How do you recognize coverages pre-snap

[WestMag]

How do you recognize coverages pre-snap?

Post snap?

Best way to tell man vs. zone?

[bgeno]

For me, it's all about the safeties Pre-snap... One safety high and it's cover 3 or cover 1 (man). Two safeties high and it's cover 2 (or 4 on rare occasions). This doesn't always hold true, as sometimes the strong safety will stay back and play "robber" to get to his zone assignment or lock onto a man, but it is a good barometer.

Post-snap, again, your first look should be the safeties. If they "rotate" (one goes back and the other comes up and essentially stands his ground) its cover 1 or cover 3. At that point, you can watch the corners to decipher if it's 1 or 3. If the corners bail out and go deep, it's a cover 3 shell. If they stand their ground a bit, they're in man. Obviously, if both safeties bail out, it's cover 2 (or 4).

For man v zone, the easiest way pre-snap is to send a receiver in motion. If the corner follows him, it's man. If he passes him off, it's zone.

Someone else can probably add some more tips.


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[Pielet]

Man the defenders IMMEDIATELY move out of the huddle to cover their man.

Zone they slowly move towards their position then SLIDE over to the man to mask the coverage.

Cover 3 ALWAYS has a safety slide up to the middle.

[Blitz1942]

Re: How do you recognize coverages pre-snap

Another way to tell is to put a receiver in motion. If the corner covering him follows him all the way across the formation, it's man coverage. If he doesn't, it's zone coverage.

[bigman334]

Re: How do you recognize coverages pre-snap

Man the defenders IMMEDIATELY move out of the huddle to cover their man.

Zone they slowly move towards their position then SLIDE over to the man to mask the coverage.

Cover 3 ALWAYS has a safety slide up to the middle.

this is how i make my pre-snap reads

[bgeno]

Man the defenders IMMEDIATELY move out of the huddle to cover their man.

Zone they slowly move towards their position then SLIDE over to the man to mask the coverage.

Cover 3 ALWAYS has a safety slide up to the middle.

I really wish I hadn't read that. Now i'm going I notice it, and it's a cheap way to read defenses.


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[Pokes404]

Re: How do you recognize coverages pre-snap

Man the defenders IMMEDIATELY move out of the huddle to cover their man.

Zone they slowly move towards their position then SLIDE over to the man to mask the coverage.

Cover 3 ALWAYS has a safety slide up to the middle.

Really wish EA would get CPU defenses to try to disguise their coverages better, but you're right on all 3 points.

[Pielet]

Really wish EA would get CPU defenses to try to disguise their coverages better, but you're right on all 3 points.

Agreed. I hope mr haumiller reads this and changes this. Just posting a fact that is all.

[Juce734]

Re: How do you recognize coverages pre-snap

So what routes are best in Man 2 Man and what routes are zone beaters?

[Pielet]

So what routes are best in Man 2 Man and what routes are zone beaters?

Depends on zones and coverages.

Man
Any type of cut route works really well - outs, ins, slants, curls

If its cover two man, deep over middle is usually open as well.


For zone it's all about finding holes in the zone and exploiting them. Look at your defensive zone schemes and see what routes put the receivers in those holes.

[WestMag]

Re: How do you recognize coverages pre-snap

For cover 2, I like a post rout from a slot receiver, and something like a drag run from the opposite side by a tight end, or a hook/check-down by a running back or fullblock to hold the underneath coverage. I read the MLB or hook zone defender. If he drops back like in a Tampa 2 to cut off my post route I check down to the underneath rout otherwise the post should be open.