Thread: What's the difference between 1 gap and 2 gap schemes in football?

I heard something on TV about 1 gap and 2 gap schemes and how the Jacksonville Jaguars use the 1 gap scheme while teams like the Falcons use the 2 gap scheme on defense. I was wondering what they were and what's the difference. The only thing I know is that 1 gap schemes allow the DT to have more chances to make plays while 2 gap schemes require the DT to take on blockers. But what exactly is the difference and definition?

Thanks

1 Gap requires a D player to take on his man and occupy that space. It is mainly out of a 4-3 defense (4 down lineman).

2 Gap requires a D player to fill between two O lineman and thus plugging 2 gaps. This mostly comes out of a 3-4 D (3 down lineman).

Teams with a beefy nose tackle will often play a 3-4 because it allows them to just cheat up linebackers or safeties to cover the run.

A gap is the space between the OL
LT LG C RG RT - that's how a OL lines up, you can put a TE on either side which would make that side the Strong side. Lets say you have 2 gap responsibility. Well if you are a NT that would mean you have the gaps on both sides of the C, so you have to fight to hold your point off attack to see which gap needs to be filled. If you have 1 gap you just fill that hole at the snap of the ball.

1 gap is used by small running backs
2 gap is used by the bigger backs

The 1 gap is when the DT is to the left or right of the center.... usually defense do that during short yardage situations.... but the 2 gap is when the DT is Left of the offensive guard.... usually for regular defense....

One gap means one DT is going to be shaded in the 1gap next to the center and the other DT on the weak side will be in the 3 gap. The DT shade to the TE or the strong side of the field in a one gap. A 2 gap has both DT in the same gap 1 or 3 on both sides. The D doesn't shade in 2 gap. Most D's run 2 gap in goal line or against a great inside running offense. Most defenses basically has a strong side DT and weak side DT. The weak DT is almost always is going to be on the right side of the defense. In a gap defense he is going to line up in the 3 gap and the Strong tackle like Casey Hampton or Buger MCfarland will line up in the one gap like I said earlier. The strong tackle is a run stopper and the weak tackle is a combo passrusher runstopper. In the 2 gap both are there to stop the run. The two defensive ends even move inside to stop the run. The 2 gap is going to always be a 8 man front front.