Football Dictionary
Pure X's and O's. Start from the top and work your way down.
1. Core terms
- Line of scrimmageThe imaginary line where the ball is placed at the snap, which neither team may cross early.
- Third downThe down that decides whether a drive continues or the offense punts.
- Red zoneThe area inside the opponent's 20-yard line, where the field shortens.
- TurnoverA change of possession by interception or fumble recovery.
- BlitzSending an extra rusher beyond the four normal pass rushers.
- Pressure rateHow often a defense forces a quarterback off his spot — sacks, hits and hurries as a share of dropbacks.
- Two-minute drillThe hurry-up offense run at the end of a half to score before the clock expires.
- Snap shareThe percentage of a team's offensive plays a player is on the field for.
- Target shareThe percentage of a team's passing targets that go to one player.
2. Positions and roles
- Head coach (HC)The coach who runs the entire team, and sometimes calls a side of the ball himself.
- Offensive coordinatorThe coach who designs the offense and, in most cases, calls the plays.
- Defensive coordinatorThe coach who designs the defense and, in most cases, calls the plays.
- Quarterback (QB)The player who takes the snap and either throws the ball, hands it off or runs it himself.
- Running back (RB)The primary ball carrier, who also catches passes and blocks in protection.
- Fullback (FB)A heavier back who lines up in front of the running back and blocks.
- Wide receiver (WR)A pass catcher split out wide who runs routes against corners and safeties.
- X receiverThe isolated receiver on the line of scrimmage who beats press coverage on his own.
- Z receiver (flanker)The flanker, off the line of scrimmage and able to use motion to dodge press.
- Slot receiverThe inside receiver lined up between the tackle and the outside receiver, working the middle of the field.
- Tight end (TE)A hybrid who blocks like a lineman and catches passes like a receiver.
- Offensive line (OL)The five blockers up front: two tackles, two guards and a center.
- Center (C)The middle offensive lineman, who snaps the ball and sets the protection calls.
- Guard (G)The linemen either side of the center, who handle interior power and pull on run plays.
- Left tackle and right tackleThe two outside offensive linemen; the left tackle usually protects the blind side while the right tackle sees heavier run duty.
- Defensive lineman (DL)An interior defender who occupies blockers, stops the run and collapses the pocket.
- EDGEThe outside rusher who sets the edge against the run and attacks the tackle in the pass game.
- Linebacker (LB)A second-level defender who fills run gaps and covers backs, tight ends and hooks.
- Cornerback (CB)A defender who covers wide receivers, in press or off coverage.
- Slot corner (nickel)The corner who covers the inside receiver, defends option routes and often blitzes.
- Safety (SAF)The deepest defender, who plays over the top or drops down to support the run.
- Kicker (K)The player who kicks field goals and extra points.
- H-backA tight end / fullback hybrid who lines up off the line of scrimmage and moves before the snap.
3. Offense
- 00 personnelNo back and no tight end — five receivers in an empty set.
- 01 personnelNo back, one tight end and four receivers.
- 02 personnelNo back, two tight ends and three receivers.
- 10 personnelOne back, no tight end and four receivers.
- 11 personnelOne running back and one tight end with three receivers — the NFL's most common grouping.
- 12 personnelOne running back and two tight ends, balancing run and pass looks.
- 13 personnelOne back, three tight ends and one receiver — a heavy run package.
- 20 personnelTwo backs, no tight end and three receivers.
- 21 personnelTwo backs and one tight end, a heavier run-leaning grouping.
- 22 personnelTwo backs, two tight ends and one receiver.
- 23 personnelTwo backs, three tight ends and no receivers — the heaviest package.
- Under centerThe quarterback takes the snap directly from the center.
- ShotgunThe quarterback lines up several yards behind the center (common in the NFL).
- PistolA short shotgun with the back directly behind the quarterback (common in the NFL).
- SinglebackOne running back behind the quarterback with no fullback (common in the NFL).
- I-formationFullback and tailback stacked behind the quarterback under center.
- Goal lineThe heaviest offensive grouping, used inside the two-yard line.
- SpreadReceivers spread wide across the field to stretch the defense horizontally.
- EmptyNo running back in the backfield; all five eligible receivers are spread out.
- TripsThree receivers aligned to one side of the formation (common in the NFL).
- TwinsTwo receivers aligned to the same side (common in the NFL).
- BunchThree receivers clustered tightly together to create natural traffic.
- WildcatA non-quarterback takes the snap directly (rare in the NFL).
- Wing-TA misdirection-heavy running structure with a wing back (rare in the NFL).
- FlexboneA triple-option formation with two slot backs (rare in the NFL).
- Compressed setsReceivers aligned tight to the formation rather than out near the sideline.
- Route treeThe numbered set of receiver routes — flat, slant, comeback, curl, out, dig, corner, post and go.
- MotionMoving a player before the snap to reveal coverage and create leverage.
- Play actionA fake handoff designed to pull linebackers forward and open throwing lanes behind them.
4. Run schemes
- Zone run schemeLinemen block areas and flow together while the back reads that flow for a lane.
- Gap / Power run schemePulling guards and down blocks that create a numbers advantage at one point of attack.
- Wide zone (outside zone)A zone run aimed at the edge, stretching the defense sideways until a cutback lane appears.
- Spread option / RPORun-pass options and quarterback run threats that punish a defender for committing either way.
- Triple optionThe quarterback reads unblocked defenders and hands off, keeps or pitches on the same play.
5. Passing concepts
- Quick game (short concepts)Three-step, get-it-out-fast throws that beat pressure and turn into run-after-catch.
- Shallow conceptsCrossing routes run just above the line of scrimmage, usually paired with a deeper dig behind them.
- Vertical conceptsDeep route combinations — go, post, corner and deep dig — that attack behind the coverage.
- Option routeA route where the receiver breaks whichever way the defender does not, on a shared read with the quarterback.
- Play-action pass gamePass concepts built off a convincing run fake so linebackers and safeties step the wrong way.
- Play sequencingCalling plays in a deliberate order so an early look sets up the counter to it later.
6. Offensive systems
- Pro style offenseA balanced, multiple system mixing under-center and shotgun with real tight end usage.
- Shanahan wide zoneOutside zone running paired with heavy play action and bootlegs off the identical look.
- West Coast offenseA timing-based passing game of short, high-percentage throws that function as the run game.
- Erhardt-PerkinsA concept-based system where plays are named rather than numbered, so any call works from any formation.
- Coryell (vertical) offenseA downfield attack of deep digs, posts and corner routes off deeper drops.
- Air RaidFour and five receivers, wide splits and a small menu of pass concepts run constantly and at pace.
- Run and shootFour receivers who adjust routes on the fly based on the coverage, with no tight end.
7. Defensive fronts
- Run gaps (A, B, C, D)The lanes between offensive linemen: A between center and guard, B between guard and tackle, C outside the tackle, D outside the tight end.
- Defensive line techniques (0 to 9)The 0 through 9 numbering that describes where a lineman lines up, from a 0-technique nose over the center to a 9-technique out past the tight end.
- 4-3 frontFour down linemen and three linebackers.
- 3-4 frontThree down linemen and four linebackers, with pressure coming from the outside backers.
- Nickel frontFive defensive backs on the field — the most common alignment in the modern NFL.
- Dime frontSix defensive backs, used on obvious passing downs.
- Bear frontA front that covers both guards and the center, taking away interior run lanes.
- Wide-9An EDGE aligned far outside the tackle to win with speed.
- 5-2 frontFive down linemen and two linebackers, used in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
- 6-1 frontSix down linemen and a single linebacker — the heaviest goal-line look.
8. Coverages
- Man coverageEach defender is responsible for a specific receiver wherever he goes.
- Zone coverageEach defender guards an area of the field rather than a specific receiver.
- Single-high safetyOne safety deep in the middle of the field, the shell behind Cover 1 and Cover 3.
- Two-high safetyTwo safeties deep, the shell behind Cover 2, quarters and Cover 6.
- Cover 0Man coverage with no deep safety, almost always paired with a blitz.
- Cover 1Man coverage underneath with one free safety over the top.
- Cover 2Two deep safeties split the field, with five underneath zone defenders.
- Tampa 2A Cover 2 shell where the middle linebacker carries the deep middle, closing the seam.
- Cover 3Three deep defenders each take a third of the field with four underneath.
- Cover 4 (quarters)Four deep defenders each take a quarter of the field, often matching routes.
- Cover 6Quarters to one side of the field and Cover 2 to the other.
- RobberA defender drops beneath the intermediate routes to steal a throw over the middle.
- Match coverageZone rules that convert to man once receivers declare their routes.
- Three-safety high shellA defense that plays three safety-types deep or near-deep instead of the usual two.