Hate being the odd man out left out of the huddle when it comes to football talk? Need to brush up on some of the rules? Want to prove your fantasy friends wrong? Then you've come to the right place! Football is a complicated game with lots of colloquialisms that make it feel like you're learning another language, so I've set up this introduction to football post to help you learn the basics of the sport, as a start! (Feel free to review this & blush up from the bathroom of the party you're at ;) )
Brushing up on some of this lingo will help you ace this coming football season, even if you don't become a die-hard fan! Here's an introduction to the positions of the players: (I also included a diagram outlining the positions using my two favorite teams!) THE POSITIONS Quarterback (QB) – the big dog, the guy in charge that calls signals, receives the ball from the center, and passes the ball to another player or can run with the ball himself Running Back (RB) (May be Fullback or Halfback though they are typically just referred to as Running Backs) 1) Fullback – more powerful runner that lines up on the same side of the field as the tight end, receives the ball from the QB, carries the ball and runs 2) Halfback – also an RB, usually more speed than power Wide Receiver/Wideout (WR) – runs the field and receives passes from the QB, fastest members of the team, from 1 to 3 on the field at a time Tight End (TE) – considered a receiver, but is really a hybrid position of an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. There is at most one tight end on the field, and he is typically large enough to help block as he lines up along the line of scrimmage Center (C) – the middle lineman on the offensive line that hikes the ball back to the QB Left & Right Tackles (LT or RT) – the left and right outermost offensive lineman that try to keep the defense away from the Quarterback Left & Right Guards (LG or RG) - the left and right offensive lineman on either side of the center that try to keep the defense away from the QB **Sometimes Offensive Tackles, the Center, and Offensive Guards are collectively referred to as the Offensive Line (OL) Defensive Tackles (DT) - two innermost defensive lineman that try to break through the offensive lineman to try and tackle or sack the Quarterback to stop the play Defensive End (DE) - two outermost defensive lineman that try to break through the offensive lineman to try and tackle or sack the QB to stop the play Linebacker (LB) - three linebackers (2 outside (OLB) & 1 middle (MLB)) line up behind the defensive line to try and pursue any players running toward them to try and stop the offensive play or by blitzing the QB (we'll talk about this in another post) Safety (S)- the defensive players that stay in the middle of the backfield and serve as a last line of defense against any offensive plays. Cornerback (CB) - named because they defend the far corners of the field on the defensive side, and they typically line up and defend against the WRs. Corners try to defend against the QB passing to WRs by swatting the ball out of bounds or sometimes intercepting the pass intended for the WR. Kicker (K) - also known as a Placekicker Holder - receives a snap from the center or Long Snapper (see below) and turns the ball and holds it for the Kicker Punter (P) - does not use a Holder and simply drop kicks the football in front of him in order to kick the ball as far away as possible Long Snapper - a specialized Center that performs snaps that are further than normal toward the Holder for the Kicker or to the Punter
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