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In my last article, I gave a quick tutorial in the objective and scoring of the sport known as American football. This week, we explore football once more by examining the structure of the offense, defense and special teams.

No matter which group is on the field, all of them are composed of eleven players each with a specific spot and responsibility.

Offense

Quarterback - The quarterback is the main man on offense. He calls the plays and is the person responsible for getting the ball to the proper player in order to gain yardage and score. He stands behind the center who crouches over the ball when the offense and defense line up. Once the play starts he will hand the ball off, pass, or run with the ball.

Wide Receivers - The wide receivers line up away from the offensive line. Their primary responsibility is to catch passes. Receivers run upfield through the defense, trying to put themselves in a position where they can easily catch the ball. There can be as many as 4 wide receivers on the field at one time.

Running Back - The running back typically stands behind the quarterback. The running back has many duties. Primarily, his job is to take the ball from the quarterback and run upfield as far as he can before the defense tackles him. He can also be the recipient of a pass and in some cases he blocks the defense from tackling the quarterback. Sometimes a play calls for two running backs. One of the running backs will generally block for the other.

Center - The center represents the center of the offensive line. The ball will always be snapped (handed or thrown to the quarterback) by the center. After the ball has been snapped, the center must then block the defense from breaking through the line.

Tight End - The tight end lines up on the right side of the offensive line. His duties include blocking for the running backs and occasionally becoming an extra receiver.

Guards - There are two guards that stand on either side of the center. As their name implies, they are there to guard the quarterback.

Tackles - There are two tackles that line up beside the guards. Their job is to protect the quarterback and open up holes in the line for the running back to run through.

Defense

Tackles and Ends - These players lineup opposite their offensive counterparts. They are responsible for breaking through the line to either sack (tackle) the quarterback or running back.

Nose Guard - Also known as a nose tackle or middle lineman, this person usually lines up in front of the center. His job is the same as the defensive tackles and ends.

Linebacker - Linebackers have dual roles. Primarily, they stand still waiting to see what the offense will do. If the play is a running play, they step up to make the stop. If the play is a pass play, they guard the receivers. The linebackers stand behind the defensive line. There are usually three or four linebackers on the field.

Cornerbacks - The cornerbacks usually line up with the wide receivers. They must guard the receiver and prevent him from catching the ball. There are two cornerbacks, one for each side of the field.

Safeties - Safeties are the players farthest from the defensive line. They help guard receivers far down the field.

Special Teams

Special teams are the players that specialize in kickoffs, field goals, or punts. Basically, if the ball is being kicked, a special team is brought in to do this. The majority of the special teams are there for blocking purposes. A team receiving the ball needs teammates to block the other team as he tries to run the ball back as far as he can. The kicking team needs players to bypass the blocking and make the tackle and prevent the kick from being blocked. There are a few extra positions on special teams that haven't been covered in the offense or defense section.

Kicker - The kicker is the person who actually kicks the ball. Some teams will have a different person for kickoffs and field goals. On a kickoff, the player will kick the ball from a tee (a device made to hold the ball upright) while a holder will hold the ball for a field goal attempt.

Holder - Like the kicker, the name states the obvious. The holder receives the snap from the center, places it on the ground upright, positions it perfectly, and places a finger on top of the ball to prevent it from falling over. All this in a span of about two or three seconds.

In the first part of this series, I mentioned that the offense had 4 chances to gain 10 yards. Usually, if it is the fourth down, the offense will decide to punt the ball. This gives the ball to the other team, but places it further down the field, thus making it more difficult for the other team to score.

Punter - This player kicks the ball toward the endzone the defense was guarding. The ball is snapped from the center and the punter kicks it away.

Return Man - For both kickoffs and punts, the other team usually has a person to catch the ball and return it upfield. A fast runner that can break tackles is desired for this position.

So there you have it, a guide to football. I know it doesn't cover every possible thing that can happen, but it should cover 90% or more. Now is the prime time for football, so enjoy it while you can. In about seven weeks it will all be over. By that time hockey and basketball will be in full swing for you sports addicts.

This is my last article of the year as I will be enjoying the holidays with my family. Happy Holidays a little early to all of you!

[ December 18th 2001 11:20 ]