Hurry Up No Huddle Defense: Run Fits and Blitz Packages

Coach David Joyce has developed a reputation for quickly turning around struggling programs, allowing them to compete for conference championships while becoming State Tournament qualifiers. He has turned a team that was 0-10 in 2008 into a 9-2 playoff team in 2011, and took another school from 2-8 in his first year to 8-3 overall and a conference championship. In just his third season at Mountain Home, Coach Joyce's team earned a playoff berth for the first time in 8 years and finished with a winning conference record for the first time in over 10 years. Newly installed as Jackson Hole (WY) High School's head coach, Joyce has already amassed 1 state final appearance and 2 state semi appearances over his first 3 years.

The spread offense wants to take defenders out of the box with the use of three and four wide receiver sets. Playing sound defense can be a challenge against the spread formations - championship defenses understand correct gap control on every snap. With the Hurry Up No-Huddle (HUNH) defense, players align the same way and execute run fits based on the offensive formation. This creates an assignment-sound team while disrupting the opposing passing and running attack through timely blitzes to exploit their weak link on offense.

David Joyce teaches his run fits and blitz packages from his Hurry Up No-Huddle defensive scheme. You'll learn:

• How the defense has the ability to put the ball where they want it.
• One player sets the edge with nine players in pursuit with a safety player over the top.
• Run fits are based on the number of backs; two backs = two hats, one back = one gap and gap over concept.

Run Fits

Coach Joyce uses a PowerPoint as well as a white board to show you his Zone Read and Power Read defensive adjustments. He breaks down the different classifications of offensive personnel that determine run fits. Using game footage, Coach Joyce breaks down offensive plays and illustrates how each run play is fit by the defense.

Defending the Zone Read play is accomplished with simple adjustments. Adjustments to the Zone Read include:

• Zorro and Zulu calls used to create a "run through" linebacker to tackle the dive back.
• Backers up to discourage any combo blocks by the offensive line, allowing the defense to "build a wall" up front.
• The 5 call puts the Mike backer on the nose, creating a Bear front without changing players' rules.

See how Joyce trains his players to leave one shoulder free to seal the gap while also having the ability to make the tackle if the ball hits in their gap.

Blitz Package

The brilliance of the Blitz package from an X's and O's perspective is the multiplicity in coverages and pressures it can bring against opponents. Joyce's blitz package aims at a taking advantage of a few areas. He focuses on three families of blitzes:

• Edge
• 4 & 4 Trap
• 9 & 9X
• Flood & Wolf

Both sideline and end zone game film give a clear picture of each blitz in action.

If you're looking to simplify your scheme or add new concepts to help defend the spread offense, this video is a must!

112 minutes. 2017.