American Football - Teams and positions

American Football - Teams and positions

A soccer match is played between two teams of 11 players each. Whoever plays with more players on the field is fined.  Teams can substitute any number of players between downs;  this "platoon" system has replaced the original system with limited substitution rules and has led to teams fielding specialized offensive, defensive, and special teams. 

Individual players in a soccer game must be identified with a uniform number between 1 and 99. NFL teams must number their players according to a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by the Commissioner.  NCAA and NFHS teams are strongly encouraged to number their offensive players according to a numbering scheme suggested by the league. 

Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women can also play in high school, college, and professional soccer. No women have ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college soccer games.  In 2018, 1,100 of the 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth soccer were girls, and about 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle soccer are female, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.  Women can also referee; Sarah Thomas became the first female referee in the NFL in 2015. 

Offensive Unit

The offensive unit's job is to carry the soccer down the field with the goal of scoring a touchdown. 

The diagram shows a green background with a white horizontal line dividing it in half, with eleven small blue squares representing the defense players in one formation above the line, and eleven small red circles representing the offense players in another formation below the line, with two text labels "Defense" and "Offense", the former above the line, the latter below the line.

A diagram of a typical pre-snap formation. The offense (red) is set up in a variation of the I formation, while the defense (blue) is set up in the 4-3 defense. Both formations are legal

The Offense team must line up in a legal formation before they can punt the ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50-79 on the offensive line.  Players may temporarily line up in a different position than their number allows as long as they immediately report the change to the referee, who will then inform the defending team of the change.  Players on both teams, except the center (C), may not line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Offensive interior players may not move until the ball is snapped. 

A Kiel Baltic Hurricanes quarterback as a center, ready to take the snap.

The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), the halfback/tailback (HB / TB) and the fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks usually inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap, and then hands off, throws, or runs with the ball. 

The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks can also function as receivers. Fullbacks are generally larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage situations  and are rarely used in passing situations. 

The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary role is to prevent members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays.  The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking,  and ensuring that the other linemen perform their duties during the play.  On either side of the center are the guards (G), while the tackles (T) line up in front of the guards.

The most important receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). [58] The wide receivers line up at or near the line of scrimmage, splitting outside the line. The wide receivers' primary role is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback,  but they can also act as decoys or blockers on running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function as both receivers and blockers.

Defensive unit

Photo of defensive players bringing down an offensive player who has just lost control of the football

Dallas Cowboys defensive players forcing Houston Texans running back Arian Foster to drop the ball

The defense's job is to prevent the offence from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or forcing turnovers (interceptions or fumbles) .

The Defensive Line (DL) consists of Defensive Ends (DE) and Defensive Tackles (DT). Defensive Ends line up at the ends of the line, while Defensive Tackles line up inside between the Defensive Ends. The main role of defensive ends and defensive tackles is to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that linebackers can break through. 

A defensive player leaps into the air in front of a receiver and intercepts the pass

Cornerback Brent Grimes of the Hamburg Sea Devils intercepts a pass

Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of the defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: Middle Linebacker (MLB) and Outside Linebacker (OLB). Linebackers are the leaders of the defensive line and dictate the plays of the defence. Their varied duties include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and protecting the backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game .

The defensive backfield, often referred to as the secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties, in turn, are divided into Free Safeties (FS) and Strong Safeties (SS).  Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, usually opposite a receiver, to cover him. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks, but further back in the secondary. Safeties form the last line of defense and are responsible for stopping deep passes and running plays. 

Special teams unit

Four players run up the field while the kicker takes a kickoff

Kicker Jeff Reed of the Pittsburgh Steelers executes a kickoff

The special teams unit is responsible for all kicking plays. The ball-carrying team's special teams unit attempts field goal attempts (FG), punts, and kickoffs while the opposing team attempts to block or return them. 

Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), the holder (H), and the long snapper (LS). The Long Snapper's job is to snap the football to the Holder, who catches it and positions it for the placekicker. There is usually no holder on kickoffs because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as when the wind prevents the ball from staying upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is called the kickoff returner (KR). 

The specific positions for punts are the punter (P), the long snapper, the upback, and the gunner. The Long Snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it touches the ground. The Gunners line up just outside the line and run down the field to tackle the punt returner (PR) - the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage to provide additional protection for the punter. 

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