Playing CB (like me)

[Santana32]

For anyone one who is playing Corner for their local rec. team, school, etc. I have a couple tips you might want to know, and could use.

Stance: Every corner must have some sort of low-to the knee stance. This is essential when back-pedalling into your respective coverage.

Back-pedalling: Back-Pedalling is essential when defending any reciever on any coverage, using different B-P patterns to the corresponding route is very helpful, and can put you in a great position to make a play on the ball.

Man Coverage: Man coverage is basically you and the opposing reciever. Most corners like to use the term "island" to portray the reciever and you are the only ones on that island, and you must defend him with anything you have.

Man Coverage Strategy: When you play man-coverage it's a good idea to get into a low-stance and stare at the hips of the reciever. Wherever he goes, you go all corresponding to his hips. Often corners won't look at the recievers hips and will glance at the QB just for a reaction, and end up getting beat on a short slant or long streak route because basically they lost the reciever when they glanced at the QB. When you follow the recievers hip's, you can see the slant or the cut in whatever route opposed to a different strategy that might likely get you beat...

Zone Coverage: In zone coverage, it's almost the exact opposite of man. In a zone you are reletively far away from the LOS (line of scrimmage) and will have to depend on your safeties alot more than usual. But the Zone is effective especially against big reciever sets such as a trips bunch and generally should allow to make a play on the ball while looking at the QB...
Zone Coverage Strategy: When I play zone, I like to sit back and glance at the reciever just to get a feeling where he is, then turn my attention to the QB. Often you can spot a QB's target just by looking at his eyes (maybe it's just me). Anyway, when the play starts don't pay close attention to the reciever unless he enters your zone, instead focus on the QB and watch his feet and react if neccesary. When a reciever enters your zone, be active, and make sure you keep your hips moving wherever the reciever goes, you should more times than not, be able to make a play by shifting yourself towards wherever the reciever is, if the QB throws it the ball that way. Zone can be complicated to explain since there are so many types of zone, but you get the picture.

*I will update this page more if anyone has any tips you think I should add*

[Santana32]

Any corners out there???

[G-MoNeY]

not me but that will sure help me when i play my friends tackle football

[chilly_raider]

The zone cover tips are useful but I play LB so man to man isnt used too much.

[AlDavis]

Me being a corner, in man its good to always keep a hand on the reciever, especially if he is looking for a pass (which means you should be too), this way you always know where he is going. This is simple, and quite obvious, but on my HS team, very few people seem to do it.

[Santana32]

Originally Posted by AlDavis

Me being a corner, in man its good to always keep a hand on the reciever, especially if he is looking for a pass (which means you should be too), this way you always know where he is going. This is simple, and quite obvious, but on my HS team, very few people seem to do it.

But while doing that, you take a HUGE risk of him turning or cutting the route where you can't, and a play can turn into a big one just because you weren't in position...

[Guru]

Someone e-mail this to PBurnt

[Mr. Blonde]

Originally Posted by Guru

Someone e-mail this to PBurnt

NICE

[JTMoney]

Me being a corner, in man its good to always keep a hand on the reciever, especially if he is looking for a pass (which means you should be too), this way you always know where he is going. This is simple, and quite obvious, but on my HS team, very few people seem to do it.

if it's tackle football, you should always have some kind of contact on a receiver. get your hands on him, be physical.

the basic rule of defense is to NEVER let a guy cross your face without at least giving him a little shove. 5-yard rule be damned, they rarely enforce that at the high school level unless it's blatant (as the rule was meant to be interpreted) and anyway, the defender DOES have the right to make contact with a WR to defend himself AND if the qb leaves the pocket (if the QB's running around, you can knock WRs off their feet legally, easier to cover).

Back-pedalling: also remember you can't play football looking down - when doing agility/cone drills, a lot of players have a tendency to look down at the cones/markings -dont get in the habit. hips low, head up, take quick small steps rather than big ones - you can't change direction if youre feet are in the air.

Man Coverage: get a hand on him if possible, doesn't have to tie him up or knock him over, but just let him know that he can't run free. if possible you should always try to shade a side - different coaches have different beliefs but i prefer playing inside shade on WRs for the simple reason that you're always between the QB and the WR that way. you should always be facing the WR.

if he tries to run a drag or slant you're in his way - and see above, if he runs into you you can knock him over. he should never be allowed to cut underneath you, he he tries to, hit him. if he tries to run an inside route (post, in, dig) then force him to run over top of you - that way you're still in between the QB and him. if it's like a 5-yard in to the right, you should be bumping him, and he runs over top you and you should have your back to the QB and then in chase position. never look at the QB in man coverage. when going for the knockdown use your arm that is opposite of the WR side, that way you can naturally extend if as you stride. if somehow he gets under you you just have to try to reach over for the knockdown, or go for the tackle.

of course there are many methods of man coverage, and pro's and con's of each one this is just one viewpoint of how it should be done.



Zone Coverage: you've got to get the progression down, and it all depends on the coverage and what it calls for, etc.

for CBs in the flat - you should be playing outside shade on the WR, looking through him at the QB and if possible a lineman. bump him, re-route him inside (dont let him get outside of you or it's a 15-yard gain, easy). if he goes vertical trail him, if he cuts inside, drift and yell to the LB/safety. if it's an out route then drift outside, i prefer to stay under the WR but you can do either.

for 2-deep safties - stay on the hashmarks, drift back - eyes on #2 (usually a TE or a runningback or a slot WR). if he goes vertical then cover, if he doesn't look at #1.

for 3-deep - CBs and Ss should reroute WRs outside of the seams in the coverage, direct them to the middle or to the outsides.

remember in deep coverages NEVER to get caught outside - the ball has a longer distance to travel on outside passes than passes towards the inside so remember that and defend inside-out.

for LBs - outside curl/flat zones need about a 45 degree dropback, open the hips but keep shoulders square. inside hook/curl zones are about 30 degrees back, both are about 15 yards deep. you should be keying a lineman and then the QB if it's a pass - when he stops dropping back get ready for the pass. remember never to let them catch stuff right behind you and to play the deepest man and then come up for the tackle.

also in zone if you see a shallow crossing route be wary of jumping it as many teams like to run a shallow drag route and a deeper drag route behind the LB, hoping that he falls for it and plays too shallow. if you see a crosser at about 5 yards, drift back and look for another crosser.

all man coverage stuff applies to LBs, like if they have to cover a slot WR or whatever.

[raider1]

i love what i'm hearing from you guys , it seems you guys know your stuff. Cornerback is my favorite position man, i love watching a corner play man 2 man coverage, especially a corner who can "jam em and go get em" as i like to say, thats why i dont really care for corners like Ronde Barber, while he is an excellent Zone cover guy he will always get stranded on an island, i also hate when people judge a corner by his stats because most of the time a corner with a bunch of picks and PD's are the ones the opposing QB doesnt respect and isnt scare to throw on him, i LOVE watching CWOOD play because his stance is second to none and he is very physical and fast, dude is excellent in man to man coverage and rarely misses tackles and can lay the wood ask Coles or T.O, also i think the young corners to watch are my second favorite corner in the league Marcus Trufant(A CWOOD clone, watch the opposing QB never throw to his side)and DeAngelo Hall(Blazing speed and Confidence,Hall will be special)

[oakraider]

i play corner for my football team at HS, this was gonna be my senior year, starting left side corner, but i tore my ACL recently and had surgery....i lost the season, but its all good, i love the game of football, and i love playing corner....and will continue playing where ever i am.

Most of you probably kno by now, Cwood is my favorite player and the guy i look upto, cuz he plays the corner the way I would love to play phsyical and fast...he always presses his guys.

Nice Points JT and Santana, they are pretty cool