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With 11 players from each team on the field at the same time, there are a lot of positions in American Football that fans need to learn. Each position in football has a different role and a unique skill set. We wanted to simplify this as much as possible by putting together a guide explaining a little more about each position in American Football so fans can learn more about every player on the field.
What Are the Different Football Offensive Positions?
Quarterback is the most important position in American Football and arguably the most difficult in any sport. Almost every play begins with the quarterback receiving the ball from the center. The quarterback then either gives the ball to the running back or attempts a pass to a wide receiver, tight end, or running back. Things are more complicated than that because the quarterback has to call the play and read the defense to figure out the best place to distribute the ball.
Playing in front of the quarterback are the offensive linemen. There is the center, who plays in the middle of the five linemen and delivers the ball to the quarterback at the start of the play. On either side of the center are the two guards while two offensive tackles play at the end of the offensive line. These five players have to block defensive players while working together so that the quarterback has time to execute a pass play or the running back has space to run and gain yards.
As mentioned, the main job of the running back is to take a handoff from the quarterback and run the ball. If it’s a pass play, running backs are sometimes asked to help block or run a route and become a pass-catcher. Meanwhile, a fullback is a type of running back who occasionally carries the ball but is typically used as an extra blocker.
On passing plays, wide receivers tend to be in the spotlight. They are responsible for running routes to a specific part of the field based on the play that was called. The goal of a wide receiver on any given play is to make it difficult for defensive players to cover them so they can get open and receive a pass from the quarterback. They need to be able to catch that pass and hopefully run for more yards after securing the catch.
Last but not least, the tight end position is an important part of the offense. Most tight ends line up next to one of the offensive tackles. They sometimes serve as an extra blocker, especially on running plays. On some passing plays, tight ends will stay to help block. Other times, tight ends run routes and make themselves available to catch the ball the same as wide receivers.
What Are the Different Football Defensive Positions?
The defensive side of the ball is typically divided into three levels. The first level is defensive linemen, who are either defensive tackles or defensive ends. The defensive tackles play on the interior of the line and try to push back the offensive linemen to either provide pressure on the quarterback or reduce space for the running back. Meanwhile, the defensive ends are expected to rush the quarterback from the outside while helping to chase down running backs on a running play.
The second level is made up of the linebackers. There are usually at least two or three linebackers on the field on every play. Linebackers are asked to do a variety of tasks depending on the situation. They are often asked to tackle the running back on running plays while dropping back in coverage on passing plays. At times, linebackers can be asked to play man-to-man defense against a tight end or wide receiver. Outside linebackers are often used as pass rushers who try to sack the quarterback.
The third level of the defense is the secondary, which is made up of cornerbacks and safeties. Cornerbacks are usually asked to guard wide receivers by either preventing them from catching the ball or tackling them as soon as they catch it. Safeties have several different jobs depending on the play. They are sometimes asked to guard receivers man-to-man. Other times, safeties help cornerbacks defend wide receivers by playing behind them. There are other times when safeties are asked to play closer to the line of scrimmage and help tackle on running plays.
Special Team Positions in Football
Football teams have a series of specialists who participate on special teams. First, there are kickers and punters. Kickers are responsible for converting extra points and field goals. They handle kickoffs following a score or at the start of each half. Meanwhile, punters kick the ball to the other team during a change of possession and help the team earn better field positioning.
One key part of special teams is the long snapper. This is a player whose primary job is to snap the ball to the punter or to the holder on field goal or extra point attempts. Even though this is their only job, they have a critical role because the results can be disastrous if these snaps are bad.
Finally, there are kick returners and punt returners. These players are usually running backs or wide receivers with great speed. Their first job is to catch the ball on kickoffs and punts. They try to run back punts and kickoffs to give their team better field positioning or occasionally score a touchdown.
Numbers in Football Positions
The NFL requires players to wear specific numbers based on their position. Therefore, players of a certain position can only have a jersey number in a certain range. For instance, quarterbacks can only wear jerseys between 0 and 19. Wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends must have jerseys between 0 and 49 or 80 to 89.
Offensive linemen and defensive linemen are restricted to numbers between 50 and 79 while defensive linemen are eligible for numbers 90 to 99. Linebackers have the broadest range of numbers from 0 to 59 and 90 to 99. Defensive backs are limited to numbers 0 to 49. Finally, punters and kickers can wear numbers 0 to 49 or 90 to 99.
American vs Canadian Football Positions Explained
The biggest difference between American and Canadian Football when it comes to positions relates to the fact that Canadian Football has 12 players on the field while American Football has 11. Rather than tight ends and fullbacks, Canadian Football uses slot backs, who play closer to the ball while wide receivers play on the perimeter.
Defensively, Canadian Football uses defensive linemen and linebackers similar to American Football. Canadian Football tends to add an extra player in the secondary. In addition to cornerbacks and safety, Canadian Football has defensive halfbacks, which are similar to a safety but don’t play as deep.
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American Football Positions FAQs
A running back is primarily tasked with running the ball but helps to block and catch passes.
Most football players can line up at various spots on the field throughout a game regardless of their assigned position. Most positions can fill different roles, so a player can do different things throughout a game without necessarily switching positions.
Quarterback is the hardest NFL position to play of all football positions. In fact, this is the position that normally wins the NFL MVP Award.
Quarterback is the most important position in American Football and arguably the most important position in any team sport.
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