Defense in the zone Zone coverage (sometimes known as zone defense) is a gridiron football defense technique designed to defend against the pass. Zone coverage strategies necessitate the collaboration of linebackers and defensive backs to cover certain parts of the field, making it difficult for the opposing quarterback to complete passes. These areas are called zones, and the players responsible for covering them are called zone defenders. There are two types of zone defenses: man-to-man and zone. In a man-to-man defense, each player is assigned to one opponent at a time. This allows the defense to be put into a particular alignment or position and still be able to guard against any possible offensive formation. For example, if the offense uses a single wing formation, then the outside linebackers can flow toward the center of the field while the inside linebackers follow them. As the play develops, the linebackers may take specific steps within the formation to confuse the quarterback and make the correct read. In a zone defense, all players are responsible for guarding multiple opponents at once. This requires that the defense be in a different alignment or position on every snap. For example, if the offense uses a double wing formation, then the outside linebackers would remain on the outside while the inside linebackers would move towards the middle of the field. As the play developed, the linebackers could flow back toward their original positions depending on where the offense ran their ballcarriers.