In Your Face and Aggressive!

Play DB the Buster Way
by: Tim Schaffner
Defensive Coordinator, Garden City Community College
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In order to be successful against today’s high-powered offenses, and all the skilled personnel they can throw at you, defensive backs must possess incredible physical talent and mental tools. They must be able to run with the fastest, jump with the highest and hit with the hardest. In addition, they must have very selective memories, be without conscience and have no guilt or remorse. Their abilities and guile are tested on every snap; they are constantly under the gun, and even the most uneducated fans know when a DB gets beat. When they succeed it’s because they have been trained to play that way, and when they fail, the game can hang in the balance. A DB’s margin for error is zero, and their mistakes usually result in an opponent’s touchdown.

With that said, in your face, man-to-man coverage has been the cornerstone of the defensive success we’ve enjoyed at Garden City Community College for many years. We are definitely a man-first, zone-second team, and defensively we are defined by our style of man coverage. With the exception of last-second, or late-game situations, everything we do starts from an in-your-face, bump-and-run alignment. In addition to the advantages of playing press coverage that I will discuss in this article, the pressed alignment enables us to disguise the few times a game we actually do play zone coverage.

Diagram 1. Diagram 2.

There is definitely more than one way to skin a cat, and we have not tried to reinvent the wheel, but the “Buster Way” has been very good to us, particularly the last couple of years. Without a doubt, we have been fortunate to recruit the physically gifted athletes necessary to play “Buster Ball,” because after all, players make plays, but it is equally important for us to find those athletes who have the mindset needed to spend 85-90 percent of their snaps as a Buster in one-on-one, bump-and-run coverage. The final step of the process comes down to teaching our DBs the skills and techniques necessary to play press coverage down after down.

To play in the secondary at Garden City, our DBs must thrive on competing each and every down, knowing full well that they are in a one on one battle all game long. Playing on the edge is a 60-minute struggle, but a much different struggle than the mind-numbing physicality, and brute force of the game, played-out in the trenches. On the edge it is a game of athleticism, cunning and timing, and just like the trenches, it’s no place for the faint of heart. Playing bump-and-run coverage depends on perfection, and can be compared to a baseball pitcher who throws a perfect game for eight and two-thirds innings, and then makes a mistake, throws one bad pitch, and gives up a game-winning home run. In an instant he lost the perfect game, the no-hitter, the shutout and – most importantly – the victory. The stakes are high on the edge, and much like the aforementioned pitcher, a perfect game for a DB playing man coverage can go south in a hurry if the bad guys hit a late game TD pass or a big completion that changes field position and sets up the winning score.

There is certainly a thin line that separates success and failure, and because this line is sometimes skewed or moved entirely, our DBs must understand why we strive for perfection, and why the most important play of the game is the current one. Here at Garden City we concentrate on teaching our DBs how to develop their mental tools, as well as their physical skills. Our DBs must know how to harness and utilize their physical skills and abilities. They must know how to deal with both success and failure, and they must be equipped to handle the highs and lows that come with playing bump-and-run coverage. Listed below are five things that we discuss with our DBs the first day they arrive on campus.

1. COMPETE
- every snap of every practice
- every snap of every game
- FINISH the play; snap to whistle
- in the classroom
- take pride in your work
- in the weight room
- during off-season conditioning
- no one works harder

2. PLAY WITH CONFIDENCE
- believe in yourself
- a confident player is a dangerous weapon
- success breeds success
- trust your skills and techniques
- trust your teammates and the scheme

3. KNOW YOUR OPPONENT
- learn to study film
- know their “go to” receiver
- know their favorite routes
- know the WR’s best release off the line
- know their offensive tendencies

4. KNOW THE SITUATION
- know if you have help and if you do, know who it is and know where he is going to be
- know the score
- know the down and distance
- know time in the game
- know where you are on the field

5. MAINTAIN EMOTIONAL
CONTROL AND FOCUS
- our game must be played at a high emotional level
- focus on one play at a time
- short memory on the field
- keep “snakes” out of your head
- self control is paramount
- completions happen
- must be equipped to deal with the good and the bad

WHY PLAY BUMP? Before coming to Garden City three years ago, I didn’t think much about man coverage, ever. We had always been successful playing zone coverage out of a 2-shell look, and I was quite comfortable teaching and playing almost exclusively in that style of defense. I did not really appreciate all the advantages to playing bump-and-run coverage, mainly because I didn’t think we had gifted enough athletes to play that style of aggressive man coverage. I mistakenly thought that we had to have physically superior athletes to play such a bold and daring coverage, and even though we played an attack-oriented defense, we did so under the relative safety of zone coverage. In addition, I thought the risks far outweighed the gains. What’s more, I could not imagine a team I coached playing an entire game this way; at that time we played man coverage sparingly, only a few snaps of man-to-man each season. However, things have definitely changed, and during the past three years I have learned that:

A. The best way to nullify an opposing offense’s team speed is to get in the faces of the WRs and physically challenge them play after play, all game long.

B. The speed of the game is relative to where you coach; you can’t make comparisons across levels: high school athletes cannot be compared to college athletes, nor college athletes compared to professional athletes. What I mean is that bump-and-run coverage is about match-ups, and generally, our DBs are going to have comparable speed to the WRs they cover. When their natural abilities are combined with the skills and techniques we teach them, we hope to either capitalize on our strengths, or negate any physical advantage the WR may have prior to the snap.

Here are just a few of the reasons that we like to get in your face, and stay there, from snap to whistle, for 60 minutes:

BY ITS VERY NATURE, BUMP-AND-RUN COVERAGE EXUDES THE CONFIDENCE AND AGGRESSIVE MINDSET WE WANT IN ALL OUR DEFENSIVE PLAYERS, ESPECIALLY OUR DBs. Our ability to play man on the edge enables our other defenders to aggressively attack the football.

BUMP-AND-RUN COVERAGE LIMITS THE TYPES OF ROUTES WE HAVE TO DEFEND. We have found that our style of play limits the number of different routes we face each week; we really only defend 5-6 basic routes throughout the season. Each team will definitely have its own tendencies and favorite routes, but after breaking down the film of our past two seasons, these are the routes that have been used most frequently against us. On the edge, we know we will have to defend each the slant, fade, go and an inside (jailbreak) screen. In the slot, because of alignment, there are more options, but we focus on the short crossing route, quick out, slant, inside seam, and the 7 (corner route). This helps us in a couple of ways: The first is in preparation; we don’t waste practice time during the week chasing ghosts, or preparing for what our opponent might do against us. Therefore, we can concentrate on defending the routes we have seen our opponent run, that we feel are best against bump-and-run coverage. Another way preparing for a limited number of routes helps us is that our DBs aren’t playing a guessing game at the L.O.S. They know what routes to expect, and they know what type of release is used with each route, based on where the WR is lined up (edge/slot).

BUMP-AND-RUN COVERAGE FORCES THE WR TO WORK HARD EVERY PLAY. One of our goals is to make the WR work hard from snap to whistle each and every play of the game. We want to challenge the WR’s release, and then harass him, forcing him to work hard throughout the entire play. Most WRs are fast; fast like track guys, and they don’t want to be bothered during their route. They want to run. So, from the defensive perspective, the last thing we want to do is let a “track guy” turn his route into a 20-, 30- or 40-yard sprint. With that in mind, our DBs do everything they can (within the rules) to prevent the WR from getting to top-end speed during the route stem. This harassment also makes it difficult for the WR to separate from our DB at the break point, and ultimately more difficult for him to catch and secure the football. We don’t ever want the WR to get comfortable running his route; we want to physically and mentally assault him from snap to whistle.

OUR DBs GET COMFORTABLE IN THIS AGGRESSIVE STYLE OF PLAY. Once the initial fear and anxiety of playing bump-and-run are overcome, the DBs gain confidence, and playing on top of the WR becomes quite natural (this tends to happen in a very short period of time). The DBs like having the ability to control the route, and the WR with their hands and body positioning. They don’t enjoy having to defend a WR who runs freely and unmolested through the secondary. They want to put physical and psychological pressure on the WR at all times. Our DBs learn through the trial and error of countless practice reps that the best way to control, and then nullify a WR’s speed, is to keep him out of his comfort zone, by making each route the WR runs more difficult than the last.

BUMP-AND-RUN COVERAGE THROWS OFF THE TIMING AND THE RHYTHM BETWEEN WR AND QB.Another of our defensive goals is to disrupt offensive rhythm, and this will occur when our DBs play the coverage correctly. We want the QB to get to his drop depth, set-up and have nowhere to throw the ball. This should force the QB to either throw the ball before the WR is ready, force the QB to eat the ball, or force the WR to cut his route off short; changing his route, so he can better time his break with the QB. In any case, we have gained the upper hand.

MOST TEAMS IN OUR CONFERENCE DO NOT PLAY MUCH-BUMP-AND- RUN COVERAGE, so consequently the offenses in our league don’t face much bump during the season. This makes it difficult for our opponents to realistically simulate our style of play in only three or four practices. WRs who were able to release against air the previous two or three games, are now asked to learn and perfect at least one release against bump-and-run coverage, in less then a week. In addition, these WRs will probably have to practice against DBs who are not as proficient at the coverage techniques as are the BUSTERS. Bump-and-run coverage also affects the QB, because windows that were once available against zone coverage are no longer there when facing man coverage. There are no natural openings against man coverage. Completions must be earned; we force the WR to work to get off the L.O.S., force him to work to get open, and we force the QB throw a perfect pass.

As stated at the beginning of this article, in order for our DBs to play this aggressive style of coverage, they cannot be paralyzed by the fear of making a mistake, (having a pass completed on them). They must be confident, fearless and have no conscience. It is important for our DBs to understand, and accept (to a certain extent), that on occasions a well-thrown pass will be caught by the intended receiver. We definitely want to keep those occasions to a minimum, but we also want to prepare our DB’s psychologically for the times passes are completed. They cannot fall to pieces simply because the WR caught a pass. I feel this is an extremely important part of our package, and something I discuss with the DBs each day.

This same mental approach is also necessary for those coaches who employ this style of play as part of their defensive package; they must be able to deal with, and overcome, a big play or completion by the offense. In addition, coaches and players alike must be able to cope with the inevitable pass interference calls that come with being an aggressive and hands-on secondary. As any defensive coach will gladly tell you, the rules of the game are set up for offensive success; the fans want to see lots of points. No one but other defensive coaches enjoy 0-0 ties, or 3-0 triple overtime games.

The name of the game is offense, and as long as all parties involved understand the parameters of the rules, we feel like we’ve got a chance to compete. We have a style of play we teach our DBs and if they get flagged, or give up a completion playing Buster Ball, everyone involved has to deal with it, and move on to the next play. Dealing with adversity is part of the game, and it is at this point that mental toughness and mental preparation (short memory and no conscience) come into play. Part of our DB’s emotional preparedness comes from their understanding and appreciating what types of completions are acceptable and which completions are unacceptable; they have to know where we want the ball thrown and caught.

In our base man-coverage our DBs are taught to work for control of the WR’s up-field shoulder. We have up-field leverage at the beginning of each play, and we want to maintain this position throughout the entire play. We never want to get beat over the top. We want to force all completions outside the numbers; this is generally a tougher pass to throw, and it is in an area that limits the potential for any RAC. With that in mind, a completion at the post is never acceptable. A post route is a relatively easy pass to throw, and a completion at the post usually means the WR is off to the races. One route we see a lot is the fade route. The fade is a lower percentage pass, and it is exactly the type of route we want to force. We want to dictate that the fade be thrown because of the low completion percentage, the ball is thrown outside the numbers, and the threat of RAC is decreased, because many times the WR will actually fade himself out of bounds as he catches the ball.

The RAC is always a potential threat when you play man coverage, because each defender is intently focused on his man, and not the ball, as opposed to zone coverage, when all defenders’ eyes are on the ball. We cannot let a 5-yard pass turn into a 55-yard explosive play because of a poor decision and/or a missed tackle. Since most offenses have big play potential, we take some time each day to work on finishing the receiver when he gets his hands on the ball. We’ve got to be perfect anytime the WR touches the ball, because there is no one to clean up the mess when a DB makes a mistake.

Perfection is a must; because generally, when one of our DBs does make a mistake, it’s a touchdown for the bad guys. So at Garden City, sure tackling is skill that is practiced daily and is a skill, that we feel, cannot be overlooked or overemphasized.

STANCE. Before we can work on any type of movement drill, our DBs must know how to get into a good bump-and-run stance that allows them to be both aggressive and reactive. We try to start all of our drills with the DBs in a fundamentally sound, yet comfortable stance. There are certainly some basic consistencies in what we consider to be a fundamentally sound bump-and-run stance. However, to use a baseball analogy again, just as there are individual variations in batting stances, we believe there is also room for some individuality when preparing to play bump-and-run.

One thing is for certain, each DB must be comfortable and ready to move. We don’t want them tight and rigid once they settle in to their stance. They must be able to react and attack, quickly. Here are some of the basic components of the stance that we teach from day one:

• feet roughly shoulder width apart
• weight on the balls of the feet
• knees bent 45 to 90 degrees
• bend at waist to get nose over toes
• hands up ready to attack
• relax
• breathe
• focus on the bottom of the WR’s numbers

DRILLS

There is no question that straight-line speed is a very important part of today’s game. The expression, “speed kills” is no joke, and nowhere is the pace of the game more evident than in the secondary. However, football is more than a 100-meter dash, and straight-line speed is not the only factor in determining a DB’s potential for success. Equally important as straight-line speed is functional speed: the ability to start, pedal/run, change direction, stop, restart and then get back to top end speed. This type of mobility is crucial, because on the typical football play a DB locked in man coverage is separated from the ball by several directional breaks, shorts bursts of speed and the occasional athlete in an off-colored jersey. We feel that the keys to mobility/agility lie in an athlete’s feet and hips. So, it would follow that good footwork and loose hips will help our DBs improve their play. In our drill work we want to develop and improve our DB’s mobility, agility and overall efficiency of movement. The drills outlined in this article are not difficult to set up, to teach to the athletes, or to use at practice; in fact the best thing about them may be their simplicity. These drills are also not particularly innovative or cutting edge; many of our drills have been inspired by, or borrowed from other coaches, and then combined, modified and tweaked in order to best prepare our DBs to play bump-and-run coverage. It is important for our drills to involve the specific types of skills and movements that our DBs use during a game; otherwise the drills are just a waste of time. We also want to create a feeling of familiarity for the DBs, by putting them in as many game-like situations as possible. Familiarity leads to comfort, and by game-time, the DB’s movements must be instinctive and fluid, not stiff and robotic. When the specific skills and techniques developed in our drills are seen in practice and game tapes, it helps our guys understand and appreciate the importance of drill work. The overall improvement in our DB’s feet and hips can be attributed to the drills in this article; and our improved mobility has definitely made us a quicker, more aggressive and more confident secondary.

RAPID FIRE RELEASES

Diagram 3.

This is a drill we do every day, as the part of our agility period. Rapid Fire Releases is a very simple drill that is used to teach and reinforce proper footwork to our DBs. This drill develops eye-foot coordination and gives our DBs the opportunity to defend multiple WR releases in a very short period of time. We put 5-6 DBs in a line – these guys act as our WRs. The DB lines up 4-5 yards away from the others, and on command the first WR sprints towards the DB. As he nears the DB the next WR in line begins running at the DB, and then the lead WR breaks right or left of the DB, simulating a release. He is followed in rapid fire succession, by the remaining WRs, which, when done correctly, should provide little recovery time for the DB. We want the DB to recognize the release and quickly react by snapping his hips open to the side of the release, and shooting his opposite arm to the bottom of the WR’s numbers. The DB should open his hips to match the direction of release taken by each WR, and then snap back to the starting position before the next WR releases. When all the WRs have released, turn around and repeat the process.

FLIP-FLIP-STICK

Diagram 4.

This is another great drill we do every day as part of our agility period. This drill really helps to develop the loose hips, quick feet and change of direction, which are critical when playing bump-and-run coverage. We run this drill coming out from the sideline, so the DBs can run down one of the marked 5-yard lines. The lines are used so we can visually evaluate step efficiency and determine if the DB can run a straight while executing several flip turns and a break. The first DB lines up in a bump stance on the next DB in line, who serves as a WR. The drill begins with our slide step and open to run, looking over the right shoulder. On command, the DB flips his hips and continues to run down the line, now looking over his left shoulder. On the next command, the DB again flips his hips and runs down the line, now looking over his right shoulder. On the final command, the DB sticks his up-field foot, which should be his right foot, redirects and bursts through his starting point. We repeat the drill with the initial turn occurring over the left shoulder. These turns should be done as quickly and smoothly as possible, without sacrificing speed, or pulling the DB off his line (efficiency). As a former coach and mentor once told me: “We look for DBs who can run like water.”

“S” TURNS

Diagram 5.

S Turns are also part of our daily routine. This drill has really helped our DBs understand how to disrupt route rhythm and timing in the passing game. One of the reasons we use bump-and-run coverage is because we want to keep the WR from running a straight-line sprint, as part of his route. We want to force the WR to change direction early and often, throughout the route stem, and this drill enables our DBs to get a feel for this. This drill involves physically cutting-off and turning the receiver, much like a basketball defender forces the man dribbling the ball to change directions; and like basketball coaches, we emphasize the importance of playing defense with the feet, and not the hands.

The drill begins with a DB lined up in bump against a WR. The WR releases; the DB slide steps, opens his hips to match the release direction of the WR, and shoots his off arm to help gain control of the WR. At this point we want the DB to flatten the WRs release and not let him get vertical. As the WR tries to run, the DB should physically cut-off the WR and force him change direction.

When the WR does change direction we teach the DBs to react in one of two ways: if the WR breaks flat and underneath him, he should plant on his upfield foot, flip his hips and work to stay on the high shoulder of the WR. If the WR changes direction, but stays vertical, the DB should use a speed or centerfield turn, flip his head around and work to the high shoulder of the WR.

We run this drill from the sideline to the near hash, instructing the DBs to turn their man as many times as they can in the drill area. We want the DBs to challenge each other, and not just make their partner look good. During spring ball and fall camp we do a similar drill with the real WRs. It makes for great competition, and is a great learning tool for both groups.

PLAY THE HANDS

Diagram 6.

Like it or not, despite all the drill work and instruction, there will be times when a DB playing in man coverage finds himself in a trail position. This can be very scary for the DB, especially if he is not prepared, physically and mentally, to handle the situation. Too often DBs caught in this position panic and flail their arms around, or they run wildly with their hands in the air; in either event, they don’t know what to do. This drill improves our DBs coping skills and gives them some tools to get out of this sticky situation without panicking, or committing an unnecessary pass interference penalty. We start this drill with the DB trailing the WR by 3 or 4 yards, and then on command, both athletes begin running downfield. We want the DB to close the gap, and understand that he can make up ground while the ball is in the air.

Our rule for whether to play the man, or to play ball is simple; if you are in a control position, (hip to hip with the WR), play the ball; if you can’t touch your man, keep running, close the gap and play through his hands. One of the first things we tell our guys when they are beat deep is, “Do not panic.” We want them to focus on the WR and sprint through him. The next point is: “Do not look back for the football.” This will only slow the DB down, and enable the WR to maintain his up-field cushion. Instead, we want the DB to keep running normally and read the WR’s eyes/hands on the run. This is because quite often when a QB sees his WR has clearly beaten the DB on a go or post route, the ball is under thrown; the last thing the QB wants to do is overthrow the football. In fact, QBs are coached to give the WR a chance to catch the ball, which often times leads to the ball being under thrown. Very rarely is the WR hit in full-stride with a perfect pass; usually the WR has to adjust to the ball, and it is during the adjustment phase that the DB has a chance to close the gap between himself and the WR.

The DB must learn that he can recover and put himself in position to make a play on the ball. However, he must stay under control, and read the body language of the WR. This type of awareness will help prevent the sprinting DB from wiping out a WR who has stopped to catch an under thrown ball. Once the DB is in position to make a play, we have him attack the WR one of two ways:

1) The first is to shoot his hands, in an upward motion, between the WR’s hands; almost as if he were delivering an uppercut punch. The upward thrust should counter the WR’s natural instinct to pull the ball down and into his body, and give the DB opportunity to separate the ball from the WR.

2) The second way is to play the hands and then peel a hand/arm off the ball. Wherever the WR’s hands are, that’s where we expect ball be, so we have the DB focus on the WR’s hands. Once the DB sees the WR’s hands prepare to accept the ball, he will take one more stride and then shoot his hand into, and through the WR’s hands. If/when he sees the ball on the WR’s hands; he peels a hand/forearm off the ball. This final finishing technique will also give the DB the opportunity to force the ball out of the WR’s hands, causing either an incomplete pass or a fumble.

FINISH THE DUMMY

Diagram 7. Diagram 8.

This is a drill I really like because of the different skills it involves. This drill develops footwork, improves form-tackling and teaches the DB to strip the WR. It is a comprehensive drill that hits the basic skills necessary to play in the secondary; pedaling, sprinting, stopping, breaking, restarting, tackling, and raking the ball out. It is the only drill I’ve discussed that requires any type of extra equipment – a pop-up dummy. However, we have done this drill in the past using live bodies instead of the pop-up dummies, but have found that the speed and intensity of the drill can be increased when pop-up dummies are used instead of live bodies.

Currently we use one dummy that has attachable arms, and one dummy without arms. This drill can be set up any number of ways, but we always start with a pedal or bail, and a directional break (we change the movement and angle of the break each time). After the initial footwork, the DB breaks, as the coach prepares to throw the ball to the dummy.

We want the ball to beat the DB to the dummy, because this is a finish drill, not an interception drill. As the DB closes on the dummy (with arms) he should run through the dummy and rake/rip the arms, preventing the WR from securing the football. When closing on the dummy without arms, the DB should hit, wrap and run through the dummy. This is another way we can teach the DBs to keep their feet alive, and to run through contact.

There is no doubt that to play bump-and-run coverage, a DB must possess tremendous physical and mental skills. It is truly one of the toughest positions to play on the football field. Not only does it require tremendous athleticism and skill, it takes specific personality traits to play one on one for an entire game. This individual must be highly competitive, resilient, fearless and full of confidence. Bump-and-run coverage is a way of life at Garden City CC, and in this article I have tried to explain our approach to teaching, and playing bump-and-run coverage here at GCCC. I hope this information has been useful.

About the author Tim Schaffner Tim Schaffner made his coaching debut for the Garden City Community College Broncbusters one to remember by continuing the great defensive tradition that the ‘Busters have been known for throughout the years without skipping a beat. Coach Schaffner also coached the defensive backfield that did an outstanding job of shutting the opposition down both in the air and as run support. The Buster “D” was ranked No. 1 in the conference in rushing defense, total defense and most importantly scoring defense. For more info, please email Coach Schaffner at tschaffner@gccc.cc.ks.us.

If you liked this article, here are three others just like it: 1. Cyclone of a Secondary, June 2003 2. Stalking Down Ball Carriers, April 2003 3. Basic Corner Techniques & Drills, July 1999

Related Videos American Football Monthly now offers a full line of coaching videos. So, if you enjoyed this clinic article, here are a few videos that you may find interesting: FV-01773 Cover 8 Defense FV-00048G Defensive Secondary (Oliver) FV-00421 Drills to Develop Defensive Backs (Darlington) To find these videos and many others, view our online catalog at www.AFMVideos.com.

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