D-Fence

Defense for any sport can be hard to understand. How they set up or align a certain way can be a confusing idea to grasp. Coaches create their own philosophies for a successful defense. All NFL teams have their own defensive coordinator, present at all games, and only in charge of defense. All of their coaching is focused on that one area of the team. Constructing your defense all depends on the players you have and what they expect to see with the opposing offense. A defense may use different formations based off the knowledge of how the opposing teams offense works.


In most cases, the defense can follow one of seven different formations:
- The 4-3: Most commonly used; have 4 down linemen and 3 linebackers. This formation can be easily modified. The opposing offense have a hard time finding an open area.

- The 3-4: Best used to stop short passing. Use 3 down linemen, 4 linebackers. The extra player in back helps guard pass coverage.

- The 4-4: Best used for stopping the wide running game or short passing game. This formation uses stunts and blitzes to confuse the offense. Also nicknamed the 'stack defense.' 4-4 relies on quick defensive players of good substance.

- The 5-2: Good for high school and college level.

- The 5-3: The goal of this formation is more intent on stopping the running offense. It has a strong middle.

- The 6-2: Used for short yardage defense and to stop the run. The linemen are positioned in the gaps of offensive players.



- The Goal Line Defense: Similar to The 6-2 formation but own different responsibilities.