The Cover 2 defense is a zone-based defense in football. Which means no player has a defensive assignment for a specific offensive player. Each level of defense has a zone on the field for which they’re responsible for covering, and whatever receiver enters that zone on a passing route is that player’s responsibility.

Cover 2 is a system in which two players — often the safeties — cover the deepest area ("zones") of the field. That means the remaining players in coverage split up the area underneath the two high safeties. That can either be in man-to-man, zone, or a mix of both.

The Cover 2 defence is a popular defensive strategy in American football, and it is characterized by two deep safeties splitting the deep part of the field into two halves. The primary objective of the Cover 2 defense is to prevent deep passes and limit big plays.

Cover 2 in football is a zone defense which earns its name due to the two safeties that play deep into the defensive backfield. Cover 2 involves four players pass-rushing, five players playing underneath zones and two safeties covering the deep portions of the field.

Cover 2 is a zone coverage, with two deep defenders each responsible for a deep half of the field, while five more defenders split the underneath parts of the field into fifths. The two outside cornerbacks are tasked with jamming the outside receivers, forcing them to take an inside release before peeling off to their flat zone responsibility.