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Football Terminology
Last updated on
December 06, 2008 Ever wonder what it is that the TV Announcers and other people are referring to when they are talking football? Learn all the football and NFL lingo here.
You can also search this entire
website for a word or phrase by going here and entering your text If there is a word you can not find, contact us and we will inform you and post it here on this page. If you should find an error with one of our definitions - PLEASE inform us so that we may correct it! Thank you! A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
+ abbreviation for yards gained - abbreviation for yards lost % ATT An acronym for Percentage of Attempts - usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports % AVERAGE THROW The average distance between the line of scrimmage and the intended receiver on pass attempts. % INC An acronym for Percentage of Incompletions - usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports 0-9 n-m defense a defense with n down linemen and m linebackers, such as:
1Ds abbreviation for first downs (found in STAT records) 1st An acronym for First Down - usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports 1st % An acronym for First Down Percentage - usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports 12th MAN See Twelth Man 2PT abbreviation for 2 point conversions (found in STAT records) 2 POINT CONVERSION: See Two Point Conversion 3 AMIGOS The trio of wide receivers on the Denver Broncos of the late 1980s and early 1990s: Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, and Ricky Nattiel. 3 AND OUT See Three And Out
3-4 DEFENSE a basic defensive formation that is used by several NFL teams. Bud Wilkenson devised the alignment at the University of Oklahoma in the late 1940s. The alignment features three down linemen and four linebackers in the front seven, thus the name 3-4.
Two cornerbacks (CB), one on each side of the field, line up to cover the wide receivers. There are also two safeties. The exact positioning of the defensive backs (cornerbacks and safeties) depends on the type of pass coverage they are in. The 3-4 Eagle defense evolved from Buddy Ryan's 46 defense and Fritz Shurmur first unveiled it with the Los Angeles Rams in the early 1980s. The alignment is basically the same as a normal 3-4, but a linebacker is inserted in the nose tackle's spot, leaving the formation with just two linemen and five linebackers.
In this formation, you have just two defensive linemen on the field, normally defensive tackles (DT). In the middle of the line, where the nose tackle would normally be, is a linebacker (LB). Two more linebackers line up as ends, outside the defensive tackles. The last two linebackers line up behind the defensive line. Two cornerbacks (CB), one on each side of the field, line up to cover the wide receivers. There are also two safeties. The exact positioning of the defensive backs(cornerbacks and safeties) depends on the type of pass coverage they are in. 3 POINT STANCE: See three Point Stance 33 STACK See 3-3-5 DEFENSE 3 YARDS AND A CLOUD OF DUST See Power Football
4-3 DEFENSE a defensive formation with 4 linemen and 3 linebackers. Several variations are employed. First used by coach Joe Kuharich. The 4-3 defense is a basic defensive formation that is widely used today. The alignment features four down lineman and three linebackers in the front seven, thus the name 4-3.
Two cornerbacks (CB), one on each side of the field, line up to cover the wide receivers. There are also two safeties. The exact position of the defensive backs (cornerbacks and safeties) depends on the type of pass coverage they are in. 4-3 DEfENSE OVER/UNDER See Over/Under 4-3 Defense The 4-4 defense is a basic defensive formation in the game of football. The alignment features four down lineman and four linebackers, thus the name 4-4.
Two cornerbacks (CB), one on each side of the field, line up to cover the wide receivers. There is just one safety. The exact position of the defensive backs (cornerbacks and safety) depends on the type of pass coverage they are in. 4-4-4 DEFENSE a Infamous defense, coined by coach and color commentator John Madden when referring to a penalty having 12 men on the field.
46 DEFENSE (pronounced forty-six defense) a formation of the 4-3 defense (four linemen and three linebackers) in which three defensive backs(the two cornerbacks and the strong safety) crowd the line of scrimmage. The remaining safety, which is the free safety, stays in the backfield. It is also known as the "Bear" defense because it was popularized by Buddy Ryan while coaching for the Chicago Bears. Not to be confused with the 4-6 (four-six) defense. The 46 Defense designed by Buddy Ryan at the Chicago Bears and named after the jersey number of Doug Plank, generally it has more than the normal number of pass rushers and the pass defenders are in man pass coverage 49ERS See San Francisco 49ers 49ERS FAITHFUL Nickname given to the fans of the San Francisco 49ers. 4 LOSS abbreviation for tackles for losses (found in STAT records)
Two cornerbacks (CB), one on each side of the field, line up to cover the wide receivers. There are also two safeties. The exact position of the defensive backs (cornerbacks and safeties) depends on the type of pass coverage they are in. 51 Swing 749 East see I-formation The 6-1 defense is a variation of the 4-3 formation. The alignment features four downed linemen and three linebackers in the front seven, but two linebackers move up on the defensive line, putting a total of six defenders on the line. If you take a look at the illustration on the right, you will see a diagram outlining the 6-1 defense. The Os in the diagram represent offensive players while the Xs represent the placement of the defensive players.
Two cornerbacks (CB), one on each side of the field, line up to cover the wide receivers. There are also two safeties. The exact position of the defensive backs (cornerbacks and safeties) depends on the type of pass coverage they are in. 8 IN THE BOX See Eight In The Box 12TH MAN See Twelth Man 60 MINUTE MEN Any player who played every minute of a game. 700 LEVEL The notorious upper levels of the former Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia between 1971 and 2002. This section was notorious for brawls between Philadelphia Eagles fans and those of visiting teams, especially Cowboys fans.
A/G abbreviation for assists per game (found in STAT records)
A acronym
for 1. A GAP
This formation has gained popularity in the NFL as teams have started trading out a fullback, or blocking back, in favor of another wide receiver or tight end who is usually faster and better able to receive the ball, while still helping the run game with down-field blocks. The effectiveness of the formation is further increased if the team has athletic tight ends with good hands, thereby increasing the versatility of the formation. It is, moreover, good for bootlegs and reverses. Single-back offenses have gained popularity due to zone blocking and advanced defenses. There are several combinations of single back formations that are used in Division 1 and NFL football. Speed offenses will use single back because the defense still has to respect the run out of these formations since you can line up many tight ends and still have a down field running game. Single back offenses create match-up problems in the defense. Linebackers will often have to cover receivers in passing routes while defensive safeties are used more to come up and stop the run on the line of scrimmage. Teams that run a single-back offense typically rely on quick receivers that run great routes, balanced tight ends (blocking/receiving), intelligent, shifty running backs, fast and intelligent offensive lineman, and a quarterback that can read defenses and make safe throws under pressure. Single-back offenses are more common in the NFL than in college or high school. Here are a variety of plays that start in the ace formation.
Ace Stretch Play
Action Boot
ADJUSTMENT change in the approach of a team or player during a game as a result of less than satisfactory success with the original approach; also changing defensive alignment in response to offensive shifts or motions; the ability to make during-game adjustments is a must for all football coaches; many who do well in the first half but not the second are manifesting an inability to make appropriate adjustments definition ADP acronym for Average Draft Position (fantasy football term) AFL An acronym for either the American Football League or the Arena Football League.
The AFL (Arena
Football League) is similar to the NFL, but is played
indoors on a smaller field.
The AFC currently consists of 16 teams, organized into four divisions (North, South, East, and West) of four teams each. Each team plays the other teams in their division twice (home & away) during the regular season in addition to 10 other games/teams assigned to their schedule by the NFL the previous May. Two of these games are assigned on the basis of the team's final record in the previous season. The remaining 8 games are split between the roster of two other NFL divisions. This assignment shifts each year. For instance, in the 2005 regular season, each team in the NFC East will play a game apiece against each team in both the AFC West and the NFC West. In this way division competition consists of common opponents, with the exception of the 2 games assigned on the strength of each team's prior season record. The NFC operates according to the same system. At the end of each football season, there are playoff games involving the top six teams in the AFC (the four division champions by place standing and the top two remaining non-division-champion teams ("wildcards") by record). The last two teams remaining play in the AFC Championship game with the winner receiving the Lamar Hunt Trophy. The AFC champion plays the NFC champion in the Super Bowl.
It began in 1970 after the merger between the NFL and the American Football League. The AFC was formed by joining the 10 former AFL teams with 3 NFL teams: the then-Baltimore Colts, the Cleveland Browns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Playoff Structure For more details on this topic, see NFL playoffs. At the end of each football season, a series of playoff games involving the top six teams in the AFC are conducted, consisting of the four division champions and two wild card teams. The two teams remaining play in the AFC Championship game.
AGILLITIES short for agility drills; drills commonly used by position coaches during the 10- to 20-minute position-coach period at the beginning of most football practices; the theory behind them is that agility is a desirable football skill and agility drills make players more agile; I do not believe the drills make players better at football to any significant degree; rather, they make the players better at doing the agility drill in question; I would appreciate hearing about any scientific study that proves any football agility drill pays a game-day dividend worth the practice time it takes; I suspect the real reasons for the widespread use of agility drills are they fill practice time and look footballish, that's the way it's always been done, the logic that agility drills increase agility seems correct, a number of companies make and/or sell products for agility drills and therefore have financial incentive to encourage belief in their efficacy, many coaches are afraid to deviate from football group norms because it increases the probability they will be blamed for losses; doing the same as every other coach enables coaches to subtly blame the players for losses, e.g. "someone needed to make a play but no one did;" I believe that agilities should never be used and that the practice time saved is far better spent on learning assignments, blocking techniques, practicing reading defenders and throwing passes, option reads, and so forth; carioca is an agility drill, as are running through tires (now ropes or a ladder), running around large hoops on the ground, etc.; may be the best you can do at the college level in the off-season when more productive activities are prohibited by rule
AINTS AIR CORYELL Nickname given to the high powered passing offenses of the early 1980s San Diego Chargers, led by quarterback Dan Fouts and coached by Don Coryell. The "Air Coryell" Offense was originated by Don Coryell and adopted by his assistant coaches including Joe Gibbs, Jim Hanifan, and Ernie Zampese. The offense features a power running game similar to that of former University of Southern California head coach John McKay. What has made this offense popular is the ability to stretch the field vertically with the passing game and its numbered pass routes. The Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins, and the University of Maryland are among those who run this type of offense. AIR RAID an offensive philosophy derived from the West Coast Offense but adapted to the shotgun formation. In this offense the running game is heavily de-emphasized while the quick pass, medium pass, and screen game are highly developed.
AKRON INDIANS See Akron
Pros The Akron Pros were a National Football League team that played in Akron, Ohio from 1920-1925 and as the Akron Indians in 1926. The team started out in 1916 as the Akron Burkhardts, named after a local family of brewers that sponsored the team. As from 1917 the team competed as the Akron Pros. The Pros became a charter member of the NFL (then known as the American Professional Football Association) in 1920 and won the first ever league title. Fritz Pollard, the first African-American head coach in the NFL, co-coached the Pros in 1921. In 1926, the name was changed to the Akron Indians, which had been an earlier Akron semi-pro team, but that didn't help. Because of financial problems, the team suspended operations in 1927 and surrendered its franchise the following year.
ALONZO STAGG
See Amos Alonzo Stagg here
AMERICAS TEAM
AMOS STAGG
The Arizona Cardinals American football club is a Phoenix, Arizona-based National Football League team. In 2006, the club will move to the new Cardinals Stadium in the suburb of Glendale, Arizona.
The Cardinals roots actually stretch back to 1898 when a neighborhood group that gathered to play football in a predominantly Irish area of Chicago's South Side, playing under the name Morgan Athletic Club. Chris O'Brien, a painting and decorating contractor acquired the team later.
The team disbanded in 1906 due mostly to a lack of local competition, but reformed in 1913 . They were forced to suspend operations for a second time in 1918 due to World War I and the outbreak of the Spanish Flu Pandemic . They resumed operations later in the year, and have operated continuously since then. The American Professional Football Association, the direct forerunner of the NFL, began play in 1920. The Racine Cardinals faced an immediate challenge for territorial rights in Chicago from a team named the Tigers, who joined the league on September 17. O'Brien and the Cardinals promptly challenged the Tigers to a game, with the loser to leave town. The Cardinals won the game, 6-0-and franchise rights-thanks to the legendary Paddy Driscoll's touchdown The team became a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (which became the NFL in 1922) in 1920, for the franchise fee of $100. According to some, the team's name was erroneously recorded as " Racine, Wisconsin ." The team was renamed the Chicago Cardinals in 1922 after a team from Racine, Wisconsin entered the league. That season the team moved into Comiskey Park . In 1932 the team was purchased by Charles W. Bidwill, then a vice president of the Chicago Bears . The team has been under the ownership of the Bidwill family since then. (Charles' son, William V. Bidwill, now operates the team.) In 1944, owing to player shortages caused by World War II , the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers merged for one year and were known as the "Card-Pitts," or derisively as the "Carpets" as they were winless that season.
Bidwill kept the team going through
the Depression and World War II, and finally managed to put together
a winning unit just as the war ended. Bidwill's building program
produced a team that won the NFL championship in 1947. The Cardinals'
28-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1947 championship
game still stands as the team's last playoff victory.
Not all was rosy as the Chicago
Cardinals were drowning in red ink, and were no longer able to
compete with the Bears in the Windy City. Owner Violet Bidwell
decided it was time for a change and began looking for a new nest for
the NFL's oldest franchise. A study prior to expansion suggested St.
Louis would be able to support a team nicely. With the newly formed
rival league, the AFL, eyeing this promising bit of territory, the
NFL wanted to secure a team in the area. So, on March 13th the NFL
owners unanimously voted to allow the Chicago Cardinals to relocate
to St. Louis. Sports fans and local news broadcasters got into the habit of calling them "the football Cardinals" or "the Baseball Cardinals " to distinguish the two.
The Cardinals have won NFL Championships in 1925 and 1947. But the team has not won a league title since then, and thus currently holds the record for the longest championship drought (period of not winning) in NFL history. City: Tempe, Arizona Team Colors: Cardinal Red, Black, and White Head Coach: Dennis Green
Helmet design:
White with a cardinal head Home fields Since 1920
Normal Field (1920-1921), (1926-1928) Team history
Morgan
Athletic Club (1898) A football club on the southwest side of Chicago was formed in 1898. The team was known as the Normals until 1901, when founder Chris O'Brien secured some hand-me-down jerseys from the University of Chicago. The jerseys were actually maroon, but the color had faded, striking O'Brien as more of a cardinal tint. The team became the Racine Cardinals, keeping the nickname as the club moved from Chicago (1922) to St. Louis (1960) and, finally, to Phoenix (1988).
In 1988 artificial turf gained a bad reputation on both sides of the Atlantic with fans and especially with players. The first artificial turfs were a far harder surface than grass, and soon became known as an unforgiving playing surface which was prone to cause more injuries, and in particular, more serious joint injuries, than would comparatively be suffered on a grass surface. Artificial turf was also regarded as aesthetically unappealing to many fans. NFL stadiums now use Fieldturf
Each NFL team generally has assistant coaches for offense and defense, as well more specialized areas like quarterbacks and linebackers.
AST An acronym
for Assisted tackles
usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports
The advantage of AstroTurf turf over grass turf is quite evident: an artificial turf requires minimal maintenance. It is also ideal for indoor stadiums, since it does not require sunlight. However, an AstroTurf surface is much harder than one of natural grass. Players describe the impact as similar to falling on concrete (Vince Lombardi called AstroTurf "fuzzy cement"). Players' cleats can get caught in the turf, which does not give the way grass and dirt does, causing the injury known as "turf toe". AstroTurf turf is being replaced in many stadiums with newer types of artificial turf - two common brands of this new generation being FieldTurf and Sport Grass. These materials have properties much closer to natural grass turf. AstroTurf's version of this new artificial grass was called AstroPlay, but in 2004, Southwest Recreational Industries, who held the rights to making AstroTurf, went out of business after filing for bankruptcy. It is now sold by AstroTurf, LLC. AstroTurf is a registered trademark of Textile Management Associates, applied to a particular kind of artificial turf. AstroTurf turf was invented in 1965 by employees of Monsanto, patented in 1967, and originally sold under the name "Chemgrass." It was renamed AstroTurf after its first well-publicised use at the Houston Astrodome stadium.
The Atlanta Falcons American football club is a National Football League team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons joined the NFL as a 1966 expansion team.
City: Atlanta, Georgia Head Coach: Jim L. Mora Team colors: Home jerseys are red and white with white letters and black trim. Away jerseys are white with black letters and red trim. Helmet design: Black with a black face mask and a red and black falcon logo with a grey and white border on both sides, which forms the shape of an F. Unofficial Nickname(s): "Dirty Birds" (The team's nickname during their 1998-99 NFC Championship season) Home fields:
Atlanta
Fulton County Stadium (1966-1991) Team history Atlanta Falcons (1966–present) Atlanta held a contest in 1965 and many chose Falcons for the NFL's newest team. The best argument was submitted by Julia Elliot, a teacher from Griffin, Ga. - "the Falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It is deadly and has a great sporting tradition." ATS An acronym for Record Against The Spread
AUCTION DRAFT (fantasy football term) A type of fantasy draft in which owners are allotted a certain amount of fantasy cash to fill their roster spots by bidding on NFL players. Owners take turns introducing an opening bid for a player.
An audible is often called by the quarterback when he doesn't like the play call after getting a look at the defensive formation. Also known as Automatic AUTOMATIC: See audible
AVERAGE DRAFT POSITION (fantasy football term) A report that lists NFL players by the position they were drafted in fantasy football drafts on average. The source can be mock drafts or real ones. ADP is a useful draft preparation tool.
AWARDS
Different awards presented in The NFL: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
BAL BAS BE BI BL BLO BO BOW BR BU
B acronym for Back Judge (Official)
B GAP
A back generally lines up in the offensive backfield, but will occasionally split out as a receiver.
Jersey Numbers: 20 - 49
Click Here to see where The Back Judge is Positioned on the Field Responsibilities and positioning of each game official. Referee Umpire Head Linesman Line Judge Field Judge Side Judge Back Judge BACKUP A player who does not start the game, but comes in later in relief of a starter. BACKWARD PASS See Lateral Pass BADGERS See Milwaukee Badgers
BALL Click Here
A ball carrier is generally a running back, wide receiver, or quarterback, but can include any player that happens to legally end up with the football in his hands. In 1953, Carroll Rosenbloom became the principal owner of the new NFL Baltimore Colts. In 1958, coached by Hall of Famer Weeb Ewbank and led by Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas, the Colts defeated the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium 23-17 in the NFL championship game, an overtime contest sometimes called "The Greatest Game Ever Played." The original incarnation of the Baltimore Colts started in the All-America Football Conference in 1946 as the Miami Seahawks. After a 3-11 season, they moved to Baltimore in 1947. In 1950, they joined the National Football League and finished the season with a record of 1 11. Due to financial difficulties after the 1-11 losing season, Colts owner Abraham Watner gave his team and its players contracts back to the NFL for $50,000. But many Baltimore fans protested the loss of their team. Supporting groups such as its fan club and its marching band remained in operation and worked for the team's revival. Three years later a new team was given to Baltimore, which is now known as the Indianapolis Colts located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The supporting groups, including the fan club and a marching band remained, however, again working to revive a team in Baltimore. They were ultimately successful and are now part of the Baltimore Ravens located in Baltimore, Maryland. Faced with the aforementioned competitive difficulties and wanting a new stadium, team owner Robert Irsay moved the team to Indianapolis in Mayflower Transit trucks in the middle of the night on March 29, 1984, after the Maryland legislature threatened to give the city of Baltimore the right to seize the team by eminent domain. Since 1987, the Indianapolis Colts have had mixed success at best. They have appeared in the playoffs seven years since then, with their best advance to the AFC championship game in 1995, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-16, and in 2003, when they won the AFC South Division title, defeated the Denver Broncos in the wild-card playoff (41-10), and advanced to play the Kansas City Chiefs in a divisional playoff, winning 38-31. In the AFC Championship game, they were decisively defeated 24-14 by the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, with quarterback Peyton Manning throwing four interceptions, in a game which was widely criticized for its minimal officiating (only seven penalties were called during the entire game, six of them were pre-snap fouls). Meanwhile, most of the prominent old-time former Baltimore Colts players disassociated themselves from the team, and instead started to attend events of the Baltimore Ravens team that began play in 1996. Many Baltimore fans who are still bitter about the Colts football team moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1984, along with many of the Colts' former players, view the pre-1984 Baltimore Colts organization and the Ravens as one continuous entity. In fact, the old Colts marching band and fan club became part of the Ravens organization. Also see Dallas Texans as the beginning of Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Ravens American football club is a National Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They have won one Super Bowl title. The history of the Baltimore Ravens is unusual due to the unprecedented actions taken by the cities of Baltimore and Cleveland, Ohio, and the NFL in 1996. On November 6, 1995, then-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell announced his intention to move the team to Baltimore, citing the inadequacy of Cleveland Stadium and the lack of a sufficient replacement. The decision triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of both cities and the NFL reached a settlement on February 9, 1996. It stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, and history of the franchise were to remain in Cleveland. A reactivated Cleveland Browns team would then begin play in 1999, while the relocated club would technically be a new expansion team, the Ravens. For that reason, past records and Pro Football Hall of Fame players are attributed to the Browns and not to the Ravens. For more information on the move, see Cleveland Browns However, some consider the Ravens and the pre-1995 Browns organization as one continuous entity, using the term The Modell Franchise to denote it. Also, many Baltimore fans who are still bitter about the Colts football team moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1984, along with many of the Colts' former players, view the pre-1984 Baltimore Colts organization and the Ravens as one continuous entity. In fact, the old Colts marching band and fan club became part of the Ravens organization. City: Baltimore, Maryland Head Coach: Brian Billick Team Colors: Black, Purple, and Metallic Gold Uniform colors: Black, Purple, Metallic Gold, and White. (The primary home uniform is a purple jersey and white pants. Traditional away gear (also worn at home during late summer day games, but mostly on the road, are white jersies and white pants. In 2004, the team introduced an alternate attire of black jersey and black pants for select prime-time national game broadcasts.)
Helmet design:
A black helmet with a purple and black raven's head in profile, with
the letter "B" superimposed in metallic gold and white.
Purple "talons" rise up from the facemask up the center of
the helmet. Home fields
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) (1996-1997) Team history Baltimore Ravens (1996–present) After a 12-year void, Baltimore again acquired an NFL team in 1996 when the Cleveland Browns relocated. Owner Art Modell allowed the Browns' name, colors and history to remain in Cleveland. Baltimore then set up focus groups and fan polls to help secure a new name. Ravens won out over Americans and Marauders. The name refers to the mythical bird in Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven." Poe lived and died in Baltimore.
BAY OF PIGS Nickname given to matchups of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers by ESPN anchor Chris Berman from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s, when both teams hovered at the bottom of the NFC Central division.
Blue for NFL BEARS See Chicago Bears BEAT: when a player gets past an opponent trying to block or tackle him. BELICHEAT See Bill Belicheat BENGALS See Cincinnati Bengals
BICKERING BILLS - Name given to the Buffalo Bills the year before their Super Bowl runs, 1989, due to their underachievement that year, which many attributed to locker room disagreements. Big An acronym for Big Plays - usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports BIG BLUE WREKING CREW - Name of the New York Giants defensive team during their 1986 championship season.
See I Formation BIG BLUE See New York Giants
BIG PASS PLAY Any pass completion that gains 25 or more yards. BIG RUNNING PLAY Any running play that gains 10 or more yards. BIG SOMBRERO Nickname given to Tampa Stadium, first home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so named because of its curved outline that resembled the brim of a sombrero. Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs' home since 1998, has been christened The New Sombrero by ESPN anchor "Boomer" Chris Berman
Outcome
of investigation BILLS See Buffalo Bills BILLS BACKERS Buffalo Bills fans. Due to the massive population displacement of Western New Yorkers, "Bills Backers Bars" can be found in almost every major city throughout the United States.
BIRDS See Philadelphia Eagles BJ acronym for Back Judge (Official)
BK An acronym
for Blocked kicks
(both punts and field goals attempts)
- usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports
BLACK HOLE Name of the section behind the south end zone at McAfee Coliseum, home of the Oakland Raiders, known for having some of the most rabid fans in the NFL.
A defensive strategy in which a linebacker or defensive back vacates his normal responsibilities in order to pressure the quarterback. The object of a blitz is to tackle the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage or force the quarterback to hurry his pass. When a defensive line is having trouble putting pressure on the quarterback, the defensive coordinator may decide to help them out by sending one or more linebackers or defensive backs on a blitz. The most common blitzes are linebacker blitzes. Safety blitzes, when a safety (usually the free safety) is sent, and corner blitzes, where a cornerback is sent, are less common. Sending a defensive back on a blitz is even more risky than a linebacker blitz, as it removes a primary pass defender from the coverage scheme, but is also less likely to be picked up by the offensive teams blockers.
History of The Blitz Don Ettinger, a defensive tackles for the New York Giants, invented the blitz during his brief NFL career (1948 - 1950). Larry Wilson, free safety for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 to 1972, pioneered and perfected the safety blitz, a play originally code-named "Wildcat". Defensive coordinator Chuck Drulis is widely credited with inventing the safety blitz. Also known as quarterback rush or red dogging. Related Terms: Zone Blitz BLITZBURGH - Name of the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive unit since the mid-1990s and their tendency to relentlessly attack opposing quarterbacks. BLITZ EFFICIENCY Measures the defensive effectiveness of the blitz. To figure this rating add the number of sacks, stuffs, poor throws, quarterback knockdowns, batted passes, passes thrown away, passes caught out of bounds, and passes dropped as a result of miscommunication between receiver and quarterback generated by a team's defense, then divide by total number of blitzes. BLITZ, INC. - Name of the Philadelphia Eagles defensive team from 1999-2004 seasons. BLK An acronym for Blocked - usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports
Referee signal: both hands brought down, wrists turned inward, in a chopping motion across the front of the thighs. BLOCKING SLED a heavy piece of practice equipment, usually a padded angular frame on metal skids, used for developing strength and blocking techniques BLUE NATION Indianapolis Colts Fans BOB IRSAY See Irsay, Robert
BOOTLEG: The quarterback fakes a hand-off to backs going one way while he goes the other way to run or pass. A bootleg is often used against a defense that is overpursuing the ball carrier. See Bootleg Play
The quarterback can be accompanied by an offensive lineman to block for him, or run without a blocker, which is known as a naked bootleg. More complex versions involve multiple offensive linemen moving with the quarterback to block and multiple false hand offs; one such variation is known as a rollout. After escaping the area behind the offensive line, the quarterback may either throw a pass downfield or run with the ball himself to gain yards. A bootleg is called to confuse the defense, by moving the quarterback away from where they expect him to be, directly behind the center. The quarterback's motion may also attract the attention of the defensive backs, allowing one of the receivers to become uncovered. The play is typically used by teams with mobile, or fast, quarterbacks, such as Michael Vick, Steve Young, and Randall Cunningham. The names comes from the fact that on a play action the quarterback often hides the ball from the defense by his thigh to make the run look more convincing. This is similar to the way bootleggers would hide whiskey in their trousers during prohibition. BOLTS See San Diago Chargers
In 2004 its name was changed from Border War which had capitalized on the border wars between the states of Missouri and Kansas in the 1850s when skirmishes predated the American Civil War. The Missouri-Kansas football series is the second most played rivalry in college football history. BORDER WAR See Border Showdown BOSTON BULLDOGS See Pottsville Maroons
They had tried to base the team in New York, but were blocked by the NFL’s territorial rule. The Braves head coach was Lud Wray, and were led by Hall of Famers Cliff Battles (Running Back) and Turk Edwards (Offensive Tackle). Their first game was held on October 2, 1932 in which they lost to the Brooklyn Dodgers. The next week, the Braves would gain their first franchise victory, with a 14-6 win over the New York Giants The Braves would complete their first season with a 4-4-2 record. When the team moved to Fenway Park in July 1933, the name was changed to the Boston Redskins In 1936, the Redskins won the NFL Eastern division championship, but Marshall, unhappy with the fan support in Boston, moved the championship game to the Polo Grounds in New York. Not surprisingly, the Redskins moved to Washington, D.C., for the 1937 season therfore becomming The Washington Redskins BOSTON REDSKINS in 1932 after the Newark Tornadoes folded the franchise was sold back to the NFL. The players and spot in the league would eventually be handed over to George Preston Marshall who wanted to place a team in Boston. Marshall named his team after Major League Baseball's Braves, whom they shared a stadium with. In 1933 now led by Lone Star Dietz, a Native American Coach, the team moves to Fenway Park. With the move the team also undergoes a name change becoming the Boston Redskins. BOSTON YANKS The Boston Yanks was a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Team owner Ted Collins, who managed singer Kate Smith, picked the name "Yanks" because he originally wanted to run a team that played at New York City's Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately, the Yanks could only manage a 2-8 record during its first regular season. Due to a shortage of players caused by World War II, the Yanks were merged with the Brooklyn Tigers for the 1945 season, and styled as the Boston Yanks. The merged team played four home games in Boston and one in New York. But fans from neither cities cared as they finished with a 3-6-1 record. When Brooklyn Tigers owner Dan Topping announced his intentions to join the All-America Football Conference in 1946, his NFL team was revoked and all of its players were assigned to the Yanks. After three continuous losing seasons, Collins finally was allowed to move the Yanks to New York and renamed it the New York Bulldogs. They played in the Polo Grounds, sharing it with the football Giants. The team was renamed the Yanks in 1950, when it moved to Yankee Stadium, adding many new players, most of them from defunct All-America Conference teams. Ted Collins sold the team back to the NFL in January of 1952. The franchise was awarded to a Dallas group in 1952 and the team name became the Dallas Texans. After drawing very few fans to four games in the Cotton Bowl, the Dallas owners gave up and the NFL took the team over for the rest of the season, during which the Texans had to play all their games on the road. At the end of the season the franchise was disbanded. Finally, in January of 1953, the holdings of the defunct Dallas Texans were sold to Carroll Rosenbloom and the franchise was moved to Baltimore, Maryland as the Colts. The Boston Yanks are the only defunct NFL team ever to have the first overall NFL draft pick. They had it twice in 1944 and 46. Both times they selected a quarterback from the University of Notre Dame: Angelo Bertelli (44) and Frank Dancewicz
In college football, bowl games are played in leiu of a playoff system such as the NFL uses. There are numerous bowl games every year, and a national champion is crowned by matching up the No.1 and No.2 ranked teams in a championship bowl game. BOX see The Box
BP An
acronym for Blocked
punts - usually found in a
Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports
High/low coverage involves one defensive player staying between the line of scrimmage and the receiver, protecting against short passes, and another defender playing behind the receiver to protect from deep routes. Skilled personnel can beat this coverage, however, based on running a route that breaks to the inside. On an "in" route the receiver makes a near-90 degree turn to the inside of the field and uses his speed to get away from the underneath defender. A higher-difficulty option is the "post" or "skinny post" route, which involves a turn of 30-60 degrees to the inside. The receiver again uses his speed to separate from the defender playing underneath, and the quarterback must deliver the ball over this defender and far enough inside that the defender protecting against deep passes cannot come down/across the flight path of the ball and deflect or intercept it. Though the difficulty on this pass is much higher, its success will gain many more yards. In/out coverage is a scheme where one defender protects against routes run to the inside and another protects against routes to the outside. The easiest way to beat this coverage is a simple "go"/streak route: the receiver simply sprints down the field past the defenders. Any hesitation on the defenders' part to drop their coverage assignment and run with the streaking receiver can be exploited. BRONCOS See Denver Broncos
BROOKLYN DODGERS The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers. The team played its home games at Ebbets Field. In 1945, due to financial difficulties, the team was merged with the Boston Yanks. The franchise is not related to the Brooklyn Dodgers franchise that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1948. Another NFL team that played in Brooklyn was the Brooklyn Lions in 1926. The team began play in 1930 after Brooklyn businessmen William B. Dwyer and John C. Depler bought the Dayton Triangles, moved it, and renamed it the Brooklyn Dodgers. Four years later, the team was eventually sold to New Yorker Dan Topping. On October 22, 1939, at Ebbets Field , the Dodgers played the Philadelphia Eagles in the first NFL game shown on television. The Dodgers won the game 23-14. Beginning in 1942, the team went into a steep decline, as World War II caused a shortage of players. In 1944, the team was renamed the Tigers but suffered a 0-10 regular season record. In a desperate attempt for survival, the team merged with the Boston Yanks for the 1945 season. The merged team played four home games in Boston and one in New York. But fans from neither cities cared as they finished with a 3-6-1 record. The merger happened after the 1945 NFL draft. In December 1945, Topping announced his intentions to accept the All-America Football Conference's New York franchise. In response, the NFL cancelled his NFL team and all of its players were assigned to the Yanks.
Brooklyn Dodgers
Morris "Red" Badgro
In the months before the regular season began, both leagues battled with each other for fan support and the right to play at Ebbets Field. The NFL emerged as the winner, as the Lions signed the lease to use the stadium on July 20. Neither the Lions or the Horseman had much success. In fact, both teams merged just after four games into the regular season. The team finished the NFL season as the Brooklyn Lions. But both the Lions and the Horsemen folded following the season. BROOKLYN TIGERS See Brooklyn Dodgers BROWNS See Cleveland Browns BrUp abbreviation for broken up passes (found in STAT records) BT An acronym for Broken Tackles - usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports BT% An acronym for Broken Tackles Percentage - usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports
A play usually run from a wing-t formation that includes a variety of play fakes. The quarterback takes the snap and fakes trap to the fullback. He then hands off to a halfback or wingback, who runs to the outside. The buck sweep is normally blocked by pulling the playside gaurd to kickout the force defender, and the backside gaurd pulling and turning up on the playsided linebacker. This allows for the other linemen to downblock on the other defenders, giving the offense an advantage when it comes to blocking angles. The buck sweep also provides an advantage in the possibilities off of its action, with the fullback trap before the sweep, the waggle pass or bootleg after it, and the sweep itself. BUD WILKINSON See Wilkinson Bud
The team went through several owners and name changes, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, after failing to field a team in 1928, the original Buffalo franchise folded after the 1929 season. Tommy Hughitt was a player on the team in the early 20s. The team has no official relation to future Buffalo pro football franchises: the Buffalo Tigers of the 1930s AFL, the Buffalo Bills of the AAFC, or the Buffalo Bills of today which were one of the new AFL teams (formation announced in 1959) that first played in 1960.
The Buffalo Bills American football club is a Buffalo, New York-based National Football League team which plays its home games in the suburb of Orchard Park. The team began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. The Bills won two consecutive AFL titles in 1964 and 1965. The club is also the first team to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls, but they lost all of them. Year founded: 1960 City: Buffalo, New York Head Coach: Dick Jauron Team Colors: Dark Navy, Red, Royal, Nickel, and White Uniform colors: 19601961: Light blue and white; 1962Present: Red, white and blue
Helmet design:
19601961: Silver with blue side numerals; 19621964: White with red
center stripe and red stationary bison; 19651973: White with red and
blue center stripes and red standing bison; 19741983: White with red
and blue center stripes and blue charging bison with a red slanting
stripe streaming from its horn; Home fields
War Memorial Stadium (1960-1972) Team history Buffalo Bills (1960–present) The nickname refers to William F. Cody, who was known as "Buffalo Bill." Buffalo had a football team called the Bison's, but the city's minor league baseball and hockey teams had the same name. The football team held a contest to select a new nickname following the 1946 season. More than 4,500 entries were submitted and Bills beat out Bullets, Nickels and Blue Devils. BUFFALO BISONS See Buffalo All Americans BUFFALO RANGERS See Buffalo All Americans BULLDOGS See Canton Bulldogs or Boston Bulldogs or Cleveland Bulldogs
This varies from the more traditional defensive formation in which a defensive player will give the receiver a "cushion" of about 5 yards in order to prevent the receiver from getting behind them. This tactic is possible because of the rule allowing defensive players to initiate contact within five yards of the line of scrimmage BUNGLES - Name referring to the Cincinnati Bengals teams of the 1990's, whose string of losing seasons with records 8-8 or worse spanned consecutive 14 years. Name also used for any failing Cincinnati Bengals team thereafter. BUS see The Bus BUST (fantasy football term) A player, usually drafted in the first three rounds of a fantasy draft, who is predicted to have a poor season. The player might be injury-prone, have a future star behind them in the depth chart, or just won't be able to live up to their hype
For a buttonhook to be effective, the receiver must convince the defensive back covering him that he is going to continue his pattern downfield.
BYRON "WHIZZER" WHITE AWARD The NFL Players Association gives the Byron "Whizzer" White award to one NFL player each year for his charity work. Michael McCrary, who was involved in Runyon v. McCrary, grew up to be a professional football player and won the Byron "Whizzer" White award in 2001.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
CAR CE CHA CHE CHI CHO CI CL CLI CO COL CON COR COU CR CU
CALL A PLAY: instruct players to execute a pre-planned play.
Similar to American football, but with some differences, including different field size and scoring.
Jim Thorpe was Canton's best player. In 1921–1923, the Bulldogs played 25 straight games without a defeat (including 3 ties) winnning the 1922 and 1923 NFL titles, which as of 2007 remains an NFL record. As a result of the Bulldogs' early success along with the league being founded in the city, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton.
The Canton Bulldogs
Guy Chamberlin
CAPTAIN COMEBACK (Captain Comeback and the Cardiac Colts) After a 1-2 start Jim Harbaugh earns back the starting QB jobs and leads the Colts on a wild ride that would see them finish 9-7 and qualify for the playoffs. In Harbaugh's first 3 games at QB He led the Colts to comeback wins in each of his first 3 starts earning him the nickname "Captain Comeback", and the team the "Cardiac Colts." Many of the Colts wins were close hard fought games that the gutsy Colts just pulled out by the strength of their wills. CARDIAC CARDINALS - the St. Louis Cardinals NFC East championship teams of 1974 (10-4) and '75 (11-3). Noted for their come-from-behind wins under their head coach, Don Coryell. The name was resurrected for the 1998 team that upset Dallas in the wild card game.
The Jacksonville Jaguars also earned this nickname in the late 90's after pulling off last minute wins, especially during the 1996 season. See Cardiac Jags below CARDIAC COLTS After a 1-2 start Jim Harbaugh earns back the starting QB jobs and leads the Colts on a wild ride that would see them finish 9-7 and qualify for the playoffs. In Harbaugh's first 3 games at QB He led the Colts to comeback wins in each of his first 3 starts earning him the nickname "Captain Comeback", and the team the "Cardiac Colts." Many of the Colts wins were close hard fought games that the gutsy Colts just pulled out by the strength of their wills.
CARDINALS See Arizona Cardinals
The teams merged at the request of the League to avoid the scheduling difficulties associated with what would otherwise have been 11 teams. The team was so bad that three players were fined $200 each for “indifferent play.” CARDS: Short for Cardinals See Arizona Cardinals The Carolina Panthers American football club is a National Football League team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as 1995 expansion teams.
City: Charlotte, North Carolina Head Coach: John Fox Uniform colors: Black, Panther Blue, Silver, and White Helmet design: Silver helmet, a black snarling panther outlined in blue Nickname: The Cardiac Cats Home fields:
Memorial Stadium,
Clemson (1995) Team history Carolina Panthers (1993–present) The nickname for Carolina's 1995 expansion team was selected by team president Mark Richardson, the son of owner Jerry Richardson. The younger Richardson also chose the Panthers' colors of Panther blue, silver and black.
CARROLL ROSENBLOOM See Rosenbloom. Carroll
Jersey Numbers: 60 - 79
After snapping the football, the center must be ready to block the defensive linemen. The center is at the center of the offensive line, and it is the center who snaps the ball between his legs to the quarterback at the start of each play. On most plays, the center will snap the ball directly to the quarterback's hands. In a shotgun formation, the center snaps the ball to the quarterback lined up several yards behind him. Before the snap, the center will often be responsible for making calls to adjust the blocking assignments of all the offensive linemen. After the snap, the center must block defensive players from reaching the ball carrier (on running plays) or the quarterback (on passing plays). On passing plays in particular, the center often must block blitzing defensive players. In special teams situations, the center is referred to as a "long snapper," who snaps the ball with two hands to a punter standing approximately 12-14 yards behind him, or to the holder for the placekicker, kneeling approximately 7 yards behind him. These long snappers are often players particularly talented at performing these snaps, and are not necessarily the same center used on other plays. In fact, professional football teams may carry a player on their roster for the sole or primary purpose of long snapping. The Center for The Indianapolis Colts is Jeff Saturday CFL See Canadian Football League CHAIN CREW: Assistants to the officials whose job is to mark where a team begins a series and how far they need to go to get a first down. The chain gang brings the chains onto the field for measurements on plays that end too close to the first down for the officials to make a determination by simply comparing the spot of the ball with the marker on the sideline. The chains are brought out to give an exact measurement from the spot where the series started. The Chain Crew are assistants to the referee who handle the first down measuring chain and the down indicator box. The members of the chain crew who operate the measuring chain are called rod men and the person who works the down indicator box is called the box man.
When a team gains a first down, one of the rod men places one end of the chain on the sideline parallel to the spot of the ball. The other rod man then stretches the chain out to mark the first down line. To ensure an accurate measurement, a clip is usually attached to the chain on the closest 5-yard mark on the field. The chains will be brought directly onto the field whenever the referee needs an accurate measurement to determine if a first down has been made. A team may also request an accurate measurement to determine how far they have to reach for the first down. For professional and college football games, an auxiliary chain crew operates on the opposite side of the field. Here, another "stick" and down indicator box is used so that players and officials can also look at the other side of the field to know where the first down line and the line of scrimmage is, respectively. The auxiliary chain crew also includes the drive start indicator, which is placed at the beginning of a team's drive and stays there until they lose possession. This indicator is only used for statistical purposes to calculate the distance of each drive. It looks similar to a "stick", but it has an arrow that points in the direction to where the offensive team is going. Members of the chain crew are usually picked by the offices of the home team instead of the league or conference that they play in.
CHAMBERLIN, GUY See Chamberlin, Guy
CHARGERS See San Diago Chargers and/or Los Angeles Chargers CHARLES BURNHAM WILKINSON See Wilkinson Bud
A check off is often called by the quarterback when he doesn't like the play call after getting a look at the defensive formation Also Known As: audible, automatic
Cheerleading is an activity that uses organized routines made up of elements from dance and/or gymnastics to cheer on sports teams at games and matches, and/or as a competitive sport. Cheerleaders are present at all NFL Professional Football games, each team has its own set of cheerleaders who dance, cheer and spur the crowd on. But Cheerleading is not restricted to American Football in fact Cheerleading is a recognized sport of its own. Its beginnings though are by no means as glamorous a spectacle as they are today.
CHEESEHEADS The Chicago Bears American football club is a National Football League team based in Chicago, Illinois. The club began play in 1919 and became a charter member of the NFL in 1920.
The Bears have won 9 total league titles, including 8 NFL Championships and Super Bowl XX. They have played in over 1,000 games and currently lead the NFL in overall franchise wins with over 660. The Bears also lead the league in the number of Pro Football Hall of Fame players with 26 enshrinees. City: Chicago, Illinois Team Colors: Navy Blue, Orange, and White Head Coach: Lovie Smith Home fields
Staley Field (1919-1920) Team Nicknames
Da Bears Team history
Decatur
Staleys (1919–1920) George Halas moved the Decatur Staleys to Chicago in 1921. The Staleys played at Wrigley Field, the home of baseball's Cubs. Halas determined that if the baseball tenants were Cubs, then his more rugged gridiron combatants should be known as the Bears.
Along with the Arizona Cardinals (originally from Chicago themselves), the Bears are one of only two charter members of the NFL still in existence. The team relocated to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the CHICAGO STALEYS. Under an agreement that was reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, Halas purchased the rights to the club from Staley for US $100.
The Tigers' main claim to fame is that they helped start the tradition of playing on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1920, when they were defeated by the Decatur Staleys (later the Chicago Bears). CHIEFS See Kansas City Chiefs
Offensive linemen often try to cut defensive linemen by using chop blocks.
CHUCK and DUCK a style of offense with minimal pass protection requiring the quarterback to "chuck" the ball then "duck" to avoid a defensive lineman.
Stiff arm
The Cincinnati Bengals American football club is a National Football League team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals began play in the American Football League as a 1968 expansion team, and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. City: Cincinnati, Ohio Head Coach: Marvin Lewis Team Colors: Black, Orange and White Head Coach: Marvin Lewis Uniform colors: Black, Orange and White Helmet design: Orange background with black tiger stripes
Home fields:
Nippert Stadium (1968-1969) Paul Brown Stadium (2000-present) Team history Cincinnati Bengals (1968–present) The Ickey Shuffle The most commonly recognized contribution comes from the "Ickey Shuffle", a celebratory dance created by Bengals running back Ickey Woods in his rookie season of 1988 during the Bengals' Super Bowl run. This dance, done after Woods would score a touchdown, was the catalyst for the NFL instituting penalties against excessive celebratory performances (resulting in the backronym "No Fun League"), and before the 1989 season was over it was relegated to the sidelines. Paul Brown chose this nickname for Cincinnati's 1968 AFL expansion team because there had been earlier football teams in the city called the Bengals. The elder Bengals were members of the AFL in 1937, competed as an independent club in 1938, then played in a new AFL from 1939-41 before the league again folded. CINCINNATI REDS The Cincinnati Reds were a National Football League team that played the 1933 season and the first eight games of the 1934 season. The team was suspended for failure to pay league dues. The St. Louis Gunners, an independent team, replaced the Reds on the schedule for the last three games of the 1934 season.
On natural grass fields, players
can use molded-bottom shoes like these: Cleats come in four sizes:
If it rains in the middle of a game, The Equipment Manager and staff have a big job. If the team is playing on grass, they have to replace all of the cleats on 53 pairs of shoes down on the field. This is fairly easy using electric stud drivers. On Astroturf, the job is more difficult because the players have to change shoes. Many players tape their shoes and most wear orthopedics to custom-fit them, so the process involves untaping the shoes, pulling out the orthopedics, putting the orthopedics in the shoes the player is switching to and then retaping. With 53 players, this process is repeated 106 times! -- not a fun job in the rain or snow. Also See Shoes for more types and styles The Cleveland Browns American football club is a National Football League team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and joined the NFL in 1950 after the AAFC merged into the older league. The team has won 4 AAFC titles and 4 NFL Championships. In some accounts, there may be confusion regarding the team's history due to unusual and unprecedented actions taken by the cities of Cleveland, Baltimore, Maryland and the NFL in 1996. On November 6, 1995, then-Browns owner Art Modell announced his intention to move the team to Baltimore, citing the inadequacy of Cleveland Stadium and the lack of a sufficient replacement. The decision triggered a flurry of legal activity that ended when representatives of both cities and the NFL reached a settlement on February 9, 1996. It stipulated that the Browns' name, colors, and history of the franchise were to remain in Cleveland. A reactivated Cleveland Browns team would then begin play in 1999, while the relocated club would technically be a new expansion team, the Baltimore Ravens. For that reason, past records and Pro Football Hall of Fame players are attributed to the Browns and not to the Ravens. However, some consider the Ravens and the pre-1995 Browns organization as one continuous entity, using the term The Modell Franchise to denote it.
City: Cleveland, Ohio Head Coach: Romeo Crennel Team Colors: Brown, Orange, and White Uniform colors: Brown (officially "Seal Brown") and Orange
Helmet design:
Orange helmet with brown and white center stripe. No logo Home fields
Cleveland Municipal Stadium (1946-1995) Team history
Cleveland Browns (1946–1995) Cleveland's All-American Football Conference entry was founded in 1946. Paul Brown was named the team's first coach and general manager. The Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996, but the team's history remained, paving the way for the Browns to be resurrected as an expansion team in 1999.
The 1931 team was a league-sponsored club that only played games on the road. The NFL intended to locate this team permanently in Cleveland, but when no suitable owner was found it folded after one season.
The Cleveland Rams were founded by attorney Homer Marshman in 1936. Their name, the Rams, comes from the nickname of Fordham University. Rams was selected to honor the hard work of the players that came out of that university. They were part of the newly formed American Football League. The following year they joined the National Football League and were assigned the Western division to replace the St. Louis Gunners, who disbanded after the 1934 season. From the beginning, they were a team marked by frequent moves playing in three stadiums over several losing seasons. The franchise suspended operations and sat out the 1943 season because of a shortage of players during World War II and resumed playing in 1944. The team finally achieved success in 1945, which proved to be their last season in Ohio, achieving a 9-1 record and winning their first NFL Championship, a 15-14 home field victory over the Washington Redskins on December 16.
Referee signal: hand striking the back of the leg. Clipping is a foul, with a 15-yard penalty.
Soon, colors were added to the face
masks as another way to distinguish players and teams.
- some players have it, some players do not. CLUTH KICKER See Clutch CLUTCH QUARTERBACK See Clutch
CM
(also COM, COMP)
An acronym for Completions
- usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports
The United Press International (UPI) NFL Coach of the Year award was first presented in 1955. From 1960 to 1969, before the AFL-NFL merger, an award was also given to the most outstanding coach from the AFL. When the leagues merged in 1970, separate awards were given to the best coaches from the AFC and NFC conferences. The UPI discontinued the awards after 1996.
a punter may try to place the ball so that it lands and goes out of bounds, or is downed, near a corner of the playing field just in front of the end zone, thus forcing difficult field position for the receiving team on their next scrimmage. By extension from the real-life usage of the term described above, the corner the punter is aiming for in that situation is sometimes called the "coffin corner", for if the kick is only slightly too far in either direction (out of bounds or into the end zone) a touchback is awarded the ball will be placed on the twenty yard line, losing the advantage that comes with a successful execution of the kick.
Currently the NCAA recognizes the lists of All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus All-Americans. ABC Sports, ESPN and CNN-Sports Illustrated and many others also select All-America teams. COLTS : See Indianapolis Colts formerly known as Baltimore Colts
The Panhandles were originally formed in 1901 by the Pennsylvania Railroad Athletic Association in Columbus. Joe F. Carr, who also ran the railroad's baseball team, took over the football team in 1907 until 1922, He utilized a group of exceptionally strong brothers called the Nessers who were a draw throughout the country. The six Nesser brothers were exceptionally large and strong for people living in the early 20th century. (One brother, Frank Nesser, was 6-foot 3-inches tall and weighed 235 pounds.) They all were exceptionally great athletes for their time. Two decades later, the "Panhandles" played as part of the APFA/NFL from 1920-1922. After the 1922 season, franchise owner Joe F. Carr discontinued the franchise because of cost and salary demands. In 1923, a new team was organized by local businessmen called the Columbus Tigers and played from 1923-1926. The original team often went by the nickname "Handles" and historically are considered charter members of the National Football League because of their membership in the American Professional Football Association in September 1920, playing in the league's very first game against the Dayton Triangles in Dayton, Ohio.
COM (also
CM, COMP) An acronym for Completions
- usually found in a Teams or Individual Players STAT Reports
COMMSSIONERS and PRESIDENTS of THE NFL
President Jim Thorpe (1920–1921)
1. A legally caught pass. Also
known as a reception. A forward pass
that is thrown by the Quarterback and caught by an offensive
player that is beyond the line of scrimmage.
2006 AFC CONFERENCE RECORD
CONTACT SPORT: Any sport involving physical contact between players. Football is a contact sport, as are hockey, boxing, and soccer.
A defensive backfield player, almost as deep into the backfield as the safety. There are two cornerbacks. Their job is to tackle runners and intercept passes. Either one of the two defensive backs who plays behind and to the outside of the linebackers, and whose duties include defending against passes and stopping running plays to the outside. A position in football, more broadly classified as a defensive back. As this suggests, he is indeed a defensive player. The modern cornerback is ideally very fast, agile, and has good football instinct. Like any defensive player, he must be able to react faster than his opponent, since he does not have the benefit of knowing where a play is going to go. Essential skills for a cornerback include backpedaling, jumping, staying with his man, anticipating a pass route and reading the quarterback. Most defensive formations in modern pro football use 4 defensive backs. Two of these are safeties, and two of them are corners. A corner's responsibilities vary depending on the type of coverage called. Coverage is simply how the defense will be protecting against the pass. A corner will be given one of two ways to defend the pass (with variations that result in more or less the same responsibilities): zone and man-to-man. In zone coverage, the cornerback is responsible for an area on the field. In this case, the corner must always stay downfield of whoever it is covering while still remaining in its zone, always between the sideline and the opposing player. Zone is a more relaxed defensive scheme meant to provide more awareness across the defensive secondary while sacrificing tight coverage. As such, the corner in this case would be responsible for making sure nobody gets outside of him, always, or downfield of him, in cases where there is no deep safety help. In man coverage, however, the cornerback is solely responsible for the man across from him, usually the offensive player split farthest out. Jersey Numbers: 20 - 49
This play is designed for the offensive team to feign rushing one way, then attacking the defense in the opposite direction. In a counter trey right, the center, right guard, and right tackle block left as if the play is going left. The left guard and left tackle "pull" from their positions by moving behind the other linemen and around the right corner. The running back takes an initial feint step to the left, then cuts back to the right, receives the handoff from the quarterback, and follows behind the pulling left guard and left tackle. The left guard and left tackle will usually be blocking smaller linebackers and defensive backs downfield--this mismatch favors the offense. The counter trey requires quick, athletic linemen for good execution. Many teams have run this play, but it first became well-known when run by the Washington Redskins in the 1980s. In particular, guard Russ Grimm and tackle Joe Jacoby would open up massive holes for John Riggins, George Rogers, and Earnest Byner.
Cover 0 refers to pure man coverage
with no deep defender. Similar to Cover 1, Cover 0 has the same
strengths and weaknesses. Cover 1 schemes employ only one deep defender, usually a safety. Many underneath coverages paired with Cover 1 shells are strictly man-to-man with LBs and defensive backs each assigned a different offensive player to cover. By using only one deep defender in Cover 1, the other deep defender is free to blitz the quarterback or provide man-to-man pass coverage help. Cover 1 schemes are usually very aggressive, preferring to proactively disrupt the offense by giving the quarterback little time to make a decision while collapsing the pocket quickly. This is the main advantage of Cover 1 schemes--the ability to blitz from various pre-snap formations while engaging in complex man-to-man coverage schemes post-snap. For example, a safety may blitz while a CB is locked in man coverage with a WR. Or the CB may blitz with the safety rotating into man coverage on the WR post-snap. The main weakness of Cover 1 schemes is the lone deep defender that must cover a large amount of field and provide help on any deep threats. Offenses can attack Cover 1 schemes with a vertical stretch by sending two receivers on deep routes, provided that the quarterback has enough time for his receivers to get open. The deep defender must decide which receiver to help out on, leaving the other in man coverage which may be a mismatch.
A secondary weakness is inherent
its design: the use of man coverage opens up yards after catch lanes.
Man coverage is attacked by offenses in various ways that try to
isolate their best athletes on defenders by passing them the ball
quickly before the defender can react or designing plays that clear
defenders from certain areas thus opening yards after catch lanes.
COVER 2 Cover Two zone scheme known as Tampa Two, so named because it took hold with coach Tony Dungy's Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the late 1990s and early 2000s. It has become the most popular defense in the NFL, a bend-but-don't-break scheme that forces offenses to execute down the length of the field five yards at a time. The entire concept of the Cover 2 is to make it hard to pass on you. The name comes from the position of the safeties, who both play deep zone coverage. In this normally 4-3 coverage scheme, your safeties play further back, while your linebackers and cornerbacks play zone coverage underneath the safeties. Each person underneath covers about 1/5th the width of the field for about 7 yards deep. The two safeties split the field and each cover half against the deep pass.
As Ron Meeks, the Indianapolis Colts' defensive coordinator states it, "We play with so much energy and speed. "When the ball is thrown, we're like piranhas. We're attacking the ball carrier, attacking the receivers, trying to inflict as much pain and play with as much energy as we can. A lot of it is an attitude." That aggressive approach is the foundation of the Tampa 2, the style of Cover 2 defense made popular by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Tony Dungy, starting in the mid- to late-1990s. Actually, it all started in the 1970s with Bud Carson's Steelers defenses, for whom Dungy played defensive back. Dungy learned the Cover 2 from Carson. In Cover 2, two safeties play zone (area) coverage, each of them responsible for half of the field. Dungy's Bucs had great success dropping a speedy middle linebacker (the "Mike") down the middle of the field to defend the pass, creating a three-deep look, while four often undersized but quick defensive linemen rushed the passer. And so, the Tampa 2 was born. So, too, was a trend. Nowadays, most every defense in the league has some form of the Tampa 2 in its package. But no one is making the Tampa 2 do what it does better than the originators -- Dungy in Indianapolis, Smith in Chicago and longtime coordinator Monte Kiffin in Tampa. The Bears and Colts are division champions, and the Bucs a victory away from making it three-for-three for Tampa 2 teams. The "Cover 2" is a zone defense in which every defender is responsible for a specific area of the field. Instead of playing man to man it's more of a zone type defense where you defend a certain part of the field. The two safeties, playing well off the line of scrimmage, cover the deep passing routes, while also directing the strategy and of the rest of the defense. Each additional member of the defense is responsible for a specific area of the field.
After the play begins by the
opposing Teams Offense, each of the defenders keeps his eyes on the
ball and reacts quickly to it, be it a run or a pass. The Cover 2
scheme works best when out-fitted with high-energy personnel that
excel at responding quickly to the play and attacking the ball. When
executed properly by experienced, skilled personnel, the Cover 2
defense is unbeatable. The Cover 2 defense is thus adaptable to the
myriad formations and schemes brought forth by the competition. Cover 3 refers to 3 deep defenders each guarding one-third of the deep zone. Cover 3 schemes are usually used to defend against passes, mainly those towards the deep middle of the field. Unlike Cover 2 schemes that create a natural hole between safeties, Cover 3's extra deep defender is able to patrol the middle area effectively. The most basic Cover 3 scheme involves 2 CBs and a safety. Upon snap, the CBs work for depth, backpedaling into their assigned zone. One safety moves toward the center of the field. The other safety is free to rotate into the flat area (about 2-4 yards beyond the line of scrimmage), provide pass coverage help, or blitz. As with other coverage shells, Cover 3 is paired with underneath man or zone coverage in its most basic form.
The main weakness of Cover 3 shells
is the 2 retreating CBs. Since the CBs are working for depth, short
pass routes underneath the CB can isolate him on a wide receiver near
the sideline with little help. Cover 4 refers to 4 deep defenders each guarding one-fourth of the deep zone. Cover 4 schemes are usually used to defend against deep passes. (See Prevent defense). The most basic Cover 4 scheme involves 2 CBs and 2 safeties. Upon snap, the CBs work for depth, backpedaling into their assigned zone. Both safeties backpedal towards their assigned zone. As with other coverage shells, Cover 4 is paired with underneath man or zone coverage in its most basic form. The main weakness of Cover 4 shells is the retreating defensive backs. Since the DBs are working for depth, short pass routes underneath can isolate them on a wide receiver near the sideline with little help. COWBOYS See Dallas Cowboys or Kansas City Cowboys
This is an illegal block by an offensive player who is usually spread out away from the main body of the formation and runs back in towards the ball at the snap, blocking an opponent below the waist or in the back with the force of the block back toward the original position of the ball at the snap. An illegal crackback block is penalized 15 yards against the offending team.
The curl is a pattern used frequently by the West Coast offensive scheme, where quick and accurate passes are favored.
CUT:
1.To suddenly change direction to lose a pursuing player. CUT BACK: a sudden change in direction taken by a to make it more difficult for defenders to follow and tackle him.
The NFL's Denver Broncos are
especially famous (or infamous) for using this technique. - D -
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
DE DEF DEL DEN DET DI DO DOW DR DU DA BEARS - Slang nickname given to the Chicago Bears made popular by the Bill Swerski's Superfans sketches of the early 1990s on Saturday Night Live.
Uniform colors:
White jerseys have royal blue numbers and lettering; colored jerseys
feature a darker shade of blue as background (similar to that of
the star logo) with white numbers and lettering. By tradition,
and unlike most NFL teams, the Cowboys normally wear their white
jerseys at home (although they may wear their colored jerseys
during special occasions). In the 2003 season, the Cowboys
revived their 1962 throwback uniform (blue jersey with white
sleeves) for special occasions such as Thanksgiving; it was also
worn on Year founded: 1960 City: Irving, Texas
Helmet design:
Silver background with a blue star Team Colors: Royal Blue, Metallic Silver, Blue, and White Head Coach: Bill Parcells Home field: Texas Stadium (1971-present) Team history Dallas Cowboys (1960–present) This name might seem like an easy choice in Dallas, but Rangers was actually the first name suggested. The club went with Cowboys since Rangers might cause confusion with a local minor-league team of the same name.
Only 17,499 fans showed up at the Cotton Bowl (capacity 75,000) for that game, and attendance continued to dwindle as the losses piled up. Unable to meet payroll, Miller returned the team to the league with five games to go in the season. The NFL moved the franchise's operations to Hershey, Pennsylvania (though it kept the "Dallas Texans" name). It also moved the team's last three home games to the road. Following the season, the NFL awarded the remains of the Texans operation to a Baltimore-based group headed by Carroll Rosenbloom, who used it to start the Baltimore Colts. However, the Colts (now based in Indianapolis) do not consider themselves a continuation of the Yanks/Bulldogs/Yankees/Texans franchise. In 1960, the league made a second venture into Dallas and established what would become a more successful team, the Dallas Cowboys. Also in that year, the American Football League began with its own Dallas Texans; that team moved after winning the 1962 AFL Championship and became the Kansas City Chiefs. The "Texans" name has since been revived by the NFL for the current Houston Texans, which started play in 2002.
Dallas Texans
Art Donovan (1968 inductee) Notable players
Weldon Humble DAN MARINO See Marino here
Previous winners
DAWG POUND Name of the bleacher section behind the east end zone in Cleveland Browns Stadium, also known for having one of the most loyal fans in the NFL. The name was originally applied to the bleacher section in the same end zone at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which formerly stood on the site. DAYTON TRIANGLES Dayton Triangles of the National Football League played from 1920 to 1929. The team was based in Dayton, Ohio. The nickname "Triangles" came from the name of Triangle Park, located at the confluence of the Great Miami and Stillwater rivers, in north Dayton where the team played its games. The first game of the American Professional Football Association, the precursor to the NFL, was played in Triangle Park between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles on October 3, 1920. The Triangles won that game 14-0. The Triangles were sponsored by the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. (Delco), the Dayton Metal Products Co. (D.M.P. Co.), and the Domestic Engineering Co. (DECO, later called Delco-Light). The team was sold to a group in Brooklyn, New York and became the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1930.
DEACON JONES See Jones, David DEACON JONES RULE Enacted in 1977 - The Deacon Jones rule, which eliminated head slapping. Jones was a master at ringing bells inside the offensive linemens heads. They say he may have contributed more concussions to the game than any other player in the entire history of the NFL. If you dont believe it hurts, put on a helmet, and have someone slam an open palm against one side, over the ear hole. Youll be seeing stars for a long time.
A play from scrimmage ends when the ball is dead; this occurs when one of the following happens:
George Halas was hired in 1920 by A. E. Staley of the Staley Manufacturing Co. (whose primary product was cornstarch) to form both a football and a baseball team for the company. In order to find opponents, Halas pushed the football team into the new league that was being formed, the American Professional Football Association. A severe recession in early 1921 forced Staley to lay off the athletes he had hired; he suggested to Halas that the football team should move to Chicago, and said he would provide $5000 to assist in the move if the club would keep the name "Staleys" for one season. Thus, in 1921, Halas's men were called the Chicago Staleys when they became the first official league champion. Despite the championship, the team lost money that first season in Chicago: about $70. The next year, the franchise was renamed the Bears - to accentuate its association with the Cubs, with whom it shared Wrigley Field (hoping that some of the Cubs' success would rub off: how times change!) - while the league was retitled to the National Football League (at George Halas's suggestion). Edward "Dutch" Sternaman, who was Halas's teammate at the University of Illinois, was his partner during the early years of the Bears. Staley actually first approached Sternaman to form his teams; but Sternaman, though tempted, returned to Illinois to finish his degree. He joined the Staley company after graduating and helped Halas to first put the football team together, and later as co-owner move it to Chicago. Dutch's little brother Joey, another Illinois grad, became the Bears' first great quarterback during the '20s. The relationship between Halas and his partner grew increasingly stormy as the decade progressed, and Sternaman began devoting ever increasing amounts of time to other business interests. When the conflicts between the two began hurting the team's success at the beginning of the Great Depression, Halas bought Sternaman out. Dutch Sternaman has been credited with coining the phrase, "When in doubt, punt!" which he apparently used in a 1924 pre-game pep talk. Moving to Chicago was not exactly a sure thing. The city already had a professional team: the Racine Cardinals - named for their home field at 61st and Racine Avenue on Chicago's South Side. The city had had two APFA franchises in 1920; the Cardinals had a nearby rival named the Chicago Tigers. The two teams hurt each other's attendance; they agreed their season-ending game in 1920 was for the rights to the city. The Cardinals won, and the Tigers disbanded as they had agreed. Under the circumstances, the Cardinals couldn't have been happy about Halas's transfer to Chicago for the 1921 season, but it obviously worked out. Evidently the Staleys were far enough away in Wrigley Field that they didn't threaten the Cardinals' financial viability - although the rivalry that developed between the Bears and Cardinals became in some ways even more bitter than that with the Packers. Like the Bears and the league, the Cardinals also changed their name for the 1922 season: they switched to "the Chicago Cardinals" when Racine, Wis., was awarded an NFL franchise.
The team defending their goal line. The defense does not have the ball; rather, they attempt to keep the offense from passing or running the ball over their (the defense's) goal line. Unlike the offensive team, there are no formally defined defensive positions. A defensive player may line up anywhere on his side of the line of scrimmage and perform any legal action. However, most sets of defensive formations used include a line composed of DEFENSIVE PLAYERS
defensive tackles
Safeties DEFENSIVE BACK : (DB) Any one of the four members of the defensive backfieldthe two safeties and the two cornerbackswho are positioned behind the linebackers. It's the job of the defensive backs to defend against passes and give support on running plays. A member of the defensive secondary. Defensive backs generally try to keep receivers from making catches. Safeties, cornerbacks, nickel backs, and dime backs are considered to be defensive backs. Jersey Numbers: 20 - 49
Defensive Backs for
Defensive back is a defensive position in American and Canadian football. Defensive Backs are charged with the responsibility of preventing receivers from catching passes. However, similar to other defensive players, Defensive backs can also sack the quarterback and tackle running backs. It should be noted that "Defensive Back" is a collective term for several other positions, which include cornerbacks, as well as Strong and Free Safeties. Alternately, this term may be referred to as the "defensive secondary". While defensive backs must exhibit superb displays of speed and agility, they are also required to master the crucial technique of backpedaling, which enables one to follow a receiver while still focusing on the football. Furthermore, Defensive backs must be able to analyze an offensive formation before the play can begin, allowing one to predict intentions of an offense. A defensive back must also possess the ability to change one's path while running at whim, enabling a superior "man-to-man" coverage. Lastly, a defensive back must be capable of voraciously and accurately tackling offensive units. While these tackles may not often make the highlight reel after the game, they prevent the offensive units from breaking away and making big plays.
Also see backfield
Similarly, there is the offensive coordinator who is in charge of the offense.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years. Early formations, with six and seven man lines, used the end as a containment player, whose job was first to prevent an "end run" around his position, then secondarily to force plays inside. When most teams adopted a five man line, two different styles of end play developed: "crashing" ends, who rushed into the backfield to disrupt plays, and "stand-up" or "waiting" ends, who played the more traditional containment style. Some coaches would use both techniques depending on game situations. Traditionally, D-ends are in a 3 point stance, with there other hand cocked back ready to punch the offensive lineman. Some ends are bigger. They close down there gap so the running back has no hole to run through. Other ends are quicker. They are used to rush the quarterback. They can often times, time the snap of the ball to get a jump on the rush. Most of the time it is the job of the defensive end to keep outside contain, which means that no one should get to their outside; they must keep everything to the inside. The defensive ends are usually fast for players of their size, often the fastest and smallest players on the defensive line. They must be able to shed blockers to get to the ball. Defensive ends are also often used to cover the outside area of the line of scrimmage, to tackle ball carriers running to the far right or left side, and to defend against screen passes. Defensive ends are usually the only players on the line who are ever used to cover offensive players running receiving routes, albeit ones that are very close to the line of scrimmage. Jersey Numbers: 60 - 79
Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are The Indianapolis Colts Defensive Ends These guys are the heroes of the defensive line, because they play the part of guided missile. As soon as the ball is snapped to the quarterback, these two guys are supposed to jump his creaking bones by any means possible before he gets rid of it. YOU KNOW THEYRE DOING THEIR JOB WHEN: You see the quarterback in the backfield running around like a rabbit being chased by coyotes. Or flat on his back, like a rabbit caught by em. YOU KNOW THEY ARENT WHEN: The quarterback is standing around in the backfield, polishing his nails, waiting for one of his receivers to find some spare time to catch the ball.
A defensive formation can be defined as a predetermined allignment of defensive players on the field. Theses are some of the more common defensive formations used in the game of football today.
In order for coaches and players of American football to exchange information in a rapid manner during practices and games, a more or less standard terminology for defensive schemes has been developed.
Inside the five yard chuck zone, the defense may jam the receiver, but after that a penalty is called. Defensive holding results in a five-yard penalty on the offending team and an automatic first down. Also Known As: Illegal Use of Hands
The defensive line is usually made up of the biggest defensive players, including defensive ends and tackles. Unless your The Indianpolis Colts with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis!
The Defensive Line for
The defensive line is comprised of a combination of defensive tackles or nose tackles, and defensive ends.
NFL: An automatic first down and
the ball is moved forward to the location of the interference -- a
devastating penalty if the play was a long pass. If the interference
takes place in the end zone, the ball is placed on the one-yard line. DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award is given by the Associated Press to the league's most outstanding defensive player at the end of every NFL season since 1971. Multiple-award winners include Lawrence Taylor, who won it three times, and Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Bruce Smith, Reggie White, and Ray Lewis, who each won it twice. Lawrence Taylor is the only player to win the award as a rookie (1981).
The main job of the secondary is to be prepared to handle passing plays. The general goal of defensive strategy is to prevent the opposing team's offense from scoring. While doing so, the defensive players may also attempt to gain control of the football and score points themselves. There are many different defensive strategies. Defensive formations Players on the defensive side of the ball are generally split between down linemen (tackles, defensive ends and nose guards), linebackers, and defensive backs (safeties and cornerbacks). To describe the basic defensive alignment of linemen, linebackers and backs, the number of down linemen is usually followed by the number of linebackers. By far the most common alignments are four down linemen and three linebackers (4-3), but alignments with three down linemen and four linebackers (3-4) are currently used by a number of teams. The number of defensive backs is usually not mentioned (as it is, for example, in describing soccer alignments). However, on plays where the defense expects the offense to pass, emphasis is often placed on the number of defensive backs. When one of the "front seven" (down linemen and linebackers) is removed in favour of a defensive back, the five defensive backs are described as a "nickel" package. When a sixth defensive back is inserted, it is known as a "dime" package. Unusual defensive alignments are rare, but often successful. In Super Bowl XXV, the New York Giants played with only two down linemen, with four linebackers and five defensive backs. The strategy was very successful in preventing the Buffalo Bills from completing long passes, but it allowed over 190 yards in rushing. Nevertheless, the Giants won. Another example is the New England Patriots using no down linemen and seven linebackers for two plays against the Miami Dolphins during a Monday Night game in 2004. Basic pass coverage Even in obvious running situations, the defense must be able to account for the eligible receivers on offense. There are two general schemes for defending against the pass:
* Man-to-man Advanced pass coverage To create a shorthand, most defensive schemes use the term "cover" (for pass coverage) and a number to describe a combination of schemes. As in American Football there are only five eligible pass receivers on a given play (technically the quarterback is also an eligible receiver, but passes to the quarterback, though known, are rare) while there are at least seven pass defenders in 3-4 alignment in man-to-man defense, some of the pass coverage personnel may either blitz (cross the line of scrimmage with the down linemen in an attempt to sack the quarterback), provide double coverage on a receiver, or help other defensive players with the pass coverage. In zone coverage, all defensive linebackers and backs have a pass coverage assignment.
* Cover Zero Generally speaking, the effectiveness of a defense against short passes and the run drops as it goes from Cover Zero to Cover Four, but their effectiveness against deep passes increases. Other coverages Strategy Effective defense depends on co-operation from defensive players and an understanding of what coverage they are in. For example, in Cover Two, the cornerbacks are afforded with the knowledge that if they decide to jump a route (and thereby intercept or deflect a pass) they will have safety help farther upfield should they be tricked by a fake. In Cover One, the safety must be aware that one of the cornerbacks could have difficulty covering a wide receiver, and must be available to move over to help the cornerback before the quarterback can throw. Typically Cover One is only used if there are more than two wide receivers or other passing threats. Moreover, mixing up defensive alignments and not being predictable are important since if an offense recognizes an alignment or coverage scheme, or a tendency to use such a scheme, they can often take advantage of it. For example, if the defense is blitzing, and the quarterback forsees it (for example, one of the blitzing players moves towards the line of scrimmage before the snap) the quarterback knows that it is man-to-man coverage and will look for his fastest receiver to get open, or throw to the spot that is vacated by the blitzing player. Special Cases In the modern game, with players getting faster and stronger, defensive coordinators often look to a player's special skills in order to surprise the offense. For example, in some defensive schemes, defensive down linemen are given pass coverage responsibility. Since Lawrence Taylor now rush three down linemen and a single linebacker (often a different one on every play), a strategy that was almost unknown before he started to play. Moreover, even defensive backs are being given more responsibility on running plays. For example, on plays where a running back runs wide, it is the responsibility of the cornerback to ensure that the running back does not get directly to the sideline, and that the back is forced to run in front of the cornerback where there is more likely to be help from linebackers. Modern offenses have adapted to these strategies, and often require different skills from players, particularly running backs who, in addition to running with the ball, are expected to run deep pass routes against linebacker coverage, and to be available to block blitzing players on pass plays
3-4
In the following, "cover"
refers to the "shell" that the defense rolls into after the
snap of the ball, more specifically the number of defenders guarding
the deep portion of the field.
* Cover 1 Special teams strategy "Special team" is the term used to describe the specialized group of players who take the field during kickoffs, free kicks, punts, and field goal attempts. Most football teams' special teams include one or more kickers, a long snapper (who specializes in accurate snaps over long distances), kick returners who catch and carry the ball after it is kicked by the opposing team, and blockers who defend during kicks and returns. Some players may take the field as members of the offense or defense as well as the special teams; one notable example is Steve Smith, wide receiver for the NFL's Carolina Panthers, who also played as a kick returner during the 2005 NFL season, and was drafted primarily as a special teams player. Although these are risky, there are a variety of strategic plays which can be attempted during kickoffs, punts, and field goals which can be used to surprise the opposition and (hopefully) score points. Kickoff strategy A kickoff occurs at the beginning of each half and each overtime period, as well as after a successful field goal or touchdown. A coin toss determines which team kicks the ball away and which team receives the ball. After a field goal or a touchdown, the team which scored the points kicks the ball to the opposing team, which in most cases catches the ball and may attempt to "return" it up the field. Strategically, the coach of the kicking team may choose to have his players kick the ball in one of several ways:
* Standard kickoff Field goals are often viewed as a way for teams to turn a disappointing drive into a small victory. However, many football games are decided by field goals in the final minutes or seconds of play, making the ability to kick an accurate field goal vital for any football team. The strategy for a field goal is fairly straightforward. The team on offense forms a protective semicircle behind the line of scrimmage on either side of the center, who snaps the ball to the holder. The holder positions the ball so that the kicker - moving from a short distance away - can quickly get into position and accurately kick the ball through the goalposts. The remaining players block the opposing team, whose members will be trying to break through the protective circle in order to block the kick or bat it aside for a chance to intercept the ball. If a team misses the field goal, the opposing team takes possession of the ball without a kickoff. Distance, the amounts of wind and noise within the stadium, and the amount of experience the kicker has are all determining factors in the success or failure of a field goal attempt. The majority of successful field goal attempts are kicked within 50 yards of the goalpost. However, some kickers can - and often do - make good kicks from farther away. The current NFL record for the longest successful field goal was set in 1970 by Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints, who kicked from 63 yards out. It should be noted that Dempsey had a specially shaped prosthetic foot that enabled him to make such long kicks, and that such prosthetics have since been banned. Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos tied this record in 1998. Modern kickers use a soccer style kick, which involves taking a diagonal approach to the ball and kicking with the inside of the foot. Many kickers in the 1950s and earlier kicked the ball by lining up directly behind it and approaching straight ahead. This is still seen today in a limited capacity in high school and college football. In some situations, a coach may choose to have his team fake a field goal attempt. The players line up as normal, but instead of holding the ball for a kick, the player receiving the snap may run with the ball, hand it off to another player, or attempt to throw it downfield. This play is quite risky and therefore not used often. It is possible for the defensive team to return a missed field goal, although this is attempted very rarely. If a field goal attempt is short of the goal posts and the ball is caught by a defensive player before it hits the ground, the player may return the ball just as on a punt. Teams usually try a return only when a very long field goal is attempted at the end of the first half, since in all other cases it is more advantageous for the defense to just let the ball fall short. Recently, returns of this type have happened in 2002 (Chris McAlister of the Baltimore Ravens, for 107 yards versus the Denver Broncos), 2005 (Nathan Vasher of the Chicago Bears, for 108 yards versus the San Francisco 49ers; this currently holds the record for longest play in NFL history), and 2006 (Devin Hester, also of the Bears, tied the previous record of 108 with a return against the New York Giants). Most teams punt on fourth down when the chances of gaining enough yards for a first down are slim and when the ball is too far from the goalpost to allow a field goal try. Generally, a member of the opposing team moves into position to catch the ball. He may try to gain yards by running the ball downfield, or he may signal a fair catch by waving one arm above his head, thus agreeing that he will not attempt to return the ball downfield. A player who has signalled a fair catch may not be tackled after catching the ball. In some cases, a coach may attempt trickery by switching between his offense and special teams players between plays. A coach may call a time-out, send the kicking team onto the field, and then when the play clock resumes quickly run his offense back on and his kicking team off, hopefully disorienting the defending team enough to advance on the ensuing play or cause a penalty if the defending team cannot switch personnel quickly enough. However, this trickery can also result in penalties against the offense if the play takes too long (delay of game) or if too many players remain on the field when the ball is snapped. Occasionally a coach will line his team up in a shotgun formation and have the quarterback "quick kick" or "pooch punt" -- using the element of surprise to cause the defense not to have a receiver ready. Fake punts In much the same way as a fake field goal (described above), a fake punt is an effort to trick the opposition and either score or gain enough yards for a first down. Fake punts are risky for the same reasons as fake field goals and are thus rarely attempted. Punts out-of-bounds Skilled punters may try to punt a ball past the return team so that the ball touches the playing field in bounds, then rolls out of bounds close to the opposing team's end zone. The drawback to such a punt is that the ball may roll into the end zone (touchback), giving the receiving team decent field position. Or, if the kick is angled too sharply, it will go out of bounds too early and result in an unusually short punt. The best punters are highly regarded for their ability to put the ball out of bounds within five yards of the goal line. These punts are also known as "coffin corner punts" due to their ability to act as a "coffin nail" to an opposing offense. Receiving kicks The biggest choice facing a kick returner is whether or not to attempt to run the ball back. Generally, a returner who catches a kickoff or punt in the "red zone" between the receiving team's own end zone and 20 yard line will attempt some sort of return, if only to gain a few yards. If the receiving team's players can get into position quickly, they may be able to allow the returner to gain further yardage or break away from the pack entirely and score a touchdown.
The duties of a defensive tackle include stopping the running back on running plays, getting pressure up the middle on passing plays, and occupying blockers so the linebackers can roam free. Defensive Tackles, or DT's, are typically the largest and strongest of the defensive players. The defensive tackle typically lines up opposite one of the offensive guards. Depending on a team's individual defensive scheme, a defensive tackle may be called upon to fill several different roles. These roles may include merely holding the point of attack by refusing to be moved, or penetrating a certain gap between offensive linemen to break up a play in the opponent's backfield. If a defensive tackle reads a pass play, his primary responsibilty is to pursue the quarterback. Other responsibilities of the defensive tackle may be to pursue the screen pass or drop into coverage in a zone blitz scheme. In the 3-4 defensive scheme the sole defensive tackle is referred to as the nose guard. The primary responsibility of the defensive tackle in this scheme is to absorb multiple blockers so that other players in the defensive front can attack ballcarriers and rush the quarterback.
Jersey Numbers: 60 - 79
Why they have the term as a
"TACKLE" is beyond me, If you had to define their job, it would be to make sure those zippy ball carriers dont manage to run down the center of the field. So, in theory, they cover that A gap between the opposing center and the guard outside of them on the line, and something called the B gap, which exists between the opposing guard and the tackle outside of them on the line, making sure nobody carrying the ball runs through there. Ok so theyre trying to stop a guy with the ball: why dont they tackle em? Well, they would if they could get at em. But ordinarily the guy with the ball, seeing the defensive tackle there, slobbering in anticipation, will seek an alternate route, and the opposing guard and tackle will do their best to discourage people like the defensive tackles from going after him. Of course, sometimes they get lucky and the guy with the ball decides to take his chances and goes for one of the gaps. At that point, all the tackle has to do is bully his way past the opposing guard and tackle who are there pretty much specifically to impede him, and then jump on top of the guy with the ball before hes too far out of reach. YOU KNOW THEYRE DOING THEIR JOB WHEN: Same as the nose tackle: nobody takes the ball on the hoof and prances down the middle of the field without tasting turf. YOU KNOW THEYRE NOT WHEN: The other team treats the A and B gaps like exits on the Jersey Turnpike. DEFLECTED PASS See Pass Deflected
The 40-second play clock starts running immediately when the previous play ends. If there is a timeout or other stoppage of play, a 25-second play clock starts from when the ball is spotted and declared ready for play. Referee signal: Two forearms in front of chest parallel to the body with open fists, one on top of the other. This penalty can be called on either offense or defense, but the foul is most commonly committed by the offense. The penalty occurs on offense when they allow the play clock to run down to zero without snapping the ball. The penalty can be called on the defense if the referees feel that the defense did not allow the offense to get the play off in time for any reason. A similar foul is delay on kickoff. penalty: 5 yards see official Signal
He is most widely
known for his NFL record 63 yard field goal, kicked in the final 5
seconds to give the New Orleans Saints a 19-17 win over the Detroit
Lions on Dempsey was born with no right hand, and a right club foot, with no toes on his right foot (which was his kicking foot). He wore a modified shoe with a flattened and enlarged toe area, giving somewhat the appearance of a hammer. He used a straight approach to kick the ball as opposed to the "soccer style" used by nearly all place kickers today. Dempsey's accomplishment led to the NFL passing a rule requiring that all footgear be "normal" (their term) regardless of the kicker's personal situation. The Denver Broncos American football club is a National Football League team based in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. The Denver Broncos were a small-market team that met with little success in their early years but have since become one of the elite franchises of the league after having advanced to the Super Bowl six times. In their first four appearances, they suffered successively lopsided defeats, achieving near-legendary status as frustrated losers before winning back-to-back Super Bowl championships in 1998 and 1999 under quarterback John Elway, running back Terrell Davis and coach Mike Shanahan. For most of their history they played in Mile High Stadium, which became one of the shrines of professional football for its unbroken string of sell-outs and its famous home-field advantage percentage for the Broncos, especially during the post-season. Mile High Stadium was one of the NFL's loudest stadiums, with steel flooring instead of concrete, which may have given the Broncos an advantage over opponents. Since 2001, they have played at INVESCO Field at Mile High, built next to the former site of Mile High Stadium. City: Denver, Colorado Head Coach: Mike Shanahan Uniform colors: "Broncos Navy Blue", Orange, and White
Helmet design:
Navy Blue background with a white horse-head profile. Home fields
Mile High Stadium (1960-2000) Team history Denver Broncos (1960–present) This nickname was also selected through a contest in January of 1960. Broncos were the winner, referring to Denver's Wild West heritage. Denver's 1921 entry in the Midwest Baseball League team was also named the Broncos. DEPTH CHART An NFL team roster with players classified as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd string. The Detroit Lions American football club is a National Football League team based in Detroit, Michigan. Originally called the Portsmouth Spartans, the team began play in 1930 as one of the NFL's small town teams in Portsmouth, Ohio. However, they were forced to move to Detroit in 1934 due to the Great Depression. Detroit, Michigan had four early teams in the National Football League before the Detroit Lions. The Heralds played in 1920. The Tigers in 1921. The Panthers from 1925-1926 and the Wolverines in 1928.
The Lions have won four NFL Championships. City: Detroit, Michigan Team Colors: Honolulu Blue, Silver, and Black
Head Coach:
Rod Marinelli
Universal Stadium (1930-1933) Ford Field (2002-present) Team history
Portsmouth
Spartans (1930-1933) Detroit radio executive George Richards purchased the NFL's Portsmouth Spartans and moved them to the Motor City in 1934. Richards chose Lions. Felines were already prevalent in Detroit. Baseball could claim the Tigers and a Detroit football team called the Panthers had folded after two years in 1927.
Teams normally use four defensive backs. When a fifth defensive back comes in the game, he is referred to as the nickel back. When the sixth defensive back comes in, he is refered to as the dime back. A dimeback is a cornerback who serves as the sixth defensive back on defense. The third cornerback on defence is known as a nickelback. The dimeback position is essentially relegated to backup cornerbacks who do not play starting cornerback positions. Dimebacks are usually fast players because they must be able to keep up on passing plays with 3+ wide receivers. Usually, dimebacks are brought onto the feild before plays that have a good possibility of becoming pass plays. Usually, a linebacker is substituted for a cornerback in order to gain better pass defence.
Dime coverage is generally used only in obvious passing situations.
You have two defensive ends (DE), one on each end of the line, and two defensive tackles (DT) in between. Behind the defensive line is one linebacker (LB). Two cornerbacks (CB), one nickel back (NB), and one dime back (DB) combine with two safeties to cover the defensive backfield. The exact position of the defensive backs depends on the type of pass coverage they are in.
See Dime Defense DION SANDERS See Sanders, Dion
Colts QB
Peyton Manning (18) looks to receiver
Brandon Stokley as a diversion during a direct snap to Edgerrin James
in the fourth quarter. The trick play gained five yards and help set
up the Colts only touchdown on the day giving the DIRTY BIRDS - The 1998 Atlanta Falcons (but is still used to this day to describe the Falcons). The name originates from an endzone dance started by Jamal Anderson that was adopted by all the players upon scoring. DIVE An Offensive Play See PLUNGE
Indianapolis Colts are in The AFC Conference belonging to the South DIVISION
2006 AFC South Division Record
This is for determining Division Champion; also, if there is a tie for a wild-card berth, this is used for breaking ties within a division.
DOME PATROL The 1980's Saints linebacking corps, rated as #1 by NFL Network. This all star group included Rickey Jackson, Sam Mills, Pat Swilling, and Vaughn Johnson. The linebacker corps made NFL history as having all four elected to the same pro bowl. DOOMSDAY DEFENSE - The 1970s Dallas Cowboys defensive team. Doomsday I, the unit that led the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl VI, was anchored by future Pro Football Hall of Fame members Herb Adderley, Bob Lilly, and Mel Renfro, while Doomsday II, which spearheaded the drive to the title in Super Bowl XII, featured Hall of Famer Randy White and fellow defensive linemen Harvey Martin and Too Tall Jones.
Double coverage is a state of defensive playcalling wherein two defensive players are assigned to "cover" one offensive player. This situation is often seen with standout wide receivers and running backs. Note: It's actually extremely rare to nonexistent to have 2 DBs man-cover a single receiver. Commentators who use the term "double-coverage" almost always mean a CB covering a WR man-to-man, with a safety playing over the top (typically trying to stay in front of the WR's route) for deep ball assistance.
A double foul usually results in offsetting penalties that negate the result of the play.
See Option Play DOUBLE REVERSE a play in which the ball reverses direction twice behind the line of scrimmage. This is usually accomplished by means of two or three hand-offs, each hand-off going in an opposite direction as the previous one. Such a play is extremely infrequent in football. Some people confuse the double reverse with a reverse, which is a play with two hand-offs instead of three. DOUBLE WING a formation with two tight ends and two wingbacks.
DOWN AND IN: A maneuver where the receiver runs straight downfield, then suddenly cuts toward the middle of the field. DOWN AND OUT: A pass route In which the receiver runs straight downfield, then cuts sharply toward the sideline.
also known as chains
Some officials, generally the Umpire position, may also use an indicator to keep track of where the ball was placed between the hash marks before the play (i.e. the right hash marks, the left ones, or at the midpoint between the two). This is important when they re-spot the ball after an incomplete pass. Some officials use two thick rubber bands tied together as a down indicator. One rubber band is used as the wristband and the other is looped over the fingers.
Thus it is strategically important for kicking teams to get as close to the ball as possible after a punt, so that they may quickly tackle a returner, down the ball as close to the opposing team's end zone as possible, and (if possible) recover the ball after a fumble and regain possession of the ball.
Also referred to as Defensive Lineman, Defensive Tackle, Defensive End DOWN THE FIELD: In the direction of the opponents goal line.
Teams are ranked in inverse order based on the previous season's record, with the worst record picking first, and the second worst picking second and so on. The exceptions to this order is that the Super Bowl champion always picks 32nd, and the Super Bowl loser always picks 31st. The draft proceeds for 7 rounds. Rounds 1-3 are run on Saturday of draft weekend, rounds 4-7 are run on Sunday. Teams are given a limited amount of time to make their picks. If the pick is not made in the allotted time, subsequent teams in the draft may draft before them. This happened in 2003 to the Minnesota Vikings Teams have the option of trading away their picks to other teams for different picks, players, cash, or a combination thereof. While player-for-player trades are rare during the rest of the year (especially in comparison to the other major league sports), trades are far more common on draft day. Drafted players may ONLY negotiate with the team that drafted them (or to another team if their rights were traded away). The drafting team has one year to sign the player. If they do not do so, the player may reenter the draft and can be drafted by another team. DRAFT CHOICE: A player chosen by a professional sports team from a pool of college players in an annual draft.
The use of two crossing drag routes can also be used to try to create an open receiver by using the other receiver to block the path of a defensive back in a man coverage scheme.
The offensive linemen fake like they are going to pass-block, the quarterback drops back like he is going to throw a pass, but instead turns and hands the ball to a running back. The draw is a great play to call when the defense is applying a heavy pass rush. A draw is a type of play that "tricks" the defense into thinking a pass is being thrown, when in fact a running play has been called. The draw play can be considered the opposite of the play action pass. The idea behind a draw play is to attack aggressive, pass-rushing defenses by "drawing" them upfield, therefore leaving more room to run the ball. Draw plays are usually run out of the shotgun formation, but can also be run when the quarterback is under center. These types of draw plays are sometimes referred to as delayed handoffs.
A variation of this play is the quarterback draw, where the quarterback takes the snap, drops back to pass for a few moments, then runs upfield through the hole created by the linemen. 1. The series of plays a team puts together in an attempt to score. A continuous set of offensive plays gaining substantial yardage and several first downs, usually leading to a scoring opportunity. 2. A blocking technique - "drive block" - in which an offensive player through an advantaged angle or with assistance drive a defensive player out of position creating a hole for the ball carrier. DROP See Cut #2
Quarterbacks generally have a set number of steps they drop back on certain plays before setting up to throw the ball. DROPPED PASS Any incomplete pass which was catchable with normal effort. To determine if a pass was dropped, STATS compares and reviews the judgment of multiple reporters.
DUKE FOOTBALL The NFL game ball was known as “The Duke” from 1941-69. The NFL first used a ball in honor of Mara called “The Duke” in 1941 at the suggestion of Chicago Bears owner George Halas, who had helped arrange with Giants owner Tim Mara (Wellington’s father) for Wilson to become the league’s official supplier of game balls. “The Duke” ball was discontinued prior to the 1970 season, the first to be played in the NFL-American Football League merger. The NFL and AFL continued using a Wilson football, but with a new design. The official NFL Wilson football will continue to be manufactured in Ada, Ohio. Wilson recently extended its NFL contract through 2011, which will mark the 70th year of partnership, believed to be one of the longest agreements in sports history.
One side of the new 2006 "Duke" football features the NFL
shield logo in gold, the words "The Duke", and the NFL
commissioner's signature.
DYNASTY LEAGUE (fantasy football term) A league in which you keep your entire roster from year to year. The next season a draft is held to improve your team. Usually the draft order is based on the previous year's finish. Dynasty leagues are a long term commitment.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ELECTRIC COMPANY - See The Electric Company
Not all players on offense are entitled to receive a forward pass. Only an eligible pass receiver may legally catch a forward pass, or be more than five yards over the line of scrimmage on a forward passing play. If the pass is received by a non-eligible receiver, the penalty for ineligible receiver is assessed (the play is treated as an incomplete pass, unless the ball is downed behind the line of scrimmage - in either case a down is lost). If a non-eligible receiver is more than five yards downfield on a completed forward pass, the penalty assessed is "ineligible receiver downfield" (a loss of yardage, but not loss of down). Every player on the defensive team is considered eligible. The offensive team must have at least seven players lined up on the line of scrimmage. Of the players on the line of scrimmage, only the two players on the ends of the line of scrimmage are eligible receivers. The four remaining players in the backfield, excluding the quarterback, where a quarterback who takes the snap directly from the center is never eligible. However, a quarterback who receives a longer snap from the center, such as in a shotgun formation, is eligible even in the NFL. With the assignment of numbers to positions, a player who is not wearing a number that corresponds to an eligible receiver is not eligible even if he lines up in an eligible position. However, in the American game, a person who reports to the referee that he will be eligible on the play is allowed to line up and act as an eligible receiver. An example of this was a 1985 NFL game in which William Perry, wearing number 72 and normally a defensive lineman, was made an eligible receiver on an offensive play, and successfully caught a touchdown pass attempt. If, for example, eight men line up on the line of scrimmage, the team loses an eligible receiver. This can often happen when a flanker or slot receiver, who is supposed to line up behind the line of scrimmage, instead lines up on the line of scrimmage between the offensive line and a split end. In most cases where a pass is caught by an ineligible receiver, it is usually because the quarterback was under pressure and threw it to an offensive lineman out of desperation. Before the snap of the ball, eligible receivers may only move parallel to the line of scrimmage, only one eligible receiver may be in motion at any given time, and if forward motion has occurred, the receiver must be still for a full second before the snap. The receiver may be in motion laterally or away from the line of scrimmage at the snap. A breach of this rule results in a penalty for illegal procedure (five yards). The rules on eligible receivers only apply to forward passes, even those behind the line of scrimmage. However, any player may legally catch a backwards or lateral pass. Once the play has started, players can become ineligible and eligible depending on how the play develops. Any eligible receiver that goes out of bounds is no longer an eligible receiver and cannot receive a forward pass. Also, if a pass is touched by any eligible receiver (tipped by a defensive lineman, slips through a receiver's hands, etc) every player on the field immediately becomes eligible.
(Penalty 5 yards) - a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact with a player, or has a unabated path to the quarterback, before the snap. Unlike the offsides penalty, this penalty immediately halts play: the referees blow the whistle, the clock stops, and the offense does not run a play. Referee signal: same as offsides. See official Signal
Jersey Numbers: 80 - 89
END AROUND a play, often confused with a reverse, where the quarterback hands the ball off to a wide receiver . The receiver motions/moves into the backfield as the ball is snapped to take the handoff and runs around the opposite end from where he lined up
A team scores a touchdown by entering their opponent's end zone while carrying the ball or catching the ball while being within the end zone. If the ball is carried by an offensive player, across the goal line, it is considered a score as soon as the ball crosses the imaginary vertical plane of the goal line, between the two sidelines. In addition, a two-point conversion may be scored after a touchdown by similar means. The end zone is 10 yards long by 53 and 1/3 yards wide EQUIPMENT - see Football Equipment EQUIPMENT MANAGER The role of equipment manager has become an extremely important one for every NFL team. The equipment manager has two big areas of responsibility: Protecting the players - First and foremost, an equipment manager's job is to fit each player on the team with a customized array of equipment that will provide maximum protection against injury. Managing the logistics - The equipment manager must handle the tons of equipment the team uses on a daily basis, keep all of it repaired and in stock and move it around for all of the road games. These twin responsibilities have made equipment management both a science and an incredibly demanding role on any NFL team. For the Indianapolis Colts, the job of equipment manager falls on the shoulders of Jon Scott.
ERNEST NEVERS See Nevers, Ernest
EXCESSIVE TIME OUTS: Calling a time out after having used the three allowed per half. The penalty for excessive time outs is five yards against the offending team and the clock is restarted. An Expansion Team is considered to be a brand new team in a sports league. The term comes from the fact that the league expands its presence into new cities. However, when an expansion team begins play, they are generally stocked with players who were rejected by the other existing teams. As a result, most expansion teams are known to be very awful during their first season, but some are known to even held a title (championship) in their league only a few years after their first season. Most teams are considered as an expansion team usually in their inaugural season and sometimes in their second season. Depending on the league and the situation, a team that moves to another location and/or changes its name are generally not considered an expansion team. EXTRA CONVERSION See Extra Points
The extra point, point after touchdown, or PAT is the act of lining up to kick, as in a field goal, immediately following a touchdown. If the kick goes through the uprights, the team gets an additional point for their touchdown, bringing their total for that score to 7. If more points are needed or desired, a two-point conversion may be attempted instead of the extra point kick. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
(1) A protective covering for the face worn by players in football.
Teams replace as many as 15 face masks after every game because of damage.
Penalty: Automatic 1st down see official signal There are actually two levels of severity for face mask penalties. One results from incidental grabbing of a face mask where it is immediately released, and results in a five-yard penalty. A major face mask foul usually results from a player grabbing an opponent by the face mask and using it to pull the player down or twist his head around and results in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.
Also, players may not tackle the receiver making the fair catch. The primary reason for the fair catch rule is to protect the receiver. A receiver's attention is on the incoming punt and cannot focus on the defenders running towards him. He is quite vulnerable to injury and is also at risk for fumbling the kick if the punter intentionally makes a high short kick to allow defenders time to hit the receiver. The XFL removed the fair catch rule in an effort to make the game more "extreme." The XFL however, was not the only league to do so: Canadian football and Arena football also do not have fair catch rules.
A free kick
may be taken on the play immediately after any fair catch of a punt.
If the receiving team elects to attempt this and time expired during
the punt, the half is extended with an untimed down. The ball must be
held on the ground by a member of the kicking team; a tee may not be
used. This is both a field goal attempt and a free kick; if the ball
is kicked between the goal posts, three points are scored for the
kicking team. This is the only case where a free kick may score
points. This method of scoring is extremely rare; it is only
advantageous when as a team catches a very short punt with no time
left. Note that a team is unlikely to be punting with only a few
seconds left in a half, and it is rarer still for punts to be caught
near field goal range. A player signaling for a fair catch is not required to catch the ball; however, after making the signal, he may not initiate contact with any member of the kicking team until the ball is touched by another player. If he does he will be penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. If the ball hits the ground or a member of the kicking team, the fair catch signal is off and rules for kicked balls apply. If the receiver "muffs" the ball (touches it, but then fails to field it cleanly), then the ball can be recovered by the kicking team. A "personal foul" for kick catch interference and a 15 yard penalty is called against the kicking team if a member violates the fair catcher's right to the ball. If the receiver attempts to advance the ball after signalling for a fair catch he is penalized five yards for "delay of game". A fair catch may be followed by a snap or a type of free kick the fair catch kick at his team's choice, and an expired playing period may be extended if the free kick is chosen. (The fair catch kick exists only in the NFL, having been abolished in college.) The fair catch signal can be used as a legal form of deception in the following instance: If the receiver has no intention of actually fielding the ball, but wishes it to roll in the end zone for a touchback, he may signal for a fair catch in front of where the ball will land, making the kicking team think it will not reach the end zone. Some fans see this as an abuse of the fair catch rule, and think that it should be amended to allow the kicking team to recover the ball at any point after it has touched the ground if a fair catch has been called for, which would force an end to this practice, but so far no rules committee will consider this argument. The officials' signal for a successful fair catch kick is the same as for a field goal. FAIR CATCH INTERFERENCE: A player may not interfere with a punt returner's opportunity to catch the football after having signaled for a fair catch. The penalty for fair catch interference is 15 yards against the offending team. FAIR CATCH KICK The fair catch kick is a little-known, rarely enacted rule found in professional and some amateur American football. It is one of the three types of free kicks; the other two are the kickoff and the safety kick. The fair catch kick is the only of the three in which the kicking team may score a field goal. At one time a very similar rule existed in rugby union called goal from mark. Fair catch kicks can only occur when a member of the receiving team signals for, and successfully makes, a fair catch. That team then has the option of restarting play either by snap or fair catch kick. If the team elects the fair catch kick option, the kicking team lines up at the spot where the fair catch was made and the opposing team lines up ten yards downfield. The kicker then may either placekick the ball from a teammate's hold (a kickoff tee may be used in high school) or dropkick the ball. Three points are awarded for kicking the ball through the uprights. If the kick does not go through the uprights, the ball is live, similar to either of the other free kicks. Likewise, a fair catch kick landing out of bounds but not in the end zone is awarded to the receiving team 30 yards from where it was kicked. In the NFL, a fair catch kick may still be attempted if the quarter ends on the fair catch play. This is not automatic; a team's captain or coach must exercise this option. This play is very rarely used. First of all, it is only allowed in the NFL, high school, and a few other levels of football. In the NFL, a rare combination of circumstances would make it plausible. As it will only happen after a punt or free kick, a fair catch tends to be taken too far from the goal for a kick to be successful (although, unlike a field goal attempt, the resulting kick is taken from the spot of the catch, not several yards back, and the defending team must stay 10 yards back before the kick.) Further, it is of most use to a team when there is not enough time to run a play from scrimmage, so is only likely to be seen when the punt would otherwise be the last play of a half or a game. Finally, at the end of a game it is only of use when the receiving team is 3 points or fewer behind, or the game is tied - if they need 4 or more points, they will try to run the ball back for a touchdown. If a team has a three point lead on fourth down with a few seconds left, they are more likely to run out the clock by having the punter run around the end zone and take an intentional safety than to risk a punt. In the rare circumstances when a punt is taken close to a team's own goal line with only a few seconds left in the half, sportscasters will sometimes mention the rule. However, punters, under those circumstances, will generally kick the ball away from the return man, most likely to frustrate a long return rather than to prevent a fair catch. Because a fair catch kick is rarely used, many players, coaches and fans don't know that the rule even exists. The last successful fair catch kick in the NFL was by Mac Percival in 1968, scoring the game-winning field goal for the Chicago Bears against the Green Bay Packers. As of 2006, 8 more have been attempted, none successful. FAKE PUNT: On very rare occasions, a punting team will elect to attempt a "fake punt" that is line up in punt formation and begin the process as normal, but instead do one of the following:
Usually, teams will attempt a fake punt only in the rarest of situations: to keep a drive alive (particularly if a team is behind by one or more touchdowns and the team needs momentum), to expose a weakness in an opposing team's defense, or to catch the opponent's special teams unit off-guard and get an easy touchdown. The success rate of "fake punts" is low, which may explain why this play is seldom seen. FALCONS See Atlanta Falcons< | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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