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- Line of scrimmage: terminology uses 0 for the center column, 3 for columns just inside WZ markers.
- 101, good vs. Frenzy, and often necessary with sideline defenses.
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- 303, good vs. ST3 teams.
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- 321, good vs. slow teams.
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- Rowdy style (vs oppo with 4 or fewer players)
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- Backfield: there are many possible structures, but they all fall under four basic types: interior, sideline, asymmetric, and rowdy.
- * Interior defense is most coaches' default against bash teams, at least on FUMBBL. Interior defenses put reasonably inexpensive and/or tough players at the 0 and 3 columns, so the others can be hidden behind them, minimizing the amount of damage that can be dealt and maximizing the chances of the team's best players to deploy where needed. The tradeoff is that it gives the offense free rein to dominate either wide zone, and also it's not a great place to take advantage if you roll a "Blitz!" on the kickoff table. Interior defenses can be deep or shallow, and any line of scrimmage works.
- Default interior defense: "the Boat"
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- Variant interior defense: "the Battleship" (g = Guard)
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- * Sideline defense is a popular variant, especially at low TV when there aren't many players to be protected, or against fast teams, or with teams that are so heavy they don't care where you engage them. Because it takes five men to screen the whole pitch from the 6, 3, and 0 columns, and because you only have 8 men in the backfield, you can't cover every spot. As a result, any sideline defense has at least one place where it is either dependent on the line or vulnerable to the blitz. Also, any sideline defense must stagger players in the 5 and 6 columns against Frenzy offenses, to prevent a surf. (Side Step — or Stand Firm or Fend vs non-Juggernaut Frenzy — gets you around this one, often hilariously if your opponent forgets about your SS and gets himself surfed trying to surf you.) The basic upsides of a sideline defense are a) you force your opponent to commit without letting him go deep, and b) you are in great position to take advantage of weirdness. The basic downsides vary a little from defense to defense, but all have a weakness.
- Default sideline defense: "the Ziggurat"
- Note the 101 line, it's the only way to go. A lot hinges on the lines, so it only works if you are on the upswing of your development curve, but my is it effective.
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- Variant sideline defense #1: "the Forgotten Temple"
- s = Side Step. This is an elf defense, for teams like this one that haven't really been through a bloodbath..
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- Variant sideline defense #2: "the Orcish Conveyor Belt"
- s = Side Step. This is a bash defense, for teams like this one against non-Claw opponents.
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- Variant sideline defense #3: "the Arrowhead"
- Arrowhead defenses need really stout interior defenders, like Blodge Golems or Stand Firm Mummies or something. It's very convenient if you can pull it off, means you can run any line you want, as opposed to a Ziggurat which only works with a 101 line.
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- * Asymmetric defense is a great way of playing a speed team vs a slow team, especially later in development, when you don't want to expose a lot of players and you do want to take advantage of your Kick skill and potential for shenanigans.
- Asymmetric defense example
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- *Rowdy defense is for when the opponent is down to 4 or fewer men, and nothing he does will avail. You just want to protect your bodies, get Cas, and pull quick TDs.
- Rowdy defense example
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