Attacking the 3-3-5
by Mike Wilson
Electrical Engineer / Future Coach
White Hall, AR
(diagrams by Mike Wilson)
With offensive attacks becoming more and more complicated and spread out across the field, defensive coordinators have been forced to simplify their offensive alignments and responsibilities to keep their team from being out of position and giving up the big play. The 3-3-5 defense allows the defensive coordinators to use very large package of stunts, slants, and blitzes, while maintaining his alignment integrity as well as keeping gap responsibility simple. This defense can cause fits to the unprepared offense, especially an unprepared option attack. Imagine a constant threat of the echo stunt to both sides, on top of the problems the nose and stacked middle linebacker cause. The defense can effectively defend the interior with only two players aligned between the B-gaps. To combat the complex looks you can get from the 3-3-5 stack, you must simplify the defense in the mind of your players. There are a couple of principles that you can use to do this:
1. The 3-3-5 is basically three stacks working in tandem. In each of the stacks, the lineman will be responsible for one gap, and the linebacker will be responsible for the other. If the defense attempts to assign a player a gap responsibility more than one gap away, he is taking a big risk, especially against a quick hitting option play.
2. If your best offensive lineman is your center, it will help prevent a slanting nose from being in the backfield. If he can prevent penetration from the nose, it will allow you more options as far as playside blocking.
3. You backside tackle is only responsible for the player who attacks B-gap. He can ignore the lineman over him if he slants away.
4. The SPUR is the key to perimeter blocking. If he is close to the LOS, your choices of perimeter blocking are limited.
5. If the free safety isn’t getting involved in stopping the option, you have more options regarding your playside tackle’s assignment.
There are 4 basic schemes that most triple option teams are using to combat the 3-3-5:
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Arc-Loop (Accounts for Free Safety) |
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READ: QB “reads the stack” (Pull-and-Pitch Read) |
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Arc-ZIP (Gets Help on NG) |
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READ: QB “reads the stack” (Pull-and-Pitch Read) |
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Arc-TOM (TOM stands for “Tackle on Mike” - Gets triple team on NG) |
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READ: QB “reads the stack” (Pull-and-Pitch Read) |
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LOAD (Gets 2 people on PSLB, Also changes read) |
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READ: QB reads DE for dive, SPUR for pitch |
Just a few points:
The “read the stack” principle refers to the quarterback’s thought process vs. a possible echo stunt. The QB reads the stack instead of one player for dive. If both players step outside, he gives the ball, otherwise, he pulls the ball and quickly determines which player has the QB. He then pitches off this player.
These schemes are based on a 4-tech defensive end, but if the defense uses 5-tech, it won’t change too much. The 5-tech allows the schemes that require an inside release by the playside tackle to be a bigger part of the arsenal.
Any 3-3-5 defensive coordinator will tell you that they will not line up in the triple stack look every down. They will walk people around, step people up onto the line, and disguise coverages regularly. The QB must understand which players are moving, and what they are trying to accomplish.
If the SPUR walks up onto the line, the LOAD scheme would be the best option. Also remember, if the SPUR is running to pitch, he is abandoning his responsibility in the flat.
The key to beating unpredictable defenses like the 3-3-5 is to be patient. They may make a few plays behind the line, they may disrupt a few reads, they may hit the mesh, but they are not going to do it every time. Eventually, they will miss a tackle, or run out of position, and the offense will break a big play.
When playing a 3-3-5 team, it is very important to give them many different looks with different formations. Use tight ends, unbalanced formations, and different alignments of halfbacks to keep them from getting comfortable with one formation. Also, they just may give you a more standard defensive look with formation changes.
Editor's Note: Mike Wilson includes the following bio snippets:
-Electrical Engineer with Entergy Services in
Pine Bluff, AR
-Graduate of Louisiana Tech University (2001)
-Webmaster of http://www.louisiana1afootball.com
-Student Coach at Mangham (LA) High School in 2000
Mike can be reached for comments or questions at: JWILSO3@entergy.com
