Warrior General Games

Topic.
I'm thinking about creating one safety, and don't know the very difference between these two position. Most of this forum thread talks about SS, so what ? Are there a guide out there ?

S.S. is more fun to build than a F.S.

FS is in zone 9 times out of 10. SS is in Man/Blitz 9 times out of 10.

In the NFL, college, high school, pee wee, the FS is generally a player who can cover a little better the #3/#4 WR in single coverage... not great coverage but can do it... or help cover a 2 WR zone... thus reading the QB to calculate where he is going to throw the ball. If you watch a NFL game... they will often say "the QB was trying to look the safety off" well, that means the QB wanted to go towards the one WR but the FS had a better jump on the coverage over to that WR. The FS is a roaming player that roams one side of the field, generally, to help out... possibly the strong side of the play... thus the FS is in some kind of zone most plays... but if the offense runs a balanced play (i.e. 2 WR's each side or 1 WR each side and I-Form... it is more difficult for the FS to have better coverage due to the many possibilities on the play.

The SS is normally the backup in coverage to the TE. If a LB cannot cover a TE due to the scheme of the team, the TE is normally the responsibility of the SS then. So, the SS needs speed, but not as much because TE's normally are not as fast as a WR. A SS also needs strength because the TE's are normally harder to tackle and bigger than a WR. The options for a SS are more plentiful because he is also responsible for run support. If the offense runs a play successfully... the FB will get into the second tier of coverage and block a LB... the third tier of coverage are the safeties. So, if the RB gets to the third tier... the SS/FS are the last line of defense. A SS will tackle a power RB (in theory) better than a FS... on the flip side, the FS will tackle an elusive better than a SS.

--Free safety is not expected to play in the box to stop the run
--A strong safety is not expected to play cover 1

reverse those two things and you can get the feeling for what each is expected to do.


In general, a strong safety is just an undersized, slightly faster linebacker. A free safety is just a modified corner back, slightly better at tackling maybe, but not necessarily.

Well, thank you all for your help

Imagine a safety as a hybrid between a linebacker and a CB. A FS is 75% CB, 25% LB. A SS is 25% CB, 75% LB. Basically just what they play better; the run or the pass. SSs are usually the thumbers, like Polamalu, Landry, and Milloy (Urlacher was a SS in college). FSs are usually that deep center fielder, like Ed Reed or Reggie Nelson.

Originally posted by Riggs_Inator
FS is in zone 9 times out of 10. SS is in Man/Blitz 9 times out of 10.

That may change with the DPC. A few teams may end up treating them more as a left/right, switch up the deep man, switch the blitzer. Fairly common in the NFL, now easy to run here.

One thing I'd add is that FS should prob be the fastest dude on the team.

Originally posted by bladewalker
One thing I'd add is that FS should prob be the fastest dude on the team.
What NFL games do you watch? The FS is hardly ever the fastest guy on the team behind the CB's, RB's WR's then FS.

Originally posted by Challenge Everything
Originally posted by bladewalker

One thing I'd add is that FS should prob be the fastest dude on the team.
What NFL games do you watch? The FS is hardly ever the fastest guy on the team behind the CB's, RB's WR's then FS.
I don't think he's talking about the NFL.

Originally posted by bladewalker
One thing I'd add is that FS should prob be the fastest dude on the team.

Depends on the scheme, but I prefer the FS to be the most disciplined (not biting on fakes, etc). More speed just gets you out of position faster.

Originally posted by Asheme
Originally posted by Challenge Everything
Originally posted by bladewalker
One thing I'd add is that FS should prob be the fastest dude on the team.What NFL games do you watch? The FS is hardly ever the fastest guy on the team behind the CB's, RB's WR's then FS.I don't think he's talking about the NFL.
Okay, even talking GLB standards though... the FS is definitely not the fastest on the field.

My FS is basically the slowest guy on the team

shit half the Dline is faster...

Originally posted by Challenge Everything
Originally posted by Asheme

Originally posted by Challenge Everything

Originally posted by bladewalker

One thing I'd add is that FS should prob be the fastest dude on the team.What NFL games do you watch? The FS is hardly ever the fastest guy on the team behind the CB's, RB's WR's then FS.I don't think he's talking about the NFL.
Okay, even talking GLB standards though... the FS is definitely not the fastest on the field.

Mine is. And the amount of big td plays between when he was on the field vs not on the field was pretty obvious. Think there was one long TD when he was on the field this season. But when he wasn't, there was definitely more.