All Questions
Tagged with american-football terminology
21 questions
2
votes
1
answer
139
views
How do "special" teams differ from "regular" teams in American football?
If you are "kicking off" the ball, you will need a "kicker," which you wouldn't need ordinarily.
If your team is "receiving" a ball, you would need two men in the back ...
- 3,784
3
votes
2
answers
39k
views
Rushing yards vs passing yards vs receiving yards?
I'm trying to understand football and some of its basic stats, and I'm not clear on the difference between these three.
Rushing yards:
A statistic in football that records the total number of ...
9
votes
1
answer
3k
views
In North American football, why are 2 of the 5 offensive linemen called "tackles"?
In North American football, why are 2 of the offensive linemen referred to as "offensive tackles"? I mean, 1) they're not allowed, under the rules, to tackle anyone, and 2) there is no equivalent ...
- 91
5
votes
1
answer
1k
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In American Football, why are fullbacks called such if they aren't all the way back from the OLine?
Maybe this question is outdated for modern football so I can delete if needed but why is the fullback called a fullback when they aren't all the way back from the O-line?
I don't have a source on me ...
- 861
0
votes
1
answer
692
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What does “swarm and stick” mean in American Football?
I found the phrase in the 2008 Swanton Bulldogs Defensive Line Manual:
Relentless Pursuit of the Football. Swarm and Stick.
And also at bobcatnation.com:
EWU has stockpiled speed and young ...
- 101
8
votes
1
answer
3k
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Why isn't the term "hat trick" used in American Football?
Hat trick is commonly used in association football and hockey when a player scores three goals in a match or game.
Given that association football and American football have similar roots, I would ...
- 701
10
votes
1
answer
6k
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What's the etymology of the term Red Zone?
I know what the Red Zone is.
My interest is the etymology of the word.
I'm not sure of the first time I heard it or if they even used it when I was kid growing up in Oakland during the 70's. ...
- 556
9
votes
3
answers
7k
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NFL broadcast info---HS or college affiliation? What does that mean?
When a professional football player introduces himself and states his college affiliation, must that player have graduated from that college or does 3 years allow for him to declare that school ...
- 91
8
votes
1
answer
680
views
What is this piece of training equipment called?
What is this fake player cutout thing called? It appears to be mesh. It looks like it's used simply as a visual point-of-reference for certain drills.
You can see it being used in this video.
- 81
4
votes
2
answers
2k
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How to read an NFL "state of game" format
This is the current "state" of an NFL game. What does it mean?
3rd and 24 on SF 20 yd
where SF is San Francisco
- 43
5
votes
1
answer
2k
views
better name for "set of downs"
Is there a more eloquent term for the set of downs from one first down to another?
For example, 1st down, 2nd down, 1st down 2nd down 3rd down would be 2 "sets of downs". I'm looking for a better ...
- 219
5
votes
1
answer
460
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Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom
I've heard commentators and analysts refer to Seattle Seahawks' defense as the "Legion of Boom". I believe they call the secondary that name, to be exact. What is the story behind this? When and how ...
- 11.1k
10
votes
2
answers
11k
views
What is the Spider 2 Y Banana?
In a Jon Gruden interview on ESPN, he calls a play Spider 2 Y Banana.
I have no idea what to make of this. What do the words even reference, and what do they mean?
- 627
3
votes
3
answers
3k
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What is a pass rusher?
Is it just another name for a running back or a wide receiver? It seems to me that it would be anyone who takes the pass from the QB and runs the ball which pretty much seems to be what the RB does. ...
- 279
2
votes
2
answers
368
views
What do you call a play when the offensive line is on the side?
I saw recently in some video a play where only two guys, namely one who snaps and other one who catches a snap, were between the hash marks, but the offensive line was on the side of the line of ...
- 133
6
votes
4
answers
3k
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What is the red zone in rugby (or American football) and how did it get that name?
What is the red zone in rugby (or American football) and how did it get the name red zone? I couldn't see anything mentioned about this in the Wikipedia page for both games.
- 1,854
20
votes
2
answers
113k
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What is the difference between a strong safety and a free safety?
There are two distinct labels for a "safety" in football: strong (SS) and free (FS).
Ed Reed (FS) and Troy Polamalu (SS) were two of the premier players in the NFL "in the safety position" during ...
user527
6
votes
2
answers
11k
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What is the difference between a regular defensive tackle and a nose tackle?
In American Football I sometimes hear the defensive tackle getting called the "nose tackle". I know that it has something to do with the 4-3 3-4 schemes but can somebody give me an explanation along ...
- 829
14
votes
4
answers
39k
views
Why do football players say "Oskie" after an interception?
When I was learning to play football in the backyard as a child, my family would always say "Oskie" after the quarterback threw an interception. I always thought that it was just some sort of family ...
- 4,675
26
votes
3
answers
123k
views
Why is American football called football?
Why is American football called "football" even though the players play with their hands more than their feet? It seems to be very similar to rugby, and doesn't have the name "American Rugby". What ...
- 959
13
votes
3
answers
16k
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Why is the player in the middle of I-formation called the fullback?
From the names of the positions, I would assume that in an I-formation the order (from front to back) would be quarterback, halfback, then fullback.
This Image of the I-Form shows the fullback in ...
- 3,679