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jvcoach
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After many years of playing nothing but man coverage, our guys (12yo) are truggling to pick up the concept of playing the deep zone.  We've described it, walked through, modeled, etc. how they should play in zone yet they still want to find a guy close to them and just cover that one guy.  We have been repping it in coverage drills and live for three weeks now and only a couple of our guys seem to get it.

We will continue to rep it and hopefully it will eventually gel with them, but I would also appreciate any suggestions to get us there sooner than later.

Thanks


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Coach Correa
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Which variation of zone  Coach ?

Head Coach Tito Correa New Britain Raiders 14-U


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jvcoach
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We're out of a base 4-3 with a couple of different coverage packages including an inverted cover 2, the standard cover 2, as well as a cover 3. It's usually the corners just not getting deep because they see some guy underneath and decide they must cover him even though our hook curls guys are in that zone.


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Coach Correa
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Who do you have them reading ?

Head Coach Tito Correa New Britain Raiders 14-U


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jvcoach
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We have them reading the #1 to decide pass or run.


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Coach Correa
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Try reading # 2 to there side . Especially if there's 2 backs in the backfield.

Head Coach Tito Correa New Britain Raiders 14-U


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Dusty Ol Fart
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Cover 2 / Cover 3?  How do you accomplish Cover 3 from the 4-3?  Tampa 2 is Cover 3 but you need a very athletic Mike Backer who can cover Middle 3rd.

Assuming you are Cover, 2 1/3rds under Base?

Not MPP... ONE TASK!  Teach them!  🙂


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jvcoach
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We bring SS down to a LB, so at that point you could call it a 4-4 with FS deep.


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Coach Correa
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You can definitley run C3 from 4-3 matter of fact if i ever dove into even structure world i would base out of C3 and C1.

Head Coach Tito Correa New Britain Raiders 14-U


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Dusty Ol Fart
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We bring SS down to a LB, so at that point you could call it a 4-4 with FS deep.

OK From Base cover 2 who has deep 1/2?  Assume Safeties.

Who has Hook to Curl?  Assume Corners.

Middle 1/3 Assume Mike. 

Flats:  Will and Sam

If you Roll a Safety down to LB you are Cover 1. To my thinking you are Man.  Hard for 1 safety to Cover Deep Sideline to Sideline.  That being said, you can Lock Up Man on the 1 and still play Zone.  As Tito Points out there are a number of variants to playing Zone. 

Now the real question.  How much passing do you see?  Do you Rotate your Zone?

Not MPP... ONE TASK!  Teach them!  🙂


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Coach Correa
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OK From Base cover 2 who has deep 1/2?  Assume Safeties.

Who has Hook to Curl?  Assume Corners.

Middle 1/3 Assume Mike. 

Flats:  Will and Sam

If you Roll a Safety down to LB you are Cover 1. To my thinking you are Man.  Hard for 1 safety to Cover Deep Sideline to Sideline.  That being said, you can Lock Up Man on the 1 and still play Zone.  As Tito Points out there are a number of variants to playing Zone. 

Now the real question.  How much passing do you see?  Do you Rotate your Zone?

Good shit Dusty !

Head Coach Tito Correa New Britain Raiders 14-U


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jvcoach
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We do see a fair amount of passing which is why we are implenting zone this season.  As of right now we are trying to keep things as simple as possible, so no rotating.

We run our inverted cover 2 most often.

Olbs - flats
Mike - Hole
Safties - hook/curl
Corners - deep 1/2

In our cover 3
Olbs - flats
Mike and SS - hooks/curls
FS and corners have deep1/3


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Coach Correa
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thats 2 hook from way i was taught and is a great curve ball if your basing out of standard C2 . I'm a firm believer in if you believe in something stick with it . But i do I think there's easier coverages that your kids can get more comfy running and executing if your route was more traditional.

Head Coach Tito Correa New Britain Raiders 14-U


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Dusty Ol Fart
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We do see a fair amount of passing which is why we are implenting zone this season.  As of right now we are trying to keep things as simple as possible, so no rotating.

We run our inverted cover 2 most often.

Olbs - flats
Mike - Hole
Safties - hook/curl
Corners - deep 1/2

In our cover 3
Olbs - flats
Mike and SS - hooks/curls
FS and corners have deep1/3

Just me Coach but, I think you are Upside Down on Coverage and that could lead to problems.  You are asking a Ton of your Corners to Cover Deep 1/2 and little of the Safeties to come Down hill to Cover Hook to Curl. 

Generally Speaking I want defenders getting to the TOP of their Coverage and playing Down Hill from there (Attack the ball in air)  If my Corners have deep they cannot get to the top, its never ending.  Not to mention the fact that they have to turn and burn with the receiver (Man Coverage Concept)  Use you safeties for deep and Corners for Hook To Curl and it makes it a lot easier for them to play Pass and Run at the same time.  Keep the Balls in Front of them.  Once they have to turn, they loose any run support they offer.

JMO

Not MPP... ONE TASK!  Teach them!  🙂


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jvcoach
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It think that we are having our corners focus too much on the #1 and they just are not aware of where the #2 is.  We will work this week on reading the #2 as well and see how it goes.


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