How to Play a 3-3-3 Football Defense
There are several states that play high school football where the schools are not large enough to support standard 11-man football teams. In communities throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, nine-man football is quite common. Fields are somewhat smaller -- 80 yards long by 40 yards wide. One of the defensive formations used is the 3-3-3.
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Instructions
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Put three defenders on the defensive line. In nine-man football, these defensive linemen are responsible for stopping the interior run and they also have to pressure the quarterback in throwing situations. In the 3-3-3 formation, the two defensive ends normally loop to the outside while the nose tackle stays at home to prevent the quarterback from attempting to fool the defense by running straight up the middle.
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Place three linebackers behind the defensive linemen. These will probably be your most athletic defensive players. The linebackers are responsible for making sure none of the running plays get more than 3 or 4 yards from the line of scrimmage. They also cover running backs and receivers in passing situations and they may occasionally be asked to blitz the quarterback. However, their biggest responsibility is to hit the ball carrier and make the tackles. There is too much open space on the field to hit the ball carrier with a shoulder block and not bring him down. You must wrap up when tackling.
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Place two defensive backs on either side of the linebackers to cover your opponent's wide receivers. The third defensive back is usually a free safety or a rover. This should be the team's most instinctive defensive player. This is someone who can provide extra pressure against the run, rush the passer or drop into coverage. The free safety or rover has to rely on his "feel" for the game. In nine-man football, the game often comes down to a chess match between the quarterback and the free safety to see which one can outmaneuver the other.
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Drop the smallest defensive lineman into coverage and send one of your cornerbacks to rush the passer to fool your opponent. This strategy is often effective because the quarterback has no idea that a corner will try to disrupt the pocket.
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Push the offensive linemen toward the quarterback. This is the defensive lineman's job. If the linemen can collapse the pocket in that manner, the linebackers can swoop around from the outside and ruin the play from the offense's perspective.
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