Sometimes the language used to describe different football players can be a bit confusing. Perhaps you’ve heard of a safety, but now you’ve also heard the term “box safety”, and you’re wondering what the difference is. What is a box safety in football?
A box safety is a safety that has the physical size to play closer to the line of scrimmage (in the defensive “box”) to help stop the run. Box safeties are a sort of hybrid between a linebacker and a safety. They are bigger than traditional safeties, but not quite as big as linebackers, and form a sort of hybrid role that is part linebacker, part safety. This is why box safeties are important in modern football.
Box safeties used to be very important in past eras of football when the running game was the dominant form of offense. In those days, teams would make one of their two safeties play in the box to help stop the run. These box safeties needed the size and strength to be able to stop physical running attacks.
In modern football, passing offenses have become much more popular, and the need to load up the box on defense to stop the run has passed. However, box safeties can still play an important role. But instead of replacing a safety, the box safety may actually replace a linebacker, which allows the defensive team be smaller and more athletic, and more capable of stopping a passing offense.
In this article let’s take a closer look at a box safety, and how it is used in modern football.
What is a box safety in football?
A box safety is a safety that has the physical size to play closer to the line of scrimmage (in the defensive “box”) and help stop the run. Box safeties are a sort of hybrid between a linebacker and a safety. They are bigger than traditional safeties, but not quite as big as linebackers. They form a sort of hybrid role that is part linebacker, part safety.
Note: The term strong safety has also been used to describe a box safety.
Box safeties are unique defensive players in the fact they have dual primary responsibilities on the football field. They are there to stop runs that generally start inside the tackles while also having some level of responsibility for pass coverage in the middle of the field, close to the line of scrimmage.
In terms of pass coverage, box safeties will usually be lined up with tight ends or inside slot receivers when the offense is in a spread formation with at least four receivers on the field. In a traditional two-back formation, a box safety might have responsibility for a receiver coming out of the backfield. This happens a lot when the offense has a pass-catching running back who has good hands.
What is the “box” in football?
The term “box” in American football describes an unmarked area on the field on the defensive side of the football. This imaginary box runs from the line of scrimmage, extending about five yards down the field on the defensive side of the ball. The outer limits of the box would be defined by the outside shoulders of the offensive tackles.
The following defensive players would usually be lined up in the box: defensive tackles, defensive ends, and linebackers. However, there are certain times a safety can creep down closer to the line of scrimmage, and also lineup in the box. This would cause this player to be called a “box safety”.
What are some important qualities of a box safety?
While playing inside the box, box safeties have that duel responsibility of stopping the run and covering the tight end or slot receivers on passing plays. That requires a very interesting mix of physical qualities.
To stop the run, a box safety needs to be big enough and strong enough to match up with pro-level running backs who like to run hard between the tackles. It’s not uncommon for a box safety to be 6’2″ and 210-220 lbs. Clearly, a player of this size is slightly larger than a cornerback and slightly smaller than most linebackers.
For pass coverage, tight ends have gotten a lot smaller and faster in recent years. In order to stay up with a “shifty” tight end, a box safety will need a little bit of speed. They won’t typically have 4.2 to 4.4 speed given their size, but it’s not unheard of for a good-sized box safety to stop the clock at 4.5 for the 40-yard dash.
Why is a box safety important in modern football?
There was a time a few decades ago when the box safety was often viewed as the most important player on the defensive side of the ball. It was not unusual for most teams to be led in tackles by their box safeties.
In these past eras, the running game was the dominant form of offense. Because of this, teams would make one of their two safeties a box safety. This box safety was bigger than a traditional safety, and more helpful to stop the run.
Around 2000, offensive teams refocused their efforts on the passing game. When the Rams rolled out “The Greatest Show on Turf,” it became clear that the box safety would be a potential issue since most box safeties were too big and slow to cover wide receivers down the field.
In modern football, passing offenses have become much more popular, and the need to load up the box on defense to stop the run has passed. However, box safeties can still play an important role. But instead of replacing a safety, the box safety may actually replace a linebacker, which allows the defensive team be smaller and more athletic, and more capable of stopping a passing offense.
A box safety is often used as a linebacker on passing downs.
A lot of the game’s best box safeties still have the size they need to crack down on big running backs. At the same time, they have gotten faster out of necessity. They have to be fast when they are lining up with tight ends who themselves can clock 4.5 for the 40 yard dash.