Four verticals has become a staple in many offenses. It’s a great plan of attack versus any eight man box whether that is something that the defense aligns in or rotates to. Executed correctly the defense is stressed horizontally.
We define this concept to our players as follows:
The concept seems simple enough; four receivers run down equally spaced landmarks creating a horizontal stretch while they attack the defense vertically. However, defensive coordinators know the weakness of a three deep coverage, so they teach techniques to defeat the four vertical, or they stay out of it and play some form of two-high safety defense. This is where a concept-based structure, the details of running routes correctly, having a consistent progression and precise rhythm for the quarterback, and simple variations that put stress on the techniques that defenders are using to protect the seams can help win back the advantage for the offense. Most importantly, how the four vertical concept is practiced and drilled creates the execution that’s necessary for it to be successful in games. Drills will be discussed and illustrated throughout the article.
The four verticals concept is a day one install for us. Our teaching of the stems and releases used in four verticals and variations carries over to our other concepts.
Key #1: Multiplicity through concept based teaching.
The way we create multiplicity in our offense is through concept based teaching. We do not have a route tree. Our players learn the concept by learning all of the assignments in the concept. Our players learn our “Takeoff” concept by first understanding that the entire route structure is based on hitting four landmarks on the field. Our two inside landmarks are two yards outside the hash (on our field this is the high school hash markings) and our two outside landmarks are the bottom of the numbers.
As part of our day one install, we teach our receivers exactly where to align from 2 X 2 and the technique they need to win on their landmarks. As we progress through our teaching, we then install 3 X 1 and then get into our variations. Our players understand that “Takeoff” is about hitting those four landmarks. The variations just change who is assigned to hit each landmark. The word “Takeoff” tells our players we are in our landmark concept and the tags create the variations. Those will be discussed more later.
For the inside landmarks, one receiver will be assigned to run a locked seam. This simply means that he has no conversion. The other three receivers will be taught to make a decision and have an adjustment based on what the deep defender on their landmark does.
Key #2: Details of running the routes.
While it seems pretty simple, “just run on the landmark” how this is done while the defense is using counter measures in their technique makes it much more complicated. The first key is the wide receiver technique of releasing a defender. To us, releasing a defender means defeating any kind of re-route or collision and carry technique that the defender may use to either keep the receiver off the landmark or carry him to the safety. This is a skill that we practice daily. When we are in-season, the techniques of how underneath defenders play receiver releases are communicated to both our receivers and scout team players. We want our receivers to understand exactly how they will be defended. For example, do they collision and let go, collision and carry, or spot drop and reroute? This technique is discussed in detail in “Don’t Get Jumped in the Alley.”
The second major detail in route running is the decision we make based on on deep defenders. The decision versus a single high safety is simple for the inside landmark receivers: hit your landmark and look for the ball after clearing level two. This is the initial phase of install. We spend time on the release of that level two defender and making a catch in stride. The quarterback understands that the ball needs to be thrown underneath the ceiling which is 22 yards. Anything deeper and the defense has the time to react off of their drop and break up the pass.
The player assigned to the lock seam actually has one simple decision – look for the ball or keep running. If there is no defender on his landmark (meaning the safety has either rolled to the middle or worked outside over the top) he should look for the ball after clearing level two. If there is a deep defender on his landmark he should keep running and get the defender to flip his hips and run with him. Turning and looking at this point takes some stress off that defender and will also bring the defender’s eyes inside to a potential adjustment by the other inside landmark receiver.
The other inside landmark receiver has the ability to adjust his route based on what the defender over his landmark does. If the defender gets outside of his landmark, he should bend his route staying high or using what we call the 95-5 rule. The rule means to keep 95% of the field space in front of you and when followed, it will take the receiver through the defense at an optimal angle keeping one safety on his back and staying away from the opposite safety.
If the defender stays on his landmark or is slightly inside, he will snap a dig route at 14 yards.
If a defender rotates down at him, he will release him (the defender becomes a level 2 defender by rotating down) and look for the ball.
The outside receivers can be handled in a couple of different ways. They are responsible for a decision as well. What you need to do as a coach is determine what your receiver’s are capable of and how you want to coach it. The decision can be made on the run with the receiver making a decision at 10 yards and executing it at 15 yards, or you can simply make a pre-snap decision based on the depth of the corner. The pre-snap decision requires that the receiver and quarterback are on the same page. A simple hand signal can communicate this. It also requires that you make decisions based on the capability of both your receiver and the corner you are facing. At what pre-snap depth should he decide to run by him and what is the pre-snap cushion that should tell him to run a comeback at 15 yards?
If the pre-snap method is used, the quarterback then could throw a back shoulder ball to win back that route if the receiver could not run by the corner.
Key #3: Consistent progression and precise rhythm for the quarterback.
Regardless of the coverage, we want the quarterback to have a consistent progression as he works through all of our takeoff variations.
The quarterback’s first look in the progression is his locked seam. He isn’t looking at the route. He is looking at the defender over the lock seam landmark. If that defender stays on the landmark, then he will begin moving his eyes to the next route in the progression. If the landmark is unoccupied, then he can throw the locked seam on the last step of his drop.
He must use the level two defender’s technique to confirm the decision. If a collision happens, then he needs to move on in the progression. If the level two defender is running with the route, then he must also move on. What a level two defender on the lock seam does tell him is that the outside landmark is singled up without a defender getting underneath it. We work this scenario often with the quarterback progressing from the locked seam to a comeback (or vertical) on the sideline. This is thrown off of two hitch steps by the quarterback.
The quarterback can also work his eyes across the other way working to the other inside landmark. After the locked seam has been deleted as an option, he is working his eyes and feet to the next inside landmark. He will see either a dig or a bend by the receiver. He will throw this after a hitch step up.
The QB can then work to either a comeback (this can be adjusted to a dig if it is coming from the field) or the back running a shallow route.
If the quarterback hitches up twice and decides he didn’t like any of the throws, then he should work to escape the pocket. His escape route should be coordinated with your protection. We have him begin his escape to the b-gap as we have a natural opening created there by our protection.
We practice all of these throws and the quarterback is constantly evaluated and given feedback on his timing. For more on this topic see “QB Evaluation”. After initial install, the drills which were taught in isolation are incorporated in route timing. This is discussed in the April 2013 magazine article “Spring Practice-Make it about Details and Development”.
This progression is consistent for all variations. Regardless of which receiver is assigned to each landmark, the quarterback always works his eyes and feet the exact same way.
Key #4: With the concept understood by both the quarterback and receivers, adjustments are simple for us, but add complexity for the defense.
The variations come in tags that allow us to hit the landmarks in different ways. Switched releases allow us to hit our landmarks from different angles. Defending the seams with collision and carry becomes more complex for a defender than when he was just able to work that receiver who he was aligned over. Now receivers are moving from inside or outside of him and on different angles.
The words we use are change, switch, and swap. These communicate to our receivers in a simple way who is responsible for each landmark.
Change
Switch
Swap
Anyone can align and run four receivers down the field. The details that you put into the four vertical concept, or any passing concept for that matter will make the difference for your offense. More on this topic is available in the video “Keys to Successful Quarterback and Receiver Play in a Multiple Four Vertical Package“