The game of football features two teams going at each other. One team is on offense and the other team is on defense. We're going to concentrate on the offensive players in this article and the role of each man.
The offense of a team is the key to scoring points. Without a well tuned offense a team doesn't have a chance. That's why each man in the offensive unit has to know his role and execute it to the best of his ability. This involves not only skill but also thinking on his feet. Football is a very technical game in many respects and if a player doesn't have all the plays stuck up in his head, he's not going to know how to react when a certain play is called.
The offense itself is actually run by the coach who calls the plays, even though he's not on the field with his players. But on the field, the game is run by the quarterback. This is probably the most important position in the game of football. A good quarterback can mean the difference between winning and losing, especially in the final minutes. He's the one who hands the ball off to the running backs on a run play or passes it to the receivers on a pass play. Everything falls on his shoulders.
The running backs, which are the halfbacks and fullbacks, are the ones who run the ball on run plays and help give protection to the quarterback on pass plays. They can also act as receivers on pass plays as well. Running backs need to be very quick on their feet. They also need to be strong in order to block for the quarterback. Running backs are probably some of the best athletes on the field.
The wide receivers and the tight ends are the ones who catch the passes thrown by the quarterback. There are a number of routes that these players need to run during the course of a game and each route has to be known beforehand. The routes themselves can be very complicated in an attempt to throw off the defense. Receivers have to be very fast in order to outrun the defense. They also need to have very good hands to catch a football.
The linemen, called guards and tackles, are there for two purposes. On pass plays they are there to provide pass protection for the quarterback so he can have enough time to get his pass off. On run plays they are on the line to create holes for the running backs to run through. In order to do both of these jobs linemen have to be very strong and very big. Some linemen are well over 350 pounds. When these guys hit you, you know you've been hit.
Rounding out the offense is the kicker. He is the one who either kicks the extra point after a touchdown is scored or tries for a field goal if the team is close enough to the goal line but not close enough to go for a touchdown. A kicker has to have very strong legs, as some of the kicks he has to try are from quite a few yards away.
For an offense to be effective, all the men on it have to work together. That's what makes some offenses great and others not so great. It's called teamwork.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Football
Written By: Michael Russell
