Cover 4 is one of the most common defensive coverages in football, used across high school, college, and professional levels. Teams run it because it works well against both the run and pass, giving defenses options without having to change personnel. While some defenses force coaches to choose between stopping the run or defending the pass, Cover 4 offers the defensive flexibility many teams need.
What Is Cover 4 Defense?
Cover 4 is a zone defense that uses two safeties and two cornerbacks to defend deep zones, while linebackers cover three underneath zones. Also called “quarters” coverage, it’s a straightforward system that lets safeties help against both the run and pass. Teams can run it from different defensive fronts, making it work with whatever defense they’re already using.
Unlike Cover 2 (which uses two deep defenders) or Cover 3 (which uses three deep defenders), Cover 4 uses four deep defenders. This gives more protection against deep passes while still maintaining solid underneath coverage with the linebackers.
The coverage has become increasingly popular at all levels because it provides answers to modern offensive schemes while remaining simple enough to teach and implement. Cover 4 gives defenses a solid foundation to work from when facing spread offenses or traditional formations.
Key Features of Cover 4
- Four deep defenders splitting the field into quarters, providing maximum deep coverage
- Three underneath defenders maintaining short to intermediate coverage
- Adaptable to both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive fronts
- Can be played as traditional zone or pattern-matching coverage
- Gives safeties the ability to play both run and pass effectively
- Works against multiple offensive formations and styles
Zone Coverage Implementation
The Cover 4 defense is typically a base coverage for most defenses utilizing the two high structures. Below, you can see how a 4-3 defense will utilize playing the zone coverage known as Cover 4.
As with the other coverages, the number “4” in cover 4 means there are four deep defenders in the coverage. There are also three underneath zone defenders who cover short routes.
The most common type of Cover 4 is what we call zone dropping. This means that every play is responsible for a zone. Zone dropping is the easiest type of coverage to teach and allows for four deep defenders to cap any thrown deep routes.
Each player has a zone for which they are responsible.
Deep Defenders
The two safeties and the two corners are responsible for splitting the field into deep fourths. Their job is to make sure nobody gets behind them.
The 3 linebackers will play a three under zone defense. The Mike linebacker will cover the middle of the field (middle hook), and the two outside linebackers will cover the flats.
These three players are known as underneath defenders and are in charge of short routes or intermediate routes like the dig route.
Most coaches will run the cover 4 zone drop in 3rd and long situations or even Hail Mary situations. This allows the defense to cover any deep routes the offense may throw.
Defensive Line
The defensive line will play a 3-4 structure or a 4-3 structure, depending on what the head coach wants to play.
The coverage will dictate the front, so if the team wants to play a split field coverage, they will only play cover 4 to one side of the field.
However, if they want to play full field cover 4, it’s important that they have the linebackers, safeties, and corners necessary to play the coverage effectively.
Cover 4 Match Quarters
While teams may elect to zone drop their players, another style of Cover 4 has emerged called “match quarters.”
Match quarters are essentially a style where the defensive players will pattern-match what the offensive players are doing. Instead of dropping to a zone, every player has a set of rules they will follow based on what their key does.
When playing match quarters, teams will typically follow these rules:
- The free safety and strong safety will be responsible for the #2 receiver. If the #2 receiver does an in-breaking route or an out-breaking route, they will support the corner. If the #2 receiver goes vertical, the safety will cover them.
- The corners are playing a “MOD” technique, which essentially means if the #1 receiver goes deep, he will cover him. If he goes short or inside, he will zone off to his deep 4th.
- The linebackers are responsible for the #2 and #3 receivers underneath. If they do any short routes, they will try to collide and carry them.
Match quarters are popular because they allow safeties to fit in the run game. Defenses can have as many as nine players committing to the football on run plays. This read happens much quicker because they are reacting to what the #2 slot receiver does.
Instead of dropping into space, teams will use their safeties to get involved in the run fits.
If you’re looking for video examples of match quarters, we broke it down at a beginner level here:
If you’re looking for a more advanced version of match quarters, our good friend Cody Alexander, author of the book Match Quarters, can be seen explaining how he plays match quarters to different formations.
Here he breaks down bunch alerts, cut splits, and other formation checks in cover 4 match quarters.
Want to learn more about coverages? View our complete coverage guide here.
Tips on How to Beat Cover 4 Defense
Now that we’ve explained what cover 4 is, it’s good to understand what beats Cover 4 so you can protect yourself from the offense.
Cover 4 zone and match coverage can be manipulated in a few ways. Below, we will show you the two most common ways teams will beat Cover 4.
Cover 4 is beaten by occupying both safeties. Manipulating one of them to drive down or stop their feet will allow the ball to be thrown over their heads.
The two ways to beat Cover 4 are the double posts concept and the shallow concept. These concepts occupy the safety and rely on the corners to cover the receiver one-on-one. Let’s learn more about these concepts.
Double Posts
The double posts concept is when the #2 receiver and the #1 receiver run skinny posts. This concept forces the safety to take on the posts and leave the corner to cover the skinny post of the #1 receiver.
This can be tough for the #1 receiver because of the leverage and belief that he has safety support on any post. They will have to take the post and chase him across the field.
To protect against this, have your corners play inside leverage on the #1 receiver. This will help them better play the post in Cover 4.
Shallow
The next concept is a popular passing concept in the air raid offense known as the shallow concept.
The shallow concept focuses on occupying the safety with the #2 receiver while the #1 receiver runs a post behind him. The safety needs to choose whether to drive the dig or stay deep on the post.
Again, the corner needs to support the post from the #1 receiver to cover both of the routes. This is a great concept to beat a Cover 4 defense.
Pros and Cons of Cover 4
So now that we’ve covered how Cover 4 works and ways to beat it, let’s quickly summarize what makes it such a popular coverage choice and where it might give you trouble.
Cover 4 continues to be a popular choice for defenses at all levels because its advantages often outweigh its disadvantages. Success with this coverage depends on proper execution and understanding when to use each variation.
Knowing about Cover 4 is just one coverage, but there’s so much more to learn about football! Don’t worry, we’re here to help!
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Cover 4 forces the quarterback to check the ball down to a short route because the deep part of the field is covered.
Learn more about coverages in football below.
Defensive Coverages In Football – Complete Guide
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What Is A Zone Blitz In Football? Explained
What Is Cover 5 In Football? 2-Man Explained
What Is Cover 0? Learn The Basics Of Man Coverage
Learn The Basics Of Cover 1 In Football
Split Field Coverage In Football
What Is Cover 2 In Football? Explained
What Is Cover 3 In Football? Explained
Cover 4 is one of many coverages that defenses can play. Whether it be zone drop or match quarters, coaches put their spin on each scheme to best fit their personnel.
We recommend you keep learning coverages, such as cover 1, cover 2, cover 3, and palms coverage.
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