Playbooks
Breakdown
Cover 1 Hole is a man coverage defensive play out of the Nickel Wide set that puts five defenders in press or trail man technique underneath while a deep safety sits over the top and a hole defender spins into the middle of the field to rob crossing routes. The diagram shows four underneath defenders driving downhill on their man assignments, a robber defender flowing to the middle void, and the deep safety rotating over the top for post safety help. This is a man beater killer designed to shut down man beating route combos by taking away the middle read progression first, then working outside to the trail defenders.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the offense is running twin or bunch releases toward the field side, since that stresses your trail defenders and forces a decision on your robber assignment. Watch the running back and tight end releases first, they are the most common routes the hole defender needs to rob in this scheme. Post-snap, key the quarterback's eyes toward the middle of the field, if he looks off the hole defender you can trust your man defenders to stay tight on their assignments. This coverage struggles against quick out cuts and comeback routes to the boundary since the corners are locked in man with no immediate flat help. Beware of four vertical concepts that stretch the single high safety, since Cover 1 Hole sacrifices a second deep defender to stack the middle read.
Usage Tips
Call this play on early downs when you expect the offense to test the middle of the field with drag or slant combos since the hole defender erases that read first. Check the pre-snap alignment for stacked or bunch formations and be ready to adjust your press assignments with a hot route if you see a natural rub route concept forming. Use the flat foot in the user defender controlling the hole to jump any in cut or crosser before committing to help elsewhere. Pair this call with Cover 1 Robber Press on the following snap so the offense cannot key on the same middle robber look every time. Save this for third and medium situations where the offense is likely to attack the middle of the field rather than take a shot deep, since the deep safety help is only single high.
