1. 3 Deep Coverage Concepts
St. Augustine Football
3 Deep Coverage Concepts
Coach Joey Wiles
2005 3A State Champions
2001 3A State Runner up
2007 3A State Runner up

2. Contact Information
St. Augustine HS
3205 Varella Ave.
St. Augustine, Florida
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3. Program Background Previous seven years: 18 – 54
Last fourteen years: 151 – 34
About 1,600 students
Diverse student population
Many low socioeconomic students

4. Influenced SAHS Defensive Philosophy :
Bob Stoops
Bo Pelini
Tom Bradley
Ron Vanderlinden
Greg Mattison
Troy Douglas
Chuck Bresnahan
Phil Elmassian

5. SAHS Defensive Philosophy
Stop the run: Load box.Uncommon physicality.
a. 8/9 man box vs two back sets
b. Movements for undersized kids
c. Div. 1 (29-1opponent under 100)
Simple=Success (Dungy)
Must be fixable and stand the test of time.
Win the turn over battle. (NFL study:82 % win).
Have two answers for each set/situation.
Must be able to pressure.
Don’t give up big play.(24-1)(Div 1)( 2 or less +25 yd plays)
Race Horse practice tempo.(2 group:Skel/Inside/Team)
Take away opponents identity

6. Zone Pass Defense Principles
Know receivers who are threats to your area.
Receivers cannot get behind deep defenders.
Keep receivers out of your blind spot. (Corners)
Go only as wide and deep to cover a threat.
See ball always. Peripherally see receivers.
Communication between DBs and LBs
Play deepest receiver when two are in same zone.
Must run straight lines to the ball.
Strip receivers high.

7. SAHS 3 Deep Musts
Protect against 4 verticals. Carry verts by #2 and react to under/flat routes.
Flat defenders play wheel routes.
To single receiver play inside leverage.
Lock call to all 2x2 sets.
Flat defender to the boundary will “cut” on pass.
Flood call to 3x1 sets.
Vs. 2 back S/S can cut #1. No 4 vertical threat.
Prevent vertical entry.

8. Things you must work constantly
1. Defending four verticals. 2. Post wheel combinations. 3. Late exchanges. 4. Three level routes. (Floods) 5. Deep crossers. Run alot of ½ line combo routes.

9. Coverage Philosophy
65 % Palms/Mini (Two high safeties)
15% Zone Pressure (Fire Coverage)
25% Cover 3

10. Base Front: Slide (Over) Cover 4
Nose, End, Sam: Travel together
Tackle, End, Will: Travel together
S/S : Align to TE
F/S : Opposite S/S
Strength call : * To TE
* No TE-To Single Receiver
* No TE,2x2-To The Back

11. *F/S aligns 12-14 yds deep and always splits the two widest receivers*
Cover 3 Alignments
Ball in MOF
Depth Leverage Divider
Corners: 7-9 yds 2 yds in – out shade Top of #’s
Curl/Flat: 6-8 yds outside eye #2 Hash
Ball on Hash
Corners: 7-9 yds 1-2 yds in/out #1 split hash/#’s
*F/S aligns yds deep and always splits the two widest receivers*

12. Coverage: 3 vs. Pro E N E T W M S S/S C C F/S Curl/Flat Hook/Curl
1/3 7yd
1/3
7 yds
F/S
1/3
13yds

13. Coverage : 3 vs. Twins N E E T S W M SS C C F/S Curl/Flat Curl/Flat
Hook
Hook /#3
1/3 C
1/3
F/S
1/3

14. Coverage : 3 vs. Twins OpenM SS C
Curl/Flat
Curl/Flat C
Hook/Curl
Hook /Curl
1/3
1/3
F/S
1/3

15. Coverage : 3 vs. Doubles N E E T S W M SS C C F/S Curl/Flat Lock Call
Hook/Curl
Hook /Curl
1/3
1/3
F/S
1/3

16. Coverage : 3 vs. Ace N E E T S W M SS C C F/S Curl/Flat Lock Call
Hook/Curl
Hook /Curl
1/3
1/3
F/S
1/3

17. Coverage : 3 vs. Trips N E E T S W M SS C C F/S Flood Call Curl/Flat
Read #3 C
Hook/Curl
Hook /Curl
1/3
1/3
M: Will push past #3 and work to curl
W: Will push To #3 and wall him
F/S
Read #3

18. Cover 3 Reads: Pass VS. Verticals E T N E W S M S/S C C F/S
SC: Get depth on both verticals
FS: Hold triangle/MDR #2
SS: Hold seam, drive to flat
WC: Man turn, play vertical.
W: Hang on curl, react to flat

19. Cover 3 Reads: Pass VS. Wheel E T N E W S M M S/S C C FS
SC: Play curl route.
FS: Hold triangle/MDR #2 to BS Post
SS: Hang on flat, carry wheel.
WC: Man turn, Play curl.
W: Hang on curl, react to flat

20. Cover 3 Reads: Pass VS. Smash E T N E W S M S/S C C F/S
SC: Get depth play, corner/seam
FS: Hold triangle/MDR #2
SS: Hold seam, drive to flat
WC: Play post
W: Hang on curl, react to flat

21. Cover 3 Reads: Pass VS. 4 Verticals E T N E W S M S/S C C F/S
SC: Get depth play QBs eyes
FS: Hold triangle/Play vertical
SS: Man on #2, shallow, zone off
WC: Man on #1
W: Cut the flat route

22. Cover 3 Reads: Run Fits E T N E W S M S/S C C F/S Alley Full Flow Weak
Support S M
S/S
Cutback C
HB Pass C
Homerun
F/S Alley
SC: Get depth , prevent homerun
FS: Fill inside out on ball
SS: Check cutback, pursuit angle
WC: Play HB pass, outside in on ball
W: Stack position, box football.

23. Cover 3 Reads: Run Fits E T N E W S M S/S C C F/S Alley
Full Flow Strong E T N E W
Cutback S M
S/S
Support C
Homerun C
HB Pass
F/S Alley
WC: Get depth , prevent homerun
FS: Fill inside out on ball
W: Check cutback, pursuit angle
SC: Play HB pass, outside in on ball
SS: Box football.

24. Motion adjust: Pro to TwinsE N E T W M S
S/S C C
F/S

25. Motion adjust: Twins to ProE N E T S W M
S/S C C
F/S

26. Motion adjust: To Ace E N E T S W M
S/S
Lock C C
F/S

27. Motion adjust: To Trips
Flood Call E N E T S W M
S/S C C
F/S