The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive scheme popularized by (and thus named after) the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League (NFL) team in the mid-1990s–early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4–3 defensive alignment, which consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and two safeties.

Tampa 2 defense is a variation of the Cover 2 defensive scheme. The main difference is that it relies on the middle linebacker to cover the middle of the field on passing plays. This coverage was made popular by Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy, which is where it gets the name Tampa 2 defense.

The Tampa Two, or the Cover Two defense, is a zone defense that is based around a bend but don’t break idea. The zone defense allows defenders to keep everything in front of them and to prevent big plays.