This is the sixth post in our How Recognize Defensive Coverages Series.

This coverage has several names. It’s most commonly known as:

• Cover 0
• Blitz Coverage
• Man Coverage

The most common way to recognize this coverage is because there will not be a safety over the top, everyone will be manned up at the line of scrimmage or within a few yards of it.

The defense may not immediately come out in a Cover 0. Sometimes they will shift into it. This is how to tell if it’s happening:

1. The single Free Safety over the top will start to come down
2. The Sam Backer will start moving closer to the tackle
3. The Free Safety will man up on the receiver the Sam Backer left open (usually a few yards off the line of scrimmage

If you start seeing this kind of shift movement, the defense is rolling into Cover 0 and a blitz is coming. Make any necessary blitz adjustments to compensate.

Here are the other posts in this series:

• How to Recognize Cover 2
• How to Recognize Cover 4
• How to Recognize 2 Man
• How to Recognize Cover 3
• How to Recognize Cover 1