Play Description
Ace is the best run stopping defense in the Umbrella 5v5 Defensive System.
The 4-1 alignment (four short zone defenders and a single-high Safety) makes this defense effective at stopping the run and clogging up short passing lanes. It’s a great option if the opposing QB doesn’t have the arm strength for deep passes.
Because the lone Safety is covering the entire deep zone of the field, Ace is however vulnerable to offensive plays featuring multiple deep routes. You can counter this disadvantage with a speedy Safety who can cover a lot of ground and a fast Blitzer who forces the QB to scramble, limiting the accuracy of any deep throws.
A note on blitzing: Sending a Blitzer is highly recommended every time you call Ace. The 7-second throw clock is an eternity in flag football, and it is unwise to trust a lone Safety to cover that much ground for that long. Your defense needs to force quick throws to take the pressure off the deep coverage.
With the 4-1 alignment, you have the option of blitzing either the LB or the SS. The base assignments call for both to raise their hands indicating a blitz, but we only send one at a time. On our team, we send the LB 80% and the SS the other 20%. The LB has more reps chasing down the QB, and the SS is more experienced in coverage. It is effective, however, to switch things up from time to time to keep your opponent guessing. When swapping the blitzer, only their assignments change, not the alignment. If used sparingly, sending the SS on the blitz and dropping your LB into coverage adds another layer of complexity to test the rival QB’s decision making abilities under pressure.
Alignment & Assignments
Ace’s 4-1 Cover 1 scheme is a great way to save your team from an offense that is content to string together many short gains. It puts an extra playmaker in near the line of scrimmage to cut off short passes and pull flags.
- Defensive Coordinator
- Call the defense and indicate who’s blitzing.
- For example: “Ace Johnny!”
- Free Safety (FS)
- Alignment: Middle of the field. 10 yards off the ball.
- Stance: Defensive Back Stance & 3 Read Steps.
- Assignment: Deep zone, everything beyond 10 yards.
- Strong Safety (SS)
- Alignment: Even with the LB but on the opposite side of the ball. 7 yards from the ball. 2-3 yards outside the QB’s non-throwing arm.
- Stance: Wide Receiver Stance to get a quick jump on the snap. Hand up to indicate blitz or fake blitz.
- Assignment:
- When in coverage: Short middle zone. 10 yards wide. 10 yards deep.
- When blitzing: Get the QB. Force a sack, batted ball, or bad throw.
- Cornerbacks (CB)
- Alignment: Shaded just outside of the widest offensive player. 5 yards off the line of scrimmage.
- Stance: Defensive Back Stance & 3 Read Steps
- Assignment: Flat zone from the sideline to 10 yards inside. No deeper than 10 yards.
- Linebacker (LB)
- Alignment: 7 yards from the ball. 2-3 yards outside the QB’s non-throwing arm.
- Stance: Wide Receiver Stance to get a quick jump on the snap. Hand up to indicate blitz.
- Assignment:
- When blitzing: Get the QB. Force a sack, batted ball, or bad throw.
- When in coverage: Short middle zone. 10 yards wide. 10 yards deep.
Final Notes
Ace is incredibly effective at getting many defenders to the ball quickly. This results in a lot of Umbrella Tackling, quickly flag pulls, and short gains.
We call Ace 10-15% of the time, mostly reserving it for games against teams that hand the ball off a lot or can’t complete deep passes consistently. It is also our most effective goal line option.
We avoid calling Ace often against opponents that have a QB capable of completing passes 15-20 yards down field. We have an assistent coach keep an eye on the other team’s pregame warm ups to assess their abilities. Even if you suspect a poor deep conversion, wait a couple of drives to see what their offense looks like before switching to the 4-1 Cover 1. Calling Ace too early only to watch the ball sail over your defense’s head is a gut punch for a defensive coach and a confidence killer for your Free Safety.
Set your team up for success by sticking with Deuce and Wildcard early in the game and then adjusting with appropriate defensive calls based on what you see from your opponent.
Check out our Umbrella Defense drills to improve coverage, force turnovers, break up passes, and pull more flags.