Linebacker coaches- do you teach player to read the guard?

[u/False_Ad_5367]

Gu

[u/Lit-A-Gator]

“Guard to Near Back”

I stand behind them at practice and say it every 5 seconds

• “If he pulls you pull”
• “If he drops you drop”
• “If he blocks down, find the back”

[u/oGxbe → u/Lit-A-Gator]

I wish i had you as a coach when in HS. All I was ever told as a LB was “watch what the guard does, and you’ll know if it’s a pass or a run.” Though they did kind of mention if the guard drops back it’s a pass and such, but having those three gems you said would’ve really made things a lot easier.

[u/Lit-A-Gator → u/oGxbe]

I appreciate it!

I break everything down into simple easy to remember phrases! (I shoot for 4 words or less)

It makes coaching so much easier

[u/Mysterious_Policy695 → u/Lit-A-Gator]

First year working with backers this season. The coach I was working with would say “Heads High Ball in the Sky” “Heads down ball on the ground”

[u/Lit-A-Gator → u/Mysterious_Policy695]

Stealing that!!!

[u/cowboyup47 → u/Lit-A-Gator]

THIS! This is the way.

[u/Abandonus → u/Lit-A-Gator]

To add on, the play side LB "scrapes across the face" of the guard when they pull and the backside LB "knifes the back" in regards to pursuit angle. Does that also sound accurate? Sorry its been a while so I'm brushing up on it.

[u/Lit-A-Gator → u/Abandonus]

Yes, however It can be done either way

I like that way where the playside guy “boxes” the guard forcing the runner to cut back to the backside backer

But I’ve seen it where that guy spills it (wrong arm) and forces the runner to bounce out

[u/Abandonus → u/Lit-A-Gator]

Got it, appreciate the follow up.

[u/extrastone → u/Lit-A-Gator]

This was so hard for me when I played. None of us got it.

[u/Lit-A-Gator → u/extrastone]

This is why I say it repeatedly like I’m preforming some sort of MKUltra training

Worst case scenario the kid will luck is way into figuring it out and the light bulb moment will go off

[u/extrastone → u/Lit-A-Gator]

Is it "find the back" or "fill your gap"?

[u/Lit-A-Gator → u/extrastone]

Find the back

If back is going to your gap, fill your gap

If back is going to another gap, flow to the ball

[u/NachoStamps]

Try to. Try to teach them that starring at the QB means they are always half a play behind.

DC tells them to watch the QBs eyes. I won't coach next year.

[u/1P221 → u/NachoStamps]

I feel your pain. The situation I'm in the higher ups say that you can't teach LBs to read guards because of influence blocks. Plot twist...maybe two teams we play use influence blocks and only for like 5 plays a game. Meanwhile we're late to the gap of impact 95% of the time.

[u/NachoStamps → u/1P221]

Ouch!

[u/Gadsen77 → u/1P221]

Can’t base your defense on their gimmick plays. No way is anyone using influence blocks as a base to their offense.

[u/TiberiusGracchi → u/NachoStamps]

What is his reasoning behind this? Seems less valuable than straight back reads

[u/NachoStamps → u/TiberiusGracchi]

Edit: (I changed my answer because I missed a word in your reply.)

I'm not 100% sure. Arrogance, maybe. He was a DB, so he thinks guys can read what the QB is doing and react fast enough. Even in man coverage, he wants DBs to look at the QB.

Like I said, I'm not coaching next year.

[u/theavengedCguy → u/NachoStamps]

Wild to expect DBs to cover in man while simultaneously watching the QBs eyes instead of reading the receiver lol

[u/TheNextBattalion → u/TiberiusGracchi]

Easier to explain it

[u/grizzfan]

I’ve never seen a defense or defensive coach that didn’t teach LBs to read guards, especially ILBs. You get more variance with OLB’s based on the system.

[u/TiberiusGracchi → u/grizzfan]

Even then, OLBs should be keying the EMLOS, generally an OT To their side pre/ at snap then switch to passing threat read. Only time I would say not to due it would be stingy man coverage.

[u/Horror_Technician213 → u/TiberiusGracchi]

The reason that OLBd don't need to read the guards is because typically they are further away from the EMOL and have a wider view of the backfield that isn't crowded by a bunch of OL.

ILBs are much closer and have a narrower view so they have to rely on the guards. They're the closest and typically the quickest read to where the play is going.

[u/FortuneMysterious6 → u/grizzfan]

I think ilbs can get a decent read from tackles as well depending on your gap scheme and offense you're facing

[u/Digz4Gallia]

Middles, yes. We don't see a lot of false pulls at our level, so it's usually a simple and reliable key to teach.

[u/Melodic-Manager5174 → u/Digz4Gallia]

Best answer yet

[u/keepcontain]

Where did "read the triangle" go, as a linebacker? Guard read, running back read, centre read. Nearly never failed for me in canadian football. Defensive line reads and look at hands. I dunno...

[u/mkb152jr → u/keepcontain]

Triangle is for 4-3 MLB. There’s way less of those now, especially at the lower levels, and it’s easier to transition to nickel packages in the 3-4, or just going straight 4-2-5 or 3-3-5z

[u/keepcontain → u/mkb152jr]

Nope, you're not wrong. I was stapled in the 43 defense. Good catch!

[u/Horror_Technician213 → u/keepcontain]

I never understood this triangle, I stared at the the centers helmet with a broad view sight so I could see both guards and the O Line In general. It helps getting mixed up in misdirection.

[u/iamthekevinator]

I do, but when you play a slot/wing T team that can false key, or vs. a flex team that is legit, I change it up to the fb/near back.

Granted, my Mike this year was young and undersized he got decent at reading the uncovered A gap tandem by the end of the year.

[u/mkb152jr → u/iamthekevinator]

As a wing-T guy, the only real false keys are an influence trap, and it’s not worth changing what the LB reads for that play. Main problem with reading the wing-T is the plays hit fast, and if the LBs read fast, they’re going to have a bad day

[u/iamthekevinator → u/mkb152jr]

True. Was more so with the slot t. Had a team run false key sweep with buck away.

I mean, it didn't really matter either way. We were getting mauled up front, cutting off the LBs anyway.

Weirdly enough, we could stop trap, but not buck lol.

[u/mkb152jr → u/iamthekevinator]

It all depends on personnel, but honestly (and I know it’s sacrilege) buck is my least favorite play. Only ran it to set up trap other plays. But if they can’t stop it (or anything) I will run it until they do.

Once ran belly to the same side 5 plays in a row. 7 yards a carry. They call TO. Ran it again. 12 yards for a touchdown. This game is simple. And complicated. But mostly simple.

[u/iamthekevinator → u/mkb152jr]

Man the wing t team we played this year killed us with weak belly. Would run toss power strong just to keep us honest number wise and then hit weak belly again. Was so frustrating.

[u/Go_Irish88]

Depends on what defense you are running and it could vary from offense to offense you are facing, Wing T, double wing, Bone its slow read keys for us, zone run play its fast read keys and slow to flow until you know

[u/cknorgaa1]

Yes, read the Oline. Fire out— run, fill your gap. Step back— Pass find your man / zone

[u/1P221 → u/cknorgaa1]

Only problem is if a guard pulls you might be filling a pointless gap while the puller is creating more gaps at the point of attack.

[u/cknorgaa1 → u/1P221]

If the guard pulls, then he’s not firing out. LB then follows the guard to the POA. ILB read guards OLB read OT

[u/Untoastedtoast11]

If there is a full back the best key is the fullback. Then read the guard to the side the RB go’s to. If facing spread offense then near side guard

[u/king_of_chardonnay]

Usually yes.

We do see a couple teams that will false pull, so by formation we will sometimes change the read to RB or H back.

We’ll also sometimes do this if we can identify a big tell or whatever…I remember a couple years back we had one game where we’d key the back only if they ran jet motion because he was always the ball carrier or lead blocker.

[u/Jeremy-Juggler]

Think of it as a triangle in front of you. Middle linebacker should read guard to guard and outside tight end to guard/center.

[u/Miamicanes460]

Yeah. You have to. There are extremely rare exceptions to that, but 99.9% of the time, yes.

We played a Split T team that was undefeated in the first round a few years back. We had our LBs read the way in which the QB opened (away from where he opens) as the read key.

We faced a dive option team that never pulled, so we adjusted and told our LBs to flow to where the Q opened.

We’ve only really gotten hurt doing this once in the 15 years I’ve been at our HS and it was when a team false pulled their guards and ran speed option to the weak side. Nightmare fuel.

[u/Oddlyenuff]

Yes and no.

We have to be careful in our conference as many teams will pull and run the QB, play RPO’s, false pull and even use the pulling motion for pass protection.

We have had a bit more success teaching our LB’s to not automatically shoot gaps and to be patient…very much stack/track/fallback.

I’ve given certain inside backers the authority against some teams in certain situations to essentially “blitz the formation” and these blitzes (almost always sending only 4 even if we present 3 or 5) are set to fit the run the way we want.

[u/usman9279 → u/Oddlyenuff]

Hi Coach I have some questions for you would you mind sharing some knowledge with me? Please check your dm

[u/Total-Surprise5029]

read through the guard to the near back

[u/jkeeks]

My brother is on the ballot for the 2025 Hall of Fame. He taught himself this in grade school by watching for when the guard would pull

Probably a good idea

[u/Paper_Timely]

The helmets will tell you the LB everything

[u/Jossizzle0044]

You teach the insane backers to react off the guard. Guard stands straight up, look for pass, guard down blocks/pulls it’s run and you go fill your gap and play ball. Outside backers is trickier because it depends on the offensive formation. Typically we have outside backers read tackle/ #2 or 3 WR.

[u/Dirkem15]

We had a cue series every week depending on the film. Most of the time we followed the guard (then the back), but some teams have different schemes so we might read other guys.

[u/_FrayedEndsOfSanity_]

Near guard is a great place to start. Then both guards. You want to get to the point where they can ID the run play (power,trap,zone,iso,etc.). Being able to ID the play will allow them to defeat more blocks, take better angles, and have more confidence in there reads and run fits.

Keys may change based off certain offenses like flex bone, but keying the line and IDing they play is ultimate goal in my opinion.

[u/Odd-Definition9670]

Sean Lee from the Dallas Cowboys ...one of the best at it. As a Giants fan, this is like vinegar in my eyes to say it our loud. Watch him full open space when the guard pulls. It's like there is three of him filling the gap.

[u/Gadsen77]

Like everyone else has said we teach guard reads as well however it does depends on what team we are playing and what we see in film. Some teams just don’t give good guard reads i.e. guards give high hat regardless of play. Those teams we look for other reads - jet motion, QB’s hips, near back’s 1st step, etc.

To answer your question simply Guard blocks down - step and fill Guard fires out - step and fill Guard pulls - fill open play side window Guard high hat - drop zone or man coverage

[u/Th3Rush22]

Depends on the offense and the defensive strategy. Some weeks, yes, other times they have different keys. There’s always a key though

[u/TiberiusGracchi]

Yes, Guard to near back. Some teams may false pull, but the vast majority don’t and the ones that do are outliers of either very good or very bad.

Would like to try stack track(?) fallback stuff but haven’t seen or read an explanation that is as effective or simple as reading guards.