Jerry Gordon

Split Eagle vs. Run

Cover 4 Read/3

Potomac Falls HS
Jgordon0508@yahoo.com
www.savefile.com/projects/808662074
 Why Split Eagle?
• Always +1 around the ball

• Gap control defense. Mostly Outside

Shades

• Highly Flexible
3 down or 4 down (40 or 50)
Option to flip/flop personnel
 Why Split Eagle?
• Allows us to play fast and aggressive
– Tough to stay on doubles

• Have two Tandems 35, and 5,9

• Set it and forget

• No easy release of TE
• Not a lot of teams play it
When do we call Split Eagle 4/3
• TE is in the game
• 2 Backs are in the game
• Expecting Run

• Vs. 2 backs Cover 4

• Vs. 1 Back 3
 What it looks like
Right

S E T T E
M W
F
R
The player lined up over a TE is
said to be in BANDIT Position
 Defensive Line Alignments
• Dline- Ball hand down and Ball foot back
• DT’s are in a 3 or a Shade
• DE’s are in a 5 or a 7
– Crowd the ball
– Line up as tight of a shade as possible
without being reached. We are spill players
 LB Alignments
Depth- 4 ½ to yards 5

Mac- Line up in a wide 30

Read OG to Flow
Down, Pull, Reach, Pass

Will- Line up in a 20 never be leveraged

Read Flow to OG
Wide, Tight, Split, Pass
 Rover Rules
• Line up away TE or Boundary

Normal 1x7 off OT (2 backs and 1 WR)

Low 2x5 off OT (2 backs Slot)
Hip 2x2 off TE (Double Tight)
Apex Two receivers to your side and 1 back in the
backfield (Cover 3 check)
 Sam Rules
• Line up to TE or Field

•9 Inside shoe to outside shoe

• Low 2x5 off OT (2 backs and no TE)

• Apex Two receivers to your side and 1 back in the backfield (Cover 3 check)
 Let’s Get Set

S T T
M
Sam and Mac line up to the Stud Te
If no TE line up to Field
Tackles are head up on the guards right now
 Let’s Get Set
RIGHT, RIGHT

S T T
M W
Will now sets the front AWAY from the Sam and to him
The tackle AWAY from the call is in a SHADE
The Tackle TO the Call is in a 3
 Let’s Get Set
RIGHT

S E T T E
M W
DE away from call is in a 5
DE to Call is in a 7 or a 5
 Let’s Get Set
Right

S E T T E
M W
Rover always align TO the call
R
Free Always align to the MOST Receivers
 Let’s Get Set
1X8
1x7
1X8

S E T T E
M W
C 30 20 C
FS R
8
All Alignments are Ability Based And Game Plan Based
The Free Safety is in a BANDIT Position
 Let’s Get Set

2x10

1x8
2x5

S E T T E
M W R
C C
8
FS
The Rover is in a Low Position
The Corner is in a Bandit Position
 Let’s Get Set
RIGHT

S E T T E
M W R
2x2
C C
FS
The Rover is in a Hip Position
because of the 7 Tech
Left, Left Let’s Get Set

E T T E S
R M
W
C C
FS
Right Let’s Get Set

E T T E

S M W
R C
C F

Sam is in a Low because of 2 backs

 Let’s Get Set
Left Field is Left

E T T E S
R M C
W
C
F

Rover is in an APEX because of 2 backs

We now check to Cover (3 or 1) because 1 back
 Let’s Get Set
Left Field is Left

E T T E S
R
W M

C C
F

We make a SLIDE call. ONLY Time LB’s will move

We now check to Cover 3 because 1 back
NOTE: Backer Force for Will
 What if Sam is Wrong?
RIGHT

Will MUST Set

Front AWAY Sam

E T T E
S R
C M W
C
F
Not what we want but it is still sound
 Force Calls
• Sky- Rover Force

• Cloud- Corner Force

• Backer Force- LB Force

• Read- TE inside release = Bandit Force

TE outside release = Backer Force
 Read Force TE Outside

BA

Sam has Pitch and Bandit has Outside half of the QB

Remember: Bandit can be a Safety or Corner
 Read Force TE Inside Release

BA
Sam is a spill player and has QB on ISV and Dive on OSV
Bandit is a Pitch player
 Power “B” Gap Open

E T T S
E
W M
Ba
X
 Power “B” Gap Open

E T T S
E
W M
Ba
X Sam Under and Bandit Over
 Power “B” Gap Open

E T T S
E
W M
Ba
X Mac Over and Will Under
 Power “B” Gap Open

E T T S
E
W M
Ba
X
Backside Read
Power “B” Gap Closed

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Power “B” Gap Closed

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Sam Spill
Power “B” Gap Closed

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Bandit Over, Mac Under
Mac Over, Will Under
 Power “B” Gap Closed

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Backside Read
 TOSS

E T T E S

R W M
BA
 TOSS

E T T E S

W M
R BA

Sam: Work to a point 2x2 and try to set an edge

 TOSS

E T T E S

W M
R BA

Mac, Will and X: Run inside out at a proper angle

ALWAYS BALL BEHIND
 TOSS

E T T E S

W M
R BA

Bandit: Fill Where needed

 TOSS Weak

S E T T E

M W R
F

Bandit: Fill Where needed

 ISO

E T T S
E
W M
Ba
X
 ISO

E T T S
E
W M
Ba
X Mac Over and Will Under
 ISO

E T T S
E
W M
Ba
X
Bandit and Safety fill as needed
Counter 2 Man Side

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Counter 2 Man Side

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
DE Spill: Take 2 if possible
Counter 2 Man Side

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Safety Over and Will Under
Counter 2 Man Side

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X Mac Over, DE Spill, Bandit read
 Inside Veer To The TE

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
 Inside Veer to The TE

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Vs. Outside Release: Sam has Pitch
We like to slow play and Bandit has Pass
 Inside Veer to The TE

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Vs Inside Release: DE has Dive
Mac Has QB (gap replace)
 Inside Veer to the TE

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
Will Over and Safety Under
Inside Veer to the SE

S E T T E

M W R
BA
Inside Veer to the SE

S E T T E

M W R
BA DE has Dive vs. Inside Release
Inside Veer to the SE

S E T T E

M W R
BA Will Has the QB and R has the Pitch
Inside Veer to the SE

S E T T E

M W R
BA Will Has the QB and R has the Pitch
 Outside Veer

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X
 Outside Veer

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X Sam to Dive Vs TE inside release
 Outside Veer

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X Bandit has Pitch
Mac has QB
 Outside Veer

E T T E S
W M
Ba
X Will Over
Safety Best Path
 Mid Line Follow

E T T E
S
M W R
BA
 Mid Line Follow

E T T E
S
M W R
BA
DT and Mac have Dive
 Mid Line Follow

E T T E
S
M W R
BA
Will Has INSIDE half of QB
Rover has OUTSIDE half of QB
 Mid Line Follow

E T T E
S
M W R
BA
Sam is a FOLD player and the BA has Pitch
 Trips Speed Strong

E T T E
S
M W R
C C
F
 Trips Speed Strong

E T T E
S
M W R
C C
F

DE has QB outside and W has QB inside

Vs. a big speed team we would set the front
to the Sam
 Trips Speed Strong

E T T E
S
M W R
C C
F

Mac, Sam, and CB have to fight over their blocks

They are PITCH Players
 Trips Speed Strong

E T T E
S
M W R
C C
F

Rover plays Counter

Free checks for pass and becomes a Fill as needed Player
NOTE: Backer Force
 Speed Weak Trips

E T T E
S
M W R
C C
F
 Speed Weak Trips

E T T E
S
M W R
C C
F

DE has QB Outside
Will has QB Inside
 Speed Weak Trips

E T T E
S
M W R
C C
F

Rover has Pitch

Note: Sky Force
 Speed Weak Trips

E T T E
S
M W R
C C
F

Mac has counter and cutback

 Common Line Stunts- Clap

Call side DT

S E T T E
M W R
 Clap Vs. ISO Weak

S E T T E
M W R
Helps keep ISO front side… Forces FB to Change Path
Like Pinch Here too
 Common Line Stunts- Clobber

Call side DT and DE

S E T T E
M W R
 Common Line Stunts- Pinch
DE AWAY from call

S E T T E
M W R
 Pinch Vs. Power Strong

S E T T E

BA M W R

This Closes B gap so OG must Pull Wide

 Common Line Stunts- Pirate
DE and Sam AWAY from call

S E T T E
M W R
 Common Line Stunts- Raider
DE away and Tackle to

S E T T E
M W R
Alignment Variations Split G

S E T T E
M W R
Alignment Variations Split 11

S E T T E
M W R

Never Vs. Two TE’S

Alignment Variations Split 33

S E T T E
M W R

Never Vs. Two TE’S

 Alignment Variations Tight 5
LEFT, LEFT

S E T T E
M W R
Never Vs. Two Tights
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