Area Blocking: A blocking responsibility according to an area of the field as opposed to the opponent's defensive position. Used mainly in special teams.
Arm Tackle: The cardinal sin of tackling in which a player reaches out with his arms and hands rather than using his head and shoulders to make impact. This often shows a lack of commitment and courage in a player.
Audible: A play called at the line of scrimmage, nullifying the play that was called in the huddle and changing the play on short notice.
Backfield: Units that line up behind the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively. The offensive unit usually consists of the quarterback, 2 running backs and one reciver, all of whom must be at least one yard away from the line of scrimmage. The defensive unit usually consists of 2 cornerbacks, a strong side safety and a weak side safety, but is often added to in situations where the offense are most likely to pass the ball.
Backs: The running backs; the halfback and the fullback.
Backjudge: One of the six officials who police the game, his main function is to observe the contest between the offensive backs and receivers and the defense, checking for illegal blocks or defensive interference. He lines up 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage on the defensive side.
Ball Control: An offensive tactic which is used to eat up time on the clock and keep the opposition offense off the field by using running plays and short passes to make yardage gradually down the field.
Ball carrier: Any player who has possession of the ball.
Blitz: A play where the defensive team sends players rushing towards the line of scrimmage as soon as the ball is snapped to try to sack the quarterback.
Block: The most essential element in an offensive attack. This is the primary job of offensive linemen but all players on the team in possession of the ball will be called upon to do this throughout the game. It is the act of obstructing defenders from tackling the ball carrier by using arms, shoulders and all of the body to get in their way and drive them back. It is illegal to grab or tackle the player you are trying to block.
Blocking: The act of preventing a defensive player from getting to the ball carrier; blockers use their arms and bodies but may not hold an opponent.
Bootleg: A deceptive running play in which the quarterback will pretend to give the ball to a running back going in one direction but will keep the ball hidden behind him and run in the opposite direction.
Bowl Game: The season final between the two teams who have had a good enough regular season record to make the playoffs and have then gone undefeated through the playoffs to make the final.
Breaking The Huddle: After a huddle of the offensive or defensive units, the group will break up and run to their positions on the call of "break", or some other predetermined signal, shouted by each player at the same time.
Bump-and-run: A technique used by pass defenders, where they hit a receiver once within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage to slow him down, and then follow him to prevent him from catching a pass.
Call a play: Instruct players to execute a pre-planned play.
Captain: A responsible player elected by the head coach or in a vote of the players to be a leader on the field and to be the main point of contact with the referees. The defensive captain has the further responsibility of calling the defensive plays in the huddle.
Center: The player in the middle of the offensive line who lines up over the football and snaps (flips the ball through his legs) the ball to the quarterback to begin each play. Like other offensive linemen, his main responsibilities are creating paths for running backs and protecting the quarterback by creating a pocket around him.
Chains (Chain Crew): 10 yard chains show the distance the offense must move in order to gain another set of four downs. The chain gang are sideline assistants who must impartially move the chains up and down the field during a game and operate the down box to show the players what down it is.
Clipping: Blocking an opponent below the waist from behind; this illegal block is a personal foul, punishable by a 15-yard penalty.
Comeback Pattern: A pass route in which a receiver sprints hard downfield, driving the defensive coverage deep, and then stops and turns back to the line of scrimmage
Complete pass: A forward pass to a teammate who catches it in the air.
Containment: A dfensive term designating responsibility to turn a ball carrier into the centre of the field and towards the majority of the defenders.
Controlled Scrimmage: A preseason warmup match between offensive and defensive units in which it is intended that no players are hurt and the ferocity of players is controlled.
Controlling the game clock: The use of tactics by an offensive team to either save or use up time on the game clock, which often dictates its choice of plays.
Conversion: Attempted after a touchdown for one extra point by kicking it through the goalposts or for two extra points by running or passing the ball into the endzone.
Cornerback: A player who lines up opposite receivers and must cover them, matching them for speed and preventing them from catching the ball, along with supporting the tackling on running plays. Typically there is a cornerback on each side of the field.
Counter Play: An act in the offensive backfield designed to exploit the defense's overreaction to the original movement of the offense. Usually the quarterback will fake a handoff to a running back going to one side and will actually give the ball to a running back going in the opposite diretcion.
Cover or coverage: Preventing a player from gaining yards; in pass coverage, a defender follows a receiver to prevent him from catching a pass; in kick coverage, members of the kicking team try to prevent a long kick return.
Cut back: A sudden change in direction taken by a to make it more difficult for defenders to follow and tackle him.
Dead ball: A ball becomes dead when a play is over and becomes live as soon as it is snapped for the next play.
Double coverage: When 2 defensive players cover one receiver.
Down: One of 4 chances a team on offense has to gain 10 yards; also, the state of a player who has just been tackled; also, a ball that a player touches to the ground in the end zone to get a touchback.
Down the field: In the direction of the opponents goal line.
Drive: The series of plays a team puts together in an attempt to score.
Drop back: When a quarterback, after taking the snap, takes a few steps backward into an area called the pocket to get ready to pass.
Eligible receiver: A player allowed by the rules to catch a forward pass; all offensive players are eligible except linemen and the quarterback, who must notify the referee if they wish to become eligible and stand at least one yard behind the line of scrimmage before the snap.
Encroachment: If a player (besides the center) is in the neutral zone and contact occurs prior to the snap; a foul punishable by a 5-yard penalty.
End zone: The area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines, which a team on offense tries to enter to score a touchdown.
Extra point(s): Additional point(s) scored by a team after it has scored a touchdown, either by a point-after-touchdown (1 point) or a 2-point conversion (2 points).
Fair catch: When a kick returner decides only to catch a punt or kickoff and not advance it, protecting himself from being hit by an opponent; he signals for a fair catch by raising one hand in the air and waving it.
False start: A violation committed by an offensive player who, after having assumed a set position on the line of scrimmage, moves before the ball has been picked up.
Field goal: A place kick that passes above the crossbar and between the uprights of the goalpost, earning the team that kicked it 3 points.
Field position: The location of a team on the field relative to the two goal lines; good field position for a team is near its opponents goal line, while bad field position is close to its own goal line.
First down: The first chance out of 4 that a team on offense has to advance 10 yards down the field; as soon as it gains those yards, it earns a new first down.
Forward pass: A pass thrown by a team closer to the opponents goal line; a team is allowed to throw only one forward pass per play, and it must be thrown from behind the teams line of scrimmage.
Forward progress: The location to which a ball carrier has advanced the ball, even if he was pushed backwards after getting there.
Foul: A violation of footballs rules by a team or player, punishable by a penalty.
Free kick: A type of kick taken to start or restart play after a team has scored, with no defenders nearer than 10 yards away; includes a kickoff and a kick after a safety.
Fumble: When a ball carrier loses possession by dropping the ball or having it knocked away before a play ends; the first player to regain possession of the loose ball is said to make the recovery, and his team becomes the offense.
Goal line: A line drawn across the width of the field, 10 yards inside each end line, which a team must cross with the ball to score a touchdown.
Goalpost: A tall metallic structure that stands at the back of each end zone; consists of a crossbar and two uprights that extend upward from it, supported directly above the end line by a base; teams try to kick the ball above the crossbar and between the uprights to score a field goal or extra point.
Going for it: When a team facing a fourth down decides to try for a new first down instead of punting; if it fails, it loses possession of the ball.
Hand-off: A running play where the quarterback hands the ball to a back.
Hang time: The length of time a punt is in the air.
Holding: A foul where a player impedes the movement of an opponent by grasping or hooking any part of his body or uniform; punishable by a penalty 10 yards if against the offense, 5 yards + first down if against the defense.
Home field advantage: The benefit a team gets by playing games in the area where it is based, due to fan support, familiarity with its surroundings and the lack of required travel.
Home game: A game played in a teams own stadium.
In bounds: The region of the field inside the sidelines and end lines.
Incomplete pass: A forward pass that touches the ground before being caught.
Intentional grounding: A foul called against a quarterback who purposely throws an incomplete forward pass solely to avoid a sack; cannot be called if the pass lands at or beyond the line of scrimmage.
Interception: A pass caught in the air (picked off) by a defender whose team immediately gains possession of the ball and becomes the offense.
Interference: Preventing an opposing player from catching a pass by holding or pushing him intentionally; an illegal manoeuvre.
Kickoff: When a player kicks a ball from a tee at his own 30-yard line (35 in college) to the opposing team, whose player tries to advance it the other way; used to start the game, the second half and overtime, and to restart play after each score.
Lateral: A pass thrown to a teammate backwards from the teams line of scrimmage or parallel to it; unlike a forward pass (which can be thrown only once per play), players may lateral the ball as often as they want.
Line of scrimmage: An imaginary line which no player may cross before the snap; each team has its own line of scrimmage, separated by the neutral zone.
Lineman: A player who starts each play within 1 yard of his line of scrimmage.
Live ball: A ball becomes live as soon as it is snapped or free kicked (as in a kickoff); opposite of a dead ball.
Loose ball: A ball that is not in possession of either team, such as after a fumble or a kickoff; it can be recovered by either team.
Man-in-motion: A single player on the offense who is permitted to move prior to the snap; he may only run parallel to the line of scrimmage or away from it.
Midfield: The 50-yard line, which divides the length of the field in half.
Neutral zone: The region that contains the ball as it sits on the ground before each play; the area between the two lines of scrimmage.
NFL (National Football League): The major professional football league in the U.S. see www.nfl.com
Nickel defense: When a defense brings in a 5th defensive back to replace a linebacker on the field, increasing its pass coverage.
Offending team: The team that committed a foul.
Offside: When any part of a players body is beyond his line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped; a foul punishable by a 5-yard penalty.
On downs: The term used to describe a teams loss of possession if it fails to reach the necessary line on a fourth down play.
Onside kick: A deceptive kickoff in which the ball skitters along the ground just far enough so that the kicking team may recover it.
Open receiver: A player who has no defender closely covering him.
Out of bounds: The region of the field touching or outside the sidelines and end lines; as soon as a ball carrier or the ball itself touches out of bounds, the play is over.
Pass defender: A defensive player who covers an opposing receiver.
Pass patterns or pass routes: Pre-determined paths receivers follow to help the passer quickly locate them so he can more easily get them the ball.
Pass protection: Blocking by offensive players to keep defenders away from the quarterback on passing plays.
Pass rush: A surge by defenders to get past blockers and sack the quarterback.
Personal foul: A foul that might cause injury; punishable by a 15-yard penalty.
Picked off: Intercepted.
Pitch-out: A lateral tossed from a quarterback to a running back.
Place kick: A kick towards the goalpost for a field goal or extra point; held between the ground and another players finger.
Play: A spurt of action that begins with a snap and ends with a dead ball.
Play clock: A clock displayed above each end zone that limits the time teams may take between plays to 40 seconds (30 in college); the ball must be snapped before the clock runs down to 0.
Play-action pass: A passing play after the quarterback has faked a hand-off.
Playoffs: The post-season knock-out tournament leading up to the bowl game.
Pocket: An area protected by blockers behind the line of scrimmage, within which the quarterback sets up to throw a pass.
Point-after-touchdown (PAT): A place kick taken from the opponents 2-yard line; awarded to a team that has scored a touchdown, it is worth 1 point if it goes through the goalpost.
Possession: To be holding or in control of the football.
Punt: When a player 10 yards behind the center catches a snap, drops it and kicks it before it hits the ground; an opponent tries to catch and advance it the other way.
Quarterback: The leader of a teams offense, he takes the snap from the center and either hands the ball to a running back to run with, passes it to a receiver or runs with it himself; he also communicates each play to his teammates.
Reading the defense: Recognition by the quarterback of the defensive formation; he may then call an audible to adjust the offense.
Receiver: An offensive player who catches or attempts to catch a forward pass.
Recovery: To gain or regain possession of a fumble.
Return: An attempt by a player who has just caught an interception, punt, or kickoff to advance the ball the other way.
Reverse: A play in which an offensive player running in one direction hands the ball to another moving in the opposite direction.
Roll out: When a quarterback runs parallel to the line, looking for a receiver.
Rookie: A first-year player
Rush: A running play; also, a pass rush.
Sack: A tackle of the quarterback behind his line of scrimmage.
Safety: When a ball carrier is tackled in his own end zone after bringing the ball there under his own power; the defense earns 2 points and receives a free kick from the offenses own 20-yard line.
Scrambling: Evasive movements by a quarterback to avoid being sacked.
Series: The group of 4 downs a team has to advance 10 yards.
Shotgun: An offensive formation, used primarily for passing, in which the quarterback stands several yards behind the center to receive the ball passed back by the center.
Sideline: The boundary line that runs the length of the field along each side; a ball carrier or ball that touches or crosses the sideline is out of bounds.
Snap:
When the center while facing forward quickly hands the ball between his legs to a player standing behind him (usually the quarterback) to start each play.
Special teams: The group of players who participate in kicking plays.
Spike: When a player throws the ball at the ground to celebrate a touchdown.
Spiral: A ball passed or kicked with a spin which propels it further with more accuracy; the ball points the same direction throughout its flight.
Spot: A location on the field, determined by an official, to mark forward progress or the place of a foul.
Stiff arm (or straight arm): A push by a ball carrier to ward off a tackler.
Tackle: A player position on both the offensive and defensive lines; there is usually a left and right offensive tackle, and a left and right defensive tackle; See also tackling.
Tackling: Contacting a ball carrier to cause him to touch the ground with any part of his body except his hands, thereby ending the play.
Third-and-long: When the offense faces a third down and is more than a short running play away from a first down; usually third-and-5 or greater.
Touchback: When a player who gains possession of a ball in his own end zone kneels to the ground and automatically starts the next play at his own 20-yard line; also awarded if his opponent kicks the ball across the end line.
Touchdown (TD): When a team crosses the opponents goal line with the ball, catches a pass in the opponents end zone, or recovers a loose ball in the opponents end zone; earns a team 6 points.
Turnover: The involuntarily loss of possession of the ball during a play, either by a fumble or by throwing an interception.
2-point conversion: When a team that just scored a touchdown starts a play at the opponents 2-yard line and crosses the goal line to earn 2 points.
Arm Tackle: The cardinal sin of tackling in which a player reaches out with his arms and hands rather than using his head and shoulders to make impact. This often shows a lack of commitment and courage in a player.
Audible: A play called at the line of scrimmage, nullifying the play that was called in the huddle and changing the play on short notice.
Backfield: Units that line up behind the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensively. The offensive unit usually consists of the quarterback, 2 running backs and one reciver, all of whom must be at least one yard away from the line of scrimmage. The defensive unit usually consists of 2 cornerbacks, a strong side safety and a weak side safety, but is often added to in situations where the offense are most likely to pass the ball.
Backs: The running backs; the halfback and the fullback.
Backjudge: One of the six officials who police the game, his main function is to observe the contest between the offensive backs and receivers and the defense, checking for illegal blocks or defensive interference. He lines up 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage on the defensive side.
Ball Control: An offensive tactic which is used to eat up time on the clock and keep the opposition offense off the field by using running plays and short passes to make yardage gradually down the field.
Ball carrier: Any player who has possession of the ball.
Blitz: A play where the defensive team sends players rushing towards the line of scrimmage as soon as the ball is snapped to try to sack the quarterback.
Block: The most essential element in an offensive attack. This is the primary job of offensive linemen but all players on the team in possession of the ball will be called upon to do this throughout the game. It is the act of obstructing defenders from tackling the ball carrier by using arms, shoulders and all of the body to get in their way and drive them back. It is illegal to grab or tackle the player you are trying to block.
Blocking: The act of preventing a defensive player from getting to the ball carrier; blockers use their arms and bodies but may not hold an opponent.
Bootleg: A deceptive running play in which the quarterback will pretend to give the ball to a running back going in one direction but will keep the ball hidden behind him and run in the opposite direction.
Bowl Game: The season final between the two teams who have had a good enough regular season record to make the playoffs and have then gone undefeated through the playoffs to make the final.
Breaking The Huddle: After a huddle of the offensive or defensive units, the group will break up and run to their positions on the call of "break", or some other predetermined signal, shouted by each player at the same time.
Bump-and-run: A technique used by pass defenders, where they hit a receiver once within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage to slow him down, and then follow him to prevent him from catching a pass.
Call a play: Instruct players to execute a pre-planned play.
Captain: A responsible player elected by the head coach or in a vote of the players to be a leader on the field and to be the main point of contact with the referees. The defensive captain has the further responsibility of calling the defensive plays in the huddle.
Center: The player in the middle of the offensive line who lines up over the football and snaps (flips the ball through his legs) the ball to the quarterback to begin each play. Like other offensive linemen, his main responsibilities are creating paths for running backs and protecting the quarterback by creating a pocket around him.
Chains (Chain Crew): 10 yard chains show the distance the offense must move in order to gain another set of four downs. The chain gang are sideline assistants who must impartially move the chains up and down the field during a game and operate the down box to show the players what down it is.
Clipping: Blocking an opponent below the waist from behind; this illegal block is a personal foul, punishable by a 15-yard penalty.
Comeback Pattern: A pass route in which a receiver sprints hard downfield, driving the defensive coverage deep, and then stops and turns back to the line of scrimmage
Complete pass: A forward pass to a teammate who catches it in the air.
Containment: A dfensive term designating responsibility to turn a ball carrier into the centre of the field and towards the majority of the defenders.
Controlled Scrimmage: A preseason warmup match between offensive and defensive units in which it is intended that no players are hurt and the ferocity of players is controlled.
Controlling the game clock: The use of tactics by an offensive team to either save or use up time on the game clock, which often dictates its choice of plays.
Conversion: Attempted after a touchdown for one extra point by kicking it through the goalposts or for two extra points by running or passing the ball into the endzone.
Cornerback: A player who lines up opposite receivers and must cover them, matching them for speed and preventing them from catching the ball, along with supporting the tackling on running plays. Typically there is a cornerback on each side of the field.
Counter Play: An act in the offensive backfield designed to exploit the defense's overreaction to the original movement of the offense. Usually the quarterback will fake a handoff to a running back going to one side and will actually give the ball to a running back going in the opposite diretcion.
Cover or coverage: Preventing a player from gaining yards; in pass coverage, a defender follows a receiver to prevent him from catching a pass; in kick coverage, members of the kicking team try to prevent a long kick return.
Cut back: A sudden change in direction taken by a to make it more difficult for defenders to follow and tackle him.
Dead ball: A ball becomes dead when a play is over and becomes live as soon as it is snapped for the next play.
Double coverage: When 2 defensive players cover one receiver.
Down: One of 4 chances a team on offense has to gain 10 yards; also, the state of a player who has just been tackled; also, a ball that a player touches to the ground in the end zone to get a touchback.
Down the field: In the direction of the opponents goal line.
Drive: The series of plays a team puts together in an attempt to score.
Drop back: When a quarterback, after taking the snap, takes a few steps backward into an area called the pocket to get ready to pass.
Eligible receiver: A player allowed by the rules to catch a forward pass; all offensive players are eligible except linemen and the quarterback, who must notify the referee if they wish to become eligible and stand at least one yard behind the line of scrimmage before the snap.
Encroachment: If a player (besides the center) is in the neutral zone and contact occurs prior to the snap; a foul punishable by a 5-yard penalty.
End zone: The area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines, which a team on offense tries to enter to score a touchdown.
Extra point(s): Additional point(s) scored by a team after it has scored a touchdown, either by a point-after-touchdown (1 point) or a 2-point conversion (2 points).
Fair catch: When a kick returner decides only to catch a punt or kickoff and not advance it, protecting himself from being hit by an opponent; he signals for a fair catch by raising one hand in the air and waving it.
False start: A violation committed by an offensive player who, after having assumed a set position on the line of scrimmage, moves before the ball has been picked up.
Field goal: A place kick that passes above the crossbar and between the uprights of the goalpost, earning the team that kicked it 3 points.
Field position: The location of a team on the field relative to the two goal lines; good field position for a team is near its opponents goal line, while bad field position is close to its own goal line.
First down: The first chance out of 4 that a team on offense has to advance 10 yards down the field; as soon as it gains those yards, it earns a new first down.
Forward pass: A pass thrown by a team closer to the opponents goal line; a team is allowed to throw only one forward pass per play, and it must be thrown from behind the teams line of scrimmage.
Forward progress: The location to which a ball carrier has advanced the ball, even if he was pushed backwards after getting there.
Foul: A violation of footballs rules by a team or player, punishable by a penalty.
Free kick: A type of kick taken to start or restart play after a team has scored, with no defenders nearer than 10 yards away; includes a kickoff and a kick after a safety.
Fumble: When a ball carrier loses possession by dropping the ball or having it knocked away before a play ends; the first player to regain possession of the loose ball is said to make the recovery, and his team becomes the offense.
Goal line: A line drawn across the width of the field, 10 yards inside each end line, which a team must cross with the ball to score a touchdown.
Goalpost: A tall metallic structure that stands at the back of each end zone; consists of a crossbar and two uprights that extend upward from it, supported directly above the end line by a base; teams try to kick the ball above the crossbar and between the uprights to score a field goal or extra point.
Going for it: When a team facing a fourth down decides to try for a new first down instead of punting; if it fails, it loses possession of the ball.
Hand-off: A running play where the quarterback hands the ball to a back.
Hang time: The length of time a punt is in the air.
Holding: A foul where a player impedes the movement of an opponent by grasping or hooking any part of his body or uniform; punishable by a penalty 10 yards if against the offense, 5 yards + first down if against the defense.
Home field advantage: The benefit a team gets by playing games in the area where it is based, due to fan support, familiarity with its surroundings and the lack of required travel.
Home game: A game played in a teams own stadium.
In bounds: The region of the field inside the sidelines and end lines.
Incomplete pass: A forward pass that touches the ground before being caught.
Intentional grounding: A foul called against a quarterback who purposely throws an incomplete forward pass solely to avoid a sack; cannot be called if the pass lands at or beyond the line of scrimmage.
Interception: A pass caught in the air (picked off) by a defender whose team immediately gains possession of the ball and becomes the offense.
Interference: Preventing an opposing player from catching a pass by holding or pushing him intentionally; an illegal manoeuvre.
Kickoff: When a player kicks a ball from a tee at his own 30-yard line (35 in college) to the opposing team, whose player tries to advance it the other way; used to start the game, the second half and overtime, and to restart play after each score.
Lateral: A pass thrown to a teammate backwards from the teams line of scrimmage or parallel to it; unlike a forward pass (which can be thrown only once per play), players may lateral the ball as often as they want.
Line of scrimmage: An imaginary line which no player may cross before the snap; each team has its own line of scrimmage, separated by the neutral zone.
Lineman: A player who starts each play within 1 yard of his line of scrimmage.
Live ball: A ball becomes live as soon as it is snapped or free kicked (as in a kickoff); opposite of a dead ball.
Loose ball: A ball that is not in possession of either team, such as after a fumble or a kickoff; it can be recovered by either team.
Man-in-motion: A single player on the offense who is permitted to move prior to the snap; he may only run parallel to the line of scrimmage or away from it.
Midfield: The 50-yard line, which divides the length of the field in half.
Neutral zone: The region that contains the ball as it sits on the ground before each play; the area between the two lines of scrimmage.
NFL (National Football League): The major professional football league in the U.S. see www.nfl.com
Nickel defense: When a defense brings in a 5th defensive back to replace a linebacker on the field, increasing its pass coverage.
Offending team: The team that committed a foul.
Offside: When any part of a players body is beyond his line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped; a foul punishable by a 5-yard penalty.
On downs: The term used to describe a teams loss of possession if it fails to reach the necessary line on a fourth down play.
Onside kick: A deceptive kickoff in which the ball skitters along the ground just far enough so that the kicking team may recover it.
Open receiver: A player who has no defender closely covering him.
Out of bounds: The region of the field touching or outside the sidelines and end lines; as soon as a ball carrier or the ball itself touches out of bounds, the play is over.
Pass defender: A defensive player who covers an opposing receiver.
Pass patterns or pass routes: Pre-determined paths receivers follow to help the passer quickly locate them so he can more easily get them the ball.
Pass protection: Blocking by offensive players to keep defenders away from the quarterback on passing plays.
Pass rush: A surge by defenders to get past blockers and sack the quarterback.
Personal foul: A foul that might cause injury; punishable by a 15-yard penalty.
Picked off: Intercepted.
Pitch-out: A lateral tossed from a quarterback to a running back.
Place kick: A kick towards the goalpost for a field goal or extra point; held between the ground and another players finger.
Play: A spurt of action that begins with a snap and ends with a dead ball.
Play clock: A clock displayed above each end zone that limits the time teams may take between plays to 40 seconds (30 in college); the ball must be snapped before the clock runs down to 0.
Play-action pass: A passing play after the quarterback has faked a hand-off.
Playoffs: The post-season knock-out tournament leading up to the bowl game.
Pocket: An area protected by blockers behind the line of scrimmage, within which the quarterback sets up to throw a pass.
Point-after-touchdown (PAT): A place kick taken from the opponents 2-yard line; awarded to a team that has scored a touchdown, it is worth 1 point if it goes through the goalpost.
Possession: To be holding or in control of the football.
Punt: When a player 10 yards behind the center catches a snap, drops it and kicks it before it hits the ground; an opponent tries to catch and advance it the other way.
Quarterback: The leader of a teams offense, he takes the snap from the center and either hands the ball to a running back to run with, passes it to a receiver or runs with it himself; he also communicates each play to his teammates.
Reading the defense: Recognition by the quarterback of the defensive formation; he may then call an audible to adjust the offense.
Receiver: An offensive player who catches or attempts to catch a forward pass.
Recovery: To gain or regain possession of a fumble.
Return: An attempt by a player who has just caught an interception, punt, or kickoff to advance the ball the other way.
Reverse: A play in which an offensive player running in one direction hands the ball to another moving in the opposite direction.
Roll out: When a quarterback runs parallel to the line, looking for a receiver.
Rookie: A first-year player
Rush: A running play; also, a pass rush.
Sack: A tackle of the quarterback behind his line of scrimmage.
Safety: When a ball carrier is tackled in his own end zone after bringing the ball there under his own power; the defense earns 2 points and receives a free kick from the offenses own 20-yard line.
Scrambling: Evasive movements by a quarterback to avoid being sacked.
Series: The group of 4 downs a team has to advance 10 yards.
Shotgun: An offensive formation, used primarily for passing, in which the quarterback stands several yards behind the center to receive the ball passed back by the center.
Sideline: The boundary line that runs the length of the field along each side; a ball carrier or ball that touches or crosses the sideline is out of bounds.
Snap:
When the center while facing forward quickly hands the ball between his legs to a player standing behind him (usually the quarterback) to start each play.
Special teams: The group of players who participate in kicking plays.
Spike: When a player throws the ball at the ground to celebrate a touchdown.
Spiral: A ball passed or kicked with a spin which propels it further with more accuracy; the ball points the same direction throughout its flight.
Spot: A location on the field, determined by an official, to mark forward progress or the place of a foul.
Stiff arm (or straight arm): A push by a ball carrier to ward off a tackler.
Tackle: A player position on both the offensive and defensive lines; there is usually a left and right offensive tackle, and a left and right defensive tackle; See also tackling.
Tackling: Contacting a ball carrier to cause him to touch the ground with any part of his body except his hands, thereby ending the play.
Third-and-long: When the offense faces a third down and is more than a short running play away from a first down; usually third-and-5 or greater.
Touchback: When a player who gains possession of a ball in his own end zone kneels to the ground and automatically starts the next play at his own 20-yard line; also awarded if his opponent kicks the ball across the end line.
Touchdown (TD): When a team crosses the opponents goal line with the ball, catches a pass in the opponents end zone, or recovers a loose ball in the opponents end zone; earns a team 6 points.
Turnover: The involuntarily loss of possession of the ball during a play, either by a fumble or by throwing an interception.
2-point conversion: When a team that just scored a touchdown starts a play at the opponents 2-yard line and crosses the goal line to earn 2 points.
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