Key Reads for Defensive Backs

As a secondary coach I usually get 20-25 minutes of individual time on daily in season. My goal each week is to optimize my time. In doing so I spend a!out ten minutes a day on footwork and !all drills. I then spend another five minutes per day on some aspect of tackling or !lock escape "ne aspect that you can never get enough work on is our #key$ reads for the running game. In today%s game the corners and the safeties must !e clued into the run game. I use the same #key$ progression today that I used when I played at &'(A in the mid to late )0%s. *e read man-on to near !ack to the !ackside guard. "ur main focus is with the man-on to near !ack key. I discuss the !ackside key !ut do not get into great detail !ecause as secondary players we very rarely get to that point of the progression.

*orking with the corners first we will start with diagram +. "ur !ase alignment is ) yards off of a nu! tight end. ,he corner will align opposite the "(-. ,here are three !asic reads for the corner. /+0 1an -lock 2 '- fits inside the !lock3 /20 4own !lock 2 'will fit off the !utt of the "(- who should close down3 and /50 ,6 release 2 '- should work to pass responsi!ility. In diagram 2 we have made a heavy call which tightens down the alignment of the "(-. ,he corner will align opposite and will make the same reads !ut he e7pects the !all to !ounce one hole wider on the run to him. In either case with run away the '- will !ecome a cut!ack8!ootleg8reverse player.

In the 9ervite system our safeties must !e a!le to make key reads from a couple of different alignments. ,hey must !e a!le to make the same reads as the '-%s in diagrams + and 2 as well as make the reads from more traditional safety alignments. In diagram 5 the safety is aligned in a cover 5 look. :e is ; 7 ; off the end man on the line of scrimmage and will read the end man to the near !ack. If the end man down !locks with his !ack at him he will treat this as a run and will have support from the outside in keeping his outside arm and leg free. If the safety gets a pass read then his eyes will go to his nearest vertical threat and he will e7ecute his pass responsi!ility.

4iagram ; shows how key reads work from a <uarters alignment. =ersus a pro set the safety will align +0 yards deep one-two yards outside the 6M"(. =ersus a twins set he will deepen +2 yards and align two yards inside the first removed receiver. :e will read the end man to the near !ack. If the end man down !locks with his !ack at him he will treat this also as a run and he will again have support from the outside in keeping his outside arm and leg free. If the safety gets a pass read then his eyes will go to his nearest vertical threat and he will e7ecute his pass responsi!ility.

As foot!all coaches it is our responsi!ility to develop our student athletes. I learned early in my career that if something is not right you are either teaching it or allowing it. In the secondary we ask our players to make critical split-second decisions. In order to make the correct decision they must !e trained to do so. ,he training all starts with the eyes. *e have to train their eyes so that they can decipher in a split second what is reality and what is fantasy