Reading Coverages Pre- and Post-Snap

The three-step pre-snap read

Step 1 — count the safeties

1. Look at how many safeties are deep.
2. One high safety = cover 3 or cover 1 (or cover 0 if nobody is deep).
3. Two high = cover 2, cover 2 man, cover 4, or cover 6.

Step 2 — check corner depth and leverage

Step 3 — run the motion test

1. Do all your hot routes before the motion.
2. Send a receiver across the formation.
3. If a defender chases him across, it's man; if the defense just bumps/slides, it's zone.
4. Quick-snap so pressed defenders can't re-press.