Defensive back

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Deshea Townsend jumps for the ball with Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Drew Bennett

In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs) are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of scrimmage.^[1]

The defensive backs, in turn, generally are classified into several different specialized positions:

• Safety:
  • Free safety – most often the deepest safety
  • Strong safety – the bigger, more physical safety, much like a small, quicker linebacker
• Defensive halfback (Canadian football only)
• Cornerback – which include:
  • Nickelback – the fifth defensive back in some sets, such as the nickel formation
  • Dimeback – the sixth defensive back in some sets, such as the dime formation
  • The seventh defensive back, in the exceedingly rare "quarter" set, but often strong
    • known as a dollar back or a quarter back (not to be confused with the offensive player who throws the ball)

The group of defensive backs is known collectively as the secondary; being the second line of defense against the run after the linemen and linebackers, and the main line of defense against the pass.^[2] They most often defend the wide receiver corps; however, at times they may also line up against a tight end or a split out running back.

References

See also

• American football positions