DEFENSIVE SECONDARY

QUALITIES OF PERSONNEL

THE DEFENSIVE SECONDARY IS THE "LAST LINE OF DEFENSE" BETWEEN OUR OPPONENT'S LINE OF SCRIMMAGE AND THEIR GOAL LINE. THE SECONDARY MUST HAVE SURE TACKLERS WHO ARE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR VICTORY - FOR MANY GAMES WILL BE WON BY THE AGGRESSIVENESS OF THE SECONDARY. IN SETTING UP THIS "LAST LINE OF DEFENSE" AND KNOWING ITS IMPORTANCE, WE MUST LOOK FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL MAN THESE POSITIONS WITH AUTHORITY. THEY MUST BE QUICK, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, AGILE, MEAN AND AGGRESSIVE, HAVE A BURNING DESIRE TO WIN AND ABOVE ALL, NEVER LOSE THEIR "COOL."

QUICKNESS: EACH MEMBER OF THE SECONDARY MUST BE ABLE TO REACT TO HIS KEYS AND RESPOND TO THEM QUICKLY. IN ORDER TO DO THIS, HE MUST CONSISTENTLY BE THINKING ABOUT THE SITUATION (DOWN AND DISTANCE, FIELD POSITION, WEATHER CONDITIONS, FORMATION). MENTAL ALERTNESS AND PHYSICAL QUICKNESS MUST BE COORDINATED.

AGILE: THE FIRST RULE OF A DEFENSIVE BACK IS "NEVER GET KNOCKED OFF YOUR FEET." IN ORDER TO FULFILL THIS REQUIREMENT, HE MUST HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OF HIS FEET, ALWAYS MAINTAINING HIS BALANCE. HE MUST USE HIS PERIPHERAL VISION, BE ABLE TO SEE A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE PLAY AS IT DEVELOPS AND KNOW WHERE THE WOULD-BE BLOCKERS WILL BE COMING FROM.

MEAN AND AGGRESSIVE: THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD FOR A SISSY. IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO SACRIFICE TO ACHIEVE VICTORY, YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS PLAYING FOOTBALL, LET ALONE IN OUR "LAST LINE OF DEFENSE." AFTER YOU HAVE READ YOUR KEYS AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TO DO, YOU MUST MOVE WITH "RECKLESS ABANDON" TO DESTROY THE OPPONENT'S PLAY ON THE GROUND OR IN THE AIR. YOUR MEANNESS AND AGGRESSIVENESS WILL SHOW IN THE VIGOR IN WHICH YOU ATTACK YOUR OPPONENT.

DESIRE TO WIN: IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE, ONE MUST HAVE THE DESIRE TO SUCCEED, TO WIN. THIS DESIRE MUST BE SO STRONG THAT NOTHING WILL STAND IN ITS WAY. AN INDIVIDUAL WHO BELIEVES IN WHAT HE IS DOING, WHO HAS PRIDE IN HIMSELF, WHO SAYS I WILL TRY RATHER THAN QUIT, WHO WILL SACRIFICE FOR THE TEAM, AND WHO SEEKS SELF-IMPROVEMENT SO THAT THE TEAM MAY BENEFIT, HAS THE REAL "BURNING DESIRE TO WIN." THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS THESE QUALITIES IN HIS BURNING DESIRE CAN OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLE THAT CONFRONTS HIM.

DON'T LOSE YOUR COOL: IN THE EXCITEMENT OF A GAME, MANY OUTSTANDING ATHLETES HAVE LOST THEIR COOL AND TURNED A SURE VICTORY INTO DEFEAT. IN OUR POSITION OF THE "LAST LINE OF DEFENSE,"

IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT WE NEVER LOSE OUR HEAD OR COOL. IF WE DO, WE ARE NOT ONLY SHOWING OUR IGNORANCE AND LACK OF SPORTSMANSHIP, BUT LETTING OUR TEAMMATES DOWN. OUR POSITION ON THE FIELD DICTATES THE IMPORTANCE WE REPRESENT TO OUR TEAM. VICTORY CAN BE ASSURED OR PRESERVED IF WE DO NOT LOSE OUR COOL.

BASIC RULES PERTAINING TO DEFENSIVE BACKS

A. THE FORWARD PASS:

1. ALL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO CATCH (INTERCEPT "BINGO") A FORWARD PASS.

2. THERE ARE POTENTIALLY SIX OFFENSIVE MEN ELIGIBLE TO BE DOWN FIELD AND TO CATCH A FORWARD PASS: ALL BACKS (INCLUDING THE QB) AND THE ENDS (THOSE WHO LINE UP AT THE END OF THE FORMATION ON THE LOS).

3. IF A DEFENDER TIPS A BALL, ANYONE ON THE FIELD IS ELIGIBLE TO CATCH THE BALL.

4. AN ELIGIBLE RECEIVER WHO IS FORCED OUT OF BOUNDS DURING A DOWN MAY RETURN TO THE FIELD OF PLAY AND IS ELIGIBLE TO CATCH THE BALL.

5. IF A FORWARD PASS IS CAUGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY BY OPPOSING PLAYERS IN BOUNDS, THE BALL BECOMES DEAD AND BELONGS TO THE PASSING TEAM.

6. ONCE A PASS IS TIPPED, PASS INTERFERENCE IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE.

7. CONTACT BY AN OPPONENT WHICH INTERFERES WITH AN ELIGIBLE RECEIVER (OFFENSE OR DEFENSE) BEYOND THE NEUTRAL ZONE IS PASS INTERFERENCE (WHEN THE BALL IS IN THE AIR). HOWEVER, PLAYERS ARE NOT GUILTY OF INTERFERENCE WHEN MAKING A SIMULTANEOUS AND BONAFIDE EFFORT TO REACH THE BALL.

8. THE OFFENSIVE TEAM MAY MAKE ONE FORWARD PASS DURING EACH SCRIMMAGE DOWN, BUT IT MUST BE THROWN BEFORE THE PASSER ADVANCES BEYOND THE NEUTRAL ZONE.

9. AFTER SCORING A TD ON A "BINGO", THE BALL MUST BE HANDED TO AN OFFICIAL IMMEDIATELY.

10. A PLAYER MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE FOOT IN-BOUNDS IN ORDER FOR A CATCH TO BE LEGAL.

B. THE KICKING GAME

1. A VALID FAIR CATCH SIGNAL IS GIVEN BY EXTENDING ONE HAND CLEARLY ABOVE YOUR HEAD AND WAVING THE HAND FROM SIDE TO SIDE MORE THAN ONCE. THIS AFFORDS THE MAN WHO MAKES THIS SIGNAL MORE FREEDOM TO MAKE THE CATCH WITHOUT BEING HIT BY THE MEN COVERING THE KICK. THIS PROTECTION IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT IF THE RETURNER DROPS THE BALL.

2. THERE CAN BE NO FAIR CATCH SIGNAL BEHIND THE LOS.

3. NO PLAYER OF THE KICKING TEAM MAY BE WITHIN TWO YARDS OF THE PLAYER POSITIONED TO CATCH THE BALL.

4. A FAIR CATCH SIGNAL BY ANYONE ON THE RECEIVING TEAM IS A BLANKET CALL FOR EVERYONE. THIS MEANS THAT THE BALL CANNOT BE ADVANCED FOR MORE THAN TWO STEPS IN ANY DIRECTION AFTER THE CATCH.

5. A PLAYER WHO MAKES A FAIR CATCH SIGNAL IS NOT ALLOWED TO BLOCK. ANYONE WHO DOES NOT MAKE A FAIR CATCH SIGNAL MAY BLOCK ABOVE THE WAIST.

6. IF A PUNT IS BLOCKED OUT OF THE END ZONE, IT IS A SAFETY FOR US (2 POINTS). IF WE RECOVER A BLOCKED KICK IN THE END ZONE, IT IS A TD FOR US. IF THE KICKING TEAM RECOVERS A BLOCKED KICK IN THE END ZONE, IT IS A SAFETY FOR US.

7. A PUNT OR FIELD GOAL THAT GOES INTO OUR END ZONE WITHOUT TOUCHING ONE OF OUR PLAYERS BECOMES A DEAD BALL.

8. IF THE IMPETUS PROPELLING THE BALL INTO THE END ZONE IS PROVIDED BY THE KICKING TEAM, A TOUCHBACK RESULTS AND WE TAKE POSSESSION AT OUR 20-YARD LINE. IF THE IMPETUS IS PROVIDED BY US AND THE OPPONENT RECOVERS IN THE END ZONE, IT'S A TD FOR THEM, OR IF THE BALL GOES OUT OF THE END ZONE, IT IS SCORED AS A SAFETY FOR THEM.

9. A KICK-OFF IS A "LIVE" BALL ONCE IT HAS GONE 10 YARDS. WE MUST FIELD ALL KICKOFFS. IF THE OPPONENT RECOVERS THE KICK-OFF, IT IS THEIR BALL.

10. WHEN IN POSITION TO FIELD A PUNT, WE NEVER ALIGN DEEPER THAN OUR OWN 10 YARD LINE. IF THE BALL GOES OVER OUR HEADS, WE LET IT GO. IT WILL PROBABLY HIT AND ROLL INTO THE END ZONE FOR A TOUCHBACK. NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES FIELD A PUNT INSIDE OUR OWN 10 YARD LINE. IT JUST IS NOT GOOD FIELD POSITION.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR DEFENSIVE BACKS

MORE THAN EVER, GAMES ARE WON OR LOST ON PASS DEFENSE

OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVES ARE:

1. MAINTAIN PERIMETER - NEVER ALLOWING AN OFFENSIVE PLAY TO GET OUTSIDE OR BEHIND US.

2. PREVENT THE SCORE - STOP THE TD.

3. INTERCEPT - CAUSE THE OFFENSIVE TURN-OVER.

4. TACKLE - MAKE THE SURE OPEN-FIELD TACKLE.

MUST KNOW FOR ALL DEFENSES:

1. CALL - COVERAGE/FORCE AND SECONDARY FORCE.

2. ALIGNMENT - MUST BE EXACT.

3. STANCE - INSIDE FOOT UP, KNEES FLEXED, ARMS RELAXED, HEAD UP.

4. FLOW - DIRECTION OF BACKFIELD AND/OR BALL.

5. ELIGIBLES - KEY FOR RUN/PASS PATTERN RECOGNITION.

6. RESPONSIBILITY - EXECUTE AND PURSUE.

7. TACKLE - SQUARE UP - EYES ON THE BALL. GET UNDER HIM. EXPLODE UP AND THROUGH. WRAP HIM UP - KNOCK THE BALL OUT.

THINGS WE MUST ACCOMPLISH:

WE MUST: PLAY TEAM DEFENSE.

WE MUST: PLAY THE BALL AT ITS HIGHEST POINT AND INTERCEPT.

WE MUST: RECOVER FUMBLES.

WE MUST: PREVENT THE "BOMB".

WE MUST: USE OUR HANDS TO WARD OFF BLOCKERS.

WE MUST: SCORE ON DEFENSE.

COVERAGE CALLS

THE COVERAGE CALLS WILL BE MADE IN THE HUDDLE COMING FROM THE SIDELINE. THERE WILL BE TIMES, HOWEVER, WHEN WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE "AUTOMATIC" CHANGES ON THE FIELD BASED ON WHAT THE OFFENSE DOES PRIOR TO THE SNAP. THESE CHANGES WILL BE MADE BY THE FREE SAFETY (FS). THIS CALL WILL BE MADE ACCORDING TO FORMATION, MOTION, AND GAME PLAN.

COVERAGE CALLS:

1. COVER 1: MAN DEFENSE. FS HAS NO PASS RESPONSIBILITY. FS PLAYS LIKE ANOTHER LINEBACKER.

2. COVER 2: ZONE DEFENSE. FOUR UNDER - TWO DEEP CLOUD FORCE TO BOTH SIDES. FS AND SS PLAY DEEP HALFS.

3. COVER 3: ZONE DEFENSE: THREE UNDER - THREE DEEP ZONE COMBO FORCE. SKY TO THE SS SIDE, CLOUD TO THE CB SIDE.

4. COVER 4: MAN DEFENSE: STRAIGHT MAN TO MAN WITH FS BEING FREE TO PLAY THE BALL.

5. COVER 5: ZONE DEFENSE: FOUR UNDER - THREE DEEP.

6. COVER 6: ZONE DEFENSE: THREE UNDER - FOUR DEEP PREVENT

7. FIVE UNDER MAN - TWO DEEP ZONE (FS AND HB)

ALIGNMENTS:

A. CORNERBACK AND HALFBACKS:

1. EIGHT TO TEN YARDS DEEP (DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION: DOWN AND DISTANCE) ON THE OUTSIDE SHOULDER OF WIDE RECEIVER (SEE BASIC SPLIT RULES BELOW). AGAINST A TIGHT FORMATION, ALIGNMENT IS:

A. HB ON THE DOUBLE RECEIVER SIDE WITH STRONG SAFETY TO YOUR SIDE,ALIGN SEVEN TO TEN YARDS DEEP AND TWO YARDS OUTSIDE THE TIGHT RECEIVER;

B. CB ON THE SINGLE RECEIVER SIDE, ALIGN FOUR YARDS DEEP AND FOUR YARDS OUTSIDE THE TIGHT RECEIVER.

B. STRONG SAFETY:

1. MOST OF THE TIME YOU WILL ALIGN TO THE DOUBLE RECEIVER SIDE OF THE FORMATION. ALIGN THREE YARDS DEEP AND THREE YARDS OUTSIDE THE SECOND RECEIVER TO YOUR SIDE (USUALLY A TIGHT END). VS. A WIDE SLOT ALIGN FOUR TO FIVE YARDS DEEP ON THE WIDE SLOT (ALSO SEE SPLIT RULES BELOW).

C. FREE SAFETY:

1. 8 - 10 YARDS DEEP, LATERAL ALIGNMENT WILL VARY DEPENDING ON FIELD POSITION, FORMATION, DOWN, AND DISTANCE. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE TIME YOU WILL START IN A "CHEATED" POSITION OVER THE WEAK SIDE GUARD-TACKLE GAP OF THE OFFENSIVE FORMATION

STANCE

1. INSIDE FOOT UP, SHOULDERS PARALLEL TO THE LOS.

2. KNEES BENT AND WEIGHT ON BALLS OF THE FEET.

3. UPPER BODY IS RELAXED.

4. CHIN IS OVER TOES.

5. EYES FOCUSED ON KEYS.

SPLIT RULES

HALFBACK - CORNERBACK: PLAY ANY SPLIT RECEIVER (MORE THAN 5 YARDS FROM TACKLE) OUTSIDE SHOULDER UP TO THE HASH MARK. FROM THE HASH MARK TO WITHIN 5 YARDS OF THE SIDELINE, PLAY HEAD UP. IF RECEIVER IS LESS THAN 5 YARDS FROM THE SIDELINE, PLAY HIM BY SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RECEIVER AND THE HASH MARK. DEFENSIVE HALFBACKS AND CORNERBACKS WILL ALWAYS PLAY INSIDE FOOT UP, UNLESS PLAYING INSIDE THE RECEIVER. IF THE RECEIVER IS CLOSER THAN 5 YARDS TO THE SIDELINE, THE DEFENDER'S INSIDE FOOT SHOULD BE BACK.

FREE SAFETY: HE SHOULD ALWAYS CHEAT (MOVE OVER AT LEAST TO THE B-GAP) TO THE SIDE OF THE FIELD THAT HAS JUST ONE RECEIVER. IF A COVERAGE IS CALLED IN WHICH THE SAFETY MAY HAVE TO ROTATE TO A SPLIT RECEIVER, HE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT HE IS AS DEEP AS THE RECEIVER IS SPLIT WIDE. IF THE RECEIVER IS SPLIT 12 YARDS, THE SAFETY SHOULD BE 12 YARDS DEEP. THE SAFETY SHOULD CHEAT TO THE SIDE OF A SPLIT RECEIVER IF HE HAS TO ROTATE TO HIM.

STRONG SAFETY - IN PLAYING RECEIVER UP TO AND INCLUDING A 5 YARD SPLIT, THE SAFETY WILL MAINTAIN HIS NORMAL 3 X 3 ALIGNMENT. IF RECEIVER IS SPLIT MORE THAN 5 YARDS, HE SHOULD PLAY 4 - 5 YARDS DEEP X 3 YARDS OUTSIDE WHERE NORMAL END WOULD ALIGN.

COMMUNICATION

IT IS NECESSARY THAT DEFENSIVE BACKS LEARN TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THE LINEBACKERS DURING THE COURSE OF THE BALL GAME. THE IMPORTANCE OF TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH. THE COMMUNICATION WE NEED BEGINS WHEN OUR OPPONENT BREAKS THE HUDDLE AND DEPLOYS IN THE OFFENSIVE FORMATION. WE MUST BE CERTAIN WE RECOGNIZE THE OFFENSIVE FORMATION AND THE ELIGIBLE RECEIVERS. A BACK IN MOTION REQUIRES US TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND THIS MUST BE MADE KNOWN TO ALL. IN ADDITION, OUR FORCE CALLS MUST BE MADE CLEAR TO THE SAFETY, CORNER, ENDS, AND LINEBACKERS INVOLVED.

ONCE THE BALL IS SNAPPED AND PLAY BEGINS, WE MUST CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE. WHEN A RUN SHOWS, WE SHOULD BE SHOUTING "RUN." IF WE SEE A CRACK-BACK BLOCK DEVELOPING ON AN END, SAFETY, OR LINEBACKER, WE SHOULD YELL "CRACK!" "REVERSE," "COUNTER," AND "DRAW" OR OTHER PLAY RECOGNITION TERMS WE SHOULD BE SHOUTING IN ORDER TO ASSIST EACH OTHER IN DEFENDING AGAINST A RUN.

IF WE RECOGNIZE THE PLAY AS A PASS, SHOUT IT OUT - "PASS!!" OUR UNDERNEATH COVERAGE (SHORT ZONE RESPONSIBILITY) OFTEN HAS DIFFICULTY SEEING RECEIVERS, SO IT WILL IMPROVE THEIR ABILITY IF OUR MEN COVERING THE DEEP ZONE, WILL CALL THEIR ROUTES: IN, OUT, HOOK, CURL, SCREEN, UNDER, AND CROSS, POST, OR CORNER ON DEEP ROUTES. ONCE THE BALL HAS BEEN RELEASED, YELL"BALL!" IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE GET THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF PEOPLE TO THE FOOTBALL.

WE MUST REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF TALKING. DURING PRACTICE IS THE TIME TO PERFECT THE ABILITY OF OUR SECONDARY AND LB'ERS TO COMMUNICATE WITHOUT THE DISTRACTION OF GAME NOISE.

ONLY THE PLAYERS WHO ARE

WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE

WILL BECOME CHAMPIONS

PERFORM IN A MANNER THAT IS

INCONSISTENT WITH THE WAY YOU SEE YOURSELF

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Copyright 1997
by Roger A. Freeborn
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