Identifying Defensive Coverages

2014 Noblesville High School Miller Football

Identifying Defensive Coverages

Defensive Alignments and Techniques

•Alignments– Horizontal – Inside Shade, Outside Shade, Head Up– Vertical – Tight, Neutral, Loose

•Under Coverage– Linebackers, Corners (based on coverages)

•Deep Coverage– Strong Safety, Free Safety, Corner

Defensive Alignments and Techniques

•Run Support Categories

– Outside Force – Set the edge, forces things inside

– Inside Force – Inside Press, make things spill to outside

– Fill – Secondary player that fits the force defenders

– Fold – backside player folding to pursuit

– TD Saver – backside player taking a deep angle

– Counter/Cutback – box player responsibility

– Defensive End Techniques

•Spill – wrong arm technique, makes the play bounce

•Contain – outside free player forces plays inside

Secondary Initial Movements

• Squat– Cover 2 Corner or OLB– Cover 4 Safety looking to rob a zone– Inverted Safety in Cover 3

• Shuffle/Jam– Corner or OLB in Cover 2– Down defender in Man Coverage


•Attack– Corner or Safety Blitz– Pressure from Wide OLB

•Retreat– Deep Coverage Players– Zone defenders that bail or play bump and

run


•How do they react to the run?– Fast or Slow– Speed to get downhill– Angles to play– Order of arrival

These factors will dictate how secondary players are accounted for in the run game.

Reading Defensive Coverage

• Things to consider– The importance of it pre-snap vs. post-snap– Expectations for reading it: who, what, how

• It has to be functional not rocket science…– Categorize it, not name it

•# of Safeties, technique of Corners, CAPS– Man or Zone– Where is Number 4 to each side – what’s his

responsibility?– Middle of the field open or closed – MOFO, MOFC

2013 Coverages Faced

• Cover 4– 42, 7

• Cover 2– 2 Man, 24, 2 Robber, 12

• Cover 0– Man Free, Man Spy

• Cover 3– 3 Cloud, 3 Sky

Reading Defensive Coverages

• Number of safeties• Any post-snap rotation• 2 Safeties = 2, 4, 24, 42, 2 Man• 1 Safety = 1, 3, Man Free

• Number of players – CAPS - deeper than 5 yards • 4 = Cover 4 - Zone Coverage• 3 = Cover 3, 42 - Zone Coverages• 2 = Cover 2, 2 Man – Zone, Man Coverage• 1 = Man, Man Free, 3 – Zone, Man Coverage• 0 = Man – Expect a Blitzer(s)

Types of Man Coverage

• Cover Zero – Man with Blitz, No FS• Man Free – Man with 1 FS in the Middle

of the field• 2 Man – Man underneath with 2 Deep

Safeties

Types of 1 Safety Zone Coverages

• Cover 3 – 2 Bail Corners, 1 FS in the middle of the field

• Cover 3 Sky – Rotation coverage• Cover 3 Cloud – Rotation coverage

Types of 2 Safety Zone Coverages

• Cover 2 – 2 Cap Players• Cover 4 – 4 Cap Players• Cover 24 – 3 Cap Players• Cover 42 – 3 Cap Players

Ways to Attack Defenders

• Assignment Conflict– Use Concepts to attack their assignment

•High/Low Concept• Inside/Out Concept•Replace Concept•Crossing Concept•Flood Concept

Ways to Attack Defenders

• Take advantage of what the scheme gives you– Know where the soft spots are – Play to get completions – don’t force a throw– Determined by pre-snap read and post snap key

defender

• Dictate Alignment/Responsibility of a defender– Use of formations: Bunch, Spread, Tight, Empty– Use of motion– How can we gain leverage on a defender to put them

in conflict?

Passing Zone

• Passing Zones

Responsibilities per Coverage

• Corners•Man – Man on #1• Two – Flat (Squat, Rotate, Jam or Soft)• Three – Outside 1/3 (Bail or Backpedal)

•Three Sky•Three Cloud

• Four – Outside ¼ (Bail or Backpedal)


• Free Safety•Man – Free player – middle of the field• Two – Deep ½ player (backpedal)• Three – Middle 1/3 (backpedal)• Four – Inside ¼ (Settle and read or

backpedal)


• Strong Safety•Man – Free player – middle of the field• Two – Deep ½ player (backpedal)• Three – Flat Player

•Sky•Cloud

• Four – Inside ¼ (Settle and read or backpedal)

Attacking Coverage – Two Deep Zone

• Strengths– Strong vs. the run - leverage on both WR’s– Cover underneath zones– Four rush players - Take away quick game

• Weaknesses– Safeties must cover half the field– LB’s must cover the curl– Strong side pass contain– Wide splits create lanes


• Spread formations to stretch the safeties• Vertical stretch the flat to create lanes• Weakside Curl• Corner Routes• Flood concepts• Vertical Stretch• Fade/Seam/Corner• Shallow Cross• Tier routes to the outside third


Attacking Coverage – Three Deep Zone

• Strengths– Safe – always three deep players– Strong side force against the run– SS can get under and out - Can cover 7 zones– Can maintain strong side pass contain

• Weaknesses– Large curl and horizontal seams– No leverage on WR’s - Late to cover the

flat– Can’t cover strong Flood - Weakside force


• Stretch vertically and horizontally• Throw in an alley with three on two• Flood Routes• Weakside Curl/Flat• Sprint away from SS• Turn in routes• Flat route on soft corner• Wide formations


Attacking Coverage – Quarters

• Strengths– Leverage on weakside WR - Deep routes– Weakside force and pass contain– Easy to disguise– Coverage of underneath zones– Double single WR to the weakside

• Weaknesses– Weak safety responsibility - Strong Floods– Sam to flat quickly - Strong contain– Weakside flat - Wide Splits


• Horizontal Stretch• Vertically stretch the flats• Strong side flat routes• Weakside Curl• 3 x 1 Formations and motions• High/Low Safety• Deliver to the flat quickly• Wide formations• Sideline tier routes


Attacking Coverage – Man Coverage

• Strengths– Pressure possibility - Rush 6 or 7– Big play potential - Clog running lanes– Force quick throws

• Weaknesses– Poor run support - Crossing routes– Mismatch with RB’s vs. LB’s– Hard to disguise vs. motion - Gamble defense– Deep zone left uncovered - Bunch sets

Attacking Coverage – Man Coverage

• One back or Empty sets• All WR’s are 1 on 1• Tough to cover quick in cuts (slants/levels)• Running plays/perimeter options• Force coverage and reduce the rush• Vertical stretch• Mismatches• Crossing routes• Releases

Down and Distance Passing Strategy

• First Down– Use play action passes like run plays from

base formations– Quick, high percentage passes– QB can’t take a sack– Defenses vary their look, use option style

routes or CWM routes


• Second Down +7– High Percentage Completions to reach 3rd

Down•Good protection scheme•Flood routes

– Include check with me routes for the QB•Quick game or drop back game

– Consider “Hot” routes for blitz threat•Move the pocket

– Delay routes are effective due to aggressive zone drops


• Third Down +10– Deep Corner routes– Switch routes– Smash Routes

• Third Down +7– Blitz down– Move the pocket– Hook/Curl/Horizontal routes– Sacks don’t kill you


• Third Down 4-6– Defenses will favor their coverage – have a

blitz plan– WR’s must run 1st down routes– Emphasize run after the catch

• Third Down Short– Expect tight coverage– Insure the depth of the routes


• Red Zone +15– Use crossing routes– Be blitz ready– WR should work to the back of the end zone if

busted route– WR’s must use good cuts and acceleration

• Red Zone +5– Use crossing routes– All routes must be ran in the end zone– QB can’t take a sack– QB must miss outside/no late throws


• Coming Out– Have a blitz plan– Use isolation routes on the edges, out of

traffic– Use max protection when possible

Documents

Identifying Defensive Coverages