Questions tagged [american-football]
Questions about the sport of American football. This should not be confused with the [football] tag, which only applies to the sport called "soccer" in most of North America.
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What type of individual player incentives are allowed in the NFL?
Recently, ESPN (and others) reported that the New Orleans Saints had instituted a "bounty" program. This program awarded players for inflicting game-ending injuries against the opposing ...
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Finding the odds of games in the past [closed]
I'm interested in finding the odds (aka spread or latest line) of NFL games that were played in the past, as far back as the 1960's. In general, the odds that were printed in newspapers.
Where can I ...
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How can a 3rd college quarterback be found if two are injured?
As colleges can't sign a new player like an NFL team can, what do they do if two or three of their starting QBs go down? Is there a rule that lets them get new players or do they have to play their ...
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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 ...
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What is the job of the Assistant Coach in the NFL?
I understand what the job of a Head Coach is, but what does the Assistant Head Coach actually do during games/in the office?
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What is the role of the Captain on the (american) football field?
After reading this post about soccer or football (for europeans), What is the on-field role of the captain? i was curious about this issue in american football.
What is the role of the football ...
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"53 has the Mic" means what in American Football?
I frequently hear quarterbacks say something like "53 has the mic" when pointing out the defensive formation. Usually the player number that he points out is a linebacker.
I believe the defensive ...
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Football equipment that can reduce risk of concussions
Concussions are becoming a major long-term health concern for participants in American football, particularly among youth and high school leagues, where equipment might not be as up to date as those ...
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What makes a formation illegal?
Sometimes the referee will flag a team for having an "illegal formation". What are the restrictions on how a team is allowed to line up?
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When is an offensive lineman allowed to move?
I've noticed that sometimes an offensive lineman will seem to get down in his stance but then stand back up to listen to the Quarterbacks' audible.
But when he is in his stance and merely twitches ...
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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 ...
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What are the disadvantages of the wide nine defensive scheme?
Correct me if i'm wrong I've read a little about a wide-nine defensive scheme. Trying to get an understanding of this.
From my understanding, a wide nine defensive philosophy depends on defensive ...
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Number of gap techniques in American Football
While reading this thread and this one I had trouble following the football terminology of the different "techniques" for defensive line men.
What does it mean to have a 1 / 2 / 3 / 5 gap technique ...
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Why do the balls used in rugby and American football have a similar shape?
Is there any reason for the fact that rugby and American football share this (quite unusual) ball shape?
Do they have common roots? Does the American football ball come from the rugby one (...
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Why isn't spiking the football intentional grounding?
I understand that spiking the football is a time management technique in American football, but I don't understand why there is no penalty (e.g. intentional grounding) associated with it?
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Difference between three technique and five technique defensive linemen
During the predraft period, many scouting reports will mention that a defensive end can play a "three technique" or is better suited for a "five technique" role. Being unsure of what that meant, I did ...
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Is it true that a line backer is the quarterback for the defense?
I've often heard that the linebacker is the quarterback for the defense.
Thus, is it really true that a linebacker's role is sometimes to produce calls to change the defensive's game plan or an ...
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Does icing a fieldgoal kicker actually work?
It's a common strategy in most levels of football to call a time out shortly before the ball is snapped prior to a field goal. This is called icing the kicker (as it makes the kicker wait through the ...
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How is the BCS rank determined?
How are BCS ranks in NCAA football determined? Is it determined by popular vote and record?
What factors affect a ranking?
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Difference between one gap and two gap techniques for defensive linemen
While watching American football, I frequently hear about "one gap" or "two gap" techniques when referring to defensive linemen. I found this terminology to be a bit unclear, so I looked for an ...
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Why would you ever allow an opponent to score?
Watching Super Bowl XLVI, I noticed near the end of the game the New England Patriots allowed the New York Giants to score a touchdown uncontested.
At this point in the game, the Patriots were ...
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What seat is the best overall seat in an American football stadium? [closed]
Sitting front row at the 50 yard line gives a spectator an intense (and expensive) view of a small focal point of an American football field.
Sitting higher up gives a spectator a better overall ...
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As a defensive lineman, can I intentionally encroach to stop the clock?
If a defense is facing a tough situation with no timeouts left, it is difficult to stop the clock. Your options are very limited - you hope the offense passes and you can bat it down, or you hope you ...
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