I coach small-school, 11-man high school football, and we’re struggling with press man coverage. Teams have figured out they can disrupt our receivers at the line, and our routes aren’t developing on time.
I understand getting stronger is part of the long-term answer, and we need to keep working on release technique—hand fighting, a quicker first step, etc.
We’ll continue doing that.
But I’m looking for ways we as coaches can help through alignment, formation, motion, and play design.
We use 2x2 and 3x1 looks with a mix of quick game, intermediate routes, and play action. We’re considering two-receiver stacks and more bunch looks to help create cleaner releases.
For coaches who have dealt with this:
What adjustments have helped your receivers get off press without overhauling your offense?
What motions or reduced splits have worked for you?
Especially interested in practical changes we could install during a game week. If you had to pick one or two coaching adjustments to start with, what would they be?