What it is

Cover 1 is a man coverage. One safety stays deep in the middle of the field, and every other defender covers a specific receiver.

In a game

The deep safety, called the free safety, reads the quarterback and helps wherever a receiver gets past his defender. The other defenders follow their receivers around the field, so the defense can send extra rushers on a blitz without giving up easy deep passes.

More detail

Cover 1 is tough on crossing routes, where receivers run into each other’s defenders, and offenses may use a pick, or rub route, to free a receiver. A variation, Cover 0, has no deep safety at all and is used on all-out blitzes. It is a big risk: if the quarterback gets the ball out quickly, any receiver who beats his man can score.

Animated diagram

1. Each defender picks one receiver before the snap: the corners take the outside receivers, the strong safety takes the tight end, and a linebacker takes the slot.
2. The receivers run their routes, and the defenders follow them wherever they go.
3. One safety stays deep in the middle of the field, and he helps if any receiver gets past his defender.