Reading the defense pre-snap can be tricky, but there are subtle clues we can look for to identify if the defense is in man coverage or zone coverage pre-snap. Here are the main tells we want to look for:

• If your opponent’s defenders are lined up based on where your receivers are lined up, then they are NOT base aligned.

• If the defense is NOT base aligned, then:

  • If the outside CB is lined up slightly outside of the outside WR, then it is ZONE coverage

  • If the outside CB is lined up slightly inside of the outside WR, then it is MAN coverage

• If the defense IS based aligned, then:

  • If the outside CB is lined up significantly inside of the outside WR, then it is ZONE coverage

  • If the outside CB is lined up even or slightly inside of the outside WR, then it is MAN coverage