Coverages
What Is Cover 3? Cover 3 Defense Explained for Players
What is Cover 3? It’s a zone defense where three players split the deep part of the field into thirds and four players cover the short and middle zones underneath. It’s one of the most common coverages a young quarterback will see, so it’s the first one worth learning cold.
Here’s how I draw it on the board, where the holes are, and how to tell it’s coming before the ball is snapped.
What is Cover 3: three deep, four under
The number in the name tells you how many defenders play deep. In Cover 3, that’s three:
- The free safety takes the deep middle third.
- Each corner takes the deep third on his side, from the sideline in.
That leaves four defenders underneath. On my board:
- The nickel and the strong safety play curl-flat. They cover the area from the curl out to the flat.
- The Will and the Mike play hook-curl. They take the middle of the field underneath, from the hook out to the curl.
The other four, the defensive line, rush the quarterback.
Everyone in Cover 3 is covering a spot on the field, not a man. That’s what makes it a zone.
Why defenses love it
Cover 3 keeps three defenders deep, so it’s hard to throw over the top of. And because only one safety lives in the middle of the field, the other safety is free to come down closer to the line. That puts an extra defender near the box to help against the run.
That’s the trade: Cover 3 is good against the run and the deep ball, and it gives up space underneath.
Where the holes are
Every coverage leaves something open. In Cover 3:
- The flats. Two curl-flat defenders have to cover a lot of grass. If one stays on the curl, the flat behind him is open. If he jumps the flat, the curl opens up.
- The seams. Three deep defenders are covering four possible vertical routes. The spaces between the deep thirds, the seams, are where that shows.
A quarterback who knows those two spots has an answer against Cover 3 on every snap.
How to spot Cover 3 before the snap
- Count the safeties. One safety deep in the middle of the field (one high) means Cover 3 or Cover 1. Two high usually means something else.
- Look at the corners. In Cover 3 the corners usually line up off the receiver and back up at the snap instead of turning to run with him.
- Look at the eyes. In man coverage, defenders are looking at the receivers they’re covering.
- Use motion. Send a receiver across the formation. If a defender runs with him, think man (Cover 1). If the defenders shift over and nobody follows him, think zone (Cover 3).
One warning: defenses disguise it. A defense can show two high safeties and spin one down at the snap. Your pre-snap read tells you where to look, and the snap tells you whether you were right.
Cover 3 vs Cover 1
Both show one high safety, so they can look the same before the snap. The difference is what everyone else does. In Cover 1, every defender in coverage is following a receiver. In Cover 3, they’re dropping to spots on the field. Motion and the defenders’ eyes are the fastest way to tell them apart.
For the full picture of Cover 0 through Cover 6, read Football Coverages Explained. To test yourself right now, take the free coverage quiz. Cover 3 is one of the four whiteboards.
FAQ
Is Cover 3 man or zone?
Zone. All seven defenders in coverage are responsible for an area of the field, not a receiver.
How many defenders are deep in Cover 3?
Three: the free safety in the middle third and the two corners in the outside thirds.
What’s the difference between Cover 2 and Cover 3?
Cover 2 has two deep safeties splitting the field in half. Cover 3 has three deep defenders splitting it in thirds. Before the snap, Cover 2 usually shows two high safeties and Cover 3 usually shows one.
See it before the snap. Read & Rip teaches every coverage one picture at a time, then asks you to call it on every snap in Season Mode. Try Read & Rip free in any browser or on Google Play.