The foundation

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The number in a coverage name often describes its deep structure. Cover 1 has one deep safety, Cover 2 divides the deep field in half, Cover 3 uses thirds, and Cover 4 uses quarters. Rotation and match rules can make the final coverage differ from its pre-snap picture.

See it in context

  1. Cover 3 Sky rotates a safety down and leaves three defenders responsible for deep thirds.
  2. Cover 6 plays Cover 2 on one side and quarters on the other to answer an uneven formation.