Zone Alone Drill
Setup
Two receivers or tight ends line up close to the hashes in the middle of the play. A safety lines up in the middle of the field, about 12-18 yards deep.
Purpose
This drill focuses on a particular game situation where there are two vertical routes going down the center of the defense.
The Cover 1 safety must manage multiple players entering his deep zone and read the quarterback’s throw. The quarterback, on the other hand, must read the movement of the safety and fit the ball into one of his receivers without the safety intercepting the pass.
Drill Description
The quarterback snaps the ball and drops back to pass as his receivers make their way downfield. The safety drops into his deep Cover 1 zone as he feels the presence of the two receivers entering his zone, and watches the eyes of the quarterback.
The quarterback attempts to deliver a pass to one of his receivers at a depth of 15-25 yards. He can use his eyes to look off the safety to one side, and then throw it to the other.
The safety tries to make a play on the ball to knock it down or intercept it.
