Had several questions on what Iโm looking at when Iโm identifying coverages. Hereโs a thread on it.
These are generic keys to determine whatโs being played.
Starting a new journey
@oregonfootball
! Appreciative of my time at
@RavenFootballBC
and will miss the BC family.
Thankful to have the best wife in the world on this ride!
#GoDucks
๐ฆ
Here's a thread on man match cover 2... Saban Clip/Cut. Split safety coverage. Clip is the call strong. Cut is the call weak. Essentially it's 2 man but defenders will switch WRs vs out routes.
Playbook pages are from the 2008 Alabama playbook
Cut ups are Week 11 Saints vs Bucs
The LSU install on YouTube is one of the best places to start learning the Saban system. Explains about anything youโd want to know and has video to go with it. Hard to beat that! Hereโs a link:
Had this discussion with a coach the other day.
Defensive philosophy on why you teach kids to do what they do within your system.
First I have to explain the difference between playing โFastโ vs โSlowโ
Big misnomer in defensive football world IMO
There are 4 types of coverage philosophies you can play on defense.
1) Man
2) Zone
3) Man Match
4) Zone Match
This is a basic list of the core coverages Saban runs.
Coverage = Short description. Type.
Excited to announce I have accepted the position as the head football coach at Lexington High School, MO for the 2019 season! Many thanks to guys that helped me along the way! Wanted to give shout-outs to Tim Cogan, Kyle Barkley
@Coach_Lite
@BouchardFred
@SOTOCoachJ
@BarteeDante
Proud and excited to announce a new adventure in my coaching career! I have accepted a defensive position (Corners) at
@RavenFootballBC
!
I am sad to see my time at
@LexingtonFB
end but will forever cherish those memories and relationships.
Go Ravens!
Slinging the Fits = A term for LBs and sometimes DBs vs RPO. Used in mofo coverage bc you canโt max fit or be gapped out presnap.
Rules = If the QB looks at me, I play pass. If the QB looks away, I play run.
Philosophically you're trying to fit mofo coverage like mofc coverage.
When are people going to figure out that great/sound defenses are never in conflict vs RPO?
Yes I said never, and I literally mean absolutely 100% never in conflict.
This is absolutely insane
Looks like LA is playing 6 Site adjustment (sky or buzz rotation based on back release)
Then cutting the X shallow with the final 3 dropper (ends up being 6 buzz with back in the down), and robotting the corner to become the new 3 up is 3 player
Wow
Had a lot of questions on rules for Buster. Here it is from the man himself. I wouldnโt do it justice... Saban puts Buster coverage in the cover 2 family (Zone match), but it is considered a man match (Like cover 5 could be).
*Reading offensive playbook*
.....
*Noticing every run play is drawn where they can block everyone in the box*
.....
*Me trying to figure out what they do when they can't do that in real life*
Since itโs now public knowledge...
My school district has decided to cancel/pause all fall sports due to Covid 19.
My heart aches for our seniors missing out on their last dance. We truly have a special group of kids across the board. Love you guys
#MinutemenPride
You need to do the laterals on KOR instead of Hail Mary + laterals for last play.
You have so many more good athletes on the field for your KOR vs their KO compared to your O vs their D.
3 ways to win football games (within each down). Regardless of O, D, or SPT.
1. Numbers (more or less at POA/Coverage)
2. Leverage (win or lose Edge/Angles or Rec Quad)
3. Matchups (better pers, win 1v1+)
Been getting random questions about Saban Tite vs Mint.
They are the same up front alignment wise 4i-0-4i
The pers on the field is different.
Tite = regular
Mint = nickel
Nickels are coins. You โcoinโ align (star away from Jack) in mint. Mint factories make coins.
I have had a lot of people congratulating me on our teams success this year
Like Iโve said many times, our record isnโt because of me. Itโs because of the players and leadership we have on our team.
Wanted to share an email I received today.
@evan_gosnell
keep up the good work!
This is fantastic run fit information for defending zone read.
Finding a way to play 7 gaps with 6 guys. Stealing gaps at its finest.
This one was new to me!
Was asked yesterday about Shallow distributions by the LBs when playing ZN-match (highlighted in my new book)
Below is a drill we used at
#Baylor
to work the communication
In a 3-down you can work your various inserts & the distributions off them
3v3 - everyone works
#ArtofX
See this a lot on defense and donโt understand why so many are okay with it.
If the offense ran toss sweep and got a 10 yard gain everyone would be losing their mind.
But being a pass/screen somehow makes it okay?
Had a lot of questions on rules for Buster. Here it is from the man himself. I wouldnโt do it justice... Saban puts Buster coverage in the cover 2 family (Zone match), but it is considered a man match (Like cover 5 could be).
"Knowing the names of something does not constitute knowledge."
This was the same approach I took about 8ish years ago when I started learning the Saban system.
I have no idea what this is called but it is nasty ๐คฎ
@CoachDanLanning
in STL talked about bringing unconventional rushers in sim pressures because they are rarely accounted for in the protection.
I am not a fan of turning around to locate the ball when playing man to man.
Man coverage is about getting sacks and incompletions.
Zone coverage is about getting interceptions.
When I saw what
@JoelOsborn_BC
was building at
@BenedictineKS
I couldn't turn the opportunity down! Having so much family in the Atchison/Weston area made it even sweeter.
I am grateful for this opportunity and proud to be apart of the Raven family. Can't wait for the season!
Benedictine Football is excited to announce the addition of two full time coaches to our staff! Former team captain and alum, Jacob Leonard and Kyle Cogan, former Head Coach at Lexington High school (MO).
#UnleashGreatness
I made a new
@thecoachtube
video! This one is on Zone Match 1 High vs 2 back formations. The foundation and building blocks of where it all begins. Here is a link!
I also created a bundle of all my videos together.
Fritz Shurmurs โCoaching Team Defenseโ book published in 1989. Talking about flooding the coverage vs 3x1 in zone one high.
Not much new in defensive football.
Football Friday: 49ers DC Robert Saleh explains a 5 step process to teach players techniques, principles, and concepts for translation onto the field.
#spreadoffense
Had more run fit questions.
First example is 2 high and needing to sling the fits (between S, M, W) if trying to be gapped out, without having enough guys.
Second is one high and being gapped out.
Third is blitz coverage where you are always +1 in the fit, even vs qb run plays
A benefit of playing spot drop vision and break on display for the Bills pick 6.
Condensed field in the low red. Coverage going to be tight due to the space regardless of man or zone. Defense can be less concerned about truly matching routes.
Every tool has a purpose.
@CoachDShack
@CoachTManes
If people are using those terms with kids they donโt understand pedagogy.
I donโt speak to my athletes the same way I do coaches (I donโt even speak to all coaches the same way).
Players donโt need to understand that level of thinking.
2010 Nike COY manual goes through cover 3/6. Hereโs the section on divider rules.
Also touches on fire zone and playing float front with 5 in the box / covering down on WRs with apex LBs against Texas in NC game.
Good read for guys trying to learn.
Random examples of cover 7 (man match quarters) I saw during the first half of the game.
A lot of good clips of them running across the field with crossers, not passing things off, not looking at the QB, not dropping to areas, etc
Example of catch man. Like it in RZ/GL and when playing in the slot during normal D&D situations.
Toughest thing is keeping feet under you when popping them. Canโt widen your base or you have to step to get them back under you and can lead to over extension (which happens here).
2 high coverage vs 10p (6 gaps presented) only have 5 in the box.
5 blockers for 5 defenders. Example of being out gapped vs one back power scheme.
Trying to sling the fits between the 3 LBs.
LB 42 sitting on rpo read. LB 30 trying to fold in as 6th defender but gets cut off.
Playing the rpo in quarters. Stump at the top, cone at the bottom. Hipping the backers to trips and taking the mike (3 player) completely out of the run fit. Push everyones fit a man over so you can get the WS involved as the 6th guy to stop the run.
Good change up for 3rd and long instead of using a sim pressure.
Drop 8 but use the 8th guy as a spy. Run a DL stunt to flush the QB out of the pocket and trigger the spy player to run him down.
I was talking to
@BarteeDante
last week about making different force calls based on Y on/off due to the probability of the gap moving post-snap when Y is off the ball.
Can see 15 having to go from being the pre-snap D gap player to the new B gap player after 81 inserts inside.
How many players are rushing?
3 = Traditional coverage with QB spy or Drop 8 variation.
4 = One or two high. Traditional coverage.
5 = Man free no rat. Fire zone (3D/3U Or 2D/4U). Man match two high + blitz.
6+ = Blitz coverage. 3D/2U. Man free no rat and peel edge rushers.
1997 MSU playbook. A ton of this terminology is still used today in Sabans defense. The old Saban playbooks hold a lot more information than people think. This one and the 2001 LSU break things down and define concepts. Best places to start if youโre wanting to learn the defense.
6 Buzz (zone match weakside rotation with backer support to single side)
This puts the WS as the final 3 player. Allows a DB body to play the bender route vs trips. Great vs 4 verticals because the safety is a better cover guy than the LB who is normally the Str hook / 3 player
Closing thoughts you have to teach technique either way. The techniques used come down to how you want/need to get the job done.
Obviously play calling is a factor in this whole idea as well.
Not as good/back against the wall = Take chances.
Better talent = Make off execute.
Read Pop stunt at the bottom. Cover 6 playing Skate. Gapped out, fitting it a different way.
Stunts are great to confuse blocking schemes and get run-throughs. Also, it can allow DBs to fit perimeter gaps and not always fit interior ones.
Can be used in all coverages!
The 2020 Lexington Minutemen are bringing it with this look!
โ Logo on one, side number on the other
โ Tapered stripe with logo AND "Minutemen"
โ Blue chrome star award stickers
๐๐๐
Replacement pressure.
Not showing pressure/blitz and then rushing a 2nd or 3rd level defender (still just a 4 man rush overall) while dropping a 1st level defender back into the coverage.
Not an Aranda guy but believe he calls these 'Creepers'
One of Bamas main 3rd down coverages, 25 Buster... Top of the screen is a great look at the Star cutting the 1 when his man is out. You can see the sink technique by the corner as well. The
@NikeCoyFootball
books have a ton of information on Buster from Saban himself.
Updated my run fit videos on
@thecoachtube
. Added 22p, 12p formations. TE/Wing variations. Strong side rotation (cover 3) run fits. Unbalanced formations. Summer teach tape video. More run fit templates. Explanation of setting the front and LSL philosophy
Pattern match is an outdated, generic term. NFL/ elite colleges always match the routes.
If I canโt determine if itโs a zone match or man match I watch the LB drops. LBs are key to determine which one it is. Passing off short routes? ZM. Running across with them? MM.
Cover 7 vs the RPO. Stump at the top, Cone at the bottom. Have to hang the 3 player on the pass portion and get the WS in the fit as the 6th defender to stop the run. Compartmentalizing jobs is crucial to defending the RPO game.
Want to learn zone match cover 3? Gotta start in 2 back first. Principles carry over to every other formation youโll have to defend. 2001 LSU playbook has rules, diagrams, and techniques for each position. One of the top defensive playbooks out there.
Anybody not aware of the blitzology website must check it out. Itโs been running strong for over 10 years and created by one of the best defensive coaches in the game!
What is the leverage of the nickel/star/OLB?
Inside = Two high or blitz (could be one high if wide splits)
Outside = One high (could be a select few two high coverages)
Saban Cover 7 (man match quarters)... Connie at the bottom. The WS Thompson (14) is able to flood the coverage and poach strong due to nobody being vertical on his side. Great job by Wilson (30) taking his man thru. Can see the slow bail by Smith (4) reading the releases as well.
Strange of me to have run and pass defenders vs rpo... Almost like every other coach would when defending veer option. Have a dive, Qb and pitch player for each phase.
Itโs almost like Iโm saying the โpassโ is the pitch guy... and Iโm putting someone on him... Hmmm ๐ค
Nahh
When are people going to figure out that great/sound defenses are never in conflict vs RPO?
Yes I said never, and I literally mean absolutely 100% never in conflict.
@alltwentytwo
Leverage of the nickel is going to tell you 1 or 2 high almost every time.
Nickel usually inside leverage for 2 high. (To reroute and keep them in the seam and out of MOF)
Nickel usually outside leverage for 1 high. (Due to divider leverage with normal/minus splits of WR)
Dime Even Mac Tom 0
Dime = Pers
Even = 4 down double 3s front
Mac = Mac B gap blitz reading off the slide (also tells safety he's rushing and has to cover his original responsibility)
Tom = DL interior twist
0 = Man free no rat (5mp)
Alabama running 5 man pressure concept. Interior T-T game results in C/G working to pass twist off. Pressure comes from off the ball starting pressuring timing after the G is committed to passing off stunt. Very difficult for OL to ID & account for post-snap insert pressure.