3 High Safety Run Fits

The three high safety defense has become quite popular of recently due to its flexibility. Iowa State has really made it popular and has spread around college football and into high school football. Let's talk about some of the ways that you can use different fronts (tite and a loose over front) and coverages to create destruction in the run game.

Let's start with our base fits.

The five or six that you put in the box are used as spill players and then the safeties are used as contain players. The H becomes a free player alley player to each side. The blue players are the spill players, the red players are contain players. Green is the alley player. Orange are alley/contain/spill (ACS) players. They are the ones that fit where they are needed. The H might come into the box and now the Leo has to be a spill player or contain get broken so the Safety/Corner has to be the new contain, etc. Leo is more of a safety than a linebacker in this package. He can play man or zone coverage, and he must turn the ball back inside to his alley players and spill players.

"Three Double Sky" Run Fits

Here we have the safeties as the contain players, H as the alley player, and the corners as the ACS's. Here we have the Jack as more of a linebacker in this package. He can drop into coverage but he is a better pass rusher. Everyone else's job stays the same and all gaps are covered.

"Three Cloud" Run Fits

Here we have a mix of fits. The boundary corner is now the contain player and the weak safety is now the alley/contain/spill (ACS) player. H is still the primary alley player. You can use the H in multiple ways when it comes to the run game based on what you need. (more down below). The Safety to the passing strength is primary contain. The box still has the same responsibility in spilling the ball.

"Havana" (Tampa 2) run fits

Here is your normal Tampa Two with the H as the high hole middle of the field player (MOF) (That's why I call it Havana instead of Tampa because H as the MOF not a LB) or you can play normal cover two and man the H on the Y. Here the corners are the contain players and the Safeties are the ACS players.

"Gold" or "Cover 8" run fits

This is an adjusting bracket coverage and adds the safeties into the run fit while also getting bracket coverage on inside routes. The H is an extra player here which you can spy the Quarterback or double the TE or RB. You can man the LBs on the TE and RB or blitz one of the LBs and the H can take the TE/RB.

Here are some run fit examples with a H Spy on the QB.

Vs QB Power

The spill players still spill and the contain players still contain. The nose and tackle should squeeze the A gap and backside Safety (S) should look backside B.

Vs Zone Read

Cover Gold

Vs Counter Read

Cover 3

Vs Power Read

Cover 3