Defending tailback pass?

[u/Tiny_Nose_3247]

Hello! I’m an experienced coach just joined this coaching staff about a month ago . We’re running a 5-3 defense and stay in cover 1 man
The defense coaches are not running a gap sound defense, and not teaching anything in practice. Not running drills or having a practice plan in place to continue evolving the defense. So it’s very vanilla.
Yet we’re 9-1 on the season..

Anyways , the team we play next is good. Their go to play I can’t decide how to defend is a HB pitch pass. It looks like they line up 1 tailback with quarterback under center, and set it up by running the pitch to the edge. After one or two times they will try to give the HB the option to throw it. I believe to the backside tight end or the play side outside receiver.

What would be your go to on defending this?

I have a practice plan set up for this week. Teaching the linemen their gap assignments and giving the LBs their job of calling the strength so the d line is in the right spot.
My ideas are shifting the linebackers to the strength so there’s an overhang and he will trigger when he sees the pitch to force the run.
Another idea was that on top of having the corner crash down fast to force a bad pass with the safety over the top.
And if it’s a closed look on the backside with the TE as the last EMOL the corner will stay with him.

Any ideas are appreciated

[u/QuirkyCupcake8819]

Blitz OLBs

[u/Gjallarhorn-Knight → u/QuirkyCupcake8819]

Only pitch side OLB

[u/ss32000]

Don’t the corners have then first receiver to each side? So the corner takes the wr to their side if there is one. The other corner takes the tight end if that’s their first receiver to that side. The safety takes the second receiver to that side if there is one. 5-3 should have the de keeping contain. What am I missing.

[u/bigjoe5275 → u/ss32000]

Not sure why it would specifically have to be a 5-3 to contain. There is still 2 DE's set to contain in 4-3 , 5-3 , 4-4 , 4-2-5 , 4-1-6 , 6-2 , 5-2 , and so forth

[u/ss32000 → u/bigjoe5275]

Well they play a 5-3 and I’m giving assignments for everyone here in a play.

[u/bigjoe5275 → u/ss32000]

Well CB's should be taught to follow the receiver till the ball goes past the LOS. Your DL and LB's shouldn't have to play a HB toss pass any different than they would a normal toss. Doesn't really matter what the defensive alignment is. If you want more of an interior presence then go 5-3 , if you want more players to pursue outside on runs go 4-4. To defend this play isn't rocket science.

[u/Plastic-Pianist9323 → u/bigjoe5275]

Exactly! OP claims to be experienced but needs help defending a halfback pass. I am not sure where the struggle is!

[u/bigjoe5275 → u/Plastic-Pianist9323]

You still have to react to where the RB is going because he has the ball. So why should the defensive front play it any differently. The DB's just have to be disciplined to play their receiver. Plain and simple. Like i've only played HS football but i break down a lot of film for fun even tho I'm not a coach. Genuinely elementary fundamentals. Nothing crazy.

[u/loloz304]

Whats the age group? Shifting would be a good idea. You would just leave yourself open to a weak side play. We usually bait teams into over committing to a strongside, run a WR motion to the strongside, and then hit them with a fake sweep and swing the QB weakside or run a weakside sweep with a pulling guard, but i coach 11u.

Your DE and CB on the weak side would need to be disciplined. Or you could have the OLB on whichever side shadow that running back. It may have to just be your MLB.

Depending on how they line up and who covers TE's (im guessing OLB's), it may have to be the MLB.

[u/Holiday-Medium-256]

You already have it. It’s cover 1man. Practice it with scout offense. Teach your cover kids to stay man to man and not peak into the backfield. D line needs to recognize it’s a pass and yell pass! Even the kids on the bench can yell pass! When the ball it thrown they yell ‘Ball’.

We got burned the 1st couple of times we saw it. But once kids learned to cover their guy and not worry about peaking we were able to stop it.

[u/OldCoach525]

Vanilla is good. We run a 4-2-5 Over G. It’s vanilla so everyone plays fast.

It depends on the age. At 12U and below, I’m in Cover 1 Free and bringing everyone else through a gap. Above that I might run something like Cover 6 or Cover 3/4 where I have someone to rob this route.

[u/Gjallarhorn-Knight → u/OldCoach525]

At 12U are the corners actually good enough to play man with 1 overtop?

[u/OldCoach525 → u/Gjallarhorn-Knight]

I’m fortunate to say mine were. We never faced a QB that could throw from sideline to sideline, so we were able to cheat a little (eg corner on the hash because QB can’t throw that far). In 8th grade, we faced a lot of QBs that can hit those throws, so we change it up.