Pop Warner 4-4 Youth Football Defense & More
There are times when two different Pop Warner defenses can be called and yet, look almost exactly the same vs a particular offensive formation. If you were to call a youth football 4-4 defense and a youth football 6-2 defense you would see this very thing vs a compact offensive formation.
If the offense came out in a two tight end formation the defenses would almost look identical. You would have a six man front with both. Regardless of what you label them, (Ends or Linebackers) someone has to set the contain edges on the tight ends. Granted, most youth football offenses line up in compact formations and that is smart. It’s smart because their quarterback can’t throw very well.
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These days however, more and more youth football coaches are spreading the field. Right or wrong, it is happening. There are several ways to defense this. The first decision is are you going to be an odd front like a 5-3 youth football defense or an even front. if you decide to be an even front consider this first. One train of thought is that you just dare the youth football quarterback to throw the ball and stay in the box to stop the run. There is nothing wrong with that. Once again a youth football quarterback is probably not going to beat you with his arm.
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What if you run into a special quarterback who plays like a 13 year old even though he is 11? This is where the 4-4 youth football defense is better than the 6-2. The 4-4 youth football defense gives you an easy adjustment by walking your outside linebackers out to cover the slots. A youth football 4-4 defense gives you easy adjustments to the slots and to motion.
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This also allows you to keep a free safety in the middle of the field. With a 6-2 defense you are committing six players to the run game. Do the math. You only have five left with a 6-2. Your free safety is going to be responsible for one of the eligibles. The 4-4 allows you to let you free safety to be just that, free to play the deep middle.
So as you begin to organize youth thoughts for next season and your youth football defense, keep this in mind. If you coach in a league that has very young players you will likely be in good shape with the 6-2. If you face quarterbacks who can throw keep the youth 4-4 in your football playbook for those situations.
FirstDown PlayBook offers you 6 different defenses just like this 4-4 Defense. You should consider one or two of these for your Pop Warner defense. Tap on any one of the tiles below to visit the article describing that formation. After reading the article then go join FirstDown PlayBook and get busy coaching your Pop Warner team with the best football playbook available!
