John Rice outlines his defensive philosophy and considerations for defending the spread offense. He emphasizes taking away the offense's strengths, utilizing multiple pre-snap looks and adjustments, and keeping the offense guessing. Rice details the use of wristbands to call various fronts, pressures, and coverages. He provides examples of pre-snap alignments, checks, pressures, and concepts used to defend spread offenses.

1. John Rice
Defensive Coordinator
Santiago High School
Corona, CA
Defending the Spread;Defending the Spread;
KeepKeep’ em Guessing’ em Guessing

2. Outline
1. Defensive Philosophy; brief overview
2. Considerations for planning Pre-Snap Looks,
Formation Adjustments, Front Variations,
Pressure, and Coverage
3. Wristband Review/Multiplicity
4. Secondary Pre Snap Looks
5. Multiple Pre-Snap looks
6. Multiple Front/Coverage Variations
7. New Looks/Variations Weekly
8. Video Clips

3. Defensive Philosophy
1. Take away what they do best; force them to
beat you with something else
2. “It Depends” philosophy; defensive rules
serve us; we don’t serve rules (don’t be a
slave to rules adjustments)
3. Utilize multiple adjustments to various
formations
4. Analyze pass pro and design pressure to
attack weakness and vulnerability
5. Use Pre-Snap Movement to avoid accurate
QB reads and disrupt OL calls
6. Use specific techniques to attack blocking
schemes (plan pressure based on pass pro)

4. Considerations for selecting pre-
snap looks, formation adjustments,
front variations, and coverage
1. Opponent Scouting-(tendencies,
blocking & pass pro schemes, personnel
and team strengths)
2. Self Scouting (previous year’s game with
opponent and opponent’s previous
games that season
3. Random Element: select some variations
at random

5. 1. Flexible, multiple ways to call front & coverage;
conducive to multiplicity
2. Used in conjunction with cards
3. Change frequently; at series, quarter, half, game
by game
4. Will interchange colors, code words, and
placement
5. Never use the same wristband twice
6. Change panel colors, panel locations, groupings
within panels, key words, “live” and “dead” key
words and panels
7. Calls can be made pre-huddle or “check with
me” style after offense lines up
Utilizing Wristbands

6. • One Color, Panel Groupings by
Coverage
Sample Wristband; Summer Teaching

7. • Panel Contents
Change Week to
week
• Can change each
half
• Can change by
possession if
necessary
Sample Wristbands
• Panel Groupings
– By coverage
– By pressure
– By movement
– By Field Zone
– By D & D

8. • Sample Panel Groupings:
– Dime Package
– Quarterback Playing (2 panels for each QB)
– All Purpose Calls
Sample Wristbands; different panel
groupings/criteria

9. • Sample Panel Groupings:
– By Formation (2 by 2 or 3 by 1)
– Pressure
– Field Position
– Down and Distance
Sample Wristbands; different panel
groupings/criteria

10. Secondary Pre-Snap Looks
1. Multiple Adjustment for any given formation
2. Three Shell (1 high Free Safety)
3. Two Shell (2 Safeties Deep)
4. Four DBs across at same depth (“U”
Universal)
5. Press Man with no Safety
6. Joker: Everybody does their own thing pre-
snap
7. One side zone/one side man
1. Traditional Two shell one side/Man (press or off)
opposite side
2. Quarters look one side, man look opposite

11. PRE SNAP LOOKS
“U”
(Five across at pre-determined depth)
Variation in technique from this pre-snap alignment:
1. Move to base alignment after OC calls play
2. Stay in it and play coverage post-snap

12. SECONDARY PRE SNAP LOOKS
“U”
(Five across at pre-determined depth)
Variation in technique from this pre-snap alignment:
1. Move to base alignment after OC calls play
2. Stay in it and play coverage post-snap

13. PRE SNAP LOOKS
“Joker”
Corners, Spur, and Bandit move at will
Variation in technique from this pre-snap alignment:
1. Move to base alignment after OC calls play
2. Stay in it and play coverage post-snap
3. Use tags to employ variations: “Joker Corners” “Jokers
Left” “Jokers Field” “Jokers Leverage”

14. PRE SNAP LOOKS
“Duece”
Variation in technique from this pre-snap alignment:
1. Show it and play it
2. Show it and play another coverage at the snap

15. PRE SNAP LOOKS
“Triple”
Variation in technique from this pre-snap alignment:
1. Show it and play it
2. Show it and play another coverage at the snap

16. Mix & Match (64)Pre-Snap Looks
Add Coverage (and stunt/blitz if needed)
Example “Joker Yo-Yo Switch 4”
Secondary
Disguise
Linebacker
Disguise
Def Line
Stem
Wristband/
Verbal/
Signal Call:
U
Joker
Disco
Show
Disco
Switch
“U Disco”
“Joker Show
Switch”
Duece Half Shade “Duece Half
Shade”
Press Yo-Yo Yo-Yo “Press Double
Yo-Yo”

17. Base Front Pre-Snap
Movement/Looks
1. Play from base depth and alignment
2. “Half” LB’s and/or S/B play at ½ of normal
depth from LOS
3. “Show” LB’s and/or S/B play at LOS in their
gap of responsibility
4. “Yo-Yo” Start at base alignment, stem to
another alignment, then return before snap
5. “Disco” LBs and DL may stem at will
5. “Switch” DL Aligns 1 full gap away from their
responsibility, then stem to called alignment

18. Pre Snap Movement
must be practiced!
–Individuals, Inside Drill, 7 on 7,
Team periods
Progression Skill
1 Stance
2 Alignment (including pre-snap movement)
3 Key
4 Reads/Reactions
5 Block Protection/Escape
6 Pursuit
7 Tackle

19. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
OVERLOAD
L
M
R
B
S
F

20. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
7 MAN BOX/OVERLOAD
L
M
R
B
S
F

21. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
PINCH/CRASH THE ENDS
L
M
R
BS
F

22. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
REDUCE END TO A “3”
L
M
R B
S
E

23. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
REDUCE END TO A “3”
LMR
B
S
E

24. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
OVERLOAD
L
M
R
B
S
F

25. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
OVERLOAD
L
M
R
B

26. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
FORCE SINGLE BLOCKS
L
M
R
B
S
F

27. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
L
M
R
B
S
E

28. MULTIPLE PRE SNAP LOOKS;
L
M
R
E
E
F

29. DOUBLE EAGLE (BEAR)
L
M
R
B
E
F
E
N

30. Utilize Variables within a “look”
Change-Up:
•By series
•By half or quarter
•Determined pattern during
the season
•Predetermined sequence
within a game

31. Formation Checks
(when? why? Frequency?)
• We will not always use them (“Stay” tag)
Considerations for planning/utilization:
1. To defend an offensive strength
2. To play percentages (scouting)
3. To attack a vulnerability in scheme
• Overload a blocking scheme
• Create a favorable one-on-one match up
1. To break a tendency discovered in self-
scouting
2. Utilization patterns: until they adjust, alternate
series, alternating occurrences, for a half or
quarter, for the entire game

32. Sample Formation Checks we utilized
this season

33. Sample Formation Checks
we utilized this season

34. Sample Formation Checks
we utilized this season

35. Sample Formation Checks
we utilized this season

36. Sample Formation Checks
we utilized this season

37. Sample Pressure we utilized this season
Tags for Variations:
•Field
•Boundary
•To/Away from Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right

38. Sample looks we utilized this season
Tags for Dropping Backer (Mike):
•To Field
•To #3 in Trips Set
•To Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right

39. Sample looks we utilized this season
Tags for Dropping Backer (Mike):
•To Field
•To #3 in Trips Set
•To Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right

40. Sample looks we utilized this season

41. Sample looks we utilized this season
Tags for Variations:
•Field
•Boundary
•To/Away from Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right

42. Tags for Variations:
•Field
•Boundary
•To/Away from Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right
Tags for Dropping Backer (Lion):
•To Field
•To #3 in Trips Set
•To Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right
Sample looks we utilized this season

43. Sample looks we utilized this season
Tags for Variations:
•Field
•Boundary
•To/Away from Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right
Tags for Dropping Backer (Ram):
•To Field
•To #3 in Trips Set
•To Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right

44. Sample Concepts we utilized this season
Tags for Variations:
•Field
•Boundary
•To/Away from Back
•To/Away QB throwing hand
•To Away Strength
•At personnel weakness
•Left/Right

45. Video Clips Needed
• Pre Snap Alignment w/o Movement (U)
• Secondary Pre Snap Alignment
• Disco (front 6)
• Multiple Look Cuts
• Successful plays from multiple fronts vs.
Spread