Pre-snap Reads

[mm356]

Just curious... when you guys are playing, what kind of reads do you make before snapping the ball? I'm getting a lot better at making reads after the snap, i.e. watching safeties, LB's, and corners, but I also wonder if I should be doing more before the snap. I guess the obvious main read is what formation the defense is in. That one is simple. However, I'm not always sure before the snap if the D is in man or zone. I know I can send a WR in motion to test for man, but other than this are there other tipoffs of the coverage? Anything else you guys look for?

[djwill13]

i swear this topic comes up at least once a month. it's all in how you view what your given. for instance, if you BNR me, i'll send motion, if your guy follows i know you're either in man or man cover 2

also, knowing what the different covers look like will help you out a lot more. if you see two safties in the middle of the field think cover 2 or cover 4. if you see one safety think cover one or cover 3

[kbell97]

I watch the safeties, they usually tell you what is going to happen. USING MOTION IS KEY. Do a little digging in this forum mm and you should find topics on presnap reads, etc... Like Dwill said it is a monthly topic.

[LjSnUo]

i dont really care if it is cover 2,3 or 4. i flood the zone. i will use hot routes, and force 3 men into 1 zone. because this year in the game 1 cb can gaurd 2 guys so you need 3 or send 2 short and one deep on a flag route.

i like to use the slant, out routes on man coverage, i set up a twins formation with motion or a called formation. then i use hot routes to get the outside into a slant and the inside into an out. it is an easy pass to complete that can break for big yards if you use the juke correctly

[TrojanNole]

I use to try to read the Safties, but no more since going to the RUN N SHOOT. CRAZYOLDGUY, has really done a good job on the RUN N SHOOT thread and I have been really trying to use the offense cause its simplier to use.

[Arnie71488]

i usually read a blitz, when someone manually moves someone up to the LOS, or if the line is spead, then i know the heat is coming from the LBs up the gut, i good way to identify cover 2 is to go out in 5 wide receiver shotgun, usually the safties will play up like a CB if there in man, but if there in cover 2, then they will stay back. I way to identify LB man to man, is to go in 3 wr against a 4-3, see if the LB comes over a lil, and if he doesn't see if when you put the slot recievre in motion if the LB on his orignal side shuffles like 2 yards to the side in which he is moving, that means that he is checking him off to the other OLB on the side that he is moving to, and then the OLB that was covering your Slot man, is now covering either your TE, or your FB. Lastly, if the person brings the LBs up with the formation audibile, then probably he is calling a thunder green blitz, i will then hot route either my TE or slot man on a slant across the middle, then i will hot route my two WR on steak routes, so then the safties help out on the steaks, there are no LBs covering the middle, so then just throw to the wide open slot man and cut up field.

[rr2418]

I use to try to read the Safties, but no more since going to the RUN N SHOOT. CRAZYOLDGUY, has really done a good job on the RUN N SHOOT thread and I have been really trying to use the offense cause its simplier to use.

TrojanNole, so by running the RNS you don't have to make no reads?

[CrazyOldGuy]

TrojanNole, so by running the RNS you don't have to make no reads?

I'm not sure about Trojannole. But for me besides the basic presnap alerts or triggers (uncovered receivers,not enough men to defend the run, poor defensive adjustment to motion).. You can be as advanced as you want to be with the run and shoot. Do I try to determine what the coverage is going to be pre-snap? You bet. I like to study what the corners are doing, how the defense reacts to motion, how many safeties I have on top etc.

But post snap I am usually only reading the reaction of one defender to make my decision and even then my major clues are how open are the receivers.

[TrojanNole]

I'm with CrazyOldGuy, on his RUNNSHOOT reads he wrote up on another thread. I use the motion to see how many is in the box if overloaded look to pass vs man or zone. Presnap of the FS & SS ususally determines if I'm looking short or deep or after snap I will read the (X) WR on the choice route first. Does that make sense?

[Bronco]

One thing I always, ALWAYS do is ensure I have a hot route available opposite my protection...basically, the deeper, timed routes are to my side with a back or TE blocking.

Consequently, my pre snap read will always be to the unprotected side first. If I feel there is any possibility of blitz from that side, I make sure I have a quick route to go to (either already in the play or hot route).

This works great for me, but you really have to be careful on 3rd and long, especially if the defense knows you tend to throw quick opposite your protection - then they can just let you get the completion and stop you well short of the first down marker.