Cover 2 Defense (Zone)
Feb 07, 2024Cover 2 is a zone coverage that is commonly used to defend shorter routes on the field.
In this coverage, TWO safeties share the responsibility of defending the deep part of the field.
These two defenders will split the field in half. One player will defend one half of the field and the other defender will guard the other half.
There are TWO cornerbacks on the field who are responsible for defending the FLATS.
The flat on a football field is the area between the sideline and the numbers and is 0-15 yards off of the line of scrimmage.
Their responsibility is represented by the light blue zones shown on the screen.
There are three variations of their responsibility:
- Hard Flat: The defender will cover from the sideline to the numbers, but will only defend 0-5 yards off the line of scrimmage.
- Cloud Flat: The defender will cover from the sideline to the numbers, but will only defend 5-10 yards off the line of scrimmage.
- Soft Squat: The defender will cover from the sideline to the numbers, but will only defend 10-15 yards off the line of scrimmage.
The middle linebacker (MLB) will be in a middle read.
This player is responsible for defending all the passes between the hashmarks. They help the deep halves with passes thrown over the deep middle of the field.
You may hear coaches refer to this position as the "pole runner" or "runner"
The outside linebackers (OLBs) in this coverage are going to be in hook/curl zones.
They are responsible for defending all the short and intermediate passes thrown between the numbers and the hashmarks.
The hook/curl zone will get 5-12 yards of depth off the line of scrimmage while defending their zone.
Increase Your Football IQ Today!
Access over 100+ Fundamental Lessons Free
