Playing off in man coverage has its advantages, mainly in the form of deep safety help. It also has its weaknesses.

Some offensive systems, particularly spread offenses, look to complete short hitches and slants with high efficiency in order to attack the space created by the corner.

At some point, it becomes necessary to come up and press receivers.

Man coverage breeds familiarity, cultivates competition, provides accountability and – often enough – is forced by the offensive scheme being run against it.

Here’s how to teach it:

• Cornerback stance and alignment. Most defenders can line up 1½ yards off if a receiver, give or take based on a player’s ability. Start with a comfortable stance: feet under armpits and hands open in the strike position, playing with inside leverage. The outside foot splits the receiver’s legs to set the base. Eyes are burned on the bottom of the jersey numbers.
• Cornerback leverage. It is essential to not lose inside leverage. Use the sideline as an extra defender to force the quarterbacks to throw lower percentage, out-breaking routes. The reasoning is simple. With press coverage, there is no deep safety help. Corners are on an island. There is no cushion as there may be in off coverage. This means corners are susceptible to double moves, a technique players should spend a lot of time learning to defend.
• Cornerback footwork and hands. The hardest thing to get young defensive backs to understand when playing press coverage is to be patient. That could sound contradictory to defenders who want to be physical at the line of scrimmage, but it’s important to realize that the longer a receiver stays on or near the line, the longer it takes for a quarterback to release the football. This could result in a sack.

If a receiver wants to stay at the line by buzzing his feet and moving his hips, let him. Once the receiver declares a release – inside or outside – use the off-hand jam technique. For example, if aligned on the left side of the ball and a receiver releases to the outside, open the hips and get the right hand on the receiver’s left hip. I don’t believe in using the two-hand jam technique because young defensive backs often overextend leverage and lose their patience. This ensures a better stem by the receiver.

Here is a progression for the off-hand jam technique:

• Squeeze technique. Use this when a receiver releases inside in press technique, which can happen off a double move. In this circumstance, place the outside hand on the receiver’s hips and ride him down into the line of scrimmage. Be physical here because there is usually a window where linebackers are located and slow down the receiver even more.
• Wedge technique. This is used when a receiver releases outside in press technique. In this circumstance, place the inside hand on the receivers hips and wedge him toward the sideline. Using the sideline as an extra defender, create as little space as possible for the quarterback to throw the ball on a seam or fade route.

Once the hips are open, the same techniques used in off-man coverage are applied. The eyes are focused on the hip of the receiver to determine his break. As always, work to stay inside and on top of every route because there is no safety help. Because of the lack of safety help, don’t use a trail technique.

Safety technique in press coverage

When I use my signal for press coverage, all defensive backs are required to do so, including safeties.

Safeties have a different technique tied to press coverage, which we call a “catch” technique. Picture safeties catching receivers who drive off the line of scrimmage by not moving backward. 

Often, they may be more mismatched, so allow them to play 5 yards off the slot receiver with inside leverage. Their feet are under their armpits, and their eyes are glued to the bottom of the numbers of a receiver.

Don’t expect them to make many tackles when they are in this technique. Defensive linemen and linebackers will handle the running game.

The biggest coaching point to emphasize in catch technique is that there now is a cushion between the receiver and the defender. But 5 yards is the extent of that cushion.

In catch technique, safeties must not backpedal like a corner would in off coverage. Instead, teach the safeties to buzz their feet at the snap.

One the release is determined, the safety use the same in-phase techniques as the corner. If for whatever reason, the receiver gets on top of the safety, the safety can never look back for the ball. He does his best to get back in phase with the receiver by tracking his near hip.

So much of man coverage is about mentality – believing you are better than your opponent at the line of scrimmage. It’s always been my belief to infuse players with the confidence to play press coverage regardless of their initial ability.

Playing press coverage is a fundamental that can be honed over time using the right techniques.

Mike Kuchar is co-founder and senior research manager at XandOLabs.com, a private research company specializing in coaching concepts and trends. Reach him at mike@xandolabs.com  or follow him on Twitter @mikekkuchar.