7–1–2–1 defense

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
7-diamond, stemming from a wide tackle 6 by replacing one linebacker with a nose guard. This variation was seen from the 1940s to the 1960s. This defense is very similar to the 46 defense popularized by Buddy Ryan.

The 7–1–2–1, or seven-diamond defense, used seven "down

wide tackle 6 defenses of the time.[4] Further, the form of the 7 diamond as derived from a wide tackle 6, with a more compact line spacing than the 1930s era 7 man lines, shows a marked similarity to the 46 defense of Buddy Ryan
.

Background

The

blockers, while the responsibility of disrupting the offense rested primarily with the tackles and ends, especially those lined up on the "strong" side of the opposing line.[5]

Over time, however, as new offensive formations, such as the

single wing, were introduced, and increased the lateral running and passing threats, the seven man front changed in character. Box and letter drawings of the seven man front, by coaches such as Bernie Bierman and Steve Owen show a broadly spread front, with the center and two guards versus the interior five offensive linemen, defensive tackles 2–5 yards from the guards, and ends 2–5 yards outside the defensive tackles, and well outside the offensive ends.[6][7]

Improvements in offensive

free substitution thus allowed bulkier offensive linemen to be taken out and replaced by nimbler linebackers
, giving defenses more flexibility.

The

3-4 defense
can be seen as a modern variant of the 7-man defensive front (specifically the 7–2–2), with the cornerbacks (ends), outside linebackers (tackles), "defensive ends" (guards) and the nose tackle (center) all lined up roughly on the line of scrimmage. The key difference is in the spacing of the line (the linebackers and defensive ends are spread much wider than in the original 7-man front) and the fact that the outside linebackers and cornerbacks usually stand upright instead of crouching into a three-point stance.

References

  1. ISSN 0006-8608
    , Published by Boy Scouts of America, Inc., December 1946.
  2. ^ Arch Ward, "Remember Him? Willie Heston of Michigan, Whose Plunging Forced Opponents to Use Seven Man Line", Chicago Daily Tribune, December 28, 1936.
  3. ^ The American Magazine, Volume 120, p. 90, Crowell-Collier Pub. Co., 1935.
  4. ^ Arnsparger, Bill, Arnsparger's Coaching Defensive Football, St. Lucie Press, 1999, pp. 57–58.
  5. ^ Pro Football Formations 1: In the Beginning. …, Hickok Sports, retrieved January 22, 2011.
  6. ^ Bierman, Bernie, Winning Football, McGraw-Hill, 1937, pp. 209–216.
  7. ^ Owen, Steve, My Kind of Football, Prentice-Hall, 1952, p. 168.
  8. ^ The American Legion Magazine, Volumes 31–32, p. 64, The American Legion, 1941.
  9. ^ Louis Little and Robert Harron, How to Watch Football: the Spectator's Guide, p. 51, Whittlesey house, McGraw-Hill, 1935.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=7–1–2–1_defense&oldid=1099863140"