4-3 Press Quarters: Stopping the Run

with Pete Pappas,
St. Edward (OH) High School Defensive coordinator;
2015 Ohio Division 1 Champions

Allow your defense to play fast by simplifying and focusing on the over fronts fits, instead of running multiple fronts that force players to slow down and think.

Coach Pete Pappas shows how the 4-3 Over-Press Quarters defense can be a formidable run-stopping defense. It is an aggressive defense that attacks with gap control in an effort to "build a wall" and create tackles for loss of yards. Insurance is built into the system via scraping linebackers and tightly aligned safeties who provide a second level of defense for eliminating the explosive or long offensive plays.

Pappas provides everything you need to know to install the 4-3 over front defense, including run fits and blocking defeating techniques. The video demonstrates how to align and attack all kinds of different formations. Pappas' 4-3 defense has a fast, `downhill attack' mentality that helps force the offense into mistakes and allows the defense to dominate games.

Adjustments

For a defense that uses a gap control line scheme, consistency is the key. Pappas begins instructing his players with terminology that helps them understand where they need to line up and what the other team has on the field. This allows his team to be in good position to stop the run.

Coach Pappas diagrams and shows film clips of his over front alignments and how it adjusts to many different formations. He explains the three strategies for defensive adjustments: alignment, movement, and blitzes. He explains:

• How to identify offensive formations
• How the defensive players recognize and communicate
• The slight adjustments to stay sound in the over front to formations such as double tight or 3x1

Linebacker Strategy

Any great team against the run has great linebacker play. Using diagrams, practice, and game clips, Pappas explains how his linebackers play various formations, track and scrape, and fly to the ball all under a gap control scheme. He teaches:

• Pre snap alignments
• Post snap keys
• Fit and techniques to defeat blocks

You'll see practice drills Pappas uses every day to improve the speed at which linebackers recognize and react appropriately to zone, lead and pass blocking.

Teams are using the 4-3 Over-Press Quarters defense to win championships. Pappas provides the foundation for making your team an attacking gap control defense in this video. Use the principles, philosophies and drills in this video to allow your defense to dominate the line of scrimmage.

62 minutes. 2017