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AFM Magazine


Linebacker Play – Knowing Your Assignment Pre-Snap

by: Terrol Dillon
Linebackers and Special Teams Coach, Texas State University
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At Texas State, in order to execute zone coverage against the pass, it is critical
to know the positioning of the
opponent’s wide receivers.

Today, the spread offense and passing game have become very prevalent.  As LBs, we are run defenders first. However, more often than not, we will find ourselves defending the pass more than the run throughout the course of a game. At Texas State, our dilemma has become teaching our LBs how to stay fast and aggressive to the run and, at the same time, sound and effective against the passing game. We have adopted what we feel to be a very simple philosophy to get this accomplished.

    We are primarily a zone team, and regardless of the zone coverage that is called, our technique stays the same.  We use the same key phrases and terms to describe our responsibilities in all coverages.  The only requirement that I have for my LBs is that they are able to identify the five eligible WRs and label them – starting from the widest and labeling them 1-3 to their side (You can see the various formations in Diagrams 1-3). 


    At Texas State, we drop to men and not areas of the field, so it is critical that we are able to identify the WR count pre-snap. This helps eliminate indecision of where the linebackers should be.  We use the offensive philosophy of spacing to our advantage. Their need for spacing within the route combination allows us to end up in our proper zone, whether it be the flat, the curl, the hook, or the middle hole.  Once we receive the huddle call and identify the formation and WR count, our LBs are able to identify what man they are responsible for and drop to him.

    Here is a listing of the terms we use:

Alter – Change the WR’s route path by forcing him wider than he intended to go.

WR Count – Identify the five eligible WRs and label them 1-3 outside in, on your side of the field.

Route Exchange – For any out cut, there is an in cut; for any in cut, there is an out cut, and that will change the WR count.

QB Eyes/Shoulder – Reading the QB’s shoulder point to determine which window we should occupy.

The Hole – When you don’t have a WR to drop to because he stayed in to protect, read the QB’s eyes.

No Cover Zone – The first five-yard area from the line of scrimmage.

Windows – An area of space we occupy between the QB and his intended receiver.

Cut Your Eyes – At the snap we need to see from WR to QB to WR to QB in quick succession.

Shuffle, Shuffle, Sprint – Technique used as a hole player in reading the QB’s shoulder/eyes.

Don’t Pass Up Work to Get to Work – Term used to describe altering a WR who is in your path to your drop WR.

    Once the ball has been snapped and we have identified pass, we use our pre-snap WR count to determine how flat or deep of an angle we need to take in order to get in position on our WR. This is based on the WR’s initial alignment to our initial alignment.  As we drop to the WR, his initial release will be classified as “vertical”, “in”, or “out”.  We then cut our eyes to the QB to check for a quick game or draw.

Once we have confirmed pass, we cut our eyes back to the WR to confirm the release we saw at the snap. All of this happens within the first one-two seconds of the play.  With a vertical release we assume a dig route or a curl because any other vertical cut will be beyond our zone drop area and settle at our drop depth with our shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, so that we occupy more space in any potential windows and our eyes are on the QB.  We will read the QB’s eyes/shoulders for the remainder of the play. 

As his clock counts down to release the ball, his eyes and shoulders will point in the direction that he intends to throw the ball.  We will shuffle with his eyes/shoulder point accordingly.  We want to stay in the window of the throw the QB has shown us with his eyes/shoulders and force him to go another way.
    An “out” cut signifies a route exchange which changes the count.  We must identify the new WR that is coming in and change our angle and speed to match the new WR.  Then we settle at our proper depth, square up to the line of scrimmage, and read the QB’s eyes/shoulders.

    With an “in” cut, we will keep inside leverage on the route and not allow it to cross our face.  We will force the route to break over us, and we will alter the route in the process.  If the “in” cut is shallow (less than five yards), we will remain in a leverage position on top of the route and not jump it, so that we do not open a window of a potential deeper “in” cut behind us.  As we do this, we will also look for a crossing route from the other side of the field, and be ready to exchange the deeper route coming to us (See Diagrams 4-5).


    As we drop to our pre-snap determined WR, we will alter any release by a WR that crosses our path as we work to our pass drop responsibility.  For example, if I am responsible for dropping to the #1 WR in a twins set, as I work to #1, if #2 is in my path, I will alter his release.  Not only will this destroy the timing between the WR and the QB, it also allows the LB who is responsible for dropping to the #2 WR a little more time to get to his drop and not adversely affect the LB who is responsible for dropping to #1.  We will never “pass up work to get to work”.

    We like to stay in the window between the WR and the QB unless the WR is in the no cover zone.  This ensures that we can effect the trajectory of throws to the intended WRs.  We can never lose our inside leverage on routes and give a QB an easy and direct throw in the middle of the field.

    Through these basic fundamentals and rules, we are able to adapt our LB drops to a multitude of pass route combinations without changing our communication or techniques. The consistency in rules allows our LBs to play faster and more confident.







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