defensive back skills and drills gene shulman - assistant coach shawnee high school 609-654-7544...

DEFENSIVE BACK SKILLS AND DRILLS

Gene Shulman - Assistant Coach

Shawnee High School

609-654-7544

eushulman@lrhsd.org

PHILOSOPHY

• Do what your players can do-not what someone else’s players can do

• Drill the techniques that are used in the coverages you run-don’t simply drill

• Use a limited number of drills-you don’t need 101 drills

• Give your players “diagnostic tools”-a specific read and a specific response

DEFENSIVE BACK FUNDAMENTALS

• ALIGNMENT: Vertical and horizontal position on receiver is critical

• STANCE: Every DB must have a comfortable stance that will eliminate wasted motion and allow him to maximize his speed to the ball and the receiver .

C

C

S

7YDS from WR's bodyOutside foot on WR's inside foot

9YDS from LOS over strong side OG

7YDS from WR's bodyOutside foot on WR's inside foot

ALIGNMENT VS PRO

C

C

S9YDS from LOS over strong side OG

7YDS from WR's bodyOutside foot on WR's inside foot

ALIGNMENT VS TWINS

6YDS from LOS Head-on TE

C

C

S9YDS from LOS over strong side OG

7YDS from WR's bodyOutside foot on WR's inside foot

ALIGNMENT VS WING

6YDS from LOS Head-on TE

FEET Should be set under the armpits or narrower. DB can stagger feet to where he is

comfortable. The outside foot is up. Feet can be on the

ground and weight is evenly distributed. Putting more weight on the ball of ball of the

outside foot may eliminate (false steps). If DB has a more pronounced stagger, keep his front foot flat on the ground and back foot with his heel off the ground. Be comfortable.

BODY There should be three bends: Ankles, Knees

and Waist. The bend in the ankle should be slight and

allow the feet to support weight evenly. The knees will be a more pronounced bend.

The bend in the knees must keep the DB low. Knee bend will dictate transition and leg drive.

The waist should be bent so as to keep the torso at a 45-degree angle. Too little waist bend will result in weight transferring back on the heels. Too much bend will lock the hips when in transition.

ARMS – HEAD - BACK

• Arms should be relaxed and ready to play off blockers or level receivers. Tense arms will restrict mobility.

• Head is up and relaxed with eyes on key.

• Back is straight and shoulders should be slightly forward but relaxed to allow for backward arm swing.

BACKWARD MOVEMENT • Every DB must make a smooth transition

from a stationary position to acceleration while retreating.

• Areas to focus on:– Walk / shuffle– Pedal– Transition – Turn and run

RUN – PASS KEY• DB takes three slow, short read steps or

shuffles while reading Run-Pass key• Run-Pass key is uncovered offensive

lineman (lineman who has LB over him)• Lineman fires out with low hat = run• Lineman does anything else (pull, down

block, fan block, retreat) = play pass, react late to run

• WHEN IN DOUBT, PLAY PASS FIRST• DB’S two best friends on the field – DEPTH

and the SIDELINE

E T T E

S M W $

C CS

1

2

3

4

1- Fire out

2-Pull

3-Downblock

4-Retreat

FOOT AND HIP DRILLS

• Do Foot/Hip drills in mass

• Better players in back lines

• No one stands around – young players will pick things up as they go

• Coach stands to side so that he can see all players

AGILITY DRILLS (FEET & HIPS)

• Mass drill as much as possible – No one stands around

• All drills are COD (Change Of Direction)

MASS DRILL SET-UP

D DD

D D D

D DD

D D DC

EXPERIENCED DB’S

YOUNG DB’S

MASS DRILL MOVEMENTS

• Back and up

• Back and up at 45

• Back-turn and run- up

• Back-turn and run- up across body

• Down the line

• Weave

• Baseball turn

MOVEMENT-BUDDY DRILLS

DR

MULTIPLE BASEBALL TURN

DR

ANGLE PEDAL

DR

POST-CORNER

PLAYING THE RECIEVER

D

R QBCUTT-OFF DRILL

DR

QBBUTT-BUTT DRILL

Both of these drills can be done with or without a ball

PLAYING THE RECIEVER

D

R QBSHORT MAN

D

R

QBTERMINAL MAN

5 YDS10 YDS

5 YDS

D

R QB

1

2

3 1 = Radical

2 = Slant

3 = Slant & up

ADJUSTMENT DRILL

GOAL LINER

D

R

D

GOAL LINE MAN

DB aligns 5yards of WR

WR can run fade, slant, fade-stop

ONE-ON-ONE

• One-on-one with WR running one set of patterns

• Hitch – Bench – Fade

• Out – Out & up – Out & up & stop

• Post – Dig – Post / flag

Don’t try to defend everything

TACKLING DRILLS

• Tackle every day – don’t have to put ball-carrier on the ground

• Open Field

• Angle / Angle Cutback

• Sideline

• Shed

BC

T

Set up is 10 yard squareT backpedals 5ydsBC takes 3 steps then breaks

RUN - BALANCE - HIT

BC

T

Set up is 10 yard squareAt 5 yards BC can cutback or fake and continue

ANGLE RUN - BALANCE - HIT

BC

T

At 5 yards BC can cutback or fake and continue

ANGLE TACKLE / ANGLE TACKLE CUTBACK

R

D

C

R can't move until catches ballR can fake DD can move as soon as ball goesCan put R on #'s and D on hash 10yds apart

OPEN FIELD TACKLE

R

D

C

SHED TACKLE

RB

RR

W$

S

C

RR

W$

C

S

QBQB

RB RB

HALF FIELD 7ON7