Name the 6 most common defenses you see. I am working on a playbook template. Here is what I think, please share.

2-3-1
2-2

3-3
3-2-1

4-2

5-1

Those are the only ones i am familiar with. I always wanted to run a 5-1 sic em defense. We never had the athletes to do it though.

The Trent Gorilla "roll-up" defense. Only certain seasoned guys will remember this one.

2-4, another one like the above.

3-1-2 was used a lot in the old days. Some of your 5-1 defenses are really an inverted 3-1-2 with the safetys pulled up on the line of scrimmage to jam the offensive ends but still have man to man pass defense responsibility on them. The middle linebacker is in the -1 position.

5-1 defenses I have seen are 2-3-1 with corners walked up and coming and safety as 1.

Think back on the Richland Springs and Strawn playoff game in Brownwood. Strawn's go to pass play had thier ends blocking the outside guys who always rushed hard off of the corner no matter what the play was. The defensive people on top of the offensive ends stayed with them even when they were blocking. Strawn's two running backs went through the middle and then out into both deep flats. It was kind of a 15 to 20 yard flag route. The linebacker could cover one but not both. There was always one open.

When you see what looks like a walk up 2-3-1 or just call it a 5-1 and the corners are in the backfield every play, never showing any need for pass route coverage. In my mind they are playing like a 3-man front true defensive end. They are even the primary pass rushers on any pass play. If you are calling plays and blocking like it is a 2-3-1, they have effectively desguised thier defense and you are probably going to get beat.

the "no" defense is popular...

HA.
That's funny.

The reason I mentioned the version of 5-1 I coached against is I equate a 3 front with a down nose guard. In the 5-1 if the nose guard is down he will have harder time staying with his man if he releases, ie the guard in an unbalance line, thus all I have ever seen is the middle man up. Do know when Clawson ran it at PC, his one was hell of a safety who also went to state track meet in 200 meters.

The play you describe has been run a bunch against 5-1. Harvey Wellman told me about it and scored on Clawson with it. ha

In the Strawn-RS game the younger Hicks was playing the -1 position, their best athlete. In later years Ethridge always played the -1 position. Strawn always ran the play out of a T and balanced line. I don't think RS runs a straight man defense against an unbalanced line. It looks more like an offset 4-2.

A few years ago, one of the guys from May that played on their State championship game in the late '70s told me that the inverted 3-1-2 was what they ran that whole year. Their coach felt like his two safetys were better athletes than any ends they would play against. Walked them up on top of the offensive ends, this effectively kept all blockers off his mlb and dared the other team to beat him with a pass.

Makes sense.

I am knew to 6 man football and I am curious if the number of the player is significant or not? ie Is the 1 player on defense typically the best player and vice versa on offense?

Also, the offensive players who are lined up in a three point stance next to the center are called ends or guards?

They are called Ends (by in large)

Usually the 5-1 is a 2-3-1 with the line backers moved.

Also the 3-1-2 could also be seen as a 4-2 if the 1 (middle linebacker) is stunting

A Man to Man match-up defense is also one some teams try...usually leads to high scores

the safety in most 2-3-1/5-1 defenses is usually the fastest skill player, on some of the best defensive teams I watched the middle linebacker (middle of the 3 on the 2-3) or the safety were the best players most skilled players on the team