Mastering the Defensive Back Position in American Football
Every year, the job of a defensive back gets harder. Why? Because receivers get better, and offenses get more sophisticated. The primary job of a defensive back is pass coverage. DBs are the first line of protection against wide receivers who are the quarterback’s target for passes. They are the second line of protection on running plays. Defensive back is one of the most demanding positions to master because they must be prepared to cover passing and running plays. The role of the defensive back started when the forward pass was introduced to football in 1906. Teams lined up their players near the line of scrimmage to stop the running plays before passing was allowed. Defensive backs were introduced to combat the passing game as it evolved. Coaches started moving defenders off the line of scrimmage to guard against the pass. Below is a complete description of the role of the defensive back in modern American football.
Types of Defensive Backs
There are 2 types of defensive backs: cornerbacks and safeties. Unless it’s a special situation, a standard rotation for a defense is to have 2 cornerbacks and 2 safeties on the field at the same time.
Cornerback: Cornerbacks are generally the best pass defenders on defense. Their job is to cover wide receivers on pass plays. The defensive backs' jobs are to deflect and intercept passes or to make sure the receiver doesn’t catch a pass intended for them. The best cornerback on the team is often called the “lockdown corner.” They get the toughest assignments, often guarding their opponent’s best receiver. They must be agile, fast, physical, and quick. They typically line up anywhere from 5 or 6 yards away from the line of scrimmage to right on it when setting up to guard a receiver. A weakside cornerback typically lines up on the side opposite the tight end. The strongside cornerback lines up on the same side as the tight end. The weak and strong side cornerbacks can be interchangeable during a game. Sometimes, coaches try to match individual cornerbacks with specific receivers. Cornerback is considered the most difficult position to play on defense. Cornerbacks are required to have superior athletic skills, and they must be able to read where the quarterback is going to try to pass the ball while anticipating what type of route the receiver they’re guarding is running.
Safeties: A safety has more of a dual role than a cornerback. They support the linebackers and defensive line more than cornerbacks in running situations. They’re sometimes called on to rush the quarterback in passing situations. Cornerbacks rarely, if ever, rush the quarterback. When a defensive back rushes the quarterback, it’s called a blitz. Still, the safeties’ main job is to provide pass protection. Safeties are usually bigger than cornerbacks. Additional size helps them fend off offensive linemen when they are playing against the run. Safeties usually play deep in the secondary. While cornerbacks must slow down or stop receivers near the line of scrimmage, safeties need to cover deep routes. They’re usually the last line of defense if a receiver breaks free deep in the backfield. Free safeties roam in the defensive backfield. They’ll often decide which side of the field they’re going to play on after the ball is snapped. A strong safety might play closer to the line of scrimmage. They’re typically better at helping with the running game and perhaps on medium-range pass plays. Safeties often cover the tight ends and running backs on passing plays.
Nickelback: A nickelback is an extra defensive back. It can be either a safety or a cornerback. Teams often bring in another defensive back in obvious passing situations. The term nickelback is used because it’s the 5th defensive back. Often, defenses must match the personnel that the offense has on the field. If a team has a 3rd wide receiver, the defense will likely want an extra DB. Some teams play “nickel” coverage most of the time, meaning they often have 5 defensive backs on the field. A 5th defensive back frequently replaces one of the linebackers. So, if a team plays with 4 linebackers, it ‘ll have 3 in nickel coverage.
Rover Back: The rover back is a hybrid position that can play like a linebacker, safety, and a cornerback. Coaches line their rovers up all over the field. It depends on what the defensive team anticipates the offensive team doing. In running situations, a rover might be like an extra linebacker, setting up closer to the line of scrimmage. In passing situations, a rover could line up like a cornerback, and when it’s neither an obvious running nor passing situation, the rover could line up as a safety. It takes a special athlete to master all 3 of those skills. Rovers are generally big safeties with excellent speed.
Dimeback: The dimeback is a 6th defensive back. It’s used in obvious passing situations. Often, when a team is trailing late in the game and must pass to preserve the clock, defenses will use a 6th defensive back. Sometimes, teams will consistently play the “dime” defense against offenses that pass the ball frequently. If a team uses 5 wide receivers and the tight end runs a passing route, defenses can counter with a dime defense.
Types of Pass Coverage
There are 2 fundamental kinds of pass coverage that a team uses: man-to-man and zone.
Man-to-Man: In man-to-man, which is also called press coverage, a defensive back lines up across from the wide receiver. Cornerbacks often play man-to-man. Their job is to try to bump and disrupt the wide receiver when they are coming off the line of scrimmage. A defensive back can only bump a receiver within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. If it occurs beyond 5 yards, it’s a penalty. Sometimes defensive backs will play soft man-to-man coverage. That means they start 4 or 5 yards off the line-of-scrimmage, and they make sure they keep the player they are defending in front of them.
Zone: Zone is when defensive backs cover an area but not a specific player. There are combinations of zone and man-to-man defenses that teams play. Cover 1 is when a safety plays zone and the other defensive backs play man-to-man. Cover 2 is when 2 DB’s play zone, and the other defensive backs play man-to-man. Teams can have any combination of defensive backs playing zone or man-to-man.
Playing the defensive back position is challenging. The role of the defensive back will continue to evolve as offenses get more dynamic. Defensive coaches will create new schemes and players will get bigger, stronger, and faster over time. Because offenses generally rely more on the passing game than the running game, it’s important to have quality defensive backs.