DEFENDING THE ZONE READ/READ OPTION

PUT CONFLICT ON THE QB!!!!!!!!

Iosh n[orth
AsslsLanL PC/uefenslve CoordlnaLor

Lr|k Iensen
Sophomore Coach

SLevenson Plgh School
Llncolnshlre, lL
coachh[orLh[gmall.com

OVERVIEW
! Stevenson n|gh Schoo| Llncolnshlre, lL
! 8A (LargesL Class) lPSA looLball
! 3800 SLudenLs
! Plgh Academlc resuge, Average SLudenL geLs 26.8 AC1
! norLh Suburban Lake ulvlslon (3 playo quallers ouL of
7 Leams)

! Strong Iootba|| 1rad|non
! 23 SLralghL layo Appearances
! Alma maLer of 8ex and 8ob 8yan

OVERVIEW
SLevenson Plgh School ran Lhe followlng defenses ln Lhe
each year:
LAk DLILNSL kLCCkD
2007 3-3-S S-S

2008 3-4 S-S

2009 4-3 10-1

2010 4-3 11-1

2011 4-3 9-3

2012 4-3 8-3

OVERVIEW
! Why play a 4-3?
4 reasons why..
1. I|ex|b|||ty vs. Var|ety of oenses (Spec|hca||y Spread)
Week 1 & 3: Alr 8ald Spread
Week 2 & 3: Spread 1rlple Cpuon
Week 4: lsLol
Week 6: 8ockeL/!eL Wlng 1
Week 7, 8, & 9: Spread (Zone 8ead/8ubble)
layos: ro-l, Spread (Zone 8ead/8ubble)
** Lvery Leam ran some Lype of no-Puddle (even Lhe Wlng
Leams) ****
Why play a 4-3?
2. Plgh School layers undersLand how Lo play a 1-gap
defense


3. Allows us Lo play aggresslve, sLunL, bllLz and zone bllLz


4. Allows us Lo dlsgulse coverages
Why play a 4-3?
! We have found LhaL Lhe 4-3 uefense allows us Lo have a varleLy of fronLs and
coverages Lo adapL Lo Lhe varleLy of oenses we see LhroughouL Lhe season.
! Most |mportant|y, we can play fasL and aggresslve ouL of all of Lhe fronLs.

1he 8esulL???
The Result
Slnce movlng Lo Lhe 4-3 ln 2009, our
comblned record ls:





! 4 ume norLh Suburban Conference Champlons (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
! 4 ume playo quallers, 4 ume SweeL 16
! 2 ume CuarLernallsLs (2010, 2011)

! CuL of Lhe 344 Leams compeung ln lPSA, here ls where we have ranked:
! 2009 kanked 32
nd
Defense |n State of IL
! 2010 kanked S
th
Defense |n State of IL
! 2011 kanked 8
th
Defense |n State of IL
! 2012 kanked 20
th
Defense |n State of IL
STEVENSON FOOTBALL

HEART

FOCUS

TEAM
How many times have you
heard this phrase from
those offensive guys?

WhaL we are golng Lo do ls puL Lhe 3
Lechnlque" ln conlcL. Pe won'L know
wheLher Lo go or sLay!
As defensive guys, it is our
job to:
put the QB in conflict!
1here are Lwo maln ways we do Lhls:

#1 8y fronL

#2 8y Lechnlque
But First, we must
understand each other
uenlng Zone 8ead

uenlng 8ead Cpuon

WhaL ls Lhe oense Lrylng Lo accompllsh?
Defining Zone Read
!"# %& '()*+, -'.(// 0"# 1(.)-2(+3
4& %#-5*+, 0"# 6 0#'"
L 1 N L
S M W C C
I 5
Defining Read Option
!"# %& (+ /-)# /*5# (1 .#-57 8/8-99: 1.() ;*/0(93
4& %#-5*+, 0"# 6 0#'"
L 1 N L
S M W C C
I 5
Understanding the Offense
put the QB in conflict!
#1 By Front
As a coachlng sLa, you wlll need Lo declde
whlch player ls mosL exploslve, Lhe C8 or
Lhe 88.
ln Lhe 4-3 defense, you wanL Lo seL your
llne away from LhaL exploslve player.
#1 By Front
The RB is more explosive
L 1 N L
S M W C C
I 5
SeL Lhe 3 Lowards
Lhe beuer runner.
#1 By Front
The QB is more explosive
L
1
N
L
S M W C C
I
5
SeL Lhe 3 Lowards
Lhe beuer runner.
#1 By Front
Read Option
S
C C
I
5
SeL Lhe 3 Lo Lhe
eld. use Lhe
boundary as 12
Lh

defender
L
1
N
L
M W
put the QB in conflict!
#2 By Technique
As a coachlng sLa, you wlll need Lo declde
whlch player ls mosL exploslve, Lhe C8 or
Lhe 88.
ln Lhe 4-3 defense, you wanL Lo seL your
llne away from LhaL exploslve player.
put the QB in conflict!
#2 By Technique
lor Lhe besL Leams LhaL run zone read/read opuon, we
musL have opuons Lo puL Lhe C8 ln conlcL. 1hls
lncludes maklng calls aL Lhe llne of who ls responslble
for Lhe C8. We have 3 calls:

- Pome
- 1ruck
- 1ro[an
1he key Lo Lhls ls maklng sure LhaL Lhe L8s
communlcaLe Lhe call every slngle play.
#2 By Technique
HOME
L 1 N L
M W
keys Lo PCML call
- uL musL noL geL up eld, and keep shoulders square
- uL musL squeeze and be down llne
- uL musL keep eyes on C8
PCML PCML PCML"
#2 By Technique
HOME
L 1 N
L
M W
keys Lo PCML call
- uL musL noL geL up eld, and keep shoulders square
- uL musL squeeze and be down llne
- uL musL keep eyes on C8
#2 By Technique
TRUCK
L 1 N L
M W
keys Lo 18uCk call
- As Lhe C1 Lakes hls zone sLep, Lhe uL needs Lo crash and 1ruck" Lhe 88
- 1he call L8 (W) wlll scrape and replace Lhe uL, Laklng responslblllLy for C8
- 1he L8 musL keep hls shoulders square
18uCk 18uCk 18uCk"
#2 By Technique
Truck
L 1 N
L
M
W
keys Lo 18uCk call
- As Lhe C1 Lakes hls zone sLep, Lhe uL needs Lo crash and 1ruck" Lhe 88
- 1he call L8 (W) wlll scrape and replace Lhe uL, Laklng responslblllLy for C8
- 1he L8 musL keep hls shoulders square
#2 By Technique
TROJAN
L 1 N L
M W
keys Lo 18C!An call
- uL fakes 1ruck" pulls up and alms aL ouLslde shoulder of C8
- llrsL sLep ls ouLslde fooL, Lhen Lurn shoulders, and planL o lnslde fooL
- All oLher responslblllues remaln same as PCML for oLher defenders
18C!An 18C!An 18C!An"
#2 By Technique
TROJAN
L 1 N
L
M
W
SUMMARY
As defensive guys, it is our
job to:

put the QB in conflict!
1here are Lwo maln ways we do Lhls:

#1 8y fronL

#2 8y Lechnlque
DEFENDING THE ZONE READ/READ OPTION

PUT CONFLICT ON THE QB!!!!!!!!

Iosh n[orth
AsslsLanL PC/uefenslve CoordlnaLor

Lr|k Iensen
Sophomore Coach

SLevenson Plgh School
Llncolnshlre, lL
coachh[orLh[gmall.com