Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Waroduce
Aug 5, 2008

Ginette Reno posted:

How does NFL defensive play calling work? I get that the Defensive Coordinator radios the play to the designated player, and then based off of that they line up the defense. But who is typically responsible for doing the audible after that? I assume they're given a general play based on scouting but often have to change it up based on how the offense lines up? Is there just typically a playcaller who calls the audible on defense based on how they see the offense line up? And how is that person chosen?

Play calling is generally personnel or situation driven. This action chain excludes hurry up offense.

1. The offense runs a play on the field.

2. After the play, the offense will substitute some players for other players.

3. Defense is given some small amount of time to make their own substitutions.

4. While the subs are happening the defensive coordinator is examining the offensive personnel set coming onto the field with respect to down and distance and team tendency to make a defensive play call

4a. The offense presents 22 personnel (2 backs / 2 te's)

4b. The defensive coordinator will generally answer by subbing their personnel appropriately to match the offensive package. So if I have 22 on the field (2 backs / 2 TE's) that's a pretty beefy package ususally so I'm going to go ahead and put maybe an extra defensive lineman on or possibly a standard 4-3 package.

4c. Once the personnel package is jogging onto the field the D.Coordinator will consider the type of players the offense has (how fast are the wideouts?), the down and distance (is it 3rd and short or 3rd and long for an easy run/pass question and answer) as well as team tendencies (they always run Power right out of their 22 package) to than make a call to the players on the field. This call is communicated directly to a LB or S with the defensive mic in their helmet (a match for the radio the qb has).

5. Coaches and Players will be aware of the play swaps for a specific play. For example, if the offense sends someone in motions, audibles to a max protect or anything, the defense has a short list of hot swappable plays that typically include blitz, coverage and run stopping options. So I might come out in a very aggressive blitz out of my 4-3, but the offense splits the TE's out with motion and one of them is uncovered, I would expect my defensive playcaller (LB/S) to audible my defense out of the blitz package into a run stopping package.

6. QB snaps ball 3-8 seconds of carefully scripted chaos.

feel free to as follow ups

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply