DefenseCoverage

Zone Coverage Drill

Drill to teach defensive backs to read the quarterback and cover their horizontal zone effectively.

Age RangeAges 12+
Duration10 minutes
Group SizeSecondary / Linebackers
SportFootball

Equipment Needed

  • Cones
  • Practice jerseys

Tell offense from defense at a glance

A set of scrimmage vests makes zone assignments easy to see and call out from the sideline during a busy rep.

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Setup

  • Mark zone boundaries and place route runners into different routes to stress the zones.
Zone Coverage DrillFlatHookFlatDeep 1/3Deep 1/3Deep 1/3R1R2Defenders drop to depth and pass off routes crossing zones

Instructions

  1. Defenders take drops to the designated depth and pass off routes as they cross zones.
  2. Add route combos to test communication and recognition.
Coaching Points
  • Communicate early and adjust depth to take away seams.