THE zone defense is the bane of pro-football quarterbacks, since it is designed to take away the offense's most potent weapon, the bomb. Basically the zone calls for the seven behind-the-line defenders—three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties in the normal pro lineup—to cover designated areas rather than specific receivers on a pass pattern. (If they do cover individual receivers, they are playing a man-to-man defense.) The defenders in a zone are charged with the responsibility of protecting their areas until the ball is thrown; then they converge on the receiver. Thus an...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
