American football positions

Defense

Safety

Cornerback

Outside
Linebacker

Wide Receiver

End Tackle

X
O

X
O

The following positions are standard in nearly every

game, though dierent teams will use dierent arrangements of them.

Middle
Linebacker

men) are considered ineligible, and may only block.

Within these strictures, however, creative coaches have
developed a wide array of oensive formations to take
advantage of dierent player skills and game situations.

Safety

Outside
Linebacker

Tackle End

X
O

X
O

Cornerback

Tackle Guard Center Guard Tackle Tight End

O Quarterback
O Fullback/Running Back
OHalfback/Running Back

Wide Receiver

Oense

1.1 Oensive (Interior) line

A diagram showing an I formation on oense and a 4-3 formation on defense

In American football, each team has eleven players on the

eld at one time. The specic role that a player takes on
the eld is called his position. Under the modern rules of
American football, teams are allowed unlimited substitutions; that is, teams may change any number of players
after any play. This has resulted in the development of
three platoons of players: the oense (the team with
the ball, which is trying to score), the defense (the team
trying to prevent the other team from scoring, and to take
the ball from them), and the special teams (who play in
kicking situations). Within those platoons, various specic positions exist depending on what each players main The oensive line (on left, in orange shirts) consists of a center
(with ball in hand ready to snap) two guards on either side of
job is.
him, and two tackles.

The oensive line is primarily responsible for blocking.

During normal play, oensive linemen do not handle the
ball (aside from the snap from center), unless the ball is
fumbled by a ball carrier, a pass is deected and caught
by a lineman or when a player who is normally an oensive lineman takes a dierent position on the eld. The
oensive line consists of:

Oense

In American football, the oense is the side which is in

possession of the ball. It is their job to advance the ball
towards the opponents end zone to score points. Broadly
speaking, the eleven players of the oense are broken into
two groups: the ve oensive linemen, whose primary job
is to block, and the six backs and receivers whose primary Center (C) The center is the player who begins the play
job is to advance the ball by means of either running with
from scrimmage by snapping the ball to a back:
the ball or passing it. The backs and receivers are also
specically, the quarterback. As the name suggests,
commonly known as skill position players or as eligible
the center usually plays in the middle of the oenreceivers (or eligible ball carriers). Oensive linemen are
sive line, though some teams may employ an unbalnot usually eligible to advance the ball past the line of
anced line where the center is oset to one side or
scrimmage during a play.
another. Like all oensive linemen, the center has
the responsibility to block defensive players. The
The organization of the oense is strictly mandated by
center often also has the responsibility to call out
the rules; there must be at least seven players on the line
blocking assignments and make last second adjustof scrimmage and no more than four players (known colments depending on the defensive alignment.
lectively as backs) behind it. The only players eligible
to handle the ball during a normal play are the backs and
the two players on the end of the line (the ends or Tight Oensive guard (G) Two guards line up directly on either side of the center. Like all interior linemen,
ends). The remaining players (known as interior line1

1 OFFENSE
their function is to block on both running and passing plays. On some plays, rather than blocking
straight ahead, a guard will pull, whereby the
guard comes out of his position in line to lead
block for a ball carrier, on plays known as "traps"
(for inside runs), or "sweeps" (for outside runs), or
"screens" (for passing plays). In such cases, the
guard is referred to as a pulling guard. Guards are
typically shorter builds than tackles but taller than
centers.

quarterback is usually responsible for receiving

the play from the coaches on the sideline and
communicating the play to the other oensive
players in the huddle. The quarterback may
need to make changes to the play at the line of
scrimmage (known as an audible), depending
on the defensive alignment. At the start of the
play, the quarterback may be lined up in one
of three positions. If he is positioned directly
in contact with the center, and receives the ball
via direct hand-to-hand pass, he is said to be
under center. If he is lined up some distance
behind the center, he is said to be "in the shotgun". He can also be in between. This is called
a pistol formation. Upon receiving the snap,
the quarterback has three basic options to advance the ball. He may run the ball himself, he
may hand it to another eligible ball carrier to
run with it, or he may execute a forward pass
to a player downeld.

Oensive tackle (T) Two tackles play outside of the

guards. Their role is primarily to block on both running and passing plays. The area from one tackle
to the other is an area of close line play in which
blocks from behind, which are prohibited elsewhere
on the eld, are allowed. For a right-handed quarterback, the left tackle is charged with protecting the
quarterback from being hit from behind (known as
his blind side), and this is usually the most skilled
player on the oensive line. Like a guard, the tackle
may have to pull, on a running play, when there is Running back (RB)
a tight end on his side. Tackles are typically a taller,
longer build than interior oensive linemen, due to
Running backs are players who line up behind
the need to keep separation from defensive linemen
the oensive line, who are in position to rein pass blocking situations.
ceive the ball from the quarterback, and execute a rushing play. Anywhere from one to
three running backs may be utilized on a play
1.2 Backs and receivers
(or even none, a situation typically known as
an empty backeld). Depending on where
they line up, and what role they have, running
backs come in several varieties. The tailback
(or sometimes the "halfback", though this term
is somewhat archaic) is often a teams primary
ball carrier on rushing plays. They may also
catch passes, often acting as a checkdown or
safety valve when all other receivers on a pass
play are covered. The "fullback" is often larger
and stronger than the tailback, and acts primarily as a blocker, though the fullback may also
be used for catching passes or for rushing as
a tailback does. Fullbacks often line up closer
to the line of scrimmage than tailbacks do, so
they may block for them. A wingback or a
slotback is a term for a running back who
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback #14 Anthony Morelli hands
lines up behind the line of scrimmage outside
the ball o to his running back #33 Austin Scott in their 2007
the tackle or tight end on the side where posiseason opener.
tioned. Slotbacks are usually only found in certain oensive alignments, such as the exbone
The six backs and receivers are those that line up outside
formation. A similar position, known as the
or behind the oensive line. There are four main positions
H-back, is actually considered a modication
in this set of players:
of the normal tight end position (see below).
Quarterback (QB)
The quarterback is the player who receives the
ball from the center to start the play. The most
important position on the oensive side, the

Wide receiver (WR)

The wide receivers are pass-catching specialists. Their main job is to run pass routes and

3
formation with three running backs, two tight ends, and
no wide receivers, to spread formations featuring four
or ve wide receivers, sometimes without any running
backs.

2 Defense

A wide receiver (#87, in white) begins a play in the anker position

get open for a pass, although they are occasionally called on to block. Wide receivers generally line up split wide near the sidelines at
the start of the play. Wide receivers, like running backs, come in dierent varieties depending on exactly where they line up. A wide receiver who is directly on the line of scrimmage
is called a split end, and is counted among
the seven required players on the line of scrimmage. A wide receiver who lines up behind the
line (and thus counts as one of the four backs)
is called the anker. A wide receiver who
lines up between the outermost wide receiver
and the oensive line is said to be in the slot
and is called the slot receiver or "slotback".

The defensive team or defense is the team that begins a

play from scrimmage not in possession of the ball. The
objective of the defensive team is to prevent the other
team from scoring. The defense accomplishes this by
forcing the oense to turn the ball over, either by preventing them from achieving a rst down and forcing a
punt, or by forcing the oense to fumble or throw an
interception.
Unlike the oensive team, the rules do not restrict the
defensive team into certain positions. A defensive player
may line up anywhere on his side of the line of scrimmage and perform any legal action. Over time, however,
defensive roles have become dened into three main sets
of players, and several individual positions.

2.1 Defensive line

Tight end (TE)

Tight ends play on either side of, and directly
next to, the tackles. Tight ends are considered
hybrid players, something between a wide receiver and an oensive lineman. Because they
play next to the other oensive linemen, they
are frequently called on to block, especially on
running plays. However, because they are eligible receivers, they may also catch passes. The
position known as the H-back is a tight end who
lines up behind the line of scrimmage, and is
thus counted as one of the four backs, but
otherwise his role is similar to that of other
tight ends.
Depending on the style of oense the coaches have designed, the game situation, and the relative skill sets of
the players, teams may run formations which contain
any number of running backs, wide receivers, and tight
ends, so long as the mandated four backs and seven on
the line rule is followed. For many years, the standard
set consisted of the quarterback, two running backs (a
tailback/halfback and a fullback), two wide receivers (a
anker and a split end) and a tight end. Modern teams
show a wide variety of formations, from a "full house"

The four defensive linemen (in red) have their hands on the
ground in a three point stance.

Like their oensive counterparts, defensive linemen line

up directly on the line of scrimmage, close to the ball.
There are two positions usually considered part of the defensive line:
Defensive tackle (DT); Sometimes called a defensive
guard, defensive tackles play at the center of the
defensive line. Their function is to rush the passer
(if they can get past the oensive linemen blocking
them), and stop running plays directed at the middle

2 DEFENSE

of the line of scrimmage. The most interior defencapable of stopping running backs who make it past
sive tackle who sometimes lines up directly across
the defensive line, covering pass plays over the midfrom the ball (and therefore is almost nose-to-nose
dle, and rushing the quarterback on blitz plays.
with the oenses center) is often called a nose tackle
or nose guard. The nose tackle is most common in Outside linebacker (OLB) Outside linebackers are
the 3-4 defense. Most defensive sets have one or
given dierent names depending on their role and
two defensive tackles. If one employs a second dethe philosophy of the team. Some teams keep their
fensive tackle, sometimes called an under tackle, he
outside linebackers on the same side of the eld at
is usually a bit faster than the nose tackle.
all times, and thus they are known as right outside
(ROLB) and left outside (LOLB). Some teams
Defensive end (DE) The two defensive ends play next
dene them by their role; as playing either strongto the defensive tackles, at the edges of the defenside (SLB) or weakside (WLB). The strongside,
sive line. Their function is to attack the passer or
or Sam, linebacker lines up on the same side
stop oensive runs to the outer edges of the line
as the oensive tight end and often is responsible
of scrimmage (most often referred to as containfor covering the tight end or running back on pass
ment). The faster of the two is usually placed on the
plays. The weakside, or Will, linebacker lines up
right side of the defensive line (quarterbacks left)
on the side of the oensive line without a tight end,
because that is a right-handed quarterback's blind
and is often used to rush, or blitz the quarterback,
side.
or may need to cover a running back on pass plays.
Often, though not always, a defensive lineman will have
his hand(s) on the ground, in a three- or four-point 2.3
stance before the ball is snapped; this distinguishes his
pre-snap stance from a linebacker, who begins in a twopoint stance (i.e. without a hand touching the ground).

2.2

Defensive backs

Linebackers

This defense (in white) is in a base 4-3 set. Just behind the four
defensive linemen (whose hands are on the ground) are three
linebackers (numbers 55, 3 &16), and further back are two
safeties (numbers 24 & 44). Out-of-frame are the two cornerbacks.

Linebackers play behind the defensive line and perform Cornerback Tory James gets a read on the oense just prior to
various duties depending on the situation, including rush- the start of play
ing the passer, covering receivers, and defending against
the run.
Defensive backs, also known as the secondary, play either behind the linebackers or set to the outside, near the
Middle linebacker (MLB) Sometimes called the in- sidelines. Defensive backs are primarily used to defend
side linebacker (especially in a 3-4 defense), and against pass plays, by covering wide receivers and tight
known colloquially as the Mike linebacker, the ends to prevent them from catching the ball, or to attempt
middle linebacker is often known as the quarter- to intercept the pass from the quarterback. Defensive
back of the defense, as they are frequently the pri- backs also act as the last line of defense on running plays,
mary defensive play callers and must react to a wide and need to be able to make open eld tackles, especially
variety of situations. Middle linebackers must be when the ball carrier has gotten past the other defenders.

5
A normal complement of defensive backs includes two
cornerbacks and two safeties, though specialty defensive
backs (nickelbacks and dimebacks) can be brought in in
place of linebackers and defensive linemen, when there is
need to cover additional pass receivers.
Cornerback (CB) Typically two players primarily cover
the wide receivers. Cornerbacks attempt to prevent
successful quarterback passes by either swatting the
airborne ball away from the receiver or by catching
the pass themselves. In rushing situations, their job
is to contain the runner, either by directing him back
to the middle of the eld to be tackled, by tackling
him themselves, or by forcing him out of bounds.
Safety (S) The safeties are the last line of defense (farthest from the line of scrimmage) and usually help
the corners with deep-pass coverage. The strong
safety (SS) is usually the larger and stronger of the
two, providing extra protection against run plays by
standing closer to the line of scrimmage, usually on
the strong (tight end) side of the eld. The free safety A placekicker (Mason Crosby, #2) prepares to kick the ball from
the hand of a holder (Jon Ryan, #9).
(FS) is usually the smaller and faster of the two, and
is usually the deepest player on the defense, providSpecial teams are units that are on the eld during kicking
ing help on long pass plays.
plays. While many players who appear on oensive or
Nickelback and Dimeback In certain formations, the defensive squads also play similar roles on special teams
defense may remove a linebacker or a defensive line- (oensive linemen to block, or defensive players to tackle)
man to bring in extra pass coverage in the form of there are some specialist roles which are unique to the
extra defensive backs. A formation with ve defen- kicking game.
sive backs is often called a nickel formation, and
the fth (extra) defensive back is called a nickel- Kicker (K) Also called the placekicker, he handles
kickos, extra points, and eld goal attempts. All
back after the U.S. nickel coin, a ve-cent piece.
three situations require the kicker to kick the ball o
By extension, a formation with a sixth defensive
of the ground, either from the hands of a holder
back is called a dime package, a 10-cent dime coin
or o of a tee. Some teams will employ two kickbeing two nickels (nickelbacks). Rarely, a team
ers: one kicks extra points and eld goals, and the
may employ seven or eight defensive backs on cerother kicks kickos and occasionally long eld-goal
tain plays.
attempts. Most however use a single kicker for both
jobs, and rarely, the same player may also punt.
Defensive formations are often known by a numerical
code indicating the number of players at each position.
Holder (H) Usually positioned 7-8 yards from the line
The two most common formations are the 34 defense
of scrimmage, he holds the ball for the placekicker
and the 43 defense, where the rst number refers to
to kick. The holder is often a backup quarterback
the number of defensive linemen, and the second numor a punter because of their good hands, feel for
ber refers to the number of linebackers (the number of
the ball and experience taking snaps from the Long
defensive backs can be inferred, since there should be
Snapper during plays from scrimmage. A holder is
eleven players on the eld.) Thus, 34 defense will conoccasionally used on kickos if the weather or eld
sist of three defensive linemen (usually a nose tackle and
conditions repeatedly cause the ball to fall o the
two defensive ends), four linebackers, and four defensive
tee.
backs (two cornerbacks, a strong safety, and a free safety)

Special teams
Special teams redirects here.
For the
ice hockey denition of special teams, see
powerplay and short handed.

Long snapper (LS) A specialized center who snaps the

ball directly to the holder or punter. This player is
usually distinct from the regular center, as the ball
often has to be snapped much farther back on kicking plays.
Punter (P) Usually lines up 15 yards behind the line

5
of scrimmage (this distance has to be shortened to
avoid being on or behind the end line). The punter,
upon receiving the snap, drops the ball and kicks it
from the air. This is usually done only on fourth
down, and is done to relinquish possession to the defensive team as far downeld as possible.

Kicko specialist (KOS) Kicko specialists are exclusively used during kickos. Teams employ kicko
specialists if they feel neither their kicker or punter
is good enough at kicking o. Due to their specialized nature, they are rare.
Punt returner (PR) and Kick returner (KR)
Returners are responsible for catching kicked
balls (either on kickos or punts) and running the
ball back. These are usually the fastest players on
a team. Teams may use the same player for both
positions, or may have a separate returner for punts
and for kickos. Typically a Running Back, Wide
Receiver or Defensive Back.
Upback A blocking back who lines up approximately 13 yards behind the line of scrimmage in punting situations. Because the punter plays so far back, the
upback frequently makes the line calls and calls for
the snap to be received by the punter. Their primary
role is to act as the last line of defense for the punter.
Upbacks may occasionally receive the snap instead
of the punter on fake punts, and normally run the
ball but may throw it. The term upback may also
be used to identify the blocker directly in front of
the kicko return man. This player, usually a backup running back, is selected for his ability to block
well and if needed return the kick himself.
Gunner A player on kickos and punts who specializes
in running down the eld very quickly in an attempt
to tackle the kick returner or the punt returner unless the kick returner waves for "fair catch". They
usually line up near the sidelines where there will be
fewer blockers and thus allow them to get down the
eld quickly.
Jammer Jammers try to slow down gunners during
punts so that punt returners have more time to return punts.

See also
American football strategy
Glossary of American football
Rugby league positions
Rugby union positions
History of American football positions

5 References

REFERENCES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1

Text

American football positions Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American%20football%20positions?oldid=659942874 Contributors:

SimonP, Dale Arnett, Dave6, Crag, Kainaw, Antandrus, Chaipau, Discospinster, Night Gyr, Smalljim, Disneyfreak96, Alansohn, Mo0,
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BD2412, Ketiltrout, Mayumashu, Jweiss11, DeadlyAssassin, Voretus, Titoxd, Nihiltres, Gwernol, YurikBot, Angus Lepper, Eggman183,
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tears in rain, Hu12, Levineps, Civil Engineer III, Dycedarg, Makeemlighter, TheTito, Tex, Corpx, JamesLucas, B, Optimist on the run,
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