Many are schooled reading the safeties are the key to being able to read what the defense has called. Making it very important to be able to read the safeties by the way they line up. Typically the strong safety lines up opposite the tight end closer to the LOS than the free safety. His primary function is to support stopping the run, while the free safety is usually smaller and quicker, focused on stopping the pass. This article will focus on the basic fundamentals quarterbacks need to read the safeties.
***Strong Safety***
Watch how the strong safety lines up, usually he will be closer to the LOS opposite the tight end or the second receiver. If he lines up close and is inching up towards the LOS, this indicates the defense thinks run play to the strong side. If the SS is lined up deeper, five to seven yards back, the defense is thinking pass.
***Free Safety***
The free safety is usually smaller and quicker than the SS. His primary function is to be like the center fielder in baseball. The free safety covers the deep areas to protect against the pass. He wants to protect the middle of the field and also protect on the deep routes. Yet he can be par of a safety blitz.
***Safety Line Ups***
The safeties lining up deep each on the hash mark indicates a cover 2 defense.
Both safeties inching up towards the LOS can mean a safety blitz.
When you see both safeties deep and the middle line backer dropped back as a third safety, you are facing a cover 3 which can be beaten with a short quick hitter to the tight end, or short crossing routes by the wide outs.
In conclusion reading the safeties can tell you a lot about what play the defense called. This article gives you some of the basics in reading the safeties, there are many instructive DVDS available on reading defenses that can help you learn to read the safeties.
Use this link Reading The Defense to see our list of instructional DVDS
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