--- title: "Cover 5 Defense Explained: 2-Man Coverage (2 Man Under)" description: "Cover 5, or 2-Man, plays man coverage underneath with two deep safeties. How it works, why it is tough to throw against and how a quarterback beats it." url: https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/coverages/cover-5/ --- coverage # Cover 5 (2-Man) Defense Cover 5, often called 2-Man, puts every underneath defender in man coverage and keeps two safeties deep, each taking half the field. Knowing they have help over the top, defenders can play tight trail technique on their receivers. It is one of the hardest coverages to complete passes against. ![Cover 5 coverage diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-5.webp) ## How Cover 5 Works The corners and linebackers each take a receiver man to man while the two safeties split the deep field, as in Cover 2 Tampa. The man defenders play inside leverage in trail technique, sitting underneath their receivers to take away short and intermediate throws. ## Where Cover 5 Is Weak - Your legs. Every underneath defender is turned to a receiver, so a scramble or designed QB run has nobody watching it. - Crossing routes and rubs that make trailing defenders fight through traffic. - The deep middle between the safeties, for a receiver who wins vertically against the man defender. - Routes that break away from a defender's leverage, like a back or slot on an option route. ## How to Recognize It - Two high safeties, deep and wide like Cover 2 Tampa. - Corners and the nickel tight on receivers, playing underneath them. - Linebackers lined up on the backs and tight end, eyes on them instead of the backfield. - Motion a receiver. A defender who follows the motion across the formation means man. - At the snap the safeties bail to their halves and every underneath defender runs with an assigned receiver, on the hip in trail technique. Nobody is watching you. ## How a QB Reads It Be patient: short and intermediate throws will be contested. Work the crosser, rub or option route away from a trailing defender, or a vertical winner between the safeties. If nothing is there, run. ## Concepts to Rep Against Cover 5 Passing concepts Crucible drills against Cover 5, most common first. - ![Curl diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/curl.thumb.webp) Curl Diagonal / Curl - ![Hitch diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/hitch.thumb.webp) Hitch Seam / Hitch - ![Dig diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/dig.thumb.webp) Dig HB Option / In - ![Slant diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/slant.thumb.webp) Slant Diagonal / Slant - ![Option diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/option.thumb.webp) Option Option / Go - ![Boot diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/boot.thumb.webp) Boot HB Option / Bow - ![Tosser diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/tosser.thumb.webp) Tosser Lookie / Slant - ![Snag diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/snag.thumb.webp) Snag Corner / Snag + 21 more in Crucible ## Plays You Can Practice Against Cover 5 Every one of these is in Crucible, run against Cover 5 so you learn where the ball goes before you see it live. - ![Branch Dig diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/branch-dig.thumb.webp) Branch Dig - ![Branch Slope diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/branch-slope.thumb.webp) Branch Slope - ![Cafe Stop diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/cafe-stop.thumb.webp) Cafe Stop - ![Cruise Option diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/cruise-option.thumb.webp) Cruise Option - ![Curl diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/curl.thumb.webp) Curl - ![Curl Hook diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/curl-hook.thumb.webp) Curl Hook - ![Curl Juke diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/curl-juke.thumb.webp) Curl Juke - ![Curl Snag diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/plays/curl-snag.thumb.webp) Curl Snag + 23 more in Crucible ## Related coverages - ![Cover 1 diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/coverages/cover-1.thumb.webp) Cover 1 31 plays to rep against ## Related passing concepts - ![Mesh diagram](https://www.crucibletech.com/playbook/img/football_11v11/concepts/mesh.thumb.webp) Mesh Shallow / Rail / Cross / In Learn to read Cover 5 at game speed Crucible is a quarterback simulator: you take the snap, read the coverage and make the throw, then see exactly what you missed. Unlimited reps, on your phone. Start Training