QB Reads Overview

How you teach the QB to read through a pass play is fascinating because it's like the language you speak — it shapes the way you think about football just like a language shapes how you think about the world. Different reads are like different subject-verb-object constructions.

Some coaches are adamant about drops and the depths of the routes matching up while some are much more lenient. Some systems are all quick game so there isn't much of a drop. Just pick a side, catch the ball and let it go.

Here's a look at the type of read "buckets" used in the NFL according to J.T. O'Sullivan:

1. Pure Progression: full scan

2. Progression with an Option: scan with an option to work a particular route vs. a particular look

3. Pick a Side: choose which side has best numbers, space, and/or leverage

I think the best reads are probably progression with an option but I think there is opportunity to have options within a pure progression too if you're getting a certain look and want to just change the order of the read, but keep the pure progression mentality.

Ultimately, the QB has to react off defenders, so sometimes the pure progression reads can be difficult to account for multiple defenders since the QB can have a tendency to lock into the receiver. If he doesn't have a good feel for where the defenders are pre-snap and where they plan to be post-snap, then he can struggle.

Anyways, check out the full video of O'Sullivan talking through the different types of reads if you're interested:​

Emory Wilhite