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Zone drop coverage may be easy to teach, but a good quarterback and receiver crew can certainly pick it apart.

Match coverage allows all the benefits of zone coverage, but it tightens and closes those windows.

Dante Bartee is a name you will definitely hear more of in the future. Currently, he is a defensive line coach at Cal which rounds out his experience in coaching every defensive position. One thing is for sure, he knows defense and can teach coverage inside and out.

If you are looking to upgrade your coverage this offseason, Coach Bartee is your man!

Playing One High vs. 2x2

Let’s start with match principles from one high vs. 2x2.

Smash is certainly a popular offensive concept and Bartee explains two variations of how to play it from one high. The corner rule is “MOD” (Man-On-Deep). The corner can make an “under” call to the Sam which tells him to become a traditional Curl-Flat player. The CB will play traditional deep 3rd playing depth and divider on the route.

Bartee explains both variations here:

Position maintenance and covering the Seams

What about covering the Seams? Bartee explains how it's about the principles of where your help is. Some defenses always play the same leverage when they have MOF help. With a better understanding and rules for position maintenance, man-match allows you to properly position defenders to cover in area.

He explains how this relates to seams which are the first areas which offenses try to attack when they see Cover 3. It’s about putting the receivers into positions where we can get help. He explains here:

Using One High Man Match vs. 3x1

Bartee uses 3x1 Flood coverage which puts the corner man to man on backside and floods the coverage strong. By taking the backside defender and pushing him to middle hook, and pushing everyone one zone over the defense gets a numbers advantage. The idea is to create a 4 over 3 on the strong side with the underneath defenders.

Bartee explains how he creates 4 over 3 here:

Want to play a 2 high coverage? Bartee teaches this as well.  

Utilizing man match split field coverages can be advantageous against many offenses. It allows a defense to play close coverage taking away a quarterback’s options and forcing him deeper into his progression.  The longer a QB holds the ball, the better the chance for defensive success.

Principles of Man-Match

• Split field defense - coverage sides can be independent of each other (but don’t have to be)
• We are not dropping to an area. We are matching aggressively with man eyes. We can still have a half safety or MOF defender
• Once we have a man based on our progression read, we take that man. We do not have to pass off to another defender
• There is a gray are in these concepts in the first to flat or flat defender however the integrity of the coverage is man to man
• Rules determine who we are matching

Coach Bartee details several coverages, techniques and strategies of playing this defense. In this video he shares a concept called “Over Bracket.”

In this 4 course bundle Bartee explains how to deal with many aspects of the offense’s attack and how match coverage can be a benefit to the defense.  

These are lessons not only for defensive coaches, but an offensive coordinator can benefit from learning what defenses are trying to do with match coverage. It’s something that definitely has trended over the past several seasons. If you haven’t seen it, you will!

Learn Man-Match principles from this bright young defensive mind with the “Upgrade Your Coverage Bundle.”

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski