Cover 3 Two Rush: 6v6 flag football defense

Cover 3 Two Rush is a 6v6 flag football pressure defense. Two rushers come from 10 yards on the snap while the corners and safety hold the deep thirds and one defender takes the middle hook. It speeds up the quarterback without giving up the deep ball.

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 LOS LC RC S M LR RR
Single High

How to run it

  1. LC lines up 7 yards off X and bails to the deep left third, about 15 yards.
  2. RC lines up 7 yards off Z and bails to the deep right third, about 15 yards.
  3. S lines up 12 yards deep in the middle and drops to the deep middle third, about 18 yards.
  4. M lines up 5 yards deep in the middle and drops to the middle hook at 7 yards.
  5. LR lines up 10 yards off the ball, left of center, and rushes the QB from the left.
  6. RR lines up 10 yards off the ball, right of center, and rushes the QB from the right.
  7. Center: M.
  8. Run fit: The rushers chase the ball carrier, M attacks, the corners keep contain, S stays home.
  9. For younger divisions, shorten the deep depths by 3 to 5 yards.

The coverage read

The rushers take different lanes so the quarterback can't step away from both. The deep three stay deep. M drives on any throw over the middle; the flats are open, so rally fast.

  1. LR RUSH
  2. RR RUSH
  3. M HOOK

When to call it

  • An advanced pressure call.
  • Against a quarterback who holds the ball, or on third down when you need the throw out early.

Tags and formation

Single Highzonepressureintermediate

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Common questions

How do you line up Cover 3 Two Rush in 6v6 flag football?

Two rushers 10 yards off the ball on each side of the center, corners 7 yards off the outside receivers, the safety 12 yards deep, and the hook defender at 5 yards.

What beats Cover 3 Two Rush in 6v6 flag football?

Quick throws to the flats and short outs, since only one defender plays underneath. A quarterback who gets the ball out in two seconds makes the rush a non-factor.

Is Cover 3 Two Rush legal in 6v6 flag football?

In FNL rules, yes. Any number of defenders may rush, as long as each starts at least 10 yards from the line of scrimmage and waits for the snap.

Video transcript

Cover 3 Two Rush. Two rushers come from ten yards on the snap. The corners and the safety bail into deep thirds, and M takes the hook. Get the ball out early or the rush gets home. Build your plays free on Flag Fifty.

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