PASS GAME PHILOSOPHY

THE OHIO STATE PASS GAME PHILOSOPHY

WE EMPLOY AN AGGRESSIVE UNBALANCED PASSING ATTACK (3X1,

3X2) TO TILT THE DEFENSE FOCUSING ON HIGHLY EFFICIENT, HIGH
PERCENTAGE PASSES TO GET OUR PLAYMAKERS THE BALL IN
SPACE. WE WILL MOVE AROUND OUR PERSONNEL TO CREATE
ADVANTAGEOUS MATCH-UPS TO ATTACK 1 HIGH COVERAGE
BECAUSE IF TEAMS ARE PLAYING 2 HIGH, WE ARE NOT VERY GOOD
AT RUNNING THE FOOTBALL. WHEN A DEFENSE UTILIZES PRESSURE
TO DISRUPT OUR PASSING GAME OUR OBJECTIVE IS SIMPLE – MAKE
THEM PAY (NO DEEP AND WARM ADJUSTMENTS)!

OUR PASSING GAME IS ENTIRELY DERIVED FROM OUR PLAN WIN:

1. PLAY GREAT DEFENSE

- OFFENSIVE GOAL: GET 2 FIRST DOWNS
2. NO TURNOVERS
- HIGHLY EFFICIENT / HIGH PERCENTAGE PASSES
- DON’T FORCE THROWS – THROW IT AWAY
3. SCORE IN THE REDZONE
- 67% TOUCHDOWNS / 100% POINTS
4. DOMINATE SPECIAL TEAMS
- 3RD & LONG – GOAL: GET HALF AND PUNT!
 COVERAGE ZONES

20

20
10
1/2 1/2

10
FLAT CURL HOOK HOOK CURL FLAT
20

20
1/3 1/3 1/3
10

10
FLAT CURL HOOK HOOK CURL FLAT
20

20

1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4

10

10

FLAT CURL HOOK HOOK CURL FLAT

 COVERAGE CONCEPTS

FIND THE SAFETY TO YOUR SIDE OF THE FORMATION, QB FIND FREE SAFETY
DETERMINE THE TECHNIQUE OF THE DEFENDER OVER YOU
FIND THE INVERT PLAYER TO YOUR SIDE.

COVERAGE CONCEPTS
1) ZONE THIRDS = 1 HIGH
2) ZONE HALVES = 2 HIGH
3) ZONE QUARTERS = 2 HIGH
4) MAN WITH HELP = 1 OR 2 HIGH
5) MAN NO HELP = NO DEEP

ZONE-THIRDS: DEEP PLAYER IS NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD AND HAS A DEEP MIDDLE
RESPONSIBILITY
A) CORNERS USUALLY OUTSIDE LEVERAGE (UNLESS OVERSPLIT)
B) INVERT PLAYERS NORMALLY HAVE FLAT RESPONSIBILITY
C) ANY ROLLED DEFENDER WILL FORCE AN OUTSIDE RELEASE
D) NORMALLY PLAYED WITH 8 MAN FRONTS
E) WEAKNESS: CAN ONLY COVER 4 OF 6 UNDERNEATH ZONES AND 4 VERTICALS

ZONE-HALVES: DEEP PLAYERS ALIGNED ON OR NEAR HASHES. UNDERNEATH PLAYERS

USUALLY LINED UP IN POSITIONS TO RE-DIRECT RECEIVERS
A) ROLLED DEFENDERS ON OUTSIDE RECEIVERS WILL FORCE INSIDE RELEASE
B) UNDERNEATH DEFENDERS ON INSIDE RECEIVERS WILL NORMALLY FORCE OUTSIDE
RELEASE AND RUN WITH VERTICAL RELEASE
C) STRONG COVERAGE VS. UNDERNEATH ROUTES (CURLS/FLATS)
D) WEAKNESS IN MIDDLE VERTICALS AND DIGS

ZONE-QUARTERS: DEEP PLAYERS IN EACH ¼ OF THE FIELD

A) UNDERNEATH COVERAGE WORKS TO FLAT IF THERE IS A THREAT
B) SAFETIES READ RELEASE OF #2. FLAT- LOOK UP #1, VERTICAL- RUN WITH, INSIDE-
LEVEL OFF LOOK FOR CROSSERS.
C) #2 BLOCKS- VERY AGGRESSIVE RUN SUPPORT
D) OUTSIDE RECEIVERS EXPECT MAN TO MAN TECH. LEVERAGE DEPENDS ON SPLIT
E) WEAKNESS: POST HELP, UNDERNEATH ROUTES AND PLAY ACTION ROUTES

MAN-SAFETY(S) HELP: USUALLY SAFETY(S) ARE DEEP WITH UNDERNEATH DEFENDERS IN

MAN/TRAIL TECHNIQUES. THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS
A) 1 HIGH- “MOUSE”- FREE DEFENDER IS SAFETY
“HOLE”- FREE DEFENDER IS LB
“FIRE”- FREE DEFENDER BLITZES
B) 2 HIGH- “BRACKET X, Y, Z”- FREE DEFENDER IS DOUBLING A RECEIVER
“2 MAN” – SAFETIES HELP WITH DEEP HALVES, UNDERNEATH TRAIL
TECHNIQUE

MAN NO HELP: NO VARIATIONS. NO DEEP PLAYERS- SAFETIES ARE USUALLY LINED UP

INSIDE 8 YARDS AND HAVE MAN COVERAGE RESPONSIBILITIES. WITH TANDEM SPLIT
BY WR’S, DB’S CAN PLAY IN AND OUT COVERAGE.
 COVERAGE RECOGNITION

COVERAGE ID 1. READ YOUR TRIANGLE

A. IDENTIFY THE SAFETY TO YOUR SIDE OF THE FORMATION – DETERMINE IF HE IS
A 1 HIGH, 2 HIGH, OR NO DEEP SAFETY.
B. DETERMINE THE TECHNIQUE OF THE PLAYER LINED UP OVER YOU.
- MAN OR ZONE (INSIDE OR OUTSIDE LEVERAGE)
- ROLLED OR SOFT
C. LOCATE THE INVERT OR ALLEY PLAYER TO YOUR SIDE

RECEIVERS TO THE BOUNDARY RECEIVERS TO THE FIELD

20

20

20

20
$ $
$ $
10

10

10

10
C C C C
W M S W M S

E T N E E T N E
H Z H Z
X Y X Y

Q T Q T

COVERAGE ID 1. SAFETY ALIGNMENT

READ THE ALIGNMENT OF THE SAFETY TO YOUR SIDE. THE FS WILL SHOW THE COVERAGE
PRESNAP THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME
- IF FS IS 12 YDS DEEP AND 2 YDS OUTSIDE THE HASH – ½ PLAYER (ZONE HALVES)
- IF FS IS 10 YDS DEEP AND 4 YDS OUTSIDE THE HASH – ¼ PLAYER (ZONE QUARTERS)
- IF FS IS 12 YDS DEEP ON HASH – MIDDLE 1/3 PLAYER (ZONE THIRDS, POSS. FLD PRESS)
- IF FS IS 8-10 YDS DEEP ON HASH – MIDDLE ZONE PLAYER (ZONE THIRDS, POSS.
MIDDLE PRESS)
- IF FS IS 8-10 YDS DEEP OUTSIDE HASH – WEAK BUZZ OR CORNER BLITZ (ZONE THIRDS)

FS OUTSIDE THE HASH

F
10

10

10

F
C F

C W W
W
C
H H H

X X X

FS IN A CORNER FIRE OR
FS IN A ZONE ½ ALIGNMENT FS IN A ZONE ¼ ALIGNMENT
WEAK BUZZ ALIGNMENT
 COVERAGE RECOGNITION

FS ON THE HASH

10 F

10

10
F F
C
C
W W
C
W

H H H

X X X

FS ALIGNED TO DROP TO FS ALIGNED TO PLAY MIDDLE

FS IN A ZONE ¼ ALIGNMENT ZONE (POSS MIDDLE PRESS)
MIDDLE 1/3 (POSS. FLD PRESS)

FS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD

F
F
10

10

W M M
W
C
H H

X X

FS ALIGNED TO BE A POST SAFETY WITH MAN

FS ALIGNED IN A ZONE 1/3 POSITION
TECHNIQUE – EXPECT SOME FORM OF 1 HI MAN
 2 HI ZONE COVERAGES

COVER: 2 OVERVIEW

F $$
10

10
C
C W M Ni

COVER: 2 TAMPA OVERVIEW

F $$
10

10

C
C W M Ni

COVER: 2 TILT OVERVIEW

F
10

10

$$

C
W M Ni

COVER: 2 DOUBLE INVERT OVERVIEW

F $$
10

10

C C

W M Ni
 2 HI ZONE COVERAGES CONT.

COVER: 4 OVERVIEW
10

10
F$ $$
C C

W M Ni

COVER: 6 OVERVIEW

F
10

10

$$
C

C W M Ni

COVER: 6 OPPOSITE OVERVIEW

F
$$
10

10

Ni
M W C

COVER: 4 SOLO (3x1 ONLY) OVERVIEW

10

10

F $$
C

#1 #2
C W M Ni
 1 HI ZONE COVERAGES

COVER: 3 SKY (WEAK) OVERVIEW

F
10

10
$$

C
C

W M S

COVER: 3 BUZZ (WEAK) OVERVIEW

F
$$
10

10

C
C

W M S

COVER: 3 (4-4 DEFENSE) OVERVIEW

F
10

10

C
C

M S
W $$

COVER: 3 CLOUD WEAK (STRONG) OVERVIEW

$$
F
10

10

C W M S
 FIRE ZONE COVERAGES

COVER: (3 FIRE) FIELD ZONE COVER: 32 FIRE

F
F
$$
10

10
$$

10

10
C
C C
C S
W M
W
M
S
DL

COVER: (3 FIRE) MIDDLE ZONE OVERVIEW

$$
F
10

10

C
C

W M S

DL

COVER: (3 FIRE) BOUNDARY ZONE OVERVIEW

$$
F
10

10

W M S
C

COVER: 2 FIRE OVERVIEW

F $$
10

10

C C
M
W RB S
Ni

DL
 MAN COVERAGES

COVER: 1 HOLE OVERVIEW

F
10

10
C W M Ni $$ C

#1 #2 #3 #2 #1

COVER: 1 MOUSE OVERVIEW

F
10

10

$$

C W M Ni C

#1 #2 #3 #2 #1

COVER: 2 MAN OVERVIEW

F $$
10

10

C W M Ni C

#1 #2 #3 #2 #1

COVER: 4 MAN OVERVIEW

F $$
10

10

C W M Ni C

#1 #2 #3 #2 #1
 MAN COVERAGES CONT.

COVER: 0 (NO DEEP) OVERVIEW

10

10
C F Ni $$ C

W M
#1 #2 #3 #2 #1

COVER: 0 HOLE OVERVIEW

10

10

C F Ni $$ C

W
M
#1 #2 #3 #2 #1

OVERVIEW
10

10

OVERVIEW
10

10