Man-to-Man vs. Zone Coverage

The way a defensive player covers an offensive player falls into two foundational categories: man-to-man or zone.

Let’s dig into a comparison.

For you visual learners out there, check out the difference in defensive coverage below. The offense (Os) is running the same play in both scenarios, but the defense (Xs) has very different responsibilities.

You can use pure man-to-man or pure zone coverage in a defensive scheme (as shown above). Alternatively, you can combine the two strategically. Get creative with it. 

We will introduce some of the classic defensive schemes in future articles.