Bump and run coverage: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Strategy in American football}}

{{Unreferenced|auto=yes|date=December 2009}}

{{Original research|date=December 2019}}

'''Bump and run coverage''' is a strategy formerly widely used by [[defensive back]]s in [[NFL|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.

== History ==

'''Bump and run coverage''' is a strategy formerly widely used by [[defensive back]]s in [[NFL|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 (American football)|Willie Brown]] of the [[Oakland Raiders]]. [[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.

In one view, the bump and run originated in the [[American Football League]] in the 1960s, one of whose earliest experts was [[Willie Brown (American football)|Willie Brown]] of the [[Oakland Raiders]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=STRAUB |first=LUKE |date=2018-01-09 |title=Raiders' legend Willie Brown recalls glory days |url=https://www.petaluma360.com/article/sports/raiders-legend-willie-brown-recalls-glory-days/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Petaluma Argus-Courier |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-22 |title=Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown dies at age 78 |url=https://apnews.com/article/c7f5fcdc45124731b8d9d8296a0ba1f8 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Before playing for the Raiders, Brown was a rookie with the [[Denver Broncos]] in 1963 and played there through 1966.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Willie Brown Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrowWi01.htm |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In another version of the bump and run's origins, Brown created the bump and run defense as a linebacker at [[Grambling State University|Grambling University]], and then first brought it to professional football in 1963, when he was a defensive back with the Denver Broncos.<ref name=":2" />

In yet another version of possible origins, [[Jack Faulkner]] gets significant credit for development of the bump and run. Faulkner was head coach for the Broncos from 1962–64, during Brown's first two professional years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jack Faulkner {{!}} Pro Football History.com |url=https://pro-football-history.com/coach/122/jack-faulkner-bio |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=pro-football-history.com}}</ref> While Faulkner was the [[Los Angeles Rams]] defensive backfield coach in 1958, the team tried out future [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]]r [[K.C. Jones|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 seen from Jones 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 21, 2017 |title=Bump and run, or just boxing out? K.C. Jones left impact on NFL {{!}} Pro Football Hall of Fame |url=https://www.profootballhof.com/blogs/2017/11/blogs-stories-from-the-pro-football-hall-of-fame-archives-bump-and-run-or-just-boxing-out-kc-jones/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=pfhof |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1963 Denver Broncos Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/den/1963.htm |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

In contrast, under [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|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.

On the other hand, [[National Football League]] 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 (NFL)|St. Louis Cardinals]] (1965–66), originated the bump and run while playing for the [[San Francisco 49ers]] in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In another telling, Fischer said he learned the bump and run in the early 1960s from teammate [[Jimmy Hill (American football)|Jimmy Hill]], at the urging of Cardinals defensive coach [[Chuck Drulis]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Shapiro |first=Leonard |date=October 9, 2024 |title=Undersized cornerback was a fierce competitor |work=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pat Fischer Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FiscPa00.htm |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Dan |date=January 12, 2015 |title=Scot McCloughan's dad, Pat Fischer, and the birth of bump-and-run coverage |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA397114533&sid=sitemap&v=2.1&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E352b4022&aty=open-web-entry |work=Washington Post}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Turney |first=John |date=2024-09-24 |title=State Your Case: Abe Woodson, 'The Willie Mays of Football' |url=https://talkoffametwo.com/state-your-case/state-your-case-abe-woodson |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Talk of Fame |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Dan |date=January 11, 2015 |title=Figuring out the coverage |work=The Washington Post}}</ref>

Pro Football Hall of Fame executive vice president Joe Horrigan, stated: "'But if I were to say who generally has been credited for it, Willie Brown is generally historically credited with popularizing the bump-and-run - not inventing it, but popularizing it.'"<ref name=":3" /> [[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.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Mel Blount, NFL 100 |url=https://www.nfl.com/100/originals/100-greatest/game-changers-46 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

In contrast, under [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirshner |first=Alex |date=2018-08-30 |title=College pass interference rules are better for DBs than the NFL's |url=https://www.sbnation.com/2018/8/30/17488358/ncaa-pass-interference-rule-nfl-differences |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=SBNation.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2018-07-30 |title=Understanding The 5 Yard Illegal Contact Rule In The NFL - vIQtory Sports |url=https://www.viqtorysports.com/understanding-5-yard-contact-rule/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Technique ==

This play works well against routes that require the receiver to be in a certain spot at a certain time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hatman |first=Dan |date=2017-02-15 |title=ITP Glossary: Bump And Run Technique {{!}} The Scouting Academy |url=https://scoutingacademy.com/itp-glossary-bump-run-technique/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |language=en-US}}</ref> The disadvantage, however, is that the receiver can shed contact and get behind the [[cornerback]] for a big play.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nguyen |first=Ted |title=Explaining the four coverage categories: Man, zone, zone match and man match |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2275485/2020/12/22/defense-coverages-types-man-zone/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Defensive Back Drills For Practice |url=https://www.glazierclinics.com/football-coach-resources/defensive-back-drills |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=www.glazierclinics.com}}</ref> In the [[National Football League|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 (American football)|penalty]], costing 5 yards and an automatic first down, enforced since 1978, and known colloquially as the [[Mel Blount Rule]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

== See also ==

* [[American football strategy]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Gridiron football maneuvers}}

{{American football strategy}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bump And Run Coverage}}

[[Category:American football strategy]]

[[Category:American football terminology]]

{{Americanfootball-stub}}