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defense / run defense
A five-man bear front covers every interior offensive lineman and attacks run gaps immediately.
Animated assignment view
The center and both guards are covered, preventing easy double teams and declaring a heavy interior surface.
Ball at the line
How it works
The defense places linemen over the center and both guards, making combination blocks difficult and freeing linebackers to fill downhill. A safety joins the box as the primary force player while one safety protects against play action.
Eliminate interior displacement and force short-yardage runs to bounce into unblocked support defenders.
The defense puts extra large defenders directly over the middle blockers so there is little room to run straight ahead.
Bear spacing removes clean guard releases, but its compressed structure makes perimeter leverage and play-action eye discipline essential.
Call structure
The heavy front is difficult to hide, but the strong safety can vary box depth and either linebacker can attack first.
{
"schema": "openplay-football",
"schemaVersion": "0.1",
"id": "bear-run-pressure",
"slug": "bear-run-pressure",
"name": "Bear Run Pressure",
"side": "defense",
"category": "run-defense",
"personnel": {
"id": "base-personnel",
"name": "Base",
"grouping": "5 DL, 2 LB, 2 CB, 2 S",
"positionCounts": {
"DL": 5,
"LB": 2,
"CB": 2,
"S": 2
}
},
"formation": {
"id": "bear-front",
"name": "Bear Front",
"family": "five-down",
"strength": "balanced",
"description": "Three interior linemen cover the center and both guards while two edges close the formation."
},
"situationTags": [
"short-yardage",
"run-defense",
"goal-line"
],
"players": [
{
"id": "le",
"position": "DE",
"label": "E",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 19,
"y": 1
},
"alignment": "Left edge",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "runDefense"
},
{
"id": "ldt",
"position": "DT",
"label": "T",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 24,
"y": 1
},
"alignment": "Left guard head-up",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "runDefense"
},
{
"id": "nose",
"position": "NT",
"label": "N",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 27,
"y": 1
},
"alignment": "Center head-up",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "runDefense"
},
{
"id": "rdt",
"position": "DT",
"label": "T",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 30,
"y": 1
},
"alignment": "Right guard head-up",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "runDefense"
},
{
"id": "re",
"position": "DE",
"label": "E",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 35,
"y": 1
},
"alignment": "Right edge",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "runDefense"
},
{
"id": "will",
"position": "LB",
"label": "W",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 23,
"y": 5
},
"alignment": "Weak stack",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "tackling"
},
{
"id": "mike",
"position": "LB",
"label": "M",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 31,
"y": 5
},
"alignment": "Strong stack",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "tackling"
},
{
"id": "lcb",
"position": "CB",
"label": "C",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 7,
"y": 5
},
"alignment": "Left press",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "manCoverage"
},
{
"id": "rcb",
"position": "CB",
"label": "C",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 47,
"y": 5
},
"alignment": "Right press",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "manCoverage"
},
{
"id": "strong",
"position": "S",
"label": "S",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 36,
"y": 8
},
"alignment": "Box safety",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "tackling"
},
{
"id": "free",
"position": "S",
"label": "F",
"initialCoordinate": {
"x": 27,
"y": 14
},
"alignment": "Deep middle",
"side": "defense",
"ratingRole": "zoneCoverage"
}
],
"preSnap": {
"description": "The center and both guards are covered, preventing easy double teams and declaring a heavy interior surface.",
"shifts": []
},
"assignments": [
{
"id": "left-edge-fit",
"playerId": "le",
"type": "run-block",
"responsibility": "Set a hard edge and close the left C gap."
},
{
"id": "left-guard-fit",
"playerId": "ldt",
"type": "run-block",
"responsibility": "Control the left B gap and prevent a clean guard release."
},
{
"id": "nose-fit",
"playerId": "nose",
"type": "run-block",
"responsibility": "Control center movement and constrict both A gaps."
},
{
"id": "right-guard-fit",
"playerId": "rdt",
"type": "run-block",
"responsibility": "Control the right B gap and prevent a clean guard release."
},
{
"id": "right-edge-fit",
"playerId": "re",
"type": "run-block",
"responsibility": "Set a hard edge and close the right C gap."
},
{
"id": "will-fill",
"playerId": "will",
"type": "pass-rush",
"path": [
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 24,
"y": -3
}
}
],
"technique": "Fill first open weak gap"
},
{
"id": "mike-fill",
"playerId": "mike",
"type": "pass-rush",
"path": [
{
"type": "straight",
"to": {
"x": 30,
"y": -3
}
}
],
"technique": "Fill first open strong gap"
},
{
"id": "strong-support",
"playerId": "strong",
"type": "zone-coverage",
"zone": [
{
"x": 32,
"y": 0
},
{
"x": 53,
"y": 0
},
{
"x": 53,
"y": 12
},
{
"x": 32,
"y": 12
}
],
"responsibility": "Force perimeter runs and cover the strong flat on pass."
},
{
"id": "free-middle",
"playerId": "free",
"type": "zone-coverage",
"zone": [
{
"x": 8,
"y": 9
},
{
"x": 46,
"y": 9
},
{
"x": 53,
"y": 35
},
{
"x": 0,
"y": 35
}
],
"responsibility": "Protect the deep middle against play action."
}
],
"timeline": [
{
"type": "pre-snap",
"atMs": 0
},
{
"type": "snap",
"atMs": 500
},
{
"type": "assignment-start",
"atMs": 520,
"playerId": "nose"
},
{
"type": "play-end",
"atMs": 3500
}
],
"narrative": {
"summary": "A five-man bear front covers every interior offensive lineman and attacks run gaps immediately.",
"fullExplanation": "The defense places linemen over the center and both guards, making combination blocks difficult and freeing linebackers to fill downhill. A safety joins the box as the primary force player while one safety protects against play action.",
"strategicPurpose": "Eliminate interior displacement and force short-yardage runs to bounce into unblocked support defenders.",
"idealSituations": [
"Third or fourth and short",
"Goal line",
"Against downhill run teams"
],
"strengths": [
"Interior gaps covered",
"Difficult double teams",
"Fast linebacker fits"
],
"weaknesses": [
"Play-action isolation routes",
"Perimeter passes",
"Few deep coverage defenders"
],
"keyRead": "Interior linemen attack their covered blockers while linebackers read the first uncovered gap and the box safety controls the edge.",
"watchFor": [
"All three interior linemen covered",
"Linebackers filling downhill",
"The offense trying to bounce outside"
],
"beginnerExplanation": "The defense puts extra large defenders directly over the middle blockers so there is little room to run straight ahead.",
"advancedNote": "Bear spacing removes clean guard releases, but its compressed structure makes perimeter leverage and play-action eye discipline essential."
},
"simulation": {
"difficulty": "intermediate",
"conceptTags": [
"run-defense",
"bear-front",
"short-yardage"
],
"baseSuccessRate": 0.66,
"yardRange": {
"min": -8,
"max": 35
},
"turnoverRisk": 0.032
},
"defensiveStructure": {
"front": "Five-down Bear front",
"personnel": "Base 5-2",
"coverage": "Cover 1 run-pressure shell",
"rushPlan": "Penetrate every interior gap on run action and convert to a compressed pocket rush against play action.",
"runFits": [
"Nose controls the center",
"Tackles close both B gaps",
"Edges own both C gaps",
"Linebackers fill the first open interior lanes",
"Strong safety forces the perimeter"
],
"disguise": "The heavy front is difficult to hide, but the strong safety can vary box depth and either linebacker can attack first.",
"strengths": [
"Interior run control",
"Short-yardage penetration",
"Protected linebackers"
],
"weaknesses": [
"Play-action crossers",
"Outside passing space",
"Perimeter speed"
],
"idealSituations": [
"Short yardage",
"Goal line",
"Downhill run tendency"
],
"vulnerableConcepts": [
"play-action-cross",
"outside-zone",
"slant-flat"
]
}
}