Always a way to improve your game , even when you have limitations. Make the "outside of the box thinking" your benefactor not your adversary.
Roldan Leyba
roldanrene@hotmail.com
Atlanta Dream Exec Dan Gadd on Driving Fan Engagement and Growth, Serving the...
25 Defense Spread Gun Coverage Guide
1. 25 D
Defense used against spread gun
teams with a weak running game.
Or
Defense has a limit on D-Line
players.
Roldan Leyba, Satellite
HS. Satellite Beach , FL.
2. WHY
• Kills inside run game, forces outside run by RB and QB.
• Allows the use of Cover 3,4 and 2.
• Allows 8 Defenders in Coverage
• Allows Inside Stunts we call STICKS and Heavy Outside Blitz
combinations, and Fire Zone against 50-60 fronts that will
over- whelm the Offensive Line.
• Forces RB in protection thus only 4 receivers can be used.
• Mixes well with Base 43 and 34 Defense fronts.
• Overloads field side Hash play without sacrificing and
unbalancing the Defense front 7 or 8
• Easy install with three looks in the front.
3. Rules
• Stay or Go Rule. OLB’s can attack or stay on
outside to read play. If Team runs Zone read
they read the QB. If team runs a pitch option
they have RB.
• Pick up #4.(RB) Strong and Will always pick up
that RB who slides to lower flat even if Blitz
call is on.
• Trip receivers always check to our base Cover
21 call. Unless we have practiced another
cover.
4. Personnel
• Nose- must be the best and strongest D-Lineman
• Tackle- Must be the fastest D-Lineman
• Rifle-Strong Safety type and aggressive
• Strong- outside linebacker who can hit and play TE 1 on 1. Will
always have stay or go rule, pick up Number 4.
• Buck- Agile Middle-line backer who can play hole coverage.
• Mike a good strong Middle-linebacker who loves to blitz.
• Will- a DE type who can play flat coverage and can read through
and Key RB and QB
• Wolf Corner/Corner can play cover2 read 1 to 2 or 1 to QB
• SS can play 1 0n 1 with Slot and play Cov 2 and able to come up and
force.
• FS has to cover hash to hash easy in Cov 3.
5. Tackle and Nose play.
• The Nose has to be able to 2 Gap read and get off
his Man and make inside tackles.
• The Tackle has the speed to force the blocking
scheme and be the inside rush man.
• They will only line up mid field 3 tech Outside
shoulder of Guards or 2tech Head up on
Guards(playing the hash) Nose will Line up on
defense Head up on Center and play two gap.
• With Tackle at 3 tech to field.
• Calls are. Right Slant –Left Slant- Shoot- and
Trash Bag are the Line calls.
6. Line call when Head UP only.
• Slant right- The Nose and Tackle will slant to right.
Nose will play Gap and over- which is play the gap at
1 Yard depth and play the next gap outside.
• The Tackle will pass rush his Gap
• Blitzes will be named to Backers names. WhaM , Will
and Mike blitz.
• Stick ,is a two Gap blitz. Like C gap to A gap move.
• (see illustration)
7. Slant Right
NT
The Nose fights to
1 yard depth
squares his
shoulders and plays
gap to outside / it
allows inside stick
from Will.
W
BM
S
Buck ,Reads and Reacts.
25 Base Slant Right WhaM STICK
WhaM is Blitz call, STICK tells Will to go inside. STICK call
only for S/W/R
R
Rifle, Reads and Reacts or in Cover Scheme.
Will Blitzes
two gaps
inside
8. Slant Left
NT
The Nose fights to
1 yard depth
squares his
shoulders and plays
gap to outside
W
BM
S
.
R
Any 25 call Blitz, Stick or Fire Zone can be called.
9. SHOOT Call is used to maximize Pass
rush. This can be called on outside
shoulder, hit the gap and go.
• Can run Blitz, Fire Zone .
• (please see illustrations on next slides.)
• The alignment Of the Mike cause a forced blocking scheme
and helps in the pass rush, freeing one rusher. The only
adjustment is keeping the RB in for protection. ( This can
open a screen to weak side) The adjustment is Strong takes TE
man and Buck spies RB. Thus Screen heavy teams have a real
problem with defense.
10. Shoot on 25 OUT with Buck Blitz
NT W
B
S
R
TE
M
SS
SS takes TE man- Strong Buzzes Curl
taking inside route away from wide
Receivers- 3 Man rush on Weak side.
Mike spys
inside blitz to
center
11. Shoot on 25 Rifle /SS Fire Zone OUT
NT W
B
S
R
TE
M
Fire Zone on TE side
SS
Strong Buzzes Curl and
Buck turns and drops into
seam reading TE taking
Inside away. Cover 3 run
behind
Tackle cause the
combo because of
alignment of Rifle.
12. Shoot on 25 Rifle /SS Fire Zone OUT
NT W
B
S
R
TE
M
Fire Zone on TE side
SS
Tackle cause the
combo because of
alignment of Rifle.
Buck spys RB takes
away weak side
screen, strong side
and middle screen.
13. Trash Bag
• This call tells the Nose and Tackle grab the
man inside you or head up and Bull rush him
Back and Inside playing the outside shoulder
Gap.
• (see Illustration)
14. Trash Bag Call
NT W
B
S
R
TE
M
Force Guards to Inside play outside
Linebacker play can be Blitz to Read and React.
15. 3 Fronts to the Defense.
• 25 ON- Nose and Tackle Head up on Guards
• 25 Out-Nose and Tackle On outside shoulder
of Guards.
• 25 Over Right or Left- Nose on Center , Tackle
on Outside shoulder of Guard- great on Hash
Field side.
• (illustrations next three pages)
18. 25 Over (line in Middle hash on 60 front)
NT W
B
S
R
TE
M
Buck plays Up on
weak side.
TRASH BAG is best Call for Line on this, it
will seal Guard to Guard Gaps.
19. Covers
• Covers Vs 2x2 –spread / Cover 20/30/32/34/31/40
• Covers Vs 3x1 spread /Cover 21/25
• Covers Vs 2x2 tight- ( with Tight End)
20/30/32/34/31/40
• Covers Vs 3x1 tight-( with Tight End) Cover 21/25
• Cover 20-21-25 (cover 2 scheme)
• Cover 30-31-32/34(cover 3 scheme)
• Cover 40 (quads )
• Can run Cover 1 and Zero also if talent allows.
20. We Pattern read using Triangles
• Corners read 1 to2 or 5 to 4 .
• Safeties read 1 to Ball or 5 to Ball
• OLB´s read 2 to Ball or 4 to ball
• Mike and Buck read Ball and cover Hook to Curl area
or Hole. (NEVER LET SOME ONE CROSS YOUR FACE
GO WITH HIM)
• Cover 2 we funnel outside receivers inside and read
thru to inside receiver.
• Strong and Will have stay and go rule and pick up #4,
the RB which can be numbered 3… this is just an
expression I use.
22. 3X1 spread Cover 21- Cover 2 with
mixed Man cover
NT W
B
S
R
M
1
2
4
5
Q3
C WSS
FS
Or best corner can cover
Man we play the trips in
half field or if on hash
load field side. Rifle has
#3 all the way.
23. 3X1 spread Cover 25- Cover 2 with
mixed Man cover
NT W
B
S
R
M
1
2
4
5
Q3
C W
SS FS
FS and W double
cover- R buzzes the
flat Mike hit high curl,
Buck takes Hole
Corner and SS play
cloud to trip side.
25. 2X2 spread Cover 31
NT W
B
S
RM
1
2 4
5
Q
3
C WSS
FS SS and R take Man on
2 and 4 receivers.
26. 2X2 spread Cover 32
NT W
B
S
RM
1
2 4
5
Q
3
C WSS
FS SS take Man on 2
27. 2X2 spread Cover 34
NT W
B
S
RM
1
2 4
5
Q
3
C WSS
FS R take Man on 4
28. 2X2 spread Cover 40
NT W
B
S
R M
1
2 4
5
Q
3
C W
SS FS
TRIANGLE READ from all DB´s
29. Fire Zone, Blitz and Sticks.
• 3 Plus 1 should always be the rush. Seeing that only three are rushing and the
Nose is controlling.
• 3 plus 2 is the best pressure package.
• Using the Strong and Will in Fire Zone with SS and Rifle will stretch the offensive
lines capability and make them keep a RB as a protector.
• Sticks will allow the inside pass rush to collapse pockets quickly. This is a great way
to play a pass heavy offense with a less mobile QB.
• Remember you can't defend everything but you can control what and when you
give offenses and cause them to alter and force the blocking patterns where it
benefits the defense.
• Lastly make your own front attacks that work for a particular opponent, my
philosophy is take away their 10 best plays and make them use what they are not
best suited for.
• Roldan Leyba. all rights reserved roldanrene@hotmail.com