How to run it
- LC lines up 4 yards off the widest receiver on the left and covers that receiver.
- RC lines up 4 yards off the widest receiver on the right and covers that receiver.
- N lines up 4 yards off the slot receiver on the left and covers that receiver.
- W lines up 4 yards off the slot receiver on the right and covers that receiver.
- M lines up 5 yards deep over the center and covers the center once it releases.
- S lines up 8 yards deep over the back, covers the back on a route, and attacks on a handoff.
- R lines up 3 yards off the ball, in the gap right of the center, and rushes the QB on the snap.
- Center: M.
- Run fit: R keeps the quarterback inside, S attacks a handoff, and every man defender stays on their receiver until the ball crosses the line, then rallies.
- High school fields are 40 to 53 yards wide, so line the corners up wider and add 1 to 2 yards to the deep depths.
The coverage read
Watch your receiver's hips, not the quarterback. Play the inside shoulder, and go around screens, never through them. Assignments follow rules, not letters: corners take the widest receiver on their side, N and W the slots, M the center, S the back.
- S MAN ON BACK
- M CENTER
- R RUSH
When to call it
- In the red zone and on short yardage, where there's little room to throw deep.
- Against an offense that wants quick, easy throws.
Tags and formation
Common questions
How do you line up Cover 0 in 7v7 high school flag football?
Corners and slot defenders start 4 yards off their receivers, M sits 5 yards over the center, S 8 yards over the back, and the rusher 3 yards off the ball next to the center.
What beats Cover 0 in 7v7 high school flag football?
Rub routes that use legal screens to free a receiver, and a quarterback who slips the lone rusher with nobody deep. Switch on crossing routes instead of chasing through traffic.
Why does Cover 0 have only one rusher in 7v7 high school flag football?
The offense has six eligible receivers besides the quarterback. Put a defender on each one and only one player is left to rush.
Video transcript
Cover 0. Six defenders lock onto one player each, and S takes the back. One rusher comes on the snap from three yards. Nobody is deep, so stay on the inside shoulder. Build your plays free on Flag Fifty.
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