Cheat sheet — If you see this...
The one-glance decoder
2-high with corners off = Cover 2 or Cover 4. 2-high with corners pressed = Cover 2 man or a disguised Cover 3. 1-high with the strong safety in the box = Cover 3 or Cover 1. 1-high with a corner sunk off = Cover 3 cloud. No deep safety at all = Cover 0 — get the ball out hot.
When it applies
When the clock is dying and you need one read, not five.
+ StrengthsOne-glance answers for the most common looks you will actually see.
− Trade-offsIt is a shortcut — good defenses live to break exactly these rules.
Filed under: Pre-snap coverage reads