Free preview clip
Pattern Read Coverages in the 4-3
- Item #
- WN-08258
- Format
- Buy Now Watch Now + instant streaming
About this video
Offenses throw it more every year, and a defense that only plays spot-drop zone gets picked apart. In this coaching video, Southlake Carroll defensive coordinator Shannon Wilson breaks down the pattern read coverages he plays behind his 4-3 defense and presents them as a process any program can implement. Cover 4 and Cover 2 are taught from alignment through the read, then shown on game film so you see the distribution rules working against real route combinations.
What you'll learn
- Cover 4 in the 4-3 defense: alignment, leverage and responsibility.
- Cover 2 structure and how Carroll plays it against spread route distributions.
- The pattern read rules themselves - how defenders match receivers rather than guarding grass.
- Cover 4 game film and Cover 2 game film to see the reads confirmed.
- The SAS coverage call, plus SAS game film.
- Shortest/widest rules for sorting receivers in the secondary.
- Possession-specific calls and when to use them.
Who it's for
High school defensive coordinators and secondary coaches who face spread passing attacks and want to move from zone drops to a true pattern-match system.
About the coach
Shannon Wilson was the defensive coordinator at Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, a program that won roughly 85 percent of its games over twenty seasons and multiple state championships.
The session includes game film analysis of each coverage.
Frequently asked questions
What coverages does Coach Wilson teach?
Cover 4 and Cover 2 played with pattern read rules, plus the SAS call, shortest/widest sorting rules and possession-specific coverage calls - each with its own game film segment.
Do I need to run a 4-3 to use this?
The coverages are taught behind Carroll's 4-3, but pattern reading is a secondary system. High school coordinators in other fronts can apply the Cover 4 and Cover 2 match rules with the personnel they already have back there.
How is the video delivered?
Buy Now, Watch Now: pay $19.95 and it streams from your AFM Videos account the same minute, on any device, with unlimited views and no deadline to finish it. It is also available inside the 1-Year All Access membership at $99 per year.
Is pattern reading too complex for high school players?
Coach Wilson presents it as an easy-to-implement process for any program, which is the point of the shortest/widest rules - they give defenders a simple way to sort receivers instead of memorizing every route combination.