How to Drill Defensive Backs for Pass Defense in Football

When defending against the pass defensive backs must be able to stay with a receiver and position themselves for a play on the football. An offensive receiver has an advantage in knowing the passing route, and defensive backs must develop their coverage techniques to the point where confidence permits the player's instincts to become an asset in pass coverage.



Coaching the proper techniques for the backpedal, man-on-man coverage and protecting against a long completion is the foundation for a sound pass defense in football.

Things You'll Need

  • Lined football field
  • Coach
  • Whistle
  • 2 wide receivers
  • 2 orange cones
  • Footballs
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Instructions

  1. The Backpedal Drill

    • 1
      Be ready to uncoil backwards at the whistle.

      Form a triangle area for the backpedal drill starting with a quarterback at the 20-yard line in the middle of the field. Place a cone at the 30-yard line, 15 yards from the middle of the field as a passing target. The defensive back lines up on the 20, flanked out 25 yards from the middle of the field to complete the triangle. Mark this spot with a cone for reference.

    • 2

      Blow the whistle to start the drill. The defensive player backpedals, maintaining his body weight forward and over the knees, and the fists pumping hard with each backward stride.

    • 3

      Throw the football to the target cone and yell "Ball, ball, ball" at the same time. The defensive back must plant his outside foot, (closest to the sideline) and break on a straight line to the intercept the football.

    • 4

      Conduct the drill from both sides of the field, paying attention to the defensive player's backpedal technique and ability to plant the outside foot and break toward the football without taking additional steps back.

    The Man-on-Man Drill for Short Passes

    • 5
      Defensive backs must use their speed to run with receivers.

      Begin the man-on-man drill with the quarterback at mid-field and a receiver flanked out 25 yards. The defensive back lines up one yard off the line of scrimmage, and head-up (opposite) the receiver. The defensive player's feet are at shoulder width, knees bent slightly and both hands over the knees at chest-high. The palms of the hands are open and the fingers pointing up.

    • 6

      Blow the whistle to start the drill. As the receiver starts off the line the defensive back charges forward and hard-plants both hands on the receiver's chest at the numbers. This is intended to disrupt the receiver's timing. The defensive back remains focused on the receiver's upper body while running stride for stride with the receiver.

    • 7

      Throw the ball after counting off four seconds, and yell "Ball, ball, ball" when the football is in the air. The defensive back must maintain position close the receiver, look around for the football and prevent a completion.

    • 8

      Continue to practice the man-on-man coverage against the slant and square-in patterns from both sides of the field. Include linebackers and safeties in the drill and evaluate each of the defensive player's strength and vulnerability.

    • 9

      Expand the man-on-man drill to include two wide receivers and two defensive backs in coverage. The coach should give all defensive backs an opportunity to cover each of the short passing routes from both sides of the field.

    The Deep Drill for Covering Long Passes

    • 10
      The safety and cornerback converge on the deep receiver.

      Begin the deep drill with the quarterback on the 20-yard line at the middle of the field and two wide receivers flanked out 25 yards on either side. Each cornerback starts head up on a wide receiver, and the defensive safety is 12 yards deep in the middle of the defensive backfield. At the whistle, both receivers run straight ahead at full speed and the cornerbacks and safety backpedal.

    • 11

      Yell "deep, deep, deep" and alert the cornerbacks to come out of their backpedal and run with the receivers. The safety continues to backpedal while anticipating the ball being thrown to either side.

    • 12

      Throw the football to the right side receiver. The cornerback in that coverage continues to run with the receiver, and the safety must take an angle that will intersect the football and the receiver. The opposite side cornerback must take a deeper angle across the field and anticipate an overthrow or tipped ball. All defensive backs should be in the area of the receiver when the football arrives.

    • 13

      Throw passes to alternate receivers during the deep drills and give all defenders an opportunity to work both sides of the field. The coach can call deep pass patterns to the middle of the field and expand the drill to teach defensive backs different coverage angles.