How to Spot Cover 2 Defense in College Football

The Cover 2 defense is an effective defense at stopping the West Coast offense. Its name comes from a formation in which all deep pass coverage comes from two safeties. The Cover 2 is basically a zone defense, but variations of the Cover 2 include some man-to-man cover underneath, which can confuse the offense. Here's how you can spot this tricky defense and impress your friends.

Instructions

1. See where the defensive linemen line up. In a Cover 2 defense, the linemen line up in the gaps and make it harder for holes to open up. This forces the running backs to the outside where underneath defenders can help.

2. Check for a 7-man defensive front. Most Cover 2 defenses run out of a 4-3 or 3-4 defense, since Cover 2 can't be run well from an 8-in-the-box front.

3. Find the position of the safeties. Safeties will be playing in deep zone coverage, splitting the deep field in half between the two safeties.

4. Look for the linebackers and cornerbacks to be playing zone coverage. The three linebackers and two corners will divide coverage into fifths across the width of the field, about 7 yards deep.

5. Pay attention to the rush. The Cover 2 defense normally only rushes with its front four defenders. Because the Cover 2 depends on its linebackers and corners to cover the underneath pass routes, this leaves the job of rushing the quarterback to the front line.