---
slug: "dig-williams"
title: DIG
depth_tier: entry
side: DEFENSE
category: Pressure
source_id: "DEF-0038"
created: 2026-04-06
updated: 2026-05-18
canonical: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/dig-williams
---
# DIG

## Short Definition

A blitz adjustment directing the edge rusher inside and under a second-level blocker—attacking the interior the blocker's outside leverage is not protecting.

## Definition

DIG is a blitz adjustment directing an edge rusher to attack inside and underneath a second-level blocker—typically a tight end, fullback, or lead back—rather than taking the exterior arc rush path that the blocker's leverage is designed to neutralize. The call tells the rusher his route before the snap: identify the assigned second-level blocker and go inside and under him. The blocker who has outside leverage set to prevent the arc rush finds his assignment attacking from the opposite direction.

The mechanism exploits the specific vulnerability of a tight end or fullback who sets with outside leverage anticipating an edge rush. When the blocker commits his body and footwork outside to take away the arc, the rusher dipping inside moves to the one area the blocker's alignment cannot effectively reach. The inside path is shorter to the quarterback than the arc, which means the DIG rusher can arrive faster while also attacking from an angle the protection didn't assign anyone to handle.

In the Williams system, DIG stands for Dogger Inside Guy—identifying the blitzer's inside assignment relative to a specific second-level blocker. The designation varies by system but the mechanism is consistent: the edge player's inside path is the pre-called assignment, not an in-play counter move. This is what distinguishes DIG from a standard inside counter a pass rusher executes in real time. A real-time counter happens because the rusher reads the blocker's weight and converts; a DIG is determined before the snap so the rusher can build his first step toward the inside path without showing it early.

The DIG assignment works best against blocking schemes that use tight ends as protectors in the rush lane—either as a primary assignment or as a chip blocker—because those schemes depend on the tight end's outside alignment to provide coverage against the most common rush path. A rusher attacking inside forces the tight end to reset his footwork in real time, which he usually can't do cleanly against a pre-called inside path.

## Example

"Edge rusher is in DIG on the tight end—he's going inside and under at the snap. The TE sets outside to take away the arc. The rusher dips underneath before the TE can redirect. The tackle has no one to pass the rusher to. Interior pressure from the edge, and the TE's outside leverage was useless."

## Common Confusion

DIG is confused with any inside rush move. A standard inside counter—a rip or spin move to the inside—is a technique the rusher executes in real time. DIG is a pre-called adjustment that specifically tells the rusher to attack inside and underneath a second-level blocker before the snap. The path is determined before the ball moves, not improvised at the point of attack.

## Related

- ADD
- Backer Go
- Crash
- Cross Dog
- Cover 1 / Man
- pressure

---
Source: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/dig-williams