Good secondary play starts with the eyes. A player lined up deep in the defensive backfield has to be able to see the play in front of him in order to make the right decisions.

Brandon Younger is a coach at Oak Grove High School in San Jose, Calif. He has instructed at U.S. National Teams events for the past couple of years, most recently at the Los Angeles National Development Games this past summer, where he coached the defensive backs.

Younger said high school corners and safeties looking to tighten up pass coverage skills can learn a lot by simply being observant.

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“In man coverage, the key reads for a defensive back are hip and hands,” Younger said. “The hips tell you where he player is going, and the hands tell you when the ball should be arriving. It also is very important on seem routes to cut the receiver off of his route path.”

Younger said one of the biggest mistakes defensive backs make in coverage occurs when the ball is in the air. They panic. It’s a natural reaction on every level of the game from Pop Warner to the NFL.

"One thing I teach my DBs is to be relax when they sense the ball is coming,” said Younger, who played alongside Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch at Oakland Technical High School. “Being relaxed allows you to time your hand attack better.”

Hand attacking is when the ball is arriving and the defensive back uses active hands to combat the receiver’s hands to dislodge the ball.

Eyes. Technique. Inner calm. Patience. Master these three things, and you are on your way to strengthening coverage skills – and avoiding defensive pass interference.