COVER 2 DEFENSE

MALCOLM KELLY
JB BROWN
ROBERT LUCE
FIELD AWARENESS
WE MUST UNDERSTAND OUR FIELD IN ORDER TO DEFEND IT CORRECTLY. THE IDENTIFICATION OF SPLITS GIVES US THE ABILITY
TO RECOGNIZE POTENTIAL ROUTES AND COMBINATIONS PRE-SNAP.

FIELD DIMENSIONS
 SIDELINE TO BOTTOM OF NUMBERS: 7 YARDS
 THE NUMBERS: 2 YARDS
 SIDELINE TO THE TOP OF THE NUMBERS: 9 YARDS
 SIDELINE TO HASH: 20 YARDS
 IN BETWEEN THE HASH: 13 1/3 YARDS
 SIDELINE TO SIDELINE: 53 1/3 YARDS
TYPES OF WR SPLITS
TYPES OF SPLITS BALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD:
NORMAL: TOP OF THE NUMBERS
CUT: INSIDE THE TOP OF THE NUMBERS (ALIGN OUTSIDE)
WIDE: BOTTOM OF THE NUMBERS AND WIDER (ALIGN INSIDE)
TYPES OF SPLITS BALL ON THE HASH:
NORMAL: Z IN BETWEEN TOP OF NUMBERS AND HASH
X- BOTTOM OF THE NUMBERS
CUT:
WIDE:
VARIATIONS OF OUR COVER 2
 TAMPA
 CAT (FIRE ZONE COVERAGE)
 SLICE
CORNER
ALIGNMENT:
1 X 6 IN A SLIDE ALIGNMENT: ALIGN AT 6 YARDS DEEP WITH OUTSIDE LEVERAGE ON THE #1 WR.
 SLIDE ALIGNMENT: 1 X 6 WITH COCKED 45 DEGREE STANCE. (COCKED FOR VISION AND TRANSITION)
 PRESS ALIGNMENT: CAN BE PLAYED WITH A PRESS TAG IN THE CALL. PLAY A PRESS ALIGNMENT SPLITTING THE CROTCH
OF THE RECEIVER WITH OUTSIDE LEVERAGE OR DEPENDING ON THE RECEIVERS SPLIT.
ASSIGNMENT (COVER 2 = PHYSICAL)
RUN GAME: (CLOUD FORCE)
 IN THE RUN GAME HE IS PRIMARY FORCE. THE CORNER IS THE EDGE OF THE DEFENSE AND IS LOOKING TO MAKE THE
TACKLE OR TURN THE BALL BACK INTO THE PURSUIT.
PASS GAME: (CLOUD TECHNIQUE)
 HE WILL LOOK TO COLLISION, SNAP, AND CARRY #1. ALERT WHEEL. AT THE SNAP THE CORNER MUST GET A BALL KEY
AND COLLUSION #1 AND DENY ANY VERTICAL ENTRY BY THE WR TO HELP THE SAFETY. WHILE COLLISION HIS EYES
MUST SNAP TO THE #2 WR ON ALERT FOR A “WHEEL” CALL MADE BY THE SAFETY. A “WHEEL” CALL IS TELLING THE
CORNER THAT HE IS NOW GETTING A FLAT THREAT, AND MUST CARRY THE WHEEL DOWN THE FIELD. WITH NO FLAT
THREAT THE CORNER CAN PLAY UNDERNEATH #1 WR.
 ADJUSTMENT:
  TO A SINGLE X WE MUST PRESS AN ELIMINATE THE WR AND LET THE SAFETY BECOME PLUS ONE TO THE FRONTSIDE OR
HELP THE MAC ON A VERTICAL.
 VERSUS SMASH CONCEPT THE CORNER WILL SINK UNDER THE CORNER AND PLAY THE FLAT BACK TO FRONT.
 DRILL WORK:
 RAY CHARLES

SAFETIES
ALIGNMENT:
TO THE FIELD:
12 YARDS IN DEPTH AND HEAD UP TO OUTSIDE #2 WR DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE BACK. WITH THE BACK TO WE WILL
PLAY OUTSIDE LEVERAGE. WITH THE BACK AWAY WE WILL PLAY HEAD UP ON THE DETACHED # 2 WR. IF WE GET A TE WE WILL
PLAY 12 YARDS IN DEPTH AND OUTSIDE LEVERAGE ON THE TE.
TO THE BOUNDARY:
12 YARDS IN DEPTH AND TWO YARDS OUTSIDE THE EMOLOS.
ASSIGNMENT (½ SAFETY)
RUN GAME: (ALLEY)
 IN THE RUN GAME HE IS LOOKING TO MAKE THE TACKLE IN ALLEY (AREA OUTSIDE THE “C” AND “D” GAP AREA)
PASS GAME: (½ SAFETY TECHNIQUE)
 THE SAFETY WILL WORK TO HIS LAND MARK AND PLAY WITH VISION AND BREAK. HE WILL NEED TO WORK TO HIS
LANDMARK WITH DEPTH AND PLAY FROM THE TOP DOWN. THE SAFETIES EYES WILL TRANSFER FROM HIS BALL KEY TO
THE #1 WR AND READ THE RELEASE, HE WILL ALSO NEED VISION ON #2 TO GIVE A “WHEEL” CALL TO THE CORNER.
SAFETY HASH LANDMARKS:
 BALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD: HASH + 4
 BALL ON THE HASH SAFETY TO THE FIELD: HASH + 2
 BALL ON THE HASH SAFETY TO THE BOUNDARY: HASH + 5
 ADJUSTMENT:
 TO A SINGLE X WE WILL TRUST THE CORNER WILL DO HIS JOB BY ELIMINATING THE X WR AND WE CAN BECOME PLUS
ONE TO THE FRONTSIDE.
 DRILL WORK:
 ½ FIELD LANDMARK (WITH CONES)

WHY COVER 2 (TAMPA):

WE WANT TO ELIMINATE SOFT THROWS IN THE FLAT, WHILE ELIMINATING OUTSIDE WR’S BY JAMMING THEM WITH OVER THE
TOP HELP FROM THE SAFETIES.

OTHER TECHNIQUES IN TAMPA COVERAGE:

HASH DROPPERS: (NICKEL/B)
TO TE #2:
 WORK TO AN AREA 1 YARD OUTSIDE THE TE. WE WILL ALWAYS LOOK TO COLLISION WITH OPPORTUNITY. WE WILL
MELT ON THE INTENTIONS OF THE QUARTERBACK, AND WE WILL SET UP WHEN HE SETS UP.

TO A DETACHED #2:
 WORK TO AN AREA 1 YARD INSIDE WR. WE WILL ALWAYS LOOK TO COLLISION WITH OPPORTUNITY. WE WILL MELT ON
THE INTENTIONS OF THE QUARTERBACK, AND WE WILL SET UP WHEN HE SETS UP.
RUN THROUGH PLAYER (MAC):
OPEN UP TO SPEED AND STAY ON TOP OF VERTICAL ROUTE. THE MAC WILL END UP BECOMING A DEEP MIDDLE THIRD PLAYER.
VERSUS NON VERTICAL ROUTES GET EYES BACK TO OTHER SIDE AND SQUARE UP AND READ THE QB’S INTENTIONS
 RUN THROUGH INSERT
HASH DROPPER
HASH DROPPER

1/2 1/2
CLOUD CLOUD

POSITION ALIGNMENT RUN ASSIGNMENT PASS ASSIGNMENT

1X6 COLLISION, SNAP, AND CARRY #1.
FC SLIDE
PRIMARY FORCE
ALERT WHEEL

½ FIELD PLAYER
1 X 12
FS HEAD UP
ALLEY VISION AND BREAK
LANDMARK: H+2
½ FIELD PLAYER
1 X 12
BS OUTSIDE
ALLEY VISION AND BREAK
LANDMARK: H+5

1X6 COLLISION, SNAP, AND CARRY #1.

BC SLIDE
PRIMARY FORCE
ALERT WHEEL