This formation is used to prevent the offense from completing a medium- to long-range pass play.
This may be because the offense's running game is inefficient, time is an issue, or they need a long pass for a first down.
It is also used against teams whose pass-to-run ratio predominantly favors pass.
[2] The defense gets its name because a dime, worth ten cents, is the next step up in United States coin currency from a nickel, which is worth 5 cents.
[citation needed] There are also "quarter" and "half-dollar" formations, each protecting against progressively deeper and more likely pass attempts.