double coverage

{{short description|Defensive strategy in gridiron football}}

{{About|sports|other uses|Double cover (disambiguation)}}

{{more citations needed|date=February 2017}}

File:Raiders' Andre Holmes covered by Dolphins' Will Davis.jpg

In gridiron football, double coverage is a state of defensive playcalling where two defensive players are assigned to "cover" one offensive player. This situation is often seen with standout wide receivers and running backs.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pHbvMbMZKjQC&pg=PA28|title=Offensive Football Strategies|first=American Football Coaches|last=Association|date=1 January 2000|publisher=Human Kinetics|isbn=9780736001397|via=Google Books}}

It is extremely rare to have two defensive backs man-cover a single receiver.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} Commentators who use the term "double-coverage" almost always mean a cornerback covering a wide receiver man-to-man, with a safety playing "over the top" (typically trying to stay in front of the wide receiver's route) for deep ball assistance.

Although double coverage typically involves man-to-man coverage, it can occur in zone coverage as well. Because zone coverage schemes often use six or seven defensive backs to cover the offense's five eligible receivers, one or two of these men can drop underneath a wide receiver's route while a safety or cornerback stays over the top.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dummies.com/sports/football/defense/types-of-defensive-coverage-in-football/|title = Types of Defensive Coverage in Football}} This can occur in such coverages as Cover 2, Cover 3, and Cover 4.