Quote Originally Posted by NM
As for there being more tactics in American Football that's just rubbish imo. There are alot of tactics to Football. For a start you've got different formation's 442, 451, 433, 532, I could go on but won't. You have team's playing counter attacking football when playing away from home. Teams going all out attack, manager's are shiffting players about mid game to increase width or conjest the midfield, I really could go on, but too anyone who dosn't follow Football it's not going to make a blind bit of sense.
I can and will double that bit of "tactics."

Here is the average defense:

-------SS-------------FS----------
CB------------------------------CB
---ROLB--------MLB---------LOLB--
-----DE-----DT-----DT-----DE-----

Defenses can run a 4-3-4 defense, with 4 down lineman, 3 linebackers, and 4 defensive backs, as most teams do. However, about 7 or 8 teams run a 3-4-4 most of the time, with only 3 lineman and 4 linebackers, and for the most part that works out better for teams that can run it, because the offensive lineman don't know where the 4th rusher is coming from. When offenses play 3 wide receivers, teams switch to the nickel - 4 lineman, 2 linebackers, and 5 defensive backs (3 cornerbacks and 2 safeties). Some teams, however, run a 4-2-5, which is different from the nickel. In this formation, instead of 3 CBs and 2 Ss, you have 2 CBs and 3 safeties (Strong, Weak, Free). You can also find dime defenses (4-1-6), and Quarter/Prevent (3-1-7). These are often used at the end of games, where the opposing team's quarterback is going to throw the ball up in the air hoping for miracle. You'll also find goalline defenses (6-3-2), designed to stop plays at the line of scrimmage, and 5-2-4 defenses, used in running situations.

On defense, there are about a billion different play options. The average defense is called Cover 2, where the cornerbacks cover the wide receivers, the linebackers cover the backs/tight ends, and the two safeties play zone 10+ yards from the line of scrimmage. Some teams will play zone defense straight across, in which players are assigned areas on the field instead of men to cover. This defenses can be manipulated by a blitz by one of the linebackers, safeties, or cornerbacks. A blitz is where the player runs into the offensive backfield to sack the quarterback and disrupt a play.

You can also find what's called "Zone Blitz." That is where the defensive ends (look on the diagram above) drop back into coverage where the LOLB and ROLB are, and the LOLB and ROLB blitz in their place. This is used with young quarterbacks who don't know how to handle it (like Brady Smith, a DE, intercepting Eli Manning this past season).

On goalline situations, the 3 linebackers have to play the "gaps' (A gap, B gap, C gap) to prevent running backs from scoring touchdowns. This is all done on the spot.

That's just the defense.