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May 15, 2023 · American football terms and definitions. To understand and enjoy American football, get familiar with key terms and what they mean. Until you grasp basic football lingo, listening to announcers call an National Football League (NFL) game can be like listening to monkey gibberish. The following list fills you in on the basic American football ...
- Audible. When quarterbacks (QB) approach the line of scrimmage, they may call an audible. This is when QBs change the original play called just before the snap.
- Blitz. A blitz is a defensive play call where the defense tries to have more players rush the passer than the offense can block. It usually involves a linebacker, cornerback and / or safety rush the quarterback in addition to the defensive linemen.
- Box. The "Box" refers to the defensive area between both offensive tackles. It also extends roughly seven yards off the line of scrimmage.
- Cadence. Watching a football game, you'll probably hear QBs shout some combination words right before the start of the play. The words they shout out are usually a combination of colors, cities, and numbers -- like "Green-88!"
So, with the 2022 NFL season kicking off, we’ve compiled a list of terms and words which are commonplace in the sport’s parlance that we think you should know.
- Backfield: The group of offensive players — the running backs and quarterback — who line up behind the line of scrimmage.
- Down: A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning the play is completed). The offense gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards.
- Drive: The series of plays when the offense has the football, until it punts or scores and the other team gets possession of the ball.
- End zone: A 10-yard-long area at each end of the field. You score a touchdown when you enter the end zone in control of the football. If you're tackled in your own end zone while in possession of the football, the other team gets a safety.
Pocket: The area where the quarterback stands during a play while looking to throw the ball downfield and where his linemen are protecting him. Pro-formation: Offensive formation where two running backs line up behind and lateral to the quarterback.
In addition to clarifying the meaning of various football terms, this will also help coaches spell and punctuate them correctly. Embarrassingly for guys who call themselves “educators,” many coaches do not know how to spell or punctuate their own specialty’s terminology.
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Offside: A penalty that occurs when any part of a football player's body is beyond his line of scrimmage when the football is snapped. Pass protection: Blocking by the offensive football players to keep defenders away from the quarterback to give him time to throw the football.
