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Zone coverage (also referred to as a zone defense) is a defensive scheme in gridiron football used to protect against the pass. Zone coverage schemes require the linebackers and defensive backs to work together to cover certain areas of the field, making it difficult for the opposing quarterback to complete passes.
On plays where the defense expects the offense to pass, emphasis is often placed on the number of defensive backs. In a basic 4–3 or 3–4 defense, there are four defensive backs on the field (2 cornerbacks [CB], 1 strong safety [SS], and 1 free safety [FS]).
Defense consisting of seven (quarter) or eight (half dollar) defensive backs. The seventh defensive back is often an extra safety, and this defense is used in extreme passing situations (such as to defend against a Hail Mary pass). It is occasionally referred to as the prevent defense because of its use in preventing desperation plays.
In the NFL and the Canadian Football League (CFL) the penalty for defensive pass interference is an automatic first down at the spot of the foul. If the foul occurs in the end zone, the ball is placed at the one-yard line (or half the distance to the goal if the line of scrimmage was inside the two-yard line).
The usage of the 5–3 defense accelerated as the T formation became more popular and more effective. [5] Dana Bible, in his 1947 coaching tome, called it the best defense against the T formation. [6] By 1950, the base defenses in the NFL were all five man line defenses, either the 5–3 or the 5–2 Eagle. [7]
The 5–3 defense and the 6–2 defense were considered the standard defensive formations of their time, with the 5–3 defense being regarded as the defense that was better against the pass. It was considered the best defense against the T formation. By the late 1950s, NFL defenses had switched to the 4–3 defense or the 5–2 defense as ...
In certain formations, the defense may remove a linebacker or a defensive lineman to bring in extra pass coverage in the form of extra defensive backs. A formation with five defensive backs is often called a "nickel" formation, and the fifth (extra) defensive back is called a "nickelback" after the U.S. nickel coin, a five-cent piece.
The Buccaneers had the fourth-worst passing defense in the NFL in the regular season, and they played in a few shootouts this year. ... and now he is going against a Rams defense that ranks below ...