Help with Quarters Coverage (Cover 4)

FOOTBALL'S MATCH UP ZONE COVERGES by John Dursham is a great book. It discusses match up(cover 4) zone in an easy, understandable manner. As far as I'm concerned, this is the book to buy if you areally want to learn this coverage. It also explains how to run this coverage from an 8-man front, as well as some other fronts (#-4 for one). I find myself re-reading this book many times.

Coach,

I have been studying quarters for a while. Durshams book is great but I think it is more geared to college where the passing game is much more developed. I found that Tim Simons book on the 43 using quarters and adjustments is better for High school. Our base is quarters - but we adjust our coverage vs twins/trips formations to a read cover 2(similar reads to quarters). I have found in looking at different quarters concepts that there are different ways people run quarters. I would be happy to go more in depth with what we do if you would like.

Superchief:

Since we do similar things, let me ask you how you defend one back. Our normal rules tell us to play read cover 2 across the board vs. double twins. Or we can play cover three and keep an extra LB in the box. also, we disguise cov 2 and blitz with man behind. Do you do the same or do you have other ideas? Thanks.

goachgjy

We will do a couple of things vs a 1-back set. We might simply stay in our 8-man front and play man while sending an OLB and a LB (could be on same side or LB one side OLB other side). We might stay in 8-man front and play man-free while sending 1 or 2 LB's, or one LB and FS or both LB's and FS.
From our 4-3 look we will probably play cover2 read or play cover2 read to one side and stunt and play man to the stunt side. Sometimes we will play 1/4's to one side and stunt and play man to the other. The only time we will simply play cover2 read or 1/4's is if we are simply playing coverage and not getting afer the QB.
Obviously, we don't do all of these.

Coach gjy and Superchief,

Would either or both of you guys elaborate on what you are referring to as Read Cover 2? Does this mean that both the safety and the corner are reading #2? Also, I would really like to speak with you guys or get some info. from you about how you guys run Cover 4. Please respond.

Thanks Superchief,

I appreciate your response and explanation of Read Coiver 2 coverage. What are your keys, alignments and responsibilities for Cover 4 in your scheme? I'm asking because I don't know anyone personally who plays Cover 4 so most of what I'm doing is what I've seen other teams do and from reading some books, but right now I feel like I am having lots of trial and error (which is tough to build my confidence or the confidence of my players). Thats why I have so many posts on this board about Cover 4 etc.. I have never played in the secondary so I don't have playing experience to draw upon either. I'm just trying to learn as much as possible so I can be as knowledgable as possible without having to take two steps forward and 1 step back.

We play our 4 a little different.

Our corners are alligned on and keying #1. If #1 runs an out, flag, fade, basically anything vertical/outside we're locking up on him with our corners man. If we get anything to the inside from #1, i.e. post, curl, drag, we teach the corner to continue to get depth and check down to #2 right now looking for a wheel, switch seam etc. If there is no threat from #2 the corner should continue gaining depth squeezing slightly and be able to help if we get a post from #1.

Our safeties are keying #2. If #2 is flat they rob #1, if #2 is vertical they lock on man to him, if #2 drags we get to the middle of the field and look for deep post routes. Another point about our safeties' read... if #2 runs what we call a push route, (where he pushes vertical for ~7-8 yards then breaks it off) our safety is going to go ahead and take him, this helps you with smash routes and such.


Coachgjy,
We play our one-back a couple of different ways... if we have a TE/FL on one side and Twins to the other we like to play a combo coverage where we're essentially in a Cover 2 to the TE side and a Cover 4 to the Twins side, with the Will looking to jam #2. If we get double twins (we call it deuces) we'll get in a cover 3 look with the SS slamming up away from the Will and we'll roll back into a 4 pre-snap. I never want to be in a 3 vs. a deuces set, the four verticals or switch seams scare me too much. Also, playing it in this fashion sets up a nice stunt.... You show 3 and roll into the 4 like you've been doing all game, then occasionally you can roll into 0 (Man across) and bring the Will off the edge...

Against twins we bring both corners over to the twins side with the inside corner slammed up looking to jam #2 then playing flats, our other corner is bailing out immeadiately to the deep third. This enables us to keep our "9-in the box" look with our safeties still in position to support the run fitting off their respective OLB's. We do however widen and deepen our FS a couple of yards, if he gets a pass read from the OT he's essentially a center-fielder now.

We align the following way in cover 4 (in a 4-3 look):
Corner's - 7yds deep on inside half of WR; if only a TE, the corner will align 4x4 off the TE and
the safety will align about 8yds deep over the OT

Safeties - 10 yds deep and 2yds outside TE or OT(to SE side); if on wide side of field 4yds
outside; if no WR, 8yds deep over OT

Superchief,

Do you (or anyone else) change up the run force between safety and corner to mess with their WR blocking rules?