This section will help you score some insight on the players whose primary role is to score touchdowns. There are 11 players on offense at a time.
Through a series of plays that involve passing and running the ball, they want to work their way down the field until they get into the end zone. The offense consists of:. Part two is here to help you tackle the roles of the defense. Like the offense, there are 11 defensive players on the field. Their job is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling players or causing turnovers.
This final segment can help you be savvy with special teams. Specialty players take the field during field goals, punts and kick-offs. These players consist of:. Understanding the roles of each player on the football field can be a doozy.
But with this guide, you should be on your way to having a strong grasp on strong safeties, full familiarity with fullbacks and so much more. Make sure you have the football gear you need for your star player, including essential football shoulder pads , and check out The Pro Tips Football Equipment Checklist.
Skip to content. PART 1: Offensive Players This section will help you score some insight on the players whose primary role is to score touchdowns. The offense consists of: Quarterback QB — The field general. He may also run with the ball.
This player does it all. A running back is normally a player who is a quick runner and thrives on contact. Fullback FB — Like a heartier version of the RB, but in the modern game usually more of a lead blocker out of the backfield.
Fullbacks are normally good runners with exceptional strength. Offensive Line — There are five offensive linemen. The offensive line is usually made up of the biggest, strongest players on the team. Due to their high-contact role, these players use football lineman gloves for pass-blocking protection. Wide Receivers WR — Wide receivers, for the most part, are known as pass catchers. They start the play split out wide from the rest of the formation, at or near the line of scrimmage an imaginary line that extends from sideline to sideline at the point where the ball is placed and run pass routes awaiting a pass from the QB.
On running plays, they will throw blocks and occasionally take a handoff. Those in the wide receiver position normally have a combination of blazing speed and strong hand-eye coordination.
Wide receiver gloves help these players get a grip on the ball and are crucial when it comes to making big plays. A touchdown results in 6 points. After the offense scores a touchdown, the special teams comes onto the field to attempt an extra point.
An extra point results in 1 point kicking or 2 points run or pass. The offensive team, however, can also help the team score by getting good field position for an attempt at a field goal. A field goal earns the team 3 points. The offensive unit in football consists of a quarterback, linemen , running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers.
The function of most of the linemen is to block. The offensive line consists of a center, two guards, two tackles and one or two tight ends. Backs include running backs who frequently carry the ball and receive swing passes and screens, and a fullback, who usually blocks, and occasionally carries the ball or receives a pass. The primary function of the wide receivers is to catch passes. The makeup of the offense and how it operates is governed by the head coach or offensive coordinator 's offensive philosophy.
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback 14 Anthony Morelli hands the ball off to his running back 33 Austin Scott in their season opener. Teams can vary the number of wide receivers, tight ends and running backs on the field at one time.
Football rules limit the flexibility of offensive formations. Seven players must line up on the line of scrimmage, and only the two at the end are eligible to catch passes.
Sometimes, offensive lineman can declare eligibility and become "tackle eligible. Typical formations include:. The defensive team or defense is the team that begins a play from scrimmage not in possession of the ball. The object of the defensive team is to prevent the other team from scoring.
Unlike many sports, defense in American football can be very aggressive, seeking to attack the opposing quarterback and to push the offense back from the line of scrimmage. The sign that the defensive goal has been accomplished is recovering possession of the football before the offensive team scores, which usually involves the offensive team punting the ball on fourth down. Other possibilities include having the ball turned over on downs, getting an interception or recovering a fumble.
Also, if an offense advances down-field and into the red zone within the yard line of the defense and is threatening to score a touchdown, the defense can consider its goal accomplished if it forces the offense to settle for a field goal three points rather than a touchdown six points.
Many teams operate specific defensive plays for the so called 'Red Zone' specifically to achieve this. That is because if NFL players change their jersey number without giving the NFL enough notice they are on the hook for the cost of any unsold jerseys bearing their old number.
There are 11 men on the field per side in American football. On the offense, seven of those men must line up on the line of scrimmage, and the other four behind them in the backfield. The job of the offense is to move the ball down the field and score points. Each offensive position has a unique set of responsibilities, and each player has specific attributes that better enable him to do his job.
The stereotypical player at each position has evolved over the decades, as players continue to get bigger and stronger with each generation. A play starts with the center snapping the ball, and the center is one of the offensive linemen. So, the offensive line is where we will start. You can refer to the diagrams throughout this article to see the specific locations of each position. There are five offensive linemen OL in most offensive formations: one center, two guards, and two tackles.
Their primary function is to block for the player with the ball. Offensive linemen are the biggest, strongest guys on the field, and their work can win or lose a game.
All five players line up on the line of scrimmage. In football, there must be seven offensive players on the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. In most standard formations, five of those players are linemen.
Linemen may wear numbers from 50 to These are ineligible numbers in the NFL, meaning offensive players wearing those numbers are not allowed to run downfield on a passing play. This helps the officials when calling penalties. However, a lineman may line up in an eligible position or in the backfield as long as there are still seven players on the line but must first report his intentions to the referee.
Keeping the quarterback safe is part of the NFL offensive lineman's job description. The quarterback QB gets the ball at the start of a play. He must be able to throw the football well and have the leadership skills necessary to command the offense.
Some quarterbacks are good at running with the ball, but this skill is not usually paramount in the NFL. Behind the center. Depending on the play, he may stand directly behind and take the snap straight from the center. Or, he may stand several yards back in shotgun or pistol formation, in which case the center would pass the ball back to him.
Running backs RB come in all shapes and sizes. There are huge, bruising power backs, and small, fast scat backs, and some running backs that never even touch the ball. While their role has changed in modern football, the running back is still a very important position. Running backs must line up in the backfield. In many cases, they split out like a wide receiver and run downfield to catch passes. There was a time, not all that long ago when all running backs needed to be able to carry the ball and gain yards.
The NFL was a more run-centered league back then, where today it is a pass-first league. This means modern running backs need to be good at catching passes and blocking blitzing linebackers. Under the new NFL jersey number rules for , running backs are allowed to wear the numbers 1 through 49 and 80 through Along with defensive cornerbacks, wide receivers are usually the fastest guys on the field.
They must be agile and quick enough to shake defenders who are trying to cover them and be able to reliably catch the football. The main job of the wide receiver is to run downfield and catch passes. If a wide receiver can block well it's a bonus, but they earn their pay for their receiving abilities.
Some wide receivers may also serve as punt or kick returners. Of the seven players lined up on the line of scrimmage, only the ones on the ends of the line are allowed to run downfield and receive a pass. The tight end TE needs to have the power to block as well the finesse to run downfield and catch the football.
Like wide receivers and running backs, under the new NFL jersey number rules tight ends are permitted to wear jerseys with numbers between 1 and 49, and 80 and Today's NFL tight ends are big, powerful receivers with surprising speed.
Kicker K is possibly the position easiest for European audiences to understand, thanks to the popularity of soccer and rugby. The kicker only kicks the ball, but his job is very important. Many a hard-fought football game has come down to the leg of the kicker.
The kicker kicks field goals, extra points, and kicks off. In modern football, he plays no other position. In American football, the defense is tasked with stopping the opposing offense from scoring points.
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