I should know this, but I’m hoping somebody can explain, in detail, what the dime package is and what the nickel package is.
Thank you in advance.
I’m sure someone else could provide more detail but many “Base” defenses employ 4 secondary players (safeties and cornerbacks). A Nickel back is where they trade a linebacker or lineman for a fifth secondary player for better downfield coverage. A Dime defense is where they use a sixth secondary player, after all two nickels = a dime.
Short answer – a nickel defense features 5 defensive backs, a dime defense features 6 defensive backs. Both dime and nickel packages are defenses normally used in obvious passing situations.
All professional teams (and a vast majority of the colleges) run a base defense of seven up front (either 3 defensive linemen + 4 linebackers, or 4 DL and 3 LB) and four in the defensive backfield (a strong safety, a free safety, and two cornerbacks). In a nickel defense, one of the linebackers leaves the field and an extra cornerback comes on (hence the term nickelback referring to a team’s third cornerback). In a dime package, two of the linebackers leaves the field and two extra cornerbacks come on (similarly, dimeback referring to a team’s third cornerback).
That last line should read “similarly, dimeback referring to a team’s fourth cornerback.”
BTW, Ennui is right to point out that a nickelback or dimeback can also replace a defensive linemen – it’s not always a LB that’s lifted. LB replacement is far more common, however.
I had always wondered how they came up with the term Dime.
Thanks all.
I tend to forget pass coverage formations; when it comes to x’s and o’s on defense I’d run a straight 4-3 and play man to man. - But I’m old school SEC and am more worried about the run, especially since Spurior is off to the pros.
But then, nobody’s offering me a coaching job. 
I pick Georgia today, but Arkansas is dangerous. The dawgs better watch themselves.