changes to the various editions of the Gap-Air-Mirror Defense for Youth Football

Below are changes made to the Gap-Air-Mirror Defense for Youth Football, 2nd edition, which comes out June 13, 2013 since the first edition, which was printed in 2000 and 2009:

• The first edition had 83 pages; the second edition has 92 pages
• The second edition covers how to stop the speed-option play
• The second edition covers how to stop the zone-read option (made famous by Colin Kaepernick in the 2012 NFL season)
• I read the entire book and made changes throughout to update, explain more clearly, and to reflect things I learned from talking to my readers over the years.
• I stopped saying the GAM would not work against any option plays and added discussion of how to stop the speed option and zone-read option (made famous by Niner QB Colin Kaepernick during the 2012 NFL season) plays to the Overview chapter of the book, to the Alignment chapter, and to the Responsibilities chapter.
• I added several paragraphs to the Positions chapter about the need to have the quickest players on the team play blitzing defensive tackle in the shotgun stunt. This is also part of the discussion on how to stop the zone-read option out of the pistol formation. Most youth defenses fail to get pressure on a shotgun QB fast enough. My shotgun stunt does get that pressure but it requires as much quickness as you have on your team. The new edition explains how to find those two quickest players and where choose them with regard to the order of selection for assigning players to GAM positions.
• I added a diagram of the numbering system and another paragraph of explanation for assigning defensive positions when the opponent uses a confusing variety of formations. The numbering system of mirror players is far simpler than the normal assigning a middle linebacker, outside linebackers, and cornerbacks.
• New diagram and more description about how to align against the pistol formation in the Alignment chapter.
• Three new pages about stopping the speed option and the zone-read option in the Responsibilities chapter.
• Four new diagrams about stopping the speed option and the zone-read option in the Responsibilities chapter.
• Discussion about how the GAM has always worked as originally written against some newly fashionable offenses like the spread, bunch, zone, and fly offenses even though they were not previously mentioned in the book per se.
• Discussion of assignment defense (against the option) versus reaction (normal) defense.
• Discussion of assistant coaches actually deliberately sabotaging the defensive coordinator of a GAM team by telling their sons on the defensive line to ignore the coordinator’s admonition to bear crawl for the first two-steps of their line charge.
• Discussion of spotting multiple-play sequences in scouting that opposing coaches use to set your defense up for a particular play.

Below are changes that were made to the first edition of Gap-Air-Mirror Defense for Youth Football during its it’s second printing in 2009:

depth of end box vs. no-back - 1/01
OLB alignment if only 1 WR on your side and more than two quick receivers on other side - 1/01
made quads diagram coincide with alignment rule - 1/01
added E, quads with SE, and trips with SE diagrams - 2/6/01
wishbone diagram, motion diagram - 2/20/01
captain signals for missing player - 3/11/01
Dennis Creehan comment on how to stop the sweep - 3/15/01
diagrams of incorrect 4-point stances - 4/1/01
new MLB align rule vs. 2 or more back offense - 5/8/01
alignment versus veer - 7/24/01
need for increased pass consciousness by line backers and cornerbacks - 8/14/01
additional tipoffs by running backs - 10/8/01
similarity to Bear Bryant’s defense against Oklahoma - 10/11/01
clarification of wide- and short-side end technique - 10/24/01
ditto - 10/27/01
diagram illustrating the gap, air, and mirror defenders - 10/27/01
add wide-tackle 6 to defenses that work against option - 10/27/01
alignment versus team that usually shifts in a predictable way - 10/27/01
in alignment diagrams, MLB generally covers fullback if more than one back - 10/27/01
improved GAM vs. single wing diagram - 10/27/01
improved GAM vs. E-formation diagram - 10/27/01
detail on slide-technique end play to prevent bounce out - 10/27/01
add offset I to alignment diagrams - 10/27/01
added table showing which off-tackle adjustment to use against various offenses - 10/31/01
discussion and 5 new diagrams to show sweep spots for different situations - 11/25/01
Add the words “or power I” after the phrase “four backs in a line behind the center” in the cornerback alignment rule 3. - 2/4/02
Admonition to stop asking me how LBs and CBs tell if run or pass. It’s explained under the subhead “Where the action is” in the “Responsibilities” chapter, doggone it! - 8/14/02

John T. Reed, a.k.a. John Reed, John T Reed, Jack Reed, Voice: 925-820-6292, Email:johnreed@johntreed.com