nickelback
nickelback — noun
1. a defensive player in American football who joins the four usual defensive backs
a defensive player in American football who joins the four usual defensive backs when a team chooses to use an extra player to cover the pass — the formation is called the nickel defence because five defensive backs are on the field, like a five-cent coin has the value of five cents.
The Seahawks used a nickelback to cover the opponent's third wide receiver on a pass play.
nickelback used against extra wide receiver
Ravi practised as a nickelback all week because the opponent often threw on third down.
The coach told the nickelback to cover the slot receiver on the short middle route.
College cornerbacks often earn a nickelback spot in the NFL for more playing time on passing downs.
- fifth defensive back
descriptive phrase rather than a fixed term; used in coaching discussions
- nickel corner
informal alternative; emphasises that the player is usually a cornerback
- slot corner
related term focusing on the area of the field covered rather than the formation
用法筆記
The nickelback is not a separate position in the standard defence — it is usually an extra cornerback who replaces a linebacker when the team expects a pass play. The name comes from the nickel formation (five defensive backs), which was named after the five-cent US coin.