# Football: Defense: Dime/ Nickel **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-defense-dime-nickel/141136 "2002-12-07T15:27:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-defense-dime-nickel/141136/1 "2002-12-07T15:27:42Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-defense-dime-nickel/141136/2 "2002-12-07T15:44:24Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-defense-dime-nickel/141136/3 "2002-12-07T15:45:57Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-defense-dime-nickel/141136/4 "2002-12-07T15:49:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-defense-dime-nickel/141136/5 "2002-12-07T16:50:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ennui \* > \*\* A Dime defense is where they use a sixth secondary player, after all two nickels = a dime. \*\* I had always wondered how they came up with the term Dime. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/football-defense-dime-nickel/141136/6 "2002-12-07T19:38:31Z")
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.