- 3-4
- a defensive formation with 3 linemen and 4 linebackers (and 4 defensive backs).
- 4-3
- a defensive formation with 4 linemen and 3 linebackers (and 4 defensive backs).
A
- audible
- a play called by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage to change the play that was called in the huddle.
- automatic
- an audible
B
- blitz
- a defensive maneuver in which one or more linebackers or defensive backs, who normally remain behind the line of scrimmage, instead charge into the opponents' backfield in an attempt to sack the quarterback.
C
- center
- a player position on offense. The center snaps the ball to the quarterback.
- clipping
- an illegal block in which the victim is blocked from the back and below the waist; the penalty is 15 yards. Originally, clipping was defined as any block from the back, but is now restricted to blocks below the waist. Other blocks from the back are now punished with 10-yard penalties.
- coffin corner
- the corner of the field of play. A punter, if he is close enough, will often attempt to kick the ball out of bounds close to the receiving team's goal line and pin them back near their own end zone.
- cornerback
- a player position on defense
- crackback block
- an illegal block delivered from the back by an offensive player who had left the area of close line play and then returned to it. The term is also used to describe a legal block (delivered from the front, or from the side with the offensive player's helmet in front of the blocked player) by a wide receiver on a player who lined up inside of him.
D
- dead ball
- a ball which is not in play after one play has ended and before the next play begins.
- defensive back
- a cornerback or safety on the defensive team; commonly defends against wide receivers on passing plays. Generally there are 4 defensive backs playing at a time; but see nickel back and dime back.
- defensive end
- a player position on defense
- defensive tackle
- a player position on defense
- defensive team
- the team that begins a play from scrimmage not in possession of the ball.
- dime back
- the second extra, or sixth total, defensive back. Named because a dime is worth more than a nickel.
- down
- one of a series of four plays in which the offensive team must advance at least 10 yards or lose possession.
- draw play
- a play in which the quarterback drops back as if to pass, then hands off to a running back.
- drop kick
- a kick in which the ball is allowed to hit the ground before it is kicked. It was effectively used as a method of kicking field goals in the early history of football, but unheard of today, although it is still legal.
E
- eligible receivers
- offensive players who may legally catch a forward pass. At all levels of football, players who line up at the ends of the line of scrimmage, plus backfield players except for the quarterback, are eligible. In the USA, quarterbacks are always eligible receivers at high school and college levels. In the NFL, a quarterback who takes a snap directly from center is NOT an eligible receiver, but a quarterback who takes an indirect snap (e.g. in a shotgun formation) is eligible.
- end
- a player position, either on offense or defense
- end zone
- the area between the end line and the goal line bounded by the sidelines.
- extra point
- a single point scored in a conversion attempt by kicking the ball through the uprights.
F
- field of play
- the area of the field between the goal lines and bounded by the sidelines.
- formation
- the arrangement of players on the offensive team just prior to the beginning of a play.
- forward pass
- a pass with a trajectory that takes it closer to the opponent's goal.
- free kick
- Any kickoff; however, the term is usually used only for the kickoff that follows a safety. This kick differs from all other kickoffs in that punts are allowed. Normal kickoffs must be made with the ball on an elevated tee.
- free safety
- a player position on defense. Free safeties have somewhat more run defense responsibilities than strong safeties.
- fullback
- a player position on offense
- fumble
- a ball that is dropped or mishandled.
- goal
- the end zone.
G
- goal posts
- a set of two upright posts extending above a crossbar. The distance between uprights is 18 feet 9 inches, and the top of the crossbar is 10 feet above the ground.
- gridiron
- a football field
- guard
- a player position on offense
H
- halfback
- a player position on offense
- hash marks
- lines on the field between which plays from scrimmage begin.
- holder
- a player who holds the ball upright for a place kick.
- huddle
- an on-field gathering of members of a team in order to receive instructions for the upcoming play.
I
- inbound lines
- the hash marks.
J
K
- kickoff
- a place kick which starts each half, or restarts the game following a touchdown or field goal.
- kick returner
- a player on the receiving team who specializes in returning kickoffs
L
- lateral
- a pass thrown to the side or backward.
- line of scrimmage
- the yard line at which a down begins.
- line to gain
- a technical term for first-down yardage
- linebacker
- a player position on defense
- lineman
- a defensive or offensive position played on the line of scrimmage
- live ball
- any ball that is in play, whether it is a player's possession or not. The ball is live during plays from scrimmage and free kicks, including kickoffs.
- long snapper
- a center who specializes in the long, accurate snaps required for punts and field goal attempts. Most teams employ a specialist long snapper instead of requiring the normal center to perform this duty.
- loose ball
- any ball that is in play and not in a player's possession. This includes a ball in flight during a lateral or forward pass.
M
- man coverage
- same as man-to-man coverage
- man-to-man coverage
- a defense in which all players in pass coverage, typically linebackers and defensive backs, cover a specific player. Pure man coverage is very rare; defenses typically mix man and zone coverage. One popular variant in recent years, known as "cover 2", features man coverage of the wide receivers and two defensive backs in zone coverage.
N
- neutral zone
- the region between the line of scrimmage and a parallel line some specified distance away from the line of scrimmage that the defensive team must stay out of before the ball is snapped
- nickel back
- an extra, or fifth, defensive back. Named after the coin, worth five cents.
O
- offensive team
- the team with possession of the ball
- offside
- an infraction of the rule that requires both teams to be on their own side of the line of scrimmage before a play starts. Offside is normally called on the defensive team. When the offensive team commits the infraction, it is called a false start.
- onside kick
- a play on a kickoff in which the kicking team tries to field its own kick.
P
- place kicker
- a kicker who specializes in kickoffs or field goals (as opposed to punts)
- play
- pulling
- a term used to describe an offensive lineman who, instead of blocking the player in front of him, steps back ("pulls") and moves down the line to block another player, usually in a "trap" or "sweep."
- punt
- a kick in which the ball is dropped and kicked before it reaches the ground.
- punter
- a kicker who specializes in punts as opposed to kickoffs or field goals.
Q
- quarterback
- the player who generally hands off or throws the football to the receiver. The center must send the football to him before he can decide what action he must take for the play to go forward.
R
- red dog
- a blitz.
- reverse
- an offensive play in which a ballcarrier going toward one side of the field hands off to a teammate who is running in the opposite direction (if the second ballcarrier is an end, it's an "end around").
- run and shoot
- an offensive philosophy designed to force the defense to show its hand prior to the snap of the ball by splitting up receivers and sending them in motion.
- running back
- rush
- trying to tackle or hurry a quarterback before he can throw a pass.
S
- sack
- tackling the quarterback before he can get off a pass.
- safety
- a player position on defense
- a method of scoring (worth two points) by downing an opposing ballcarrier in his own end zone, forcing the opposing ballcarrier out of his own end zone AND out of bounds, or forcing the offensive team to fumble the ball so that it exits the end zone. A safety is also awarded if the offensive team commits a penalty within its own end zone. After a safety, the team that was scored upon must kick the ball to the scoring team from its own 20-yard line.
- In college and high school football, a safety is also awarded if the team defending a conversion attempt gains possession of the ball (via a fumble, interception, or blocked kick) and runs it back into the scoring team's end zone. The defending team will earn two points. However, this type of safety will be followed by the regular kickoff that follows a touchdown.
- safety valve
- a receiver who gets a short pass because all other receivers are covered.
- screen pass
- a short forward pass to a receiver who has blockers in front of him. The receiver in this play is usually a running back or fullback, although wide receiver and tight end screens are sometimes employed.
- scrimmage
- see: play from scrimmage
- shotgun formation
- formation in which offensive team may line up at the start of a play. In this formation, the quarterback receives the snap from about 5 yards behind the center.
- snap
- the handoff or pass from the center that begins a play from scrimmage.
- special teams
- the units that handle kickoffs, punts, free kicks and field goal attempts.
- stiff-arm or straight-arm
- a ballcarrier warding off a would-be tackler by pushing them away with a straight arm.
- strong safety
- a player position on defense. This is a central defensive back who lines up on the strong side of the field. When the offensive team uses one tight end, the strong safety often covers the tight end on pass routes.
- strong side
- definition depends on the offensive formation. When a team uses one tight end, the strong side is the side of the field where the tight end lines up. If the offensive package uses no tight end, or more than one tight end, the strong side is the side of the field with the most offensive players on or just behind the line of scrimmage.
- stunt
- a tactic used by defensive linemen in which they switch sides in an attempt to get past the blockers.
T
- T-formation
- a classic offensive formation with the quarterback directly behind the center and two or three running backs behind the quarterback, forming a 'T'.
- tackle
- the act of forcing a ball carrier the ground
- a player position on the line, either an offensive tackle or a defensive tackle
- tight end
- a player position on offense
- touchback
- the act of downing the ball behind one's own goal line after the ball had been propelled over the goal by the opposing team. After a touchback, the team that downed it gets the ball at their own 20-yard line.
- touchdown
- a play worth six points, accomplished by gaining legal possession of the ball in the opponent's end zone.
- trap
- a basic blocking pattern in which a defensive lineman easily gets past the line of scrimmage, only to be blocked by a "pulling" lineman.
- two-point conversion
- a play worth two points accomplished by gaining legal possession of the ball in the opponent's end zone after a touchdown has been made
U
V
W
- weak side
- when one tight end is used, the side of the field opposite the tight end. In other offensive packages, the side of the field with the fewest offensive players on or just behind the line of scrimmage.
- west coast offense
- an offensive philosophy that uses short, high-percentage passes as the core of a ball-control offense.
- wide receiver
- a player position on offense
- wing back
- a player position in some offensive formations
X
Y
Z
- zone defense
- a defense in which players who are in pass coverage cover zones of the field, instead of individual players. Pure zone packages are seldom used; most defenses employ some combination of zone and man coverage. One recent variant, the zone blitz, combines a blitz with a zone package; in some situations, a linebacker will blitz and a lineman will drop into pass coverage.