Two-high safety shell
Terms
What it is
A two-high shell is a look before the snap with both safeties deep, one on each side of the middle of the field. It is also called a split-safety look.
In a game
The two safeties protect deep halves or deep quarters and support the cornerbacks, so deep passes are harder to complete. Cover 2, Cover 4 (quarters), Cover 5 and Tampa 2 are played from this look.
More detail
Two safeties deep means one fewer defender near the line, so the defense has fewer players to stop the run. Many teams answer by bringing one safety down after the snap, or by having a cornerback or an apex join the run fit. Coaches often group the coverages played from this shell into triangle and box coverages, depending on how many defenders work together on one side.
The diagram
- Both safeties line up deep, one on each side of the middle.
- Each protects half of the deep field, or a quarter.
- There is one fewer defender near the line to stop the run.