Offensive Positions
Who is the quarterback?
The leader of the team. He calls the plays in the huddle, yells the signals at the line of scrimmage, and receives the ball from the center. Then he hands off the ball to a running back, throws it to a receiver, or runs with it.
What is a touchdown, and how many points is it worth?
6; carrying or passing the ball into the end zone of the opposing side
How long is a football field (not counting end zones)?
100 yards
What is a down?
A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning the play is completed). The offense gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. If it fails to do so, it must surrender the ball to the opponent, usually by punting on the fourth down
How do you start the game?
Who is the center?
The player who snaps the ball to the quarterback. He handles the ball on every play.
What is a field goal, and how many points is it worth?
3; kicking the ball through the field goal
What is a drive?
The series of plays when the offense has the football, until it punts or scores and the other team gets possession of the ball.
What is a fumble?
The act of losing possession of the ball while running with it or being tackled. Members of the offense and defense can recover a fumble. If the defense recovers the fumble, the fumble is called a turnover.
How long is each quarter in high school?
12 minutes
Who is the running-back?
A player who runs with the football. Running backs are also referred to as tailbacks, halfbacks, and rushers.
What is an extra point, and how many points is it worth?
1; a point that is earned after the team scores a touchdown by kicking the ball through the goalposts
What is the line of scrimmage?
Where the ball is snapped / an imaginary line that extends from where the ball is placed at the end of play to both sidelines
What is a sack?
When a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage.
How many players are on the field for each team?
11
Who is the fullback?
A player who’s responsible for blocking for the running back and also for pass-blocking to protect the quarterback. Fullbacks, who are generally bigger than running backs, are short-yardage runners.
What is a two point conversion, and how many points is it worth?
2; earned after the team scores a touchdown, getting the ball into the end zone by a running or pass play, in lieu of a kicked extra point
What is the end zone?
10 yards at each end of the field, which the ball must be carried or passed and caught to score a touchdown
What is an interception?
A pass that’s caught by a defensive player, ending the offense’s possession of the ball.
What is a pick six?
a scoring play in which a defending player intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown
Who is the wide-receiver?
A player who uses his speed and quickness to elude defenders and catch the football. Teams use as many as two to four wide receivers on every play.
What is a safety, and how many points is it worth?
2; when the offense commits a foul in their end zone, fumbles the ball out of their end zone, or is tackled in their end zone
What is the red zone?
The red zone is the area between the 20 yard line and the goal line- meaning when the offensive team has entered this area, the chances of scoring are very high
What is an incompletion?
A forward pass that falls to the ground because no receiver could catch it, or a pass that a receiver dropped or caught out of bounds.
What is a touchback?
when either a punt/kick travels behind the end zone with no chance to be caught or a kick-receiving player voluntarily kneels down in their own end zone immediately after catching a kicked ball. In either case, the ball will be placed on the 20-yard line before the next play begins