Running, tackling, and turnover circuit drills – if practiced with the proper techniques – will help improve your overall defense.

One of the biggest challenges coaches face is trying to get everything to fit into their practice plan. It doesn’t seem to matter the length of practice – you always feel like you could use a little more time. Sadly, it seems that individual time often gets cut in favor of more “glamorous” sessions like 7-on-7 or team periods. These are important sessions as well, but you can define your team and emphasize your philosophies during well planned individual sessions. It’s imperative to be who you say you are and have your practice plan reflect that so that your defensive philosophies show up on the practice field. 

The three core philosophies that we define our defense by are: running to the ball, being sound tacklers, and creating turnovers. Every defense needs to do these things well to have success. Consequently, you must spend time on each of these areas, teaching your techniques and then emphasizing them with drills that reinforce your philosophies.

In order to get this accomplished, I have each of our defensive position coaches develop a circuit that emphasizes running, tackling and creating turnovers that is specific to their position. The circuit should:

•     Include drills that emphasize running, tackling, turnovers.
•      Be very fast, upbeat, and intense.
•      Get players many reps.
•      Take 10 minutes or less.
•      Have a specific name so the players recognize it and get after it.

Coaching should be done “on the run” with quick phrases that have been established to describe your techniques. This is not a time to stop the drill. Keep things moving and use film and meeting time for correcting mistakes. After you have established your circuit, you can rotate in new drills that still emphasize your core philosophies but enable you to keep things fresh. 

Below is an example of a circuit for inside linebackers:

RUNNING

Read and React – Set up cones that establish where the linebackers go after making specific reads. Use other LBs as O-linemen. The coach will signal to them the block they should execute to give the proper key read. The LB reads the O-line and reacts to his key. The key may be for an inside run, an outside run, or a pass. Once the key is read, the LB sprints full speed to his responsibility. The emphasis should be a correct read and running full speed through (NOT to) his responsibility. Finish the drill by executing a form tackle on air. Continue to coach hustle and effort (Diagram 1).


Diagram 1: Running  - Read and React

TACKLING

Beat-a-Block and Fit – Have an O-lineman line up one-yard in front of the LB with a ball carrier (BC) behind the O-lineman. On command the coach uses a different cadence and the drill starts on OL movement as the OL blocks the LB. The BC runs left or right, tight off of the OL. The LB uses a block destruction technique, finds the BC and executes a form tackle. We use four words to communicate our tackling technique: chest, arms, hips, feet. Each word has a built in meaning that has already been established with the players. The coach uses those words to instruct during the drill. This drill is done in a very tight space but at full speed. The players rotate quickly after each rep so that each LB has multiple opportunities (Diagram 2).



Diagram 2: Tackling – Beat-a-Block and Fit

TURNOVER

Pick 6 – Have a player stand in the LBs pass responsibility according to coverage. The LB reads pass and drops to his responsibility. The coach throws a pass to the player in the LBs zone. LB breaks on the ball, executes the INT and sprints to the end zone. You can decide the coverage and distance to the end zone. This gives another opportunity to emphasize running. After the INT, the LB better be sprinting to the end zone (Diagram 3).


Diagram 3: Turnover – Pick 6

The sky is the limit on what you can do. Use drills that accomplish the goals of your team and change things as often as you like. Using circuits allows you to pack a lot of activity into a quick amount of time and still accomplish everything that needs to be accomplished in your practice plan. Remember, be who you say you are and let your practice reflect it.  By emphasizing your philosophies, you reinforce your identity.

About the Author: Mark Reddy is in his second season as both defensive coordinator and co-recruiting coordinator at Olivet Nazarene University. He is also an Associate Professor for the school in the College of Exercise and Sports Science. A four-year letter winner at ONU, Reddy was the head coach at two Indiana high schools – LaVille and Eastern Hancock.