A one second stare-down between the quarterback and C-gap defender can make or break your zone read game. How are you coaching that one-on-one matchup?

The zone read has evolved from niche to staple. New wrinkles – both offensive and defensive – are popping up each fall. Old Dominion offensive coordinator Brian Scott’s zone read scheme features smoke and bubble screens on the perimeter. Fresno City College defensive coordinator Rick Scheidt has gone back to triple option principals to try to slow down the zone read.

TALE OF THE TAPE
Brian Scott
Old Dominion
Offensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach A former quarterback at Maine, Scott is in his sixth season at Old Dominion.

• In 2013, the Monarchs led the Football Championship Subdivision in points (45.15), total offense (548.23 yards) and passing offense (393.85).
• In an epic 64-61 win over New Hampshire, Scott’s offense produced the most prolific passing performance in Division I history, with QB Taylor Heinicke throwing for 730 yards. 		Coach
School
Position
Experience

Notes
 Rick Scheidt
Fresno City College
Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach
Has coached TEs, RBs, LBs, DBs and the D-line during his 17 seasons at FCC.

• Authored an American Football Monthly article on defending the zone read.
• FCC is a zone team 65% of the time and plays a form of man-to-man defense 35% of the time.
• FCC finished 8-3 in 2012 and over the last 11 years has an 88-22 record.

No matter the wrinkle, the play’s success often depends on the quarterback’s read on the edge defender. In this issue of Point/Counterpoint, Scott and Scheidt show how they coach that decisive moment as well as new wrinkles they’re seeing with the zone read.

Scheidt: “Normally, the area-2 defender (usually a linebacker or safety), if it’s a five-man or six-man box, he is responsible for the quarterback, if he pulls it. Our defensive end squeezes, and if he squeezes as well as he should, we feel that he’ll help close that backside A-gap. Our area-2 defender, depending on the coverage, has the quarterback.”
Scott: “If we pull, we’re really running an option on the next linebacker or safety that’s in play. We have the quarterback attack that linebacker or safety until the point where it makes the linebacker commit and then he can smoke the ball out to the wide receiver.”

Scheidt: “Our guy doesn’t commit to the quarterback, unless the QB goes downhill at the line of scrimmage. He’s going to make sure to keep the QB on his inside shoulder and attack him once he gets to the line of scrimmage. If the quarterback moves laterally, we’ll move with him, keeping him on our inside shoulder until he starts getting downhill at the line of scrimmage.

“It makes it difficult on the area-1 defender (outside corner) when they’re doing the smoke and bubble screen off of the zone read. He’s got to be athletic, be able to block protect and get off the block. This is because a lot of time is being spent by the area-2 defenders inside the box on the zone and the read. If we’re not doing a good job of that, a lot of times we’ll try some fire zones and try to mix things up so we’re not putting pressure on the same guy all of the time.

“The adjustment that was initially hard on our corners on the smoke or the bubble off the zone read was, instead of throwing the screen, they throw to the split end receiver that maybe’s running a streak. Teams will run the zone read play and then do a kind of a rocket-go look. We’ve got to get our safeties used to seeing that and get over the top and help the corners out when that does happen.”

Troublemakers

Scott: “Something we’ve seen that’s caused us trouble is when the defense makes it a pull, meaning they bend and rock a linebacker around for the quarterback and slice a corner in on the smoke. We have no way to get back for that linebacker. We try and get back with our combo (tackle), but we don’t necessarily want our QB to be tucking the ball and running it back under the tackle. This is because we lose the ability to smoke the ball out there. That’s when we run into some problems.

“Our counter-punch to that would be to block the defensive end, man-on, and leave the backside, inside linebacker unblocked and take our chances with our running back making him miss.”

Scheidt: “What we go over with the area-2 defenders is, if they’ve got a closed door – meaning the tackle is scooping – that means you scalp over the top to get the quarterback. If you feel like the door is opening with the tackle, then you shoot the B-gap and are no longer responsible for the quarterback. We’ll do a drill called ‘Closed Door, Open Door’ with the backside linebacker on the zone read to get our players used to those hats opening or closing.

“The other thing that causes us problems is the quarterback power off of the fly-action sweep. Sometimes we’ll have difficulty with a really good quarterback who is athletic. What happens is the defensive end or edge guy is responsible for covering the quarterback. If teams give us that, plus zone read, it gets pretty hard for him.

“We try to teach them the same stuff that we do on all our reads in terms of gap schemes. If the tackle blocks down, the 5-technique squeezes. As soon as he recognizes the first threat, which is now the quarterback, he goes right to the quarterback. A lot of teams will feather the squeeze and try to make the edge guy play the fly.

“Defending the zone read is a lot like defending the triple option that attacks the play side of the defense. The rules and responsibilities for defending the zone read are no different than defending the triple option. Communication and coordination are the keys to defending any offense.”