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II. Strengths
The strength of Cover 0 is that they are playing man on all backs and receivers, and
can rush up to 6 players, utilizing dogs or twists to confuse the protection of the QB.
III. Weakness
The weakness of Cover 0 is that there is no deep safety to help on inside routes,
and having linebackers man against faster slot receivers or running backs.
IV. Variations
A. Bump and Run – The corners will get up to the line against receivers to disrupt
their routes and timing
B. Press – The corners will play 3-4 yards off, in a bump and run look, to cause the
quarter back to make a misread on the coverage.
V. Coaching Point
Most man coverage is well disguised, they will try to hide it by using shifts, or
doing other things to distract you from your reads. The defenders will take an inside
position to try to take away inside routes. Before the snap in this coverage the safeties
will either slide up to cover a receiver or come up as a linebacker to blitz. One or two
deep safeties.
II. Strengths
The strength of cover one is playing man on all the backs on safeties, and having a
free safety over the top to help on post routes. The defense also has the ability to bring
more than 4 rushers on dogs, twists, and stunts.
III. Weakness
The weakness of Cover one is that linebackers are man on the running backs or
slots.
IV. Variations
A. Bump and Run: The corners will get up to the line against receivers to disrupt
their routes and timing
B. Press: The corners will play 3-4 yards off, in a bump and run look, to cause the
quarter back to make a misread on the coverage.
V. Coaching Point
There will only be one deep safety in this coverage, so if there are 2 deep safeties
in the initial alignment, one of them should either align up to cover a receiver, or creep up
for a blitz.
II. Strengths
It allows quick response to underneath routes, allows the defenders to stay square
and towards the quarterback, making scramble less deadly.
III. Weakness
The deep middle and outside routes are open, and is subject to many route
combinations aimed at one zone player. The gap between flat and hook player.
IV. Variations
A. Invert: The strong corner goes up to play a half while the strong safety plays the
flat
C. Tag: Underneath defenders play man on the receivers
V. Coaching Point
You want to throw in between the outside linebackers and corners, and then in
between the two deep safeties for easy completions, don’t take too long and let the zone
shift around, make your throws quick.
II. Strengths
The strength of Cover 3 is that it has 3 deep safeties.
III. Weakness
The weakness is there are only 4 underneath defenders, leaving the quick series
and weak side flat/hook curl zone exposed
IV. Variations
A. Cloud: The strong side corner plays as if in a cover 2 look, he jams, and takes
the flat, and a linebacker/Defensive back slides over to play over the top.
B. Tag: Underneath defenders play man on the receivers
C. Bail: Strong side corner presses up, then sprints back to play a deep third.
V. Coaching Point
The quick game and short zones are left open, also, on the strong side, or where the
corner has a deep third, fade routes are open if your receiver can beat the corner there.
M P
C Flat Hook C C
Deep 1/3 Flat Deep 1/3
E N T E
QB
(NOTE: Dead center of the field, directly in front of the QB and in front of the deep safety is also
open but not pictured. Don’t throw to the hash against Cover 3)
Cover 4
I. Theory
Cover 4 is a read zone coverage, where the defenders read the routes of the
offensive players to determine the strong side roll (The backside roll is the corner,
sprinting back, which puts him at a disadvantage, which is why they roll to the strength.)
II. Strengths
The strength of Cover 4 is having 4 deep safeties, also allows the safeties to be
very active in run support.
III. Weakness
The weakness of Cover 4 is that the linebackers will be reading receivers, trying to
cover backs, and drop into their zone.
IV. Variations
A. Bail: Corners press up at the snap, and bail back to their zone/assignment at the
snap.
V. Coaching Point
Play action gives the linebackers problems in making their reads, throws off the
roll and opens up the middle. Backside is vulnerable to a post/wheel route combination
M
C C Short 1/4 C C
Short 1/4 Deep 1/4 Deep 1/4 Short 1/4
E N E
QB
Hook
Hook
Flat
The Basic Quarterback Reads
• The Slant Read
• The Stick Read
• The Inside Sideline Read
• The Curl Read
• The Sideline Read
• The Dig Read
• The Double Square-in Read
• The Deep Out Read
• The Deep Reads
• Man (Single Coverage Reads)
Pre-Snap Reads
• Look for the Safeties
• Is there anyone in the middle of the field?
• Look for the best side to read.
• Number of defenders vs. number of receivers.
• Look at the defenders leverage.
• Leverage refers to the defenders relationship to the receiver, or the area of the field the
defender must cover.
• Know where all of the routes are going to be run.
• Look for possible blitzes.
• Know where your hot routes are.
• At this point you should have a pretty good idea of where you are going to go with the ball -
this is extremely important.