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Bump and run coverage

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Bump and run coverage is a strategy formerly widely used by defensive backs in American professional football in which a defender lined up directly in front of a wide receiver and tried to impede him with arms, hands, or entire body and disrupt his intended route. This originated in the American Football League in the 1960s, one of whose earliest experts was Willie Brown of the Oakland Raiders.[1][2] Brown was a rookie with the Denver Broncos in 1963, and played there through 1966.[3] Jack Faulkner was head coach for the Broncos from 1962-64.[4] While Faulkner was the Los Angeles Rams defensive backfield coach in 1958, the team tried out future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer K. C. Jones as a defensive back. Using his style as a basketball defender, Jones would cover receivers at the line of scrimmage and hand check them as they ran down the field. Jones decided on a basketball career, but Faulkner took the knowledge of what he had scene, which came to be known as the bump and run, with him when he became an AFL defensive backs coach with the Los Angeles Chargers; and then to Denver, where Willie Brown became a pro player.[5][6]

On the other hand NFL defensive back Pat Fischer, who is closely associated with the bump and run, believes that cornerback Abe Woodson (who taught Fischer the technique when they both played for the St. Louis Cardinals) originated the bump and run while playing for the San Francisco 49ers in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[7][8][9][10] Mel Blount of the Pittsburgh Steelers specialized in this coverage to such a point as to cause numerous rule changes (see below) strictly limiting when and where a defender may make contact with a potential receiver in order to make it easier for receivers to run their routes and increase scoring.[11]

In contrast, under NCAA rules, contact is allowed anywhere on the field as long as contact is in front of the defender and a pass is not in the air.[12][13]

Technique

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This play works well against routes that require the receiver to be in a certain spot at a certain time.[14] The disadvantage, however, is that the receiver can shed contact and get behind the cornerback for a big play.[15] This varies from the more traditional defensive formation in which a defensive player will give the receiver a "cushion" of about 5 yards to prevent the receiver from getting behind him.[16] In the NFL, a defensive back is allowed any sort of contact within the 5 yard bump zone except for holding the receiver, otherwise the defensive back can be called for an illegal contact penalty, costing 5 yards and an automatic first down, enforced since 1978, and known colloquially as the Mel Blount Rule.[13][11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ STRAUB, LUKE (2018-01-09). "Raiders' legend Willie Brown recalls glory days". Petaluma Argus-Courier. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  2. ^ "Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown dies at age 78". AP News. 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  3. ^ "Willie Brown Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
  4. ^ "Jack Faulkner | Pro Football History.com". pro-football-history.com. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
  5. ^ "Bump and run, or just boxing out? K.C. Jones left impact on NFL | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. November 21, 2017. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
  6. ^ "1963 Denver Broncos Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
  7. ^ Shapiro, Leonard (October 9, 2024). "Undersized cornerback was a fierce competitor". Washington Post.
  8. ^ "Pat Fischer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  9. ^ Steinberg, Dan (January 12, 2015). "Scot McCloughan's dad, Pat Fischer, and the birth of bump-and-run coverage". Washington Post.
  10. ^ Turney, John (2024-09-24). "State Your Case: Abe Woodson, 'The Willie Mays of Football'". Talk of Fame. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  11. ^ a b "Mel Blount, NFL 100". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  12. ^ Kirshner, Alex (2018-08-30). "College pass interference rules are better for DBs than the NFL's". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  13. ^ a b "Understanding The 5 Yard Illegal Contact Rule In The NFL - vIQtory Sports". 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  14. ^ Hatman, Dan (2017-02-15). "ITP Glossary: Bump And Run Technique | The Scouting Academy". Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  15. ^ Nguyen, Ted. "Explaining the four coverage categories: Man, zone, zone match and man match". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  16. ^ "Top Defensive Back Drills For Practice". www.glazierclinics.com. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
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