TCU Terms-Defined

I get a LOT of emails asking me about "terms" and "what does this mean" and "what is toro or aim mean".  Well, today we are going to have a vocabulary lesson!  Here goes:

• Read side- the strong side of the coverage, or the side of the defense that the FS is aligned on.
• Away side- opposite of the read side.
• Slice- "quick to the curl".
• Swing deep of:  Means take the receiver running out or out and up through your zone man to man.
• "Me"- Call that has the SS take the out of 2 (swing deep of 2).
• Blue- 2 read coverage where the out of #2 is handled by the corner
• Cover 2- In TCU's system, robber coverage where the out of 2 is still handled by the corner (not traditional robber where the OLB/invert has the out of 2).
• Cover 5- 2 deep squat 1/2's coverage, or what most of us are familiar with as cover 2.
• Special- An "X" out concept against trips where the read side corner is man to man on the #1 receiver and the SS and FS play Blue coverage to the #2 and #3 receivers.
• Solo- An "X" out concept against trips where the read side plays Blue coverage to #1 and #2 while the read side LB has the short wall of #3 and the WS has the long wall of #3.
• Roll- Basically...1/4, 1/4, 1/2.
• Bronco- A modified version of man to man coverage ran on the away side where the corner has all of #1 and the WS has the vertical and out of the #2 receiver.
• Cover 0- Man to man, no man free.
• Cover 0 Free- Coverage used when blitzing and there will be a deep safety free; ie Cover 1 (man free).
• COS- Change of strength.
• Man clue- All of a certain receiver vertical (basically).
• Pound- LB is leaving the box to apex a #2 reciever; may also be telling the DE to that side to spill (vague).
• China- When a route by the #1 receiver is shorter than 5 yards (smash alert).
• Bullets- Both ILB's blitzing.
• Smokes- Both outside safeties blitzing outside.
• Lions- OSS's blitzing 1 gap inside a Smoke blitz.
• Dogs- ILB and OSS blitz
• Bullets Thunder/Lightning- Both ILB's and safety to/away from call blitzing.
• Mob- Bullets and Smokes.
• Cop- DE's man to man on a TE if they get one.
• Fiddle- 2 on 1 coverage.
• Aim- DL slant 1 technique away from call.
• Toro- DL slant 1 technique to the call.
• Spy- Call telling outside rusher to cover back man to man if he attempts to cross his face (peel).
• Fire- Call telling DE to rush one gap inside his alignment.
• Switch- Call made by OSS when he cannot blitz (vs. detached #2), this call tells ILB to blitz side to replace the safety in the blitz.
• Silver- DE's will cover RB man to man if he flares and take pitch on option.
• Flip- Corners over.
• Power- Call by OSS puts DE in a 5 technique.
• Tag- Tackle to A gap.
• Peak- Long stick.
• Army- Slant 1 full gap away from call.
• Tank- Slant 1 full gap to the call.
• Tim- Tackles inside 1 gap.
• Tag- Tackles in A gap.
• MOE- Mike off edge/edge blitz by MLB.
• SOE- Sam off edge/same as MOE but for Sam.
• Fifty- Tackle away from call (most of us call him the nose).

That is nowhere near all the TCU terminology, however it is the bulk of what I receive in emails.  Remember folks, it's just "their" language.  You can call it anything you like.  I moved most of my terminology to theirs as it allowed me less "conversion" when learning the scheme and teaching it.  That doesn't mean that some of my old terminology isn't still in my defense, it just means I've adapted more of my stuff to theirs.  Whatever you choose, it's up to you!  Good luck!




No need to convert if you don't have to!

Great 4-2-5 resources here!
Duece