Eric Kasperowicz: Adjusting the 4-3 Defense to Stop the Run

with Eric Kasperowicz,
Pine-Richland High School (PA) Head Coach;
2018 WPIAL 6A Champions (3rd title in 5 years);
2017 Pennsylvania Class 6A State Champs (16-0 record);
finalist for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Coach of the Year (2017)

The 4-3 defense is a fantastic option against teams that run the ball heavily because it can be flexible at the point of attack. You'll see how to make it hard for teams to pound the rock against your defense in this comprehensive video from Pine-Richland High School head coach, Eric Kasperowicz.

Coach Kasperowicz gives an overview of his defensive philosophy and why his version of the 4-3 press quarters defense is so tough against the run. He describes the ingredients necessary to build a run stopping defense, including alignments and individual responsibilities for each position.

Base Rules and Responsibilities

Kasperowicz diagrams the alignment and run responsibilities of each position in the 4-3. Stance, reads, and reactions for each position are covered. Additionally, Kasperowicz describes tags that change the alignment of each player to give the defense an advantage against a variety of formations and blocking schemes. He includes game footage of his defense that helps illustrate the 'how' and 'why' behind each rule in his system.

Adjustments and Automatic Calls

Kasperowicz brings everything together by diagramming how the defense adjusts to several personnel groups and formations. He also gives you some of the automatic calls that he uses against certain teams that are determined by the game plan. In all, you'll learn how to:

• Adjust your defense while keeping run fits similar for all players.
• Coach the field and boundary linebackers when they're taken out of the box against the run.
• Use automatic calls to adjust the front based on the position of the running back.

This video from Coach Kasperowicz will help you learn how to maintain a balanced and structured defense that can adapt to defeat run-heavy teams. Improve your 4-3 today!

60 minutes. 2018.