In
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
, a two-level defense is a defensive formation with only two layers of defense instead of the customary three layers.
Overview
In a standard three-level defense, there are three layers: the forcing unit (consisting mainly of
linemen but possibly also including
blitzing linebackers and
defensive backs
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
), the underneath coverage (usually consisting of linebackers but possibly including other players, especially in the case of a
zone blitz), and the contain unit (mostly defensive backs). A two-level defense does away with the contain unit in favor of increased pressure on the offense. Two-level defenses will often use one deep safety (as deep as 28 yards at the
snap
Snap or SNAP may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Snap'', the original release title for the 2013 film ''Enter the Dangerous Mind''
*''Snap'' (TV series), a CITV programme
* ''The Stanly News and Press'', a newspaper in Albemarle, North Carol ...
) to enforce an end line on the offense, but the Bear 4-6 is a two level defense with contain handled solely by the single coverage skills of the
cornerbacks
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create turnov ...
. The "Bear" can also function as a three-level defense, and indeed concealment of the defensive structure is a key to making this defense work.
The two-level was invented to combat the
run and shoot offense in the 1980s, but has stayed in use due to its adaptability in combating all types of offenses. The defense of spread formations remains a strong suit of this model.
References
American football strategy
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