Who's Who: The Eleven Jobs
Every play on this site is drawn with letters, and every broadcast talks in the same shorthand, so learn the cast once. On offense the five in a row are the offensive line: the center (C) who snaps it, a guard (G) on each side of him, a tackle (T) outside each guard. They may not catch a forward pass and they rarely touch the ball; they win or lose the play anyway. Behind them the quarterback (Q) takes the snap and decides. A running back (R) carries and catches; a fullback (F), when there is one, blocks. A tight end (Y) is a hybrid — a sixth blocker who can also catch. The receivers are named by where they line up: the X is the split end on the line, the Z flanks off the line on the other side, and a slot receiver (H) works from the inside, between a tackle and the widest man.
On defense, count from the ball out. The defensive line is the men in a stance on the line: ends (E) on the edges, tackles (T) inside them, and a nose (N) over the center when there is one. Behind them stand the linebackers, named by alignment — the Mike in the middle, the Will on the weak side, the Sam on the strong side — who are the defense's run-stoppers and its first line of pass coverage. Cornerbacks (C) cover the widest receivers. Two safeties (S, F) play deepest: a strong safety near the tight end, a free safety in the middle of the field. When the offense adds a third receiver, the defense usually trades a linebacker for a fifth defensive back, the nickel; a sixth is the dime. That trade is the substitution battle you learned to count in "Eleven Players, Counted."
On television you get one more clue: jersey numbers. Pro linemen wear 50–79, which is how you can tell a tackle from a tight end in the same stance — and why a lineman who reports as eligible is announced to the crowd. Below the pros the numbers are looser, and at youth and many high schools the same kid is a receiver, a safety and a returner. Hover any player in any simulation for his name, his job on that play, and what to watch him for; pick your own position on the home page and every film will highlight you.
How this changes by level
Youth: Everyone plays both ways and positions are fluid: the best athlete is the tailback, the safety and the returner. Many leagues cap how far linemen split, so 'slot' and 'X' barely exist yet — it's a tight end and a wingback.
High School: Thin rosters mean the star two-way player; the strong-side linebacker is often the tight end. Formations widen and the nickel package appears at good programs, but the same eleven often play every snap.
College: Full specialization: the nickel is a starter, edge rushers are their own position, and offenses rename receivers (X, Z, H, Y) so a call sheet can move them around without changing the play.
Pro: Hyper-specialized. A 'personnel package' is a matchup weapon, edge and interior rushers are recruited separately, and the numbering rules tell you who is eligible before the announcer does.
Open in the interactive app — animated simulation inside →