can scheme more.  But if you’re starting to scheme new blitzes each week, I think that’s when you get yourself into trouble. “

Wallie Kuchinski, the defensive coordinator at the University of St. Thomas, a perennial division three powerhouse, teaches his players to attack two types of surfaces:  a Tight End surface or a two-back surface. Kuchinski told us that 35 percent of his pressures are checked at the line of scrimmage, but at least 70 percent of snaps he will have his players run some type of pressure based on what the offense presents structurally.  “I call blitzing attacking protections but our base package in run downs we send five (out of St. Thomas’s odd front) so I guess that can be called a pressure as well,” said Kuchinski.   When he teaches his players formation structure, Kuchinski classifies formations into the following groupings:

• Empty structure- This means that five players that can get into five underneath zones with a very high level of five vertical threats with a possibility of 8 gaps with a running QB. 
• 2×2 (balanced)- All wide receivers or Tight End/Flanker or any combination of thereof.  This could be a double wing set or triple option type teams.  This is a balanced set.  According to Kuchinski how he pressures will be based on who number two is.  “Is he a fast receiver where we play a two-read principle,” said Kuchinski.  “Is he a Tight End or wing where we can play a Quarters concept so the Safety can get down into the run game?”
• Unbalanced Set- Here the End Man on the line of scrimmage (EMLOS) could be a Tackle and the Tight End is eligible backside.  It’s different either one back or two backs. 
• Half Balanced or 3×1 formations- Here Kuchinski decides to shift with coverage, particularly rolling to cover three.

Tom Mason, the defensive coordinator at Southern Methodist University, sees upwards of 68 formations per game so he talks more about triangles rather than surfaces.  Mason will pressure about 70 percent of the time and will check his pressure 20 percent of the time.  He uses four blitz checks out of his 3-4 front.  “The hardest thing for a coordinator is getting caught in a blitz against a formation that you don’t want to be in,” said Mason.  “So most of the blitzes will be dictated based on Tight End or running back.  We talk in terms of three triangles:  We are going to blitz from the strong triangle (Diagram 1), the weak triangle (Diagram 2) or the middle triangle (Diagram 3).  It gives you a chance to get you in something that you will have success.”  Mason made a point to say because SMU’s head coach June Jones spread offense doesn’t revolve around a Tight End, so he works more on pressuring those three-man surfaces instead of defending them.   “I have enough confidence in our cover down rules that I’m going to bring pressure the way I want it,” said Mason.  “I’m not going to let an offense dictate what we do.”

By Mike Kuchar

Senior Research Manager

X&O Labs

Introduction

When conducting our research, it becomes tremendously apparent that coaches are spending ample amounts of time dissecting offensive pass protections to get an advantage in their pressures.  In fact, there were a good deal of coaches in our survey talked about using a pressure check system solely in third and long or passing downs when they can beat a protection. Once a coordinator has a “tell” on where the protection is being set, the possibilities become endless in attacking those protections.  How this ties into a check system is simple:  coordinators are devising their 3-4 most productive pressures to attack certain protections and letting their players make the adjustments.  Our intent in this case is to present some of those pressure concepts so that you can have an idea of what to bring and how to bring it to attack protections. 

Types of Protection Explanations

Editors Note:  In this case, we will only study base 6-7 man protection schemes.  As mentioned previously, Empty (or five man protection) stands on its own.  Since most coaches have up to 3-5 adjustments against empty, we will provide a more in-depth study on this topic at a later date. 

While there are a myriad amount of protections that an offense can employ, the following four protections seem to generate more chances of drawing a pressure check system.  Having said that, there are four base protections schemes that we will examine in this case:  They are as follows:

Full-Slide Protection (Diagram 70A)- Full slide protection simply means the offensive line will slide all in one direction and put its back away from the slide.  Here, the offensive line could slide in many directions- to the field, to the boundary, to the QB’s backside, etc.  It’s important to get a tendency on where they are sliding most often based which could be based on down and distance and personnel.    

Insert Protection (Diagram 70B)– Insert protection means that the line will slide in one particular direction (to the right, to the left, to the field or to the boundary) while the back inserts into a opposite, unblocked gap.   

Man or Big On Big (BOB) Protections (Diagram 70C)– This is more of a man protection concept where the back is dual reading- from inside to outside second level player. 

Sprint Out/Roll Out Protection (Diagram 70D)– This protection scheme is designed to get the quarterback on the perimeter.  In these protection schemes, the back will usually account for a perimeter defender so the QB can have a run/pass option.  

Breaking Down Protections/Game Planning

Once you understand the various types of protection an offense can employ, it’s important to devise those pressures that attack those protections.  This, of course, comes in the film room during the days leading up to game day.  Middle Tennessee State University defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix gave us insight into how he breaks down protections during the week.  Nix takes every game he has available- which could be close to ten by the end of the season when MTSU played in a bowl game.   “We start with protection and where they are sliding their front,” said Nix.  “You tally each time they slide a certain way. You count right or left, field or boundary, strong or weak, Y (TE) or away from Y (TE).  Every time they throw the ball, you chart where the Center blocks.  All of those things play a part.  Whatever adds up the most, you blitz opposite.  When you design a pressure, you’re just trying to bring four on three that’s all it is.  When the offense sees it and they slide it, then you can come from the other side or you don’t come at all.”