Outside Linebackers Stance and Reads

Whenever our LB's read run and are in the process of filling their particular gap responsibility, they read "clear" or "cloudy." A clear read means that there are no opposite colored jerseys in their gap responsibility - there is a defined gap or areas in which the ball carrier could run through. Our rule is to "always fill a clear read!" A cloudy read means exactly the opposite - there is an opposite colored jersey in their assigned gap - their gap responsibility is clogged. Our rule here is to "scrape to the next outside gap with a cloudy read."

In reality, reading clear and cloudy happens so fast that there is really no thought process, but it is effective to use these terms when talking about plays on the sideline or in film study.

An example might be, when defending the counter to the strong side with a "spill" philosophy from a 4-3 alignment, the strong side defensive end should wrong arm, or spill, the ball carrier to the outside by coming under the block by the backside pulling guard. The SLB, with C gap responsibility, should get a cloudy read because the defensive end will have collapsed the C gap by jamming the dig block by the TE and coming under the backside guard's block. The SLB should immediately scrap outside to the D gap because of the cloudy read in his assigned C gap and make the tackle.