To make this play work, you must convince the defense that the handoff has taken place. To do this, look like you are placing the ball into the running back’s stomach and have running back rush as if he has the ball.

Hand Fake

There are two techniques to use when executing this type of fake. The first is placing the ball on your hip away from the line of scrimmage and then fake giving your empty hand to the running back. If you do this fast enough, this may briefly fool the defense. The drawback to this fake is the ball not really secured in both hands, and there is a good chance of fumbling should you be hit from behind.

Ball Fake

The second technique of faking play-action is to place the ball into the back’s stomach with both hands, withdrawing it prior to the running back covering it with his arms. It is important on every play-action pass, the back must make the defense believe that he has the ball by hitting the hole hard.

The two handed fake is more often than not the better of the two, because the defensive players actually see the ball being offered out to the running back. By having both hands on the ball at all times, you have less chance of losing it. Also, after extending the ball and then taking it away, both hands are already situated a perfect position to throw the ball quickly if needs be.

Play Action Recap

Remember, all your hard work in learning the correct footwork for the running game will doubly payoff in setting up a overwhelming play-action pass attack. The play action begins with securely taking the center exchange. Hold ball in both hands, belt high, and close to your stomach. Turn head and shoulder to focus on running back. Extend ball into back’s stomach with both hands, withdrawing it before back covers it with hands. Lastly, quickly get your head around to locate your receiver and throw a touchdown.

Tools and Tricks

Easton Multi-Sport Training Net (www.amazon.com) This heavy duty training net is perfect for target throwing, especially if your are all alone.

Pass Back Training Football (www.amazon.com) Great tool that allows you to work on throwing and catching inside or out on your own.

If you are going to be an effective quarterback, it is important to be a student of the game. Of course, you have to know yourself and your job. You also have to know your opposition, and identify their strengths and weaknesses. When you know your opposition’s weakness, you can use that weakness to create an advantage for you and your offense. As a quarterback, it all starts by first identifying the coverage the defense is running. Being able to identify the coverages, will allow you to avoid the defense’s strengths and attack their weaknesses.

When a defense tries to create strength, they also create their own weakness. For example, when a defense plays Cover One, they create a strength versus the run. If you are able to spot this strength/what they are trying to do, you will also notice what the defense is giving up to take way your run. In the case of Cover One, the defense is putting their corners on islands. What’s that mean? It means the defensive backs have limited underneath help, making them susceptible to crossing routes, breaking routes, pick routes, etc.

Now we are going to cover five basic coverages. First the strengths of the defense will be discussed and then the weakness of the defense. Followed up by how to spot the coverage. Your ability to recognize the defense allows you avoid running plays to the defense’s strength and to exploit the weaknesses of the defense.

“Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” – Sun Tzu

Beating Cover One

Every coverage, whether it be zone based or man based, has its strengths and weaknesses. The strength of Cover One starts with the defense’s ability to create a eight man front by bringing the strong safety into the box. The strong safety can provide good run support from here, and the defense can easily rush five defenders to create more pressure on passing situations. In coverage, the corners are able to play hard and tight man to man. This easily positions them to cover passes in the flats. The free safety is positioned in the deep middle of the field help against deep middle passes.

Now that you know the strengths of the defense, how can you use the strengths to find the weaknesses? Let’s start with the coverage. Since the defense is using so many men to take way the run, they are leaving their corners all alone. This forces their corners to play hard and tight man to man coverage. The corners are on islands where they are only paying attention to their man. This leaves the defender susceptible to your pick and rub crossing routes. With the lack of underneath help in coverage, your receiver’s breaking routes will also be very effective. This is especially the case if the receiver is good at creating separation. Running good breaking routes can also setup double moves. Versus Cover One, a double move can result in a big play since there are fewer defenders deep for safety purposes.

Since the strong safety has an upgraded run responsibility, he can be more easily fooled with play action passes. This may leave his pass responsibility wide open. Also, don’t be afraid to call four or five receiver sets. This will force linebackers to cover receivers, leaving you with a mismatch. Lastly, if you drop back and find that no one is open, you can often scramble to the flats and gain large chunks of yards due to the fact the defenders are locked into their receivers down field.

Spotting Cover One:

• One deep safety in the middle of the field.
• Strong Safety is in the box.
• Corners are pressed on wide receivers.
• Defenders run across formations with a motion man.

Cover One Strengths:

• Deep middle help.
• Strong safety provides good run support.
• Can easily rush five.
• Stops screens.
• Provides hard/tight coverage in the flats.

Cover One Weaknesses:

• Limited underneath help.
• Crossing routes.
• Breaking routes.
• Pick routes.
• Play action passes.
• Double moves.

Beating Cover Two

There are several kinds of Cover Two. If you are playing a defense that runs Cover Two Man Under, two deep safeties and man coverage underneath, look to use some of the same strategies you use to beat Cover One. With that being said, we are going to spend time on beating the zone concepts of Cover Two.

A zone concept Cover Two gives the defense strong underneath coverage. This strength is setup by the defense’s ability to drop seven defenders into coverage. The five underneath defenders match the five eligible receivers and throw off your receiver’s timing through jams. The corners take away the flats, while the linebackers take away the hook and curl areas. At the same time, there are two deep safeties to aid versus the deep passes.

When a defense plays Cover Two, they strengthen themselves to defend against the pass. So when they are in this seven man front, the defense weakens themselves against the run. You can take advantage of this by running the football. When you pass, the easiest points to attack are the deep zones. By attacking the deep zones you avoid the strength of the defense’s underneath coverage. When you are attacking the deep zones, there are three zones to strike. They are at the edges of the safeties’ range, two holes are along the two sidelines and one is in the middle of the field. To attack these holes, run three vertical routes with one route in each area.

If you want to attack underneath, high-low the corner. You can high-low the corner by running a two receiver combination route of a corner route with a five yard hitch under it. Against this combination route, the corner is forced to defend one route or the other. After the corner chooses, you are left with an open receiver.

You can also create problems for the coverage by going five wide. With two receivers on one side and three on the other, you increase the distance between the linebackers. Increased distance equals more area to throw the ball. A talented receiver can take advantage of this space and slip into the open area between the Mike and Will linebackers.

Spotting Cover Two:

• Safeties are 12-14 yards deep in a two shell.
• Corners are 5-6 yards off the line of scrimmage and squatting.

Cover Two Strengths:

• Strong underneath coverage.
• The ability to throw off route timing with jams.
• Drop seven in coverage and rush four.
• Take away the flat areas.

Cover Two Weaknesses:

• Deep coverages: Fade areas and deep middle.
• Screens.

Beating Cover Three

Cover Three is an eight man front that is a strong defense. When reading Cover Three, you can notice the defense brings down a safety into the box. Based on this alignment, the defense now has three deep defenders for pass coverage and four defenders underneath. Three deep defenders provide more strength versus throws down the field. Underneath, the defenders protect from the inside out. This takes away your easier/shorter passes over the ball.

With the three deep defender’s responsibilities of playing over the top in their third, they are less likely to get beat deep versus superior wide receivers. At the same time, the deep defenders underplay shallower routes. Joining the underplaying by deep defenders and the underneath playing inside out, the defense gives up the area to the side of the field known as the flats.  You should have an easy time throwing now passes, quick out breaking routes, screens, and hitches. Also, with only four underneath defenders and your five eligible receivers, you have a chance to flood a zone with more receivers than defenders. If you do choose to attack deep, the defense is most susceptible at the seams.

Spotting Cover Three:

• One deep safety in the middle of the field.
• Strong Safety in the box or lined up on a receiver.
• Corners back up to 8-10 yards off the line of scrimmage.

Cover Three Strengths:

• Strong run support with the strong safety.
• Four man rush.
• The secondary has three deep.

Cover Three Weaknesses:

• Weak side curl/flat.
• Strong side curl/flat.
• Flood routes.
• Screens.
• Dig routes.
• Four verticals.

Beating Cover Four

Defenses that run Cover Four like to have the strength and ability to play four defenders deep and at the same time increase the safeties’ ability to play the run. The safeties are closer to the line of scrimmage, which basically gives the defense nine men in the box to stop the the run. In Cover Four defenses, the deep coverage responsibilities are divided into “if-then” scenarios. An example of the “if-then” scenario is when a receiver is not running a vertical route (-8 yards), the defender will leave the receiver to be covered by underneath linebackers and go double team the next vertical route by a receiver. On the other hand, if the receiver is vertical (+8 yards), the defender plays man to man coverage on the receiver. Typically the corners cover the #1′s receivers and the safeties cover the #2 receivers to their respective sides. This zone style of play can be very effective.

The best way for you to attack Cover Four through the air is to make throws underneath against the three linebackers. Since the underneath linebackers protect from the inside out, throws to the flats are most likely to be open. This will give your receivers plenty of room to catch and run. Though easier, you can find ways of exploiting underneath coverage similarly to how you attack Cover Two underneath. Due to the fact that the safeties are so active versus the run, play action pass may deceive them.

If you are really wanting to throw the ball deep, it important to increase your chances by throwing to one on one coverage. To avoid bracket coverages, have your #2 receiver run a vertical route to occupy the safety. This will setup one on one coverage down the field with your #1 receiver on the corner. This is a great way to take advantage of a superior receiver. The second way to get down field man to man coverage is to isolate a receiver on a linebacker. If your #2 receiver runs a five yard out, the safety will leave to cover another vertical route. At this point, your receiver runs an out and up. The route will leave you with a one on one mismatch down the field.

Spotting Cover Four:

• Safeties tighten up to 8-10 yards from the line of scrimmage.
• Corners back up to 8-10 yards from the line of scrimmage.

Cover Four Strengths:

• Four defensive backs for deep coverage.
• Strong run support from the safeties.
• The ability to bracket or double team wide receivers.

Cover Four Weaknesses:

• Flat coverage.
• Screens.
• Safeties can be sucked in with play action.
• Double coverage can be nullified.

Beating Cover Zero

In Cover Zero, the defense makes it a priority to increase pressure. The defense accomplishes this by rushing more players than your offense keeps in to block. This places all defensive backs in man to man coverage. With their increased pass rush, the defense hopes to sack you or hurry your throw.

Since the defense brings everything but the kitchen sink at you, there is a huge weakness in the secondary. If you have enough time, any routes you run against Cover One will equally be as effective versus Cover Zero. Take advantage of the defense having absolutely no underneath help by having your receivers run pick routes or quick breaking routes. These quick developing routes will help you to get rid of the ball before the pass rush can reach you. Also, the corners have no deep help, and a quick fade route is a good way to attack this weakness.

Spotting Cover Zero:

• No deep safeties.
• The secondary is all in man-to-man coverage.
• The secondary is close to the line of scrimmage.

Cover Zero Strengths:

• Tight coverage.
• Good run support.
• Good pass rush pressure with a six man rush.

Cover Zero Weaknesses:

• No underneath help.
• Crossing routes.
• Breaking routes.
• Pick routes.
• No deep help.

Exposing Coverage Recap

As you progress and develop your ability to read defenses, ask yourself “Is the defense trying to take away the run or pass? Are they trying to takeaway underneath passes or protect against the long ball?”. Once you realize what the defense is trying to take away, you can see the flip side of what they are giving up.

Tools and Tricks

Easton Multi-Sport Training Net (www.amazon.com) Heavy duty training net for target throwing.

Nike Air Zoom Vapors (www.amazon.com) You have to look good play good, and you’ll be looking dang good in these.

Cutters Football Quarterback Gloves (www.amazon.com) Designed to give quarterbacks grip to throw the ball.

Power Balance (www.amazon.com)

“In…football the margin for error is so small. I mean one half step too late or to early you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast and you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second.” – Al Pacino, Any Given Sunday

Drop Mechanics

Five Step Drop from Under Center

It is important for you to gain depth with your first three steps. Whichever hand you throw with, push off your opposite foot and make your first step with same foot as your throwing arm. If you are right-handed, push to gain ground off your left foot and step with your right. If you are left-handed, do the exact opposite. The key point is to gain ground with your first three steps. Your second step should be a lengthy cross over step with your opposite foot, followed by another long third step. As you drop back, use a backward body lean to gain speed. Use the arms back and forth (staying within your body frame) to gain momentum while gaining depth from the line of scrimmage. These steps should be as quick and long as possible to help you clear the offensive line, and gain your needed separation from the defense. Make the drop in a straight line with your shoulders faintly open to the line of scrimmage. Your last two steps need to be shorter steps to recover balance. This will help you place your body in good throwing position. Try to limit hand motion during this phase to help yourself gather. Your drop should end roughly 7 yards from line of scrimmage, directly behind the center. If you have time after your 5th step, you can take a hitch step to generate momentum in your throwing direction.

Three Step Drop

The three step drop is very similar to the five step drop. The only difference is minus two of the big steps. The first step should again gain ground away from the line of scrimmage, and the last two steps are gather steps. If you are a right-handed quarterback throwing to the right, the second step should close your left shoulder. This will allow your third step to land in a position under your right shoulder. From here, you can to throw ball on the third step without needing a gather step. When you are throwing to the left, on your second step, push your left shoulder open to the target.  Finish with your third step landing in position under your right shoulder. From here you can throw ball on the third step without needing a gather step.

Shotgun Quick Throw

You can use this technique when a three step route is called but you are in the shotgun. After catching the snap, flip to the appropriate position. When you are throwing left, your feet should already be in position to throw the ball. When throwing right, snap both your feet around to get into a good throwing position.

Play Fake

An effective play fake can largely aid your offense. Play fakes hold the backside defenders and draws a pass rush. In order to fake effectively, pull your hands back into your stomach as if the ball is there. This keeps your hands hidden and actions without the ball consistent.

There are three common types of fakes for you to work on. One, a naked away from play. In this case put your hand farthest from the back into his stomach, get your feet under control and carry out your naked fake away from call. Two, naked to the play. This has the same mechanics as “naked away” except you continue out of the pocket to play side. Three, a pass fake. To do this, drop straight back from the hand off, get your eyes down field, and put both your hands in a good throwing position.

Angle Drop

When your are executing an angle drop, start by openning to the play side at an angle. Your focal point should be to use your first three steps for speed and depth, and your last two steps to regain balance. While doing this, turn your shoulders square with hips and sprint back at the angle. Finish with good throwing posture, which we will discuss soon. When you are dropping to your left, the only difference is your transition into your fifth step. To do this effectively, turn your left shoulder towards upfield and “pop” around the fifth step. This allows you to finish the drop in good throwing posture. If a play action is called, sell the fake by extending both hands with ball away from body. Return the ball to the stomach as the running back crosses by your body.

Naked and Boot

In order for you to setup a successful naked or boot, you need to use the same footwork you use for the run play and the boot. The only difference is your one hand fake you give to the running back. As you approach the running back, begin to take shorter steps to maintain your body control and extend one hand with the ball. Quickly bring the ball back to your body just before the runner reaches the ball. From here, quickly get your head around to see the “Naked” path. Try not to make your drop more than 10 yards for the line of scrimmage. A long drop will make it a longer throw or run and gives the defense more time to react. When you are running naked and boot from shotgun, use same footwork as run play called. As you approach the back, “ride” the ball across the frame of of the running back’s body with both your hands.

Sprint Out

To gain enough depth, open just past a 45 degree angle. Turn your head and shoulders so they are square with your body and sprint back. As you begin to approach six yards of depth begin to round off your path. This will allow you to break contain more sharply. Finish up by rounding off your depth at 8 or 10 yards and begin to sprint toward the target. During the whole process, keep the ball at your chest with both your hands on it.

Lead Draw Pass Footwork

Take a three step drop with your eyes down field. Then turn your head and shoulders to the running back and make a quick two-handed fake to the running back. Finish by taking two gather steps.

Pocket Mechanics

Holding the Football

It is good to hold the ball in a secure position immediately after the snap. The best way to do this is use both of your hands to hold the ball two inches away from your throwing pectoral. Grip the ball how you most feel comfortable, but make sure some space exists between the palm and ball. This will allow you to deliver the ball more accurately. When you go to throw, adjust the ball and bring it up.

Posture

Try to stand as upright as possible without locking your knees. To do this, be up on the balls of your feet with the feet under your armpits. Also, keep your back straight and hips tall. This will allow you a clearer vision downfield and allow you a higher release point.

Positioning Feet

Positioning your feet is as every bit as important as positioning your arm. The momentum your legs generate into a throw is significant. For this reason, it is important to position your feet in a way that allows you to quickly access and use this power. On the last step of your drop, plant your back foot and position your front foot so your toes are pointed up field. Your pointed toes makes it easier for you to open your hips towards your throwing target. Keep your feet directly under the armpits. This puts you in the best position to quickly re-adjust your feet in order to throw to a new target or escape pressure. When you have to move within the pocket, move the back foot first. This allows you to transfer your weight forward into the throw, delivering a more accurate and timely ball. Make sure you work to maintain good posture while making movements, this enables you to be in good position to throw the football.

Throwing Mechanics

Delivery

If you are right handed, slightly position your left foot left of the receiver. This will allow your arm to come through on the target. If you are left handed, it is the exact opposite. When you go to throw, push off your back foot to generate forward momentum. As you do this, rotate your hips and shoulders together forward. During this process, rotate your arm and ball back away from the body. Keep your power generating forward, first with your legs, hips, lat muscle, shoulder, and finally your arm rotates forward as one tight unit generating power to release the ball. As you come forward, begin to transfer you weight to the front foot as you throw the ball. Your elbow should lead your hand as ball is rotated forward. As the ball releases the hand, flick the ball off the index finger. As if you are flicking something sticky off your finger. this will tighten up the spiral.

Follow Through

Once your primary throwing motion is done, it important to follow through. This will give you the extra speed and distance you need to complete the pass. Pretend you are throwing through receiver, not to him. After releasing the ball off the index finger, your throwing hand comes across your body naturally with power and should end up on your opposite hip. To help with the transfer of weight, end up in a balanced position with a slight bend in your front leg. At this point, your feet should end up just past shoulder width apart and your back foot should briefly drag on the ground after delivery. The brief drag can help indicate whether or not you are transferring your weight forward into the throw.

Mechanics Recap

Whatever level you are playing at, your role is one of the most visible and essential roles on the team. You handle the ball on virtually every play and have a great deal of responsibility both in calling plays and making decisions during the play. In order to make these decision easier, you must make an investment in the area of your mechanics. When you practice proper mechanics, the mechanics become second nature. When the mechanics are second nature, you save time. When you save time, you create opportunities to make big plays. We both know practicing mechanics can be very repetitious, but the players that consistently prepare themselves to work hard every day become the cream of the crop. The elite quarterbacks, from Joe Montana to Peyton Manning, have perfected this development process. Now it’s your turn.

Four Step Passing Progression

Step One: Completing the Pass

Take your appropriate drop and deliver the ball to an open receiver if possible. In this part of the progression, you should work to develop your pocket mechanics. This will help you find throwing lanes, escape pressure, and sync up your timing with receivers. If a receiver is not open, avoid forcing the throw. Instead, move on to step two.

Step Two: Attacking the Line of Scrimmage

When you can not find an open receiver, begin to attack the line of scrimmage. While you run towards the line of scrimmage, keep your eyes and the ball up to watch for receivers to break open down field. You can easily drill this step in practice by scrambling left and right and delivering the ball to an open receiver. If no receivers break open by the time you reach the line of scrimmage, tuck the ball and continue to gain yards with your feet. If you are unable to reach the line of scrimmage and no receivers are open, move on to step three.

Step Three: Avoiding a Loss

If you are not going to make it past the line of scrimmage, safely throw the ball away. Aim to throw the ball over the head of a receiver down the sideline, or just below the feet of a nearby receiver. You won’t get a penalty if you throw the ball while you are outside of the tackles, the ball crosses the line of scrimmage, and/or there is a receiver is in the area. If you can not safely discard the ball, move on to step four.

Step Four: Taking a Loss

When you can’t gain yards or safely throw the ball away, take a loss. A loss is a lot better than a turnover. Live to fight another day.

Passer’s Pass Progression Recap

So your progression in a nut shell is Pass, Run, Discard, and Take a Loss. Becoming efficient in this process will help you remain calm and cool in pressure situations. Your results will improve, and you will avoid making silly mistakes. The best way to get better at this process is to practice it. Before long, the progression will be ingrained and your productivity will be better than ever.

Tools and Tricks

Easton Multi-Sport Training Net (www.amazon.com) This heavy duty training net is perfect for target throwing, especially if your are all alone.

Nike Air Zoom Vapors (www.amazon.com) You have to look good play good, and you’ll be looking dang good in these.

Cutters Football Quarterback Gloves (www.amazon.com) Designed specially to give quarterbacks the extra grip they need on the ball.

Power Balance (www.amazon.com) Its worth the $10 if it works.

Stances

Stance Under Center

Let’s start from the ground up.  Your shoulders and feet should be parallel with shoulder’s width distance. Spread your weight equally on the balls of your feet. To eliminate any false steps, mentally think about your push off foot. Lower your hips to a comfy position while maintaining a straight back. Try not to hunch. Keeping your back straight allows for your head to remain high to increase vision. Slightly bend your knees. Extend your arms from your body with a small bend in your elbow. Your extended arms will allow you to get away from the line of scrimmage faster. You want to attempt to be as far away from the center as possible while keeping good posture. This is a good time for you to look down field with your eyes and get a pre-snap read of the defense left to right. If you develop a habit of reading the defense the same manner, it will prevent your eyes from telling the defense the play.

Shotgun Stance

Situate your shoulders and feet to be parallel to the line of scrimmage and shoulder width. Position your hips at a comfortable height, and make a slight bend in your knees. Have your hands just above your stomach ready to catch the snap. Scan the defense left to right. See the snap and catch the ball before carrying on with your post snap actions.

Exchanges

Quarterback and Center Exchange

Now that you are in your stance, you have to get the ball. Start by placing your right hand deep under center’s butt. Apply slight pressure upward with your right hand. This will you to “ride” the center and ensure the ball makes it all the way into your hands. To position your hands together properly, fit the thumb joint on your top hand with the groove on your thumb of your bottom hand. Apply pressure from your bottom hand to the top junction of your thumbs. Take your bottom hand and spread your fingers of the bottom hand and point them to the left foot of the center. The football should fill nice and snug into your top hand. As ball explodes into your top hand, close your left hand on the ball to secure it against your top hand. It is important to realize the center executes snap and fires out to block at same time of snap. So you have to ride the center by extending your arms while you begin your pivot. To ensure a good exchange, steady pressure must be applied on the center for as long as possible. Once the ball is in your hands, pull it into your stomach with both hands firmly on the ball.

Under the Center Hand Off

After you receive the snap, attempt to give the running back the ball as far away from the line of scrimmage as possible. This allows the running back more time for cuts. While you are going back to hand off, keep both hands firmly on the ball and close to your stomach. As you ready yourself to hand the ball off, draw your hand closest to the ball carrier back to your stomach while extending the other hand out past the frame of your body. Look the football into the running back’s arms and allow his momentum to take the ball with him.

Option Pitch

When you are running the option, attack the inside shoulder of the defender. This will force the defender to make a decision on who to take. Carry the ball with both your hands at chest height to allow for a quick and controlled pitch. As you pitch, always look then step and pitch. Do not pitch without looking. The result won’t be something you like. Instead, look and aim an arms length in front of the running back. Extend your arm and pitch ball with your thumb pointing down. Remember, look then step and pitch.

Toss

To toss the ball, reverse out. So if you are tossing right, open with left shoulder while swinging the left foot past the center’s right foot to make a 270 degree turn and toss the ball to the running back. This will help you generate enough momentum to carry the toss to the running back. Try to execute the movement as quickly as possible without losing balance. To speed up the process, do not move the ball to the chest and back out again. Instead, keep a slight bend in your arms while reversing out, and use the momentum of the turn to toss the ball. In order to hit the running back in stride, your aiming point should be an arms length in front of running back. Make sure the pitch is successful, then carry out your naked fake.

Technique Recap

Basics techniques will help you become more efficient, and at the same time decrease silly mishaps. Now that you can get into your stance and hand the ball off, it is time to progress more exciting mechanics, such as pass drops, moving around in the pocket, and throwing the ball.

Tools and Tricks

Easton Multi-Sport Training Net (www.amazon.com) This heavy duty training net is perfect for target throwing, especially if your are all alone.

Nike Air Zoom Vapors (www.amazon.com) You have to look good play good, and you’ll be looking dang good in these.

Cutters Football Quarterback Gloves (www.amazon.com) Designed specially to give quarterbacks the extra grip they need on the ball.

Power Balance (www.amazon.com) Its worth the $10 if it works.