3-4 Zone Defense

15 formations across 6 groupings.

The 3-4 Zone defense playbook in College Football 27 has 15 formations across 6 families: 2-5 (1), 3-4 (5), Nickel (5), Dime (1), Prevent (1), Goal Line (2). Together they run 191 plays (106 unique). 3-4 is the largest group with 5 formations. Click any formation to see its plays with play art, switch to Diagrams for pre-snap alignments, and use the shift viewer to watch same-personnel formations morph into each other.

Every play in the 3-4 Zone Defense playbook

2-5 — 1 formation, 15 plays

2-5 Over Wide (15 plays)

Cover 1 Contain, Cover 1 Hole, Cover 1 Robber, Cover 1 Sting Wk, Cover 2 Invert, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Fire Man, Free Fire 3, Mike Sam Cross 3, Tampa 2, Thunder Smoke, Will Blitz 3

3-4 — 5 formations, 59 plays

3-4 Even (9 plays)

Cov 1 Robber Press, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Cloud, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cross Fire 3, Pinch Buck 0, Tampa 2, Will Fire 3 Seam

3-4 Grizzly (8 plays)

1 Edge Pinch, 3 Edge Pinch, Cover 2 Invert, Cover 3 Drop, Mike Blitz 0, Mike Hot Blitz 3, Mike Sim 2, Tampa 2 Show 3

3-4 Odd (15 plays)

Cover 1 Hole, Cover 1 Robber, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 3 Sky Wk, Cover 4 Drop Show 2, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Crash Blitz 3, Cross 3 Fire, Pinch Buck 0, Saw Blitz 1, Ss 2 Trap, Storm Brave 1, Tampa 2

3-4 Tite (12 plays)

Cover 1 Hole, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Drop, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Saw Blitz 0, Saw Blitz 1, Saw Blitz 3, Ss 2 Trap, Tampa 2, Trio Sky Zone

3-4 Tite 5 Tech (15 plays)

Cover 1 Fs Fire, Cover 1 Hole Wk, Cover 1 Robber Press, Cover 2 Invert, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Dbl Safety Blitz, Fs Slant 3, Mlb Cross Fire 3, Pinch Buck 0, Saw Blitz 1, Tampa 2, Weak Blitz 3

Nickel — 5 formations, 84 plays

Nickel 2-4 (18 plays)

Cover 1 Hole, Cover 1 LB Blitz, Cover 2 Hard Flat, Cover 2 Invert, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Cloud, Cover 3 Hard Flat, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Drop Field, Cover 4 Palms, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Over Storm Brave, Roll Cover 2 Invert, Roll Cover 3 Cloud, Silver Shoot Pinch, Tampa 2

Nickel 2-4 Dbl Mug (12 plays)

2 Invert Hard Flat, Blitz Loop 3, Cover 1 Hole, Cover 2, Cover 2 Invert, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Field Sim 3, Mid Blitz, Nickel 2 Trap, Nickel Overload 3, Nickel Sim 2

Nickel 3-3 Mint (18 plays)

1 Double Wr1, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Buzz Mable, Cover 3 Match, Cover 3 Sky, Cover 4 Palms, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Cover 6 Willie, Cover 9, Double Bracket, LB Cross 3 Show 2, Nickel 2 Trap, Overload 3 Sky Press, Pinch 0, Sam Mike 3 Press, Tampa 2, Tampa Sim Pressure

Nickel 3-3 Single Mug (15 plays)

1 LB Dog, Blitz Tex 3 Sim 3, Cov 2 Invert Hard Flat, Cov 3 Buzz Match Wk, Cover 1 Hole, Cover 2 Invert, Cover 3 Buzz Match, Cover 3 Cloud, Cover 3 Match, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 9, DT Mike Loop 3, Nickel 2 Trap, Nickel Blitz 3, Tampa 2

Dime — 1 formation, 18 plays

Dime 3-2 (18 plays)

Cover 1 Contain Spy, Cover 1 Robber Press, Cover 2 Man, Cover 3 Buzz Match Wk, Cover 3 Cloud, Cover 3 Lock, Cover 4 Drop, Cover 4 Palms, Cover 4 Quarters, Cover 6, Cover 6 Willie, Dbl Safety Go, Double Bracket, Edge Blitz 3, Hot Blitz 3, Tampa 2, Tampa 2 Drop, Zero Blitz

Prevent — 1 formation, 3 plays

Prevent 3 Deep (3 plays)

Cover 3, Man 3 Deep, Prevent

Goal Line — 2 formations, 12 plays

Goal Line 5-3 (6 plays)

Gaps Ab, Gaps All, Gaps All LB, Gaps B, Gl Man, Mlb Gap A

Goal Line 6-2 (6 plays)

60 Base, 60 Half Out, 60 Out, 60 Out Jacks, 60 Pinch, Guts

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