Basic Coverage Schemes

Cover 0 Defense
Cover Zero defense is your standard man-to-man coverage. There are no double-teams in this coverage scheme. It is called
Cover-0 because there are no safeties in deep coverage to make up for any mistakes by the cornerbacks. This play is often
employed when a blitz is on that is! when there are five or more defenders rushing the passer.
Cover 1 Defense
The Cover "ne defense uses one safety in deep coverage. This is a standard defensive scheme! where the free safety makes
certain to keep receivers in front of him and help out the cornerback who needs the most help. This re#uires the free safety to
make #uick decisions and avoid being $looked off$ by the #uarterback. The free safety will often shade to one side of the field!
where the opposing team%s best receiver is found.
Cover & has the strong safety inch closer to the line! a process which is called $' men in the bo($ )that is! a combination of *
linemen and linebackers and & safety+. Cover & is typically meant to stop the run! giving opportunities for the offense to pass
instead.
Cover 2 Defense
The conventional Cover Two defense has both safeties back! with each covering one half of the field. The safeties cover deep!
while the two cornerbacks cover the short routes on their side of the field.
Though all defenses employ Cover , defenses! some teams use this as their base defense. The most famous uses of the Cover ,
are the defenses employed by Tony -ungy with the Tampa .ay .uccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts.
Cover , schemes re#uire safeties with better than average cover skills and cornerbacks with better than average tackling skills!
because the corners will be asked to handle parts of the running game that a safety might normally handle. /lso! the Cover ,
re#uires speedy linebackers who can get into coverage #uickly.
The Cover , defense is a pass-oriented defense! because it uses only * men in the bo(. )I should not the $bo($ is an imaginary
bo( along the defensive line of scrimmage. Those defenders in the bo( are thought to be the players allotted to stop the run
instead of the pass.+
Cover , defenses typically employ smaller linebackers and safeties! the players most likely to tackle ball carriers. Therefore!
given that the best tacklers are smaller and their is one less player in the bo(! the Cover , defense is sometimes thought to be
weak against the run.
I%ve noticed that these defenses work splendidly when the defense%s team is ahead! because the offense will need to throw the ball
more often. Conversely! if the defense is behind! it will need to stop the run more often! and therefore might wear down more
#uickly. This is a generalization! though! and it should be noted that all defenses will wear out if they must play from behind and
stop the run more often.
It should also be noted the Cover , -efense is gaining wide acceptance in the 012! because the Colts and .ucs have won Super
Bowls using it and because the 012 rules changes have made offenses employ much more of a pass-first philosophy.
Cover 3 Defense
Cover Three defenses! the two cornerbacks 3oin a safety in covering deep zones. These three players each cover their third of the
field! while the other safety is moved into the bo(.
The Cover 4 defense does two things well. "ne! it stops the run! because the run blockers must account for an e(tra tackler. Two!
it tends to stop the deep pass! because there are three defenders who are concentrating on keeping the receivers in front of them
on the field.
5hatever this defense does not do well is cover short passes. 5ith ' men concentrating on the run and 4 men concentrating on
the deep pass! this leaves wide open areas in the short routes. Therefore! an offense which reads the Cover 4 can check down to
receivers underneath the three deep zone and move the ball slowly but methodically.
Cover 4 Defense
This is rare outside of two-minute and hurry-up situations. The Cover 1our defense calls for both cornerbacks and both safeties
)or some combination of four defensive backs+ to cover deep zone. 6ssentially! the Cover 7 defense is a prevent defense! meant to
give up running plays and short passing plays while ensuring against deep! #uick scores.
The 8revent -efense is meant to trade time for field position. The defense will let the offense move down the field! though this
takes time off the clock. 9sually! the Cover 7 is used only when a defense is ahead in the game and they hope to run out the
clock.
The 8revent -efense is often derided by football fans! because almost all teams employ the Cover 7 in these situations! and
therefore late comebacks almost always take place against prevent defenses. :ome fans say that prevent defenses prevent the
team from winning the