A Fan's Guide to American Football Defense

A video about American football defense for fans. We talk about the various positions in football, such as defensive tackle, strong safety, and middle linebacker, as well as defensive formations, defensive alignments, and defensive concepts such as man-to-man defense, zone defense, coverage shells, and blitzing.

Some questions this video answers include:

What are the basic American football positions?
What are the basic American football formations?
What is the nickel package?
What are the dime package and quarter package?
What is a blitz?
What is zone defense in football?
What is man to man defense in football?
What does Cover 0, Cover 1, Cover 2, Cover 3 and Cover 4 mean?
What is the defensive shell?

If you've watched the video and want to explore some of the topics, these videos and resources are a great place to start. I'll be updating this as I find more.

[umazayiabdulhakeem]

I am from Nigeria 🇳🇬 and started following the NFL last year, i only saw it as a chaotic sport, but then i thought to myself there is more to this than chaos, i decided to start watching the NFL games on ESPN, and since then i have become a fan of American football and also a fan of the Cicinati Bengals. Though i am just starting to get the offensive part of the game, and this video has helped me on understanding the defensive part too. I will really like to understand the sport completely.

[ISRAELIDF]

I’ve been a football fan for about 40 years and know most of this, however I must say this was a GREAT video in the way it describes positions, etc. What a great job

[aaronh]

How in the good lord does this guy have less than 7k subscribers?! I don't think I've ever seen such high quality content from such a "small" youtuber. What a fantastic job.

[alexwod]

One small thing I would mention is that an "eight in the box" formation is frequently called a "goal-line formation/package" because it's often seen when the offense has nearly reached the goal-line/endzone. A formation with lots of defenders near the line of scrimmage is very attractive in this situation because the offense, and especially its pass catchers (WRs and TEs), has very little space to work with overall and is very likely to call a running play, which is a more reliable way to gain the few yards they need to score a touchdown. However, you'll also see this terminology used in a 3rd or 4th and short situation where it is also very likely that the offense will call a running play

[mikereiling]

"Spy" is another thing defensive players will do along with blitzing or dropping into coverage. Spy or Key is when a defender is specifically responsible for one player on the offense. Sometimes an entire offense’s success can revolve around one specific player, so a defender will be assigned to watch and follow that one player throughout the play. Example: Ray Lewis keyed on Michael Vick all game to keep Vick contained in the pocket.

[thecheesehead]

You should make more videos like this for American football. I can’t count how many of my friends that aren’t into American football because of how complicated it is, so this helps them out a ton.

[spud]

As an NFL fan in England I often wondered what a "Nickle package" was. Thank you for this concise explanation.

[brianmulholland]

Corrections/Nitpicks:
1) The Nose Tackle isn't about the number of defensive linemen, it's where he lines up - ie right over the NOSE of the offense (where the ball is snapped). You can have a 4-man defensive line and use a nose tackle (albeit usually slightly shaded to one side of the center) and then another regular defensive tackle playing over the opposite side guard or in the gap on either side of him, and of course the defensive ends.
2) I would have liked to have mentioned in the blitz section that blitzes aren't just about numbers. While extreme blitzes can literally send more defenders than the offense has blockers, this is considered risky and is something done rarely except by the rare crazy person (show a picture of Buddy Ryan). Instead, a blitz is most effective when it is directed to attack the rules the offensive line is using to coordinate their activity. Occupy two neighboring linemen each with a man, and then send a third in between and you can get quick penetration even if you send fewer people on the other side.
3) I think the coverage portion should have mentioned 'press' coverage and explained how this disrupts the timing and route of the receiver but at the risk of big plays if he is beaten.

But generally a pretty good primer for someone just learning the game.

[ChosenPlaysYT]

I played football for 7 years, including defense, and I just learned that it’s called Dime because a dime is 2 nickels lol

[stefanschneider]

Well done, being from Switzerland in Europe it really helps. Although I've been following American Football for years there were still many things to help understand it. But when watching a game live it all just happens so quick it's still hard get the schemes! I often wonder "Why is this guy totally open in the end zone?", then I go back and back again and back one more time and sometimes I get it.

[Krorhodium]

This is so awesome. How about one for the offense? My knowledge just skyrocketed with this video

[sholtounwerth]

I appreciated the use of Iowa State in some of the clips. One of the best defenses in the Big 12. Go clones.

[witherkay]

This is great stuff, man. Takes a real talent to make complex information this easy to digest.

I've been watching NFL from afar (in the UK) for more than 30 years, but because it's not in our schools or on our TV to the same degree I'm always playing catch-up on terminology and tactics. So I still managed to take a lot from this 'beginners' guide. Looking forward to more on this channel.

[mdstrada]

I’ve been a football fan for a long time and found this to be the best description of basic defensive formations I’ve seen. I especially appreciate the use of actual game video — it’s really hard to convert a description using Xs and Os to understanding what you see on your TV. Thanks so much for this!

[Whitsoxrule]

I learned a lot from this video! I'd heard most of these terms for schemes before but never knew what any of them meant. Now I know what to look for!

[morglag]

awesome summary as usual. are you planning on doing similar videos for offense and special teams?

[pbmander]

Holy Jesus Christ talk about a hidden gem.. This channel is absolutely incredible!! This is quality

[garyspeed]

Great summary for this Aussie following the Eagles and Jordan Mailata

[stephenatohi]

An excellent, cohesive, and visually engaging breakdown. Would love to see a similar version for offense and a Pt. 2 for defense, explaining more complex concepts. As another commenter echoed, it's sometimes hard to explain the game, while watching the game with friends, in a way that is digestible. This is perfect.

[rexrexford]

Love this. To the point, simple but effective graphics, real game video examples, no BS.