Small Change—Nickel & Dime Defenses
One of the keys to enjoying a football game is understanding the intricacies of defense.
As I post this the NFL football season is just beginning so I thought it would be a good ideas to post this I previously published article I wrote for another blog. I’m 110% Eagles all the way, so “Go Birds!”
Okay, there is plenty of action in an American football game to keep you glued to the screen or if you’re lucky enough to have a seat at the game itself even better. But there’s an extra satisfying dimension if you understand how defensive coaches implement their offensive and defensive strategies. Maybe you already know this, but if not, here goes. If you are an NFL football watcher, you’ve heard the terms “nickel” & “dime” defense quite a bit. What are they and how do they relate to basic defensive formation?
The “base defense,” is the defense most often used by the defensive team. Basically, defensive coaches plan their game around it. It’s the “default” defense, and other variations and schemes, such as the “nickel” and “dime” packages, as just mentioned, in specific situations are used create pressure and confuse the offense. We’ll talk primarily about pro football defenses. College football defenses have other variations.
· 3-4 Defense – Although not as popular as it used to be the 3-4 is used throughout all levels of football, it employs three down linemen (the players that directly line up in front of the offensive line), four linebackers (right behind them) and four defensive backs (to cover passes).
· 4-3 Defense –The 4-3 uses four defensive linemen, three linebackers and four defensive backs. This is the most frequently used defense in the NFL. This formation was created by Tom Landry in the 1950s while he was the Defensive Coordinator of the New York Giants.
· 4-4 Defense – An attacking defense, the 4-4 often uses numerous blitz packages to pressure the quarterback and force turnovers. The greatest drawback is that It takes away a defense back in coverage leaving only three men to cover passes, and that sometimes leads to big plays from the offense.
There are other base defensive alignments included, but in the NFL, the most common base defenses in the pros are the 3-4 and 4-3.
THE NICKEL DEFENSE
Aside from the base defenses, pro teams used modified versions. One of these frequently used is the “Nickel Package.”
This alignment uses five defensive backs. The fifth defensive back is called the “nickelback.” (see chart) This defense usually uses four down linemen and two linebackers. A lineup of three down linemen and three linebackers is sometimes used, but this is often called a 3-3-5 defense instead of a Nickel defense.
In practical terms however, any defense using five defensive backs in conjunction with four down linemen and two linebackers is dubbed a “Nickel” defense. The four-linemen/two linebacker version of the “Nickel” is generally more popular because it affords the defense greater ability to stop an opponent's running game.Adding an extra back makes five, hence the term "nickel" after our own American nickel.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive coach, Jerry Williams, came up with the original Nickel defense in 1960 as a measure to defend against the monster Chicago Bear tight end, Mike Ditka.
Later, the late George Allen ,then the Bears assistant coach, picked up on it, named it the “nickel,” and claimed it for himself. Don Shula, the most successful head coach in professional football at that time in terms of total winning games, popularized the defense by using it as coach of the Miami Dolphins in the 1970s and is now commonly used in obvious passing situations or against a team that frequently uses four wide receivers on offense.
Usually the “nickelback” will take the place of a linebacker, so if the team previously used a 4-3 formation, it would be modified. Four linemen would stay in place but one linebacker would be moved to defensive back creating a 4-2-5 formation. This isn’t always the case because some teams will replace a lineman rather than a linebacker.
If the opposing office is a heavy passing team using three of more wide receivers, the Nickel Defense can turn into the base defensive package. But usually extra defensive backs, such as the “nickelback ,” are substituted into the defense in situations where the opposing team is likely to pass, such as 3rd-and-long, or if extra receivers show up.
The “nickelback” is considered a third cornerback (offset on the end of the line) on the depth chart. It is not considered a starting position because the starting formation for a defense traditionally has only two cornerbacks. But with the modern pass oriented offenses you find these days, the position has assumed a larger role.
THE DIME DEFENSE
Add one more defensive back and you get the dime defense (named because it is a double nickel) Six defensive backs are even better in obvious passing situations. This sixth defensive back is called a "dime back" (DB). (see chart)
The formation has either four down linemen and one linebacker, or three down linemen and two linebackers. The weakness of the formation is it’s very vulnerable to running plays, which is why the dime is only used when an offense can scarcely afford to run even for a good gain, either because of the great distance needed to get a first down, or because of a lack of time, or both.
A dime defense differs from the nickel in that it adds yet another defensive back to the secondary.
If you take a look at the illustration I have included, you will see a diagram outlining the dime defense. The “Os” in the diagram represent offensive players while the “Xs” represent the placement of the defensive players.
In this particular dime formation, there are four linemen on the line of scrimmage (imaginary line separating the offense and defense). You have two defensive ends (DE), one on each end of the line, and two defensive tackles (DT) in between. Behind the defensive line is one linebacker (LB).
Two cornerbacks (CB), one nickel back (NB), and one dime back (DB) combine with two safeties to cover the defensive backfield. The exact position of the defensive backs depends on the type of pass coverage they are in.
So there you have it. Check out defensive positions next time you sit down to watch a game. It’s a lot more interesting when you know what they’re up to.
Sources: Wikipedia.com, football.about.com, footballbabble.com
