Justin Buttermore

Head Football Coach

Tri-Valley High School

I.

General Defensive Practice Philosophy

I.

Determining the Skills you Value in a DB

I.

Progression for Coaching Defensive Backs

I.

Drills: Transition in the Secondary

I.

Prioritizing Drill Work to maximize Skill

Development

A. Individual Technique is improved in Individual Periods,

not Group and Team
B. Work with every player at your position.
C. Repetition=improvement
D. Correct mistakes
E. Make individual periods as organized as group and team
periods.
i. Nothing more frustrating to players than
unprepared coaches.

We have
changed ours
slightly over the
past two years,
but create a
practice
schedule that
helps remind
coaches of
skills that need
developed.

A. Create a complete Defensive Toolbox that lists everything that

you do.

B. List of Coverage by Defensive Call (Coverage Flow Chart)

i. Cover 2, 3, 4, 6, 1
ii. Buzz, Skate, Blue in Dawg Package

C. Coverage Drops (Spot Drop to Pattern Match)

i. Flat, Seam, Scuf, Hole
ii. Deep 1/3, , , Man free
iii. Man Technique
iv. Goal Line Technique
** We have found out in recent years that we needed to be much
more specific with our drops.
** Moved from spot drop to Pattern Match philosophy.

C. Coverage Drop Rules

i. Flat Drop Rules: Flat Dropper

#2 Vertical- Physical reroute on the way to the flat. (buy time for seam player)
#2 Out- leverage him to the flat.
No #2 or #2 In- Get to #1s face immediately on pass read.
ii. Seam Drop Rules: Seam to Curl Dropper
#2 Vertical- Reroute and carry seam 10 yards, then expand to curl.
#2 Out- Expand to Curl, Find #1 (curl/dig)
#2 Shallow- Send him to Hole player, then expand to curl.
No #2- Get to #1s face immediately on pass read
iii. SCUF Drop Rules: Seam, Curl, Flat Dropper (Always maintain leverage on #3) Play 2-3
#2 Vertical- Reroute and carry seam 10 yds, then expand to curl.
#2 Out- Get on his hip to the flat.
#2 Shallow- Send him to Hole player, then expand to curl.
No #2- Get to #1s face immediately on pass read.
iv. Hole Drop Rules: Open to #3, play #3 to #2
#3 Vertical- Wall him and settle at 10-12 yards. (no deep cross)
#3 Shallow- Wall it & pass him to Seam player or sit on him if he hooks.
#3 Out- Get depth to 10-12, Find #2 and wall him.
No #3- Sink to 10-12 and look for crosser in the Hole.

D. Coverage Matrix- Helps to determine if there is

too much for any one position to learn.

10 Commandments of Defensive Backfield Play

Stance

Key Reads (react)

Alignment

Transition (fast
bp/crossover run)

Assignment

Break (transition)

Tackle/pbu/pursue

Big Play

Keys (EMOL/QB/#2/#1)
Read Steps

A. Teaching Progression based off 10 Commandments.

B. Teaching Progression for all Coverage Principles
*** Drill work is created for each area of the progression
i.Pre-Snap IQ
- Stance (Comfort is important)
- Alignment
- Assignment
- Keys
ii. Skills
- transitions/footwork
- ball skills
- eye discipline
- block avoidance/defeat
iii. Finish
- Pursuit, PBU, TO, Tackle

I. Pre-Snap IQ
A. Quick Reads- Simple way for players to show mastery of stance, alignment, assignment.
II. Skills
A. Footwork
i. Generic- Backpedal Program emphasizing transition. (Arm Action)
ii. Specific- 2 on 1 Drill, 3 on 2, Man, Hard Corner, Soft Corner, GL, Cut Off, Trail
B. Ball Skills w/Transition
i. bp, bp with hip flip, bp with hip flip and 45 break.
C. Eye Discipline
i. Key Reads (Diagram Only)
D. Block Avoidance/Defeat
i. Avoid (Slide or Skate, Dip and Rip, Flatten and Dive)
ii. Shock Snap- Be the Aggressor
E. Transition- Key to Good DB Play
i. Drills (in-season/out of season)
III. Finish
i. Pursuit (Last play, pass pursuit)
ii. Tackle

A.

Why do I mean by Transitions?

A.

Transitions- getting from one movement to another

movement as quickly as possible or changing speeds as
smoothly as possible.

Standstill to backwards, backwards to forward, and from

backward to opening our hips and running in a variety of
angles to the football.

C. Why are Transitions so Important to DBs?

i. Agility vs. Speed (track guy)
ii. Our fastest guys are rarely our best DBs
iii. Great Transition is better than Great Speed as a DB.
iv. Transitions can be improved far easier than linear speed.

D. Keys to Good Transition

i. Learn how to Stop (Deceleration)?
ii. Stay Balanced (1 foot box)
iii. Generate Power and accelerate(Triple extension)
iv. Train Unnatural hip movements
v. Reaction
** Every Drill that I do incorporates transition in some way.

A. Learn to Stop- Finish the Drill does not

always have to mean the same thing.

Bursts

Sprint Backpedal

B. STAY BALANCED (feet in 1 foot box)

BOX DRILL 1 (Sprint, Carioci, BP, Shuffle)

BOX DRILL 2 (Sprint, Sprint, BP, Break)

BACKPEDAL DRILL (SLOW/FAST)

C. GENERATE POWER AND ACCELERATE

W DRILL

CARIOCI/SHUFFLE WITH BREAK

3 HURDLE TRANSITION

PRO-AGILITY

D. TRAIN UNNATURAL HIP MOVEMENT

180S

180S AND BREAK

FISH TAIL

jbuttermore@tvschools.org