By blocking the defense, the offensive line makes it possible for the running back to gain yards or the quarterback to make a touchdown pass. “ are the ultimate teammates,” Ryland said, because their job is to make their teammates succeed. Instead, the linemen either act as bulldozers, pushing the defense out of the way on a running play, or protectors, forming a circle - or “pocket” - around the quarterback to keep the defense away from him, said Ryland. What that means is that when the team gets ready for a play to start, the center may look at the defense and make adjustments to the way the line will block (in other words, which of the other team’s players to stop from tackling the quarterback or running back).Īfter the center snaps the ball, the offensive line is usually not allowed to touch the ball again, unless a pass is tipped or the ball is fumbled (Note: A “fumble” is when a player carrying the ball drops it). “ responsible for a lot of the communication and inter-play play calling,” he said. The center is often the captain of the offensive line, said Andy Ryland, senior manager of education and training for USA Football. When a play starts, the center snaps the ball, handing it or tossing it between his legs to the quarterback or another player.

That isn’t true for any other position on the field. “Every single play, the center touches the ball,” he said. The center is the most important member of the offensive line, said Oben. From the quarterback’s point of view, those five are: the left tackle, left guard, center, right guard and right tackle. There can be one, two or even five wide receivers on the field, but there must always be five offensive linemen. With some offensive positions, the number of each player type on the field can vary. So, the quarterback has to be, to some degree, a coach on the field,” Oben added. “A QB has to set the tone for what everyone else has to do. Quarterbacks need to quickly make that recovery and respond positively, Oben said, because they need to lead the team before the next play in the huddle, where the team discusses the upcoming play. National Football League (NFL) offensive tackle and the NFL’s vice president for football development. “He has to come back from making mistakes and recover from that,” said Roman Oben, a former U.S.

And when the pass isn’t caught - or if it’s intercepted by the defensive team - the quarterback needs another important skill: quick mental recovery. The QB must know where all those players are in order to know where the receivers will be before throwing a pass. “There’s a big responsibility to see the whole field and know the whole field, not just play your own position.” But the quarterback has to know everything,” he said.

The lineman just needs to know to block here, and a receiver knows to run here. “The quarterback has to know everybody’s position on the field. But being a good quarterback is about more than just being able to throw good passes, said Karahuta. The QB might hand the ball off to a running back on a rushing play, or they might pass it to a running back, tight end or wide receiver on a passing play. On most plays, the quarterback gets the ball from the center and controls the play.

Soccer position by number