D1 DB Drill: How to Get a PBU When the Interception Isn't There - Harlon Barnett

Do your defensive backs know how to break up a pass if they are not in a position to make an interception? And can they get the PBU without getting called for pass interference?

Northwestern Defensive Backs Coach Harlon Barnett has a drill he uses to teach that technique to his DBs.

The video below of his "Hook and Swat" drill is one lesson from his Glazier Drive System Harlon Barnett DB System.

Hook and Swat Drill

It teaches DBs how to get a Pass Breakup when they can't quite get there to get the pick.

The HOOK is to secure the tackle the SWAT is to bust the ball out

The hook and swat should occur simultaneously to avoid a pass interference call.  This is a key coaching point and needs to be watched closely by the coaching staff.

To execute the drill, the wide receiver runs in a straight line across the field with the defender trailing.  The coach (or a player) throws the pass to the receiver so that the defensive back can work on his hook-and-swat technique.