How to Defend a Deep Pass in Man-to-Man Football
- 1). Know your assignment. In man-to-man coverage, each defensive back has to know which player he's covering, even if that player lines up in an unfamiliar formation. If there's confusion and two defenders converge on the same receiver, another receiver will be wide open to make a big play.
- 2). Play "bump-and-run." This is a style of coverage in which you crowd the line of scrimmage directly across from your assigned receiver. When the center hikes the ball to the quarterback, jam the receiver at the line of scrimmage by bumping his body to prevent him from getting into his passing route. Bump-and-run requires timing and strength, because if the receiver spins around you, he's off to the races and capable of catching a deep pass. You must also be careful not to put your hands on the receiver's helmet or to bump him more than 5 yards past the line of scrimmage, which will incur a penalty.
- 3). Keep your eyes on the receiver's hips. When defending a receiver, your eyes should be on his hips, which will shift in the direction that he wants to turn. This helps you anticipate a receiver's move so you can stay in lock step to prevent him from catching a pass.
- 4). Practice your backpedal. As a defensive back, you must be proficient in running backward, while your head and body are facing forward, and your eyes are reading the quarterback and receiver. Backpedaling allows you to keep the receiver in front of you, but also gives you the chance to make a quick move to the left or right when the ball is thrown so you are in position to intercept the pass.
- 5). Line up on the inside of a receiver when playing at the line of scrimmage. Your goal is to disrupt the receiver's timing and not allow him to run an inside route, which gives the quarterback an open field to make a deep throw. Forcing the receiver to run an outside route makes the deep pass more difficult to throw and to catch.
- 6). Watch the receiver's eyes when running down the field. Typically, a receiver's eyes will signal that the ball is in the air on a deep throw. When the receiver's eyes widen, you should turn back and give yourself a chance to make the interception or break up the play. Pass-interference penalties are often called because the defensive back never turned his head to look back at the pass, which gives him and the receiver a 50-50 chance at the ball.
