Cover 3 is a zone coverage with three deep defenders splitting the field into thirds and four underneath defenders. It's the most common coverage in football.
Overview
Cover 3 divides the deep part of the field into thirds, with two cornerbacks and a free safety each responsible for a deep zone. Four defenders (typically a strong safety and three linebackers) cover the underneath zones.
This coverage provides excellent deep protection and allows aggressive run support from the strong safety. It's the base coverage for most defenses and can be played from virtually any front.
Cover 3 is particularly effective against vertical passing attacks but can be vulnerable in the flats and against intermediate routes that find the holes between zones.
History & Origin
Cover 3 has been a fundamental football coverage since the development of the passing game. Its simplicity and effectiveness have made it the most common coverage at all levels.
Key Principles
- 1Three deep defenders split the field into thirds
- 2Corners take deep outside thirds
- 3Free safety takes deep middle third
- 4Four underneath defenders in zone
- 5Strong safety can play aggressive run support
- 6Single-high safety look pre-snap
- 7Holes exist in the flats and seams
When to Use
Cover 3 is appropriate as a base coverage against most offenses. It's particularly effective against vertical passing and when you want strong run support from the secondary.
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Excellent deep coverage
- +Strong run support from SS
- +Simple to teach
- +Works from any front
- +Limits explosive plays
Disadvantages
- −Vulnerable to flat routes
- −Seam routes can exploit holes
- −Curl/flat puts defender in conflict
- −Only 4 in coverage underneath
What Coaches Call It
Different coaches use different terminology for the same concepts.
| Coach | Team | Their Term | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Carroll | Seahawks | Cover 3 | Base coverage |
| Nick Saban | Alabama | Cover 3 | Pattern match variation |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | Cover 3 | Quarters check built in |
Matchups
Good Against
- +Vertical passing
- +Four verts
- +Deep shots
- +Play-action
Avoid Against
- −Flat routes
- −Smash concept
- −Curl-flat
- −Intermediate routes
Installation
What You Need
Prerequisites for running this scheme effectively.
- ✓Rangy free safety
- ✓Corners who can play deep
- ✓Run-support SS
When NOT to Use This
- !Flats can be attacked
- !Seams are vulnerable
- !Need to pattern match vs good teams