Eric Kasperowicz: Basics of the 4-3 Defense

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)

Eric Kasperowicz has a wealth of experience playing and coaching defensive football. As head coach of the Pine-Richland High School Rams, he won a Pennsylvania 6A state championship in his fourth season at the helm with a perfect 16-0 campaign.

In this video, you'll see Coach Kasperowicz present on the 4-3 defense and its ability to control and run and pass in today's version of the game that features many Run-Pass-Option looks on offense. He will give you ideas for adjustments that you can use to help your players quickly counter any offense.

Defensive Philosophy

Kasperowicz begins by giving an overview of the defensive philosophy that helped his team capture a state championship. He describes the simple, but aggressive approach that allows his defense to defend modern offenses without having to change personnel. Kasperowicz also describes several turnover drills that he uses with his team, and shows several examples of these skills in action during games.

Base Rules and Responsibilities

Kasperowicz diagrams the base rules and responsibilities for each position group. Responsibilities against the run and pass in the base defense are explained, as well as demonstrated with game film. You'll get:

• The basic alignment and responsibilities for defensive linemen, including: stance, technique, and run fits.
• Alignment rules, run fits, and basic pass coverage responsibilities for linebackers.
• Basic alignment and rules for the press quarters coverage that Kasperowicz uses with his 4-3 defense.

Adjusting the 4-3 Defense

The presentation concludes with a whiteboard session focused on common adjustments to the base defense against various formations. Kasperowicz describes how he can teach his players to align to virtually any offensive formation in a sound manner by teaching them a few simple rules. He includes:

• How to adjust the secondary to 3x1 formations with or without a tight end.
• The importance of setting the "3 technique" to the field against spread attacks.
• Simple rules for linebackers to help them get aligned against any formation.

Coach Kasperowicz does an outstanding job presenting the base rules of the 4-3 press quarters defense. The Pine-Richland 4-3 offers solutions to stopping the run game while defending RPOs and spread offenses. Coaches looking to transition from an odd front to an even front defense will find this video very useful.

54 minutes. 2018.