The read-option is simple in theory: QB reads the dive end and keeps or pitches. But reading under pressure requires reps. This drill builds that habit.
Equipment needed: 6 cones, 3 balls, 1 QB, 2 runners (a pitch man and dive man), 1 defender.
Setup: Mark the line of scrimmage with cones. QB lines up under center. Dive man lines up in the backfield, 2 yards deep, 1 yard off the QB. Pitch man lines up parallel, 3 yards wide. One defender is the dive end, lined up outside the tackle about 1 yard off the ball.
How to run it:
- QB takes the snap, opens toward the dive man (full mesh), and reads the dive end.
- If the dive end crashes in on the QB, QB pulls the ball and pitches to the pitch man. If the dive end flows outside, QB gives to the dive man.
- The QB should commit to the read quickly. No dancing. Plant, read, decide within one second.
- Do 4 reps keeping, 4 reps pitching. Then switch runners.
What to look for:
The QB’s mesh with the dive man has to look live. If the dive man sees the QB pulling early, the read is obvious. The pitch should be a backward-moving spiral about waist-high. Dive man should hit their gap full speed, not worry about the mesh. The defender should vary their action: sometimes crash inside, sometimes flow outside. If the QB is good, they’ll keep the pitch man moving and cut back. If the QB is struggling, the dive man isn’t selling the threat.
Variation: Add a second defender shadowing the pitch man. Now the QB has to make a two-read decision: first the dive end, then if pitching, whether the pitch man has room. This is closer to game-speed complexity.