Zone Defense

[Marauders]

How are zones set up for the game? Are they hard zones from the line of scrimmage (LOS), or are they zones based on where the player is located and told where to go?

In other words, is it the player's position or is it the LOS and the distance from the sideline that determines the zone he is in?

If a receiver leaves a short zone, and there is no deep safety, does the player let the receiver go or continue to cover him deep?

Can a linebacker have logic set up to first key the running back for a hand off and then drop back into zone coverage if the running back does not get the ball?

Can a safety come up into the box and take a gap in run defense?

Can a lineman cover the tight end either man to man or in a short zone? Can defensive linemen have logic set up so they may drop back into a zone to cover in a zone blitz play?

[Magnum357]

Hey, those are neat features, but aren't you asking a bit much. [8|]

[Marauders]

Hey, those are neat features, but aren't you asking a bit much. [8|]

No, I am not.

The first question is asking how the game does things. The other questions ask if these situations can be set up in the game.

The game doesn't have to come with zone blitz plays, dogs, corner blitzes, cover 2 zone, or overload stunts in the playbook, but it should be able to handle designing them.

[JayRocket46]

Are you trying to ask in the 3rd question Marauders if they are running cover 0? (that's the only base defensive coverage I know of that doesn't have deep coverage) If so, I hope they would continue to cover or else the opponent will feel the wrath of the skinny post. [:D]

[Marauders]

ORIGINAL: JayRocket46

Are you trying to ask in the 3rd question Marauders if they are running cover 0? (that's the only base defensive coverage I know of that doesn't have deep coverage) If so, I hope they would continue to cover or else the opponent will feel the wrath of the skinny post. [:D]

This question?

If a receiver leaves a short zone, and there is no deep safety, does the player let the receiver go or continue to cover him deep?

I don't know any coverage that does not have at least one deep player. The question deals with zone transitions. If the receiver comes into a zone filled by a linebacker, will the linebacker hand off the receiver to the thin air if there is no safety playing deep in the zone behind him, or will the linebacker continue to cover the receiver? That is the question.

[JayRocket46]

Opps, I forgot this was a zone coverage thread. Cover 0 is a man coverage. Oh ok, so you are kinda referring to a situation if it were a zone coverage like cover 2, both wide outs run fades down the sideline or corner routes and get covered by the safeties, exposing the middle deep zone. The tight end or 3rd wideout runs a deep post down the middle. I have illustrated the 2 scenarios. Scenario #1 The middle linebacker stops at a fixed point because his zone is limited. Scenario #2, the LB recognizes the route and follows the TE like in a Tampa Cover 2. Personally, I wish the zone coverages are programmed based on route recogniton because even though it's harder to teach to players, it's more fundamentally sound. The players communicate to each other more and some big plays can happen.

[Marauders]

JayRocket, nice play diagram ... yes, that is the question.