What Are the Three Five Defensive Playbooks?

In football, defensive coordinators are constantly looking for any advantage over the opposing offense. Traditionally, defenses feature either a four-man defensive line with three linebackers or a three-man front with four linebackers. However, whether in an effort to confuse offenses or to tailor a defense to the team's personnel, coordinators will occasionally institute a 3-5 playbook, which stacks the box with five linebackers.

  1. Defensive Linemen

    • The 3-5 defense lines up with three defensive linemen. The two defensive ends cover the offensive tackles while the nose tackle lines up over the center. The goal of defensive linemen in the 3-5 defense is to attack the backfield. Their movement should be designed to grab the attention of more than one offensive linemen. This enables the linebackers and defensive backs behind the defensive line to use their speed to make plays.

    Linebackers

    • The true advantage of the 3-5 defense lies in the linebacker line. With five strong, speedy linebackers roaming the field, the defensive options increase exponentially. Three linebackers line up behind each defensive lineman. The other two, sometimes referred to as dog safeties, align themselves on the outside of the end men on the line of scrimmage and may be asked to cover slot receivers.The linebackers move in unison, trying to disrupt plays with a variety of stunts and blitzes.

    Cornerbacks

    • The two cornerbacks in a 3-5 defense must excel in pass coverage. Because only one safety lies over the top, as opposed to many other defenses with two deep safeties, the cornerbacks are often left to fend for themselves against the opposing wide receiver. Cornerbacks in the 3-5 do not have much liberty to use press coverage. They remain about seven yards from the line of scrimmage and are not relied upon for extensive run defense.

    Free Safety

    • The free safety in a 3-5 defense must have a strong knowledge of where every player will be on every play. The free safety should be fast and be able to diagnose run and pass plays with ease. He will line up behind the middle linebacker about 12 yards off the line of scrimmage. He is the only one providing help over the top of cornerbacks, but he must also push to the line during run plays.

    Covering the Run

    • With eight men in the box, the 3-5 defense is already one man ahead of traditional 3-4 and 4-3 defenses. This is especially beneficial in run defense. With the defensive linemen occupying the offensive blockers, the defense has five players on the linebacker line whose jobs are to attack the ball carrier. Even if the weak-side outside backer covers the back side, four linebackers are free to seek out the runner and bring him down.

    Covering the Pass

    • The 3-5 defense presents a number of options in pass coverage, from blitzes and stunts to zones. The three defensive linemen create passages for blitzing linebackers. Offensive blocking schemes see five possible blitzers and must react quickly as the defense effectively disguises where the pressure will come from. Additionally, some linebackers may drop in man-to-man or zone coverage. The quarterback has to stay alert, as the 3-5 defense is constantly changing who blitzes, who plays zone and who drops in coverage.