Yada, yada, yada. People don't like Roy Williams for blah, blah, blah. Big whoop. Back to the most recent Roy Williams myth as it pertains to quarters coverage.
Disclaimer: if you don't like Roy Williams or think you know defense, but you're truly only living in a Madden world, this post isn't for you. And yeah, yeah, it would be good for you to read the entire thing since you're going to ignore this disclaimer anyway.
Linky (for ESPN Insider subscribers)-->
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Football 101: Quarters coverage
By Bob Davie
Special to ESPN.com
(
Archive)
Updated: November 7, 2003, 1:56 PM ET
The most popular zone pass coverage played in college football today is something called quarters coverage. The reason it's so popular is because it is a coverage that can be played on running downs as well as in passing situations.
As in any coverage, there are many variations and changeups that make this an effective catchall defensive scheme. Basically every team in college football plays some combination of quarters coverage. Oklahoma, for example, has always taken advantage of quarters coverage.
In today's class we will show how the basic quarters coverage is played and some variations.
We will also look at some ways offensive teams attack it.
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What is quarters coverage?[/FONT]
Quarters pass coverage is a zone principle with the defense dividing the deep passing zones into fourths.
Corners play the two outside fourths and safeties play the two inside fourths. The basic alignment has the quarters positioned seven yards from the line of scrimmage and the safeties positioned eight yards from the line of scrimmage.
The linebackers divide the underneath coverage into three passing zones. The outside linebackers play the flat area and the middle linebacker works the hook and curl. The outside linebackers hang in the curl as long as they can and only carry to the flat if their flat is threatened.
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How the basic coverage works[/FONT]
In quarters coverage,
most teams play a man-to-man concept with any receiver that comes into their basic zone.
Corners
The corners are aligned on the No. 1 receiver (widest in the formation) and play a man-to-man concept as long as the wide receiver is in his zone or fourth.
Corners may or may not get help from the safeties, depending on what the No. 2 receiver does.
Even though the corner is aligned on the No. 1 receiver, he must also have awareness of what route the No. 2 receiver runs. If the No. 2 receiver does not run a route to threaten the corner's zone, he can then play man-to-man on the No. 1.
If the No. 2 receiver does run a route that threatens the corner's zone, the corner must now stay outside so that he is in a position to zone his quarter and then end up playing the No. 2 receiver.
Safeties
The safeties, aligned at eight yards deep, read the intention of the No. 2 receiver to their side.
In this case, the strong safety reads the tight end and the free safety reads through to the running back. The great advantage of quarters coverage is that you have immediate run support if a run develops. If it is a run, the safeties support immediately, providing a 9-man front.
If the No. 2 receivers show pass, the safeties then play zone in their quarters. If the No. 2 receiver threatens their quarter, they play a man-to-man technique as long as the receiver is in their zone. (I just hope that some can comprehend what Davie says next
)
If the No. 2 receiver runs a route that immediately takes him out of the strong safety's zone, he simply zones his quarter.
Underneath coverage
With the secondary playing a four-deep concept, someone has to carry any receiver that goes to the flat.
The two outside linebackers play a curl/flat technique, which means they hang in the curl as long as they can until someone threatens the widest area of the field.
The mike linebacker works hook-to-curl to the side of the passing strength (the side with three eligible receivers).
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Advantages of quarters coverage[/FONT]
1. The defense can protect the deep passing zones
with four deep defenders if the wide receivers all go vertical. In two-deep coverages, there are only two deep defenders and in three-deep coverage, there are only three deep defenders.
2.
With the safeties reading off the No. 2 receivers and the corners basically playing man-to-man on the No. 1 receivers, the defense gets great run support.
The strong safety reads the tight end and the free safety reads through to the back to his side. If run shows, both safeties immediately play the run.
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Attacking quarters coverage[/FONT]
1. One obvious way to attack quarters coverage is with the play-action pass.
Showing run causes the safeties to attack and leaves the corners locked man-to-man on the wide receivers. The corners must work inside and prevent the post route because he has no help. The safeties have been used up by the run fake.
2. Offenses can also attack quarters coverage by throwing the ball to wide receivers in the underneath flat area. With the corners playing deep quarters, it is difficult to stop the hitch or quick out by a wide receiver. The linebackers responsible for the flat simply can't get there fast enough to affect the throw.
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Changeups to quarters coverage[/FONT]
1. If the defense wants to take away the quick passing game to the wide receivers, they can align their corners in a bump technique.
The corner then plays tight man-to-man on any wide receiver route other than a shallow crossing route. If the corner is aligned in bump,
the outside linebackers must run man-to-man with the No. 2 receiver if he threatens through to the outside quarter. Because the corners are up in bump-and-run coverage,
they can't see the release of the No. 2 receiver and the outside linebacker must protect him if the No. 2 runs through his zone.
2. Another changeup to quarters is a coverage called quarter-quarter-half. In this coverage, the defense still plays a quarters concept to the formation or tight end/flanker side. The change is to the weak side where they play a half-field concept.
This means the corner to the split-end side plays the flat instead of the outside quarter.
The safety to the weak side plays half-field coverage instead of the inside quarter. In this concept, the defense basically doubles the split end or wide receiver to the weak side of the formation.
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Conclusion[/FONT]
Quarters coverage is a popular scheme in college football that can provide excellent run support because of the safeties' alignment and keys.
It is also a safe coverage because the defense has four defensive backs to protect against the offense's four vertical receiving routes.
The defense must have excellent corners to play this coverage because many times the safeties get used up by play-action fakes and by the No. 2 receivers' routes. Many times the corners are left to play one-on-one coverage on wide receivers.
Editor's note: As architect of Texas A&M's Wrecking Crew defense (1989-93), Notre Dame defensive coordinator (1994-96) and head coach of the Irish (1997-2001), Bob Davie has been recognized as a top Xs and Os coach.
