Cover 2: 7v7 high school flag football defense

Cover 2 is a 7v7 high school flag football zone defense. Two safeties split the deep field, four defenders cover the short field, and one rusher comes on the snap. It keeps the ball in front of you and gives every player one clear zone.

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 LOS LS RS LC RC W M R
Two High

How to run it

  1. LS lines up 12 yards deep, left of center, and drops to the deep left half, about 15 yards.
  2. RS lines up 12 yards deep, right of center, and drops to the deep right half, about 15 yards.
  3. LC lines up 5 yards off the widest receiver on the left and takes the left flat, 0 to 6 yards.
  4. RC lines up 5 yards off the widest receiver on the right and takes the right flat, 0 to 6 yards.
  5. W lines up 6 yards deep, left of center, and takes the short left middle, 5 to 10 yards.
  6. M lines up 6 yards deep, right of center, and takes the short right middle, 5 to 10 yards.
  7. R lines up 3 yards off the ball, in the gap right of the center, and rushes the QB on the snap.
  8. Center: W or M, by side. The back: the corner on the side the back releases to.
  9. Run fit: R keeps the quarterback inside, W and M fill on a handoff or scramble, the corners squeeze and keep contain, the safeties stay home.
  10. 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

The corners take the first receiver into the flat and pass a deep runner to the safety. W and M take anything crossing the short middle. The safeties stay deeper than the deepest receiver and drive on throws in front of them.

  1. LS DEEP HALF
  2. W SHORT MIDDLE
  3. R RUSH

When to call it

  • Against a team that throws deep or has one fast receiver.
  • When you're ahead and want to keep the ball in front of you.

Tags and formation

Two Highzonetwo-deepbeginner

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Common questions

How do you line up Cover 2 in 7v7 high school flag football?

Four defenders play short: the corners 5 yards off the outside receivers, with W and M 6 yards deep inside them. Behind them, two safeties start 12 yards deep on either side of the center, and the rusher lines up 3 yards off the ball.

What beats Cover 2 in 7v7 high school flag football?

A seam route between the two safeties, and a receiver sitting in the hole between a corner and a safety around 12 yards. The corners have to sink when nothing comes to the flat.

Is Cover 2 good for 7v7 high school flag football teams new to zone?

Yes. Each player owns one zone, short or deep, and nothing gets behind the safeties. The weak spot is the deep middle, which grows on a wider field.

Video transcript

Cover 2. Two safeties split the deep halves. The corners take the flats, and W and M sit in the short middle. One rusher comes on the snap. Keep everything in front and pull the flag fast. Build your plays free on Flag Fifty.

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