Coaching the 4-4 Stack Defense

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I get a lot of coaches who want to use a Stack 4-4 Defense because it's simple. It is very simple, and I'll show you how to run it. But there are some definite disadvantages of this defense. They can be fixed with very simple tweaks!
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Joe Daniel is the founder of Joe Daniel Football and the host of The Football Coaching Podcast. He has helped thousands of football coaches have greater success since starting his first coaching website, footballdefense... in 2009.

[@UggFerron]

i love it. tighten up on the corner backs. play closer on the WR in yourth. when you reach an age were passing is more common then maintane the popper distance

[@DukeMadison]

Thanks using that 425 for JV is tough for my guys right now so we’re going into the stack 4-4 this week wish us luck. #NorthEastEagles Pasadena,MD

[@tony_m_km6mzp]

The high school I went to in Texas, we ran a Split-4 defense but it wasn't stacked. The inside DL's were on the outside shoulder of the OG (3 Technique) and the DE's were on the outside shoulder of the OT's or the 6 technique. The OLB's were in the DL gaps and the ILB's were inside of the 3 Techniques or a 1 technique.. On offense we ran a Wing-T and a Texas Return on kick-offs, basically a 5-2-1-2-1 formation with the back 4 players getting the ball unless on onside or squib kicks.

[@epenmedi]

i played against a steller team that used this. if the two head up tackles have speed this is very difficult to block with this adjustment, give the tackles one gap responsibility slashing to A or B and it options the guard every play . often forcing the tackle way inside to help. thus this puts pressure on the TEs blocking on a twist on the outside,

[@idontcare1762]

About a million years ago, when I was in high school, we ran a 4-2 twin tilt meaning the two DTs were at a 45 degree angle to the OG's helmet ear hole. The LBs were head up with the OGs and 4 yards back. A "Rover" was head up on the TE and jammed him on the snap. DEs were always outside the most outside O-lineman and took a 3 step across the los on the snap.If two TEs the Rover lined up on the side with what the coach considered the weakest DE. Over three years we went 27-6 with that. Have you ever heard of the "Split 4 Twin Tilt".

[@totaleffort]

You make some great points. Very solid. But that's not a 4-4 stack defense philosophy. I wouldn't teach a 5-6th grade team that concept. You're talking about a 4-4 Hawk or Angle defense . The 4-4 stack has LB's reading the block of the O-line (specifically the Tackle and if applicable the TE) in front of them and adjusting. TE blocks down, OLB moves out. Tackle kicks out, OLB slides in. It's a read defense. At the younger levels that is VERY VERY VERY tough. Give them one assignment and then adjust to the "abnormal." I'd much rather have my Will and Sam at that level know 1 thing. NO ONE gets outside of you. That's seems to be what you're going for, but not calling it. NOT being disrespectful, just a philosophical difference

[@xleranger1343]

Thank you I learned so much it helping me to play defense

[@keithgreenwade2398]

Way to go Coach!

[@eastoaklandsartiebo-bo6718]

Pretty much how I run my 4-4. From left to right I have 1-4 teams between linemen and linebackers. X and Y for if the linemen go inside or outside with the backers going the opposite side.

[@dustinmartin22]

Coach, I have found at the middle school level... nothing disrupts an offensive drive, more then shifting linemen as the QB starts his cadence. I know this is a 4-4 video, but in your stack or your 4-2-5... do you have line shift calls ever? Or do your linemen just have set gaps to protect, and that's it?

[@Joe4372]

Not something I've done a lot of but you could certainly shift if you wanted to

[@italiancapo7]

Need gap and blitzes to go with this

[@yakk907]

I just coached a peewee pop Warner game last week running a 4-4 and we were undefeated until this team ran a wedge. I had watched film and they didn’t previously run this and I didn’t know how to adjust to their double tight shot gun wedge with the center cut blocking. I ended up taking a linebacker and putting him over on the weak or strong side of the center to cut block to cut the wedge and it showed some success. Can someone tell me how I beat the wedge out of a 4-4?

[@paperstacks8353]

I would say slant your defensive line to the strong side(where two TE side is) than have your outside/inside LB’s cheat over to the strong side. You wouldn’t have to change up your play calling

[@life_motived_corey]

Thanks

[@mathieujolliff951]

Cool thx

[@marcus051509]

Thank you for sharing these very helpful videos coach.... they're great! I'm a 2nd yr. Def coord. at the M.S. level. We started w/ 4-4 stack and quickly learned exactly what you pointed out here. The adjustment paid off! I'd like to ask for your thoughts on maybe transitioning into a 4-2-5 (since that appears to be what I was running albeit a poor man's 4-2-5 lol) going into yr. 2. We were mainly a Cover 1 def with Cover 2 as needed. I wanted to keep things simple for the kids and myself if I'm totally honest. I love the simple front w/ the 2 tech DTs and a 6 or 5 tech for the DEs. Plus all of the blitzes you can run off of it. It was very effective at this level but we struggled against spread & wing-T teams. I'd like to keep our simple front and various blitzes intact if possible.....But I also want to better teach/prepare our kids for the next level hwr, I'm worried that teaching strength calls, shades, flipping LBs and split field coverages is going to be too much for M.S. kids. Am I doing them a disservice by not teaching those things? If we decide to stick with the Split 4-4, what type of coverages/checks would you use against spread/wing-T teams? Quarters? Press Man? Cover 3? I guess I'm looking for a simpler version of the 425.... something that middle school kids can learn quickly without too many concepts. Thanks again and I appreciate your thoughts/suggestions.

[@Joe4372]

4-2-5 defense (or 4-4 defense, but not a stack or split 4-4... 4-2-5 and base 4-4 are the same), with cover 3. You're not doing anyone a disservice if you're winning games. Don't ever run something because you think they need it at the next level. Teach defeating blocks and tackling above scheme. Run what you feel comfortable with. The 4-2-5 Defense System (425defense.com) is how to build it from the ground, up. But you take what you need to win games, dump what you don't need or don't feel comfortable with.

[@adamparker2786]

Spread 3-5

[@andrewhaley9553]

So in this set who's primary job is contain? end or olb?

[@Joe4372]

OLB, never like to use ends as force

[@andrewhaley9553]

@@Joe4372 thanks Coach. great video

[@toddluitjohan3802]

why not the defensive end's?

[@jeremylott1047]

We