If you’re new to any sport, knowing what the various positions mean can take an age to understand. Imagine someone who has never watched cricket before, for example, hearing commentators talk about ‘silly mid-off’ or wondering what on earth a short fine leg is. ‘Soccer’, as the Americans call football, is not without its own interesting terminology from time to time.
American football is no exception to this, with numerous different positions that people who have never played the game before might struggle to get their heads around. Here is a look at them.
Offensive Positions
One of the key things to understand about American football is that teams are effectively made up of two different aspects: defence and offence. Obviously, the Americans would call them ‘defense’ and ‘offense’, but we’re going to stick with the British spelling here. The two teams are allowed 11 players on the field at any given time, with the use of ‘unlimited free substitutions’ meaning that they can effectively change the entire lineup depending on what play they are going to do. Here is a look at the positions that fall under the offensive line, which means the team with the ball that is looking to score.
Offensive Line
The job of the offensive line, also referred to as the OL, is to block the opposition’s defensive line. That allows them to protect the quarterback, who will be looking to dictate the play. In normal play, an offensive lineman will not handle the ball, unless they are involved in a snap from centre or there is a fumble from a ball carrier, a pass is deflected, or someone typically tasked with being an OL has been asked to play in another position. To add a touch of confusion to the matter, the offensive line is broken down into more positions, which are as follows:
Centre
The play tends to begin at the back through the centre, who snaps the ball out of the scrimmage to the quarterback. They play in the middle, as you might have guessed from the name, though some teams can look to play an unbalanced team by playing the centre off to one side or another. They are still tasked with blocking defensive players on the other team, usually having to make last-second adjustments depending on what’s happening in front of them.
Offensive Guard
There are two guards who are asked to line up on opposite sides of the centre. They have the function of blocking both running and passing plays from the opposition. Sometimes, a guard will pull to the side rather than blocking ahead of them, usually in order to create a block for a ball carrier. They do this for a trap, which involves an inside run, or a sweep, which sees an outside run, whilst also screening for passing plays. If this happens then you might hear them referred to as a pulling guard.
Offensive Tackle
Outside of the guards you will find two offensive tackles. It is their job to block on both passing and running plays. The area between the two tackles is an area of close line play, where blocks from behind are allowed when they are blocked elsewhere on the field. If the quarterback is right-handed then the left tackle has the role of protecting them from a hit from behind, whilst the opposite is true if it is a left-handed quarterback. They may have to pull on a running play, if there is a tight end on their side. They are usually taller and slimmer than other offensive linemen.
Skill Positions
If the offensive line is mainly made up of blunt instruments, the rest of offensive positions are made up of scalpels. They are skilled positions that handle the ball and are responsible for their team advancing and scoring points. Here is a look at them:
Quarterback
If there is one position in an American football team that pretty much everyone will have heard of, then it is the quarterback. They receive the ball from the centre at the start of a play and have to make a decision about how their team will move forward. It is the offensive side’s most influential position, mainly because their team’s ability to make it up the field is largely dependent on their ability. They get the information about the play from their team’s coaches and are responsible for communicating it to the other players, which is done when the team is in its huddle.
Once the play has been told to their teammates, they need to execute the passing game and may have to make a late alteration to things depending on what they’re seeing play out in front of them. Quarterbacks tend to be lined up in one of three positions at the start of play, with ‘under centre’ being the name of the position if they’re behind the centre and receive the ball from them directly. If they are lined up further back, then they might be called in shotgun formation or in pistol formation, but they will either run the ball, hand it to another player, or play a forward pass.
Backs
There are essentially three different types of backs, which are running backs, halfbacks, and fullbacks. They line up behind the offensive line and can receive a hand-off from their quarterback in order to execute a rushing play. There can be up to three running backs used on a play, or none. There are numerous varieties of backs, depending on where they line up and what role they’re asked to play. A halfback is the team’s main ball carrier, for example, whilst a fullback is likely to be a bigger and stronger unit, often acting as an extra blocker but also being able to catch the ball.
Wide Receiver
If you have a player who specialises in catching the ball, then the likelihood is that they will be a wide receiver. Fast and tall, they run along pass routes and try to ensure that there are no defensive players close to them in order to allow them to catch the ball if the quarterback throws it to them. There are seven players required on the scrimmage line, with a wide receiver playing there being known as a split end. If they line up behind the line, they will be a flanker, whilst those taking up the slot will be a slot receiver. A wide receiver playing running back will be a wide back.
Tight End
Located on either side of the offensive line and next to the tackles are the tight ends. They are essentially hybrid players who are like a cross between a wide receiver and an offensive lineman. Often called on to block running plays, they can also make catches. If they are asked to line up behind the line of scrimmage, then they’ll be referred to as an H-back. As long as there are four backs and seven on the line, coaches can use any number of tight ends, running backs, and wide receivers, which will depend entirely on what play it is that they’re calling for their team.
Defensive Positions
As you will no doubt have worked out, the other set of positions that an American football team will have in its arsenal is that of defensive positions. They begin each play without possession and the aim of their play is to stop the opposition from scoring, whilst also trying to win possession for their team. They need to prevent the offensive team from getting a touchdown, with the defence not being forced into certain positions by the rules of the sport in the same way as is true for offensive players. Defensive formations are denoted by numbers, such as 4-3 defence.
Defensive Line
Just as the offensive line is there to line up on the scrimmage and attempt to block, so too is the defensive line, or DL, asked to line up directly on the scrimmage line. The defensive line is made up of three different positions:
Defensive Tackle
Occasionally called a defensive guard, the defensive tackle plays at the heart of the defensive line. They are tasked with rushing the passer, stopping any running plays that are directed at the middle line in the scrummage. There are usually either one or two defensive tackles in a defensive set, with the nose tackle tending to be slower than the under tackle.
Nose Tackle
Sometimes known as the middle guard or even the nose guard, the nose tackle will play in the centre of the defensive line. They have to clog up the middle of the offence’s line, stopping run plays and usually lining up directly in front of the centre of the offensive team, which is where they get their name from because they can be almost nose-to-nose with the opposition players. Generally speaking, the nose tackles will be the biggest people on a team, being a tricky position to play because they have to double or triple up whilst also needing to have some speed.
Defensive End
Outside of the defensive tackles will be the defensive ends, literally being the end of the defensive line. They have to attack the passer or move to stop offensive runs, depending on what the offensive team’s play is. They will take a stance with one or both of their hands on the ground prior to the snap, adopting either a three-point or a four-point stance and differing from a linebacker, who will usually be in a two-point stance, which means they don’t have a hand touching the ground.
Linebackers
Playing behind the defensive line and being asked to perform numerous duties as dictated by the situation are the linebackers. There are usually two positions:
Middle Linebacker
As the name suggests, a middle linebacker, sometimes known as the inside linebacker, will play in the middle and is considered to be like the quarterback of the defence. This is because they usually call the defensive play and need to react to whatever situation they are presented with. They have to be able to stop a running back, cover pass plays and rush the quarterback if an opportunity presents itself, typically during a blitz play.
Outside Linebacker
Given different names depending on the role that they have to play, outside linebackers will sometimes be asked to play on the same side or on either the strong side or weak side of the opposition.
Defensive Backs
Also known as the secondary, defensive backs can play either behind the linebackers or else outside, close to the sidelines. They are asked to defend against pass plays as well as being the last line of the defence if it is a running play. Generally speaking, defensive backs will be made up of two cornerbacks and two safeties, though there are also specialist defensive backs.
Cornerback
The point of a cornerback is to try to stop a successful pass by either catching the pass or else swatting it away from the receiver. If the situation involves a rushing play, then they will look to contain the runner, usually directing them back towards the middle or else by forcing them out of play.
Nickelback or Dimeback
Sometimes the formation being played will require an extra pass cover to come in in place of a linebacker or a defensive lineman. These players will be known as a nickelback if they are the fifth defensive back, after the US nickel, or a dimeback if there are two of them, given that in US currency two nickels make a dime.
Safety
The last line of defence, located furthest from the scrimmage line, are the safeties. They will help the corners, with a strong safety being one of the biggest players on a team. You can also find a free safety, who is usually smaller and faster and is given a free role to do what is needed to help on long pass plays.
Special Teams
When there is a kick play, there will be a special team unit brought in. Many of the positions are similar to those in the offensive or defensive sides of the team, but there are some specific roles that are carried out by the special teams:
Placekicker
Often called simply a kicker, the job of the placekicker is to handle a kickoff, field goals, or extra points. They have to kick the ball off the ground, either from a tee or from the hands of a holder. Sometimes a team will employ two kickers, with one being used for extra points and the other for field goals. Usually, a kicker can do both jobs; however, they are typically used only for kickoffs. This tends to be a rare position on account of the specialist nature of the role and how rarely they are used.
Punter
A punter has to punt the ball so as to relinquish possession to the defensive team, sending the ball as far down field as possible. They only tend to do this on the fourth down, with a punter tending to line up around 15 yards behind the scrimmage line, but it will be shortened if the occasion calls for it.
Holder
Typically positioned between seven and eight yards from the line of scrimmage, the holder has the job of holding the ball for the kicker. They tend to be backup quarterbacks, largely because of their ability to handle the ball well. They can also play as a punter. If the weather or the field conditions call for it, they can be used from the kickoff.
Long Snapper
A specialised centre who snaps the ball to the holder or punter, the long snapper tends to be different from a normal centre. This is because the ball will have to be snapped further, with the long snapper tending to be a similar size to the tight ends or linebackers. They must be big enough to block but athletic enough to be able to run down the field if there is a need for coverage. It used to be that long snappers were backup players, but in the modern game they tend to be specialists.
Kick Returner / Punt Returner
Return specialists are there to catch kicked balls before running the ball back. They tend to be the fastest players on a team, usually playing wide receiver or cornerback too. It isn’t common for teams to use their best wide receivers or cornerbacks for this role because there is an increased likelihood of injury.
Upback / Personal Protector
Lining up around one to three yards from the line of scrimmage in punting situations is the upback or personal protector. Their role is mainly to act as the punter’s last line of defence, sometimes receiving the snap before passing or running.
Gunner
Players on kickoffs who specialise in running downfield quickly are known as gunners. They line up near the sidelines because there are typically fewer blockers there, allowing them to get down the field as quickly as possible. The position is usually played by cornerbacks or wide receivers.
Jammer
The final specialist position is that of the jammer, whose job is to slow down gunners in a punt or kickoff in order to allow the returners to get down field.