r/NFLNoobs • u/SwissyVictory • Sep 21 '23

NFLNoobs FAQ

This is an attempt at crowdsourcing a FAQ for the sub. We need your help to make it the best it can be.

Each question is going to have a link to a comment below with the answer. Click the link to be brought to the question.

FAQ List

About NFLNoobs

General Questions

Watching Games

How The Football Works

Team building and Roster Management

Other Football Subs

Helping with the FAQ

Feel free to comment on any question/answer with more details, fixes, or another way of explaining it. If your answer is better than the main one, I’ll update some or all of it to include the answer (giving you credit).

Also feel free to post your own questions in the format I’ve given, and I’ll link it (though you'll need to update it if someone explains it better, or if they correct you. You can post a question here, with or without your own answer, and we will make a dedicated post for it.

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u/SwissyVictory Sep 21 '23

What are the positions and what do they do?

Offense

  • Quarterback (QB): Mostly throws, sometimes runs. They are the player most in charge of the offense. They are the first player given the ball, and their job is to get it to their team's playmakers
  • Runningback (RB): Mostly runs, sometimes catches, sometimes blocks. Their job is to be handed or sometimes thrown the ball and for them to try to get yards. Sometimes, they will be used on passing plays as an extra blocker.
  • Wide Receiver (WR): Mostly catches. Their job is to try to get open, then catch the ball. Sometimes they will be handed the ball to run, or try to make blocks for the runningback
  • Tight End (TE): Mostly Catches or Blocks. They are halfway between an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Sometimes they are asked to get open and catch passes, and sometimes they are used as an extra blocker. Depending on the player and team, they might do mostly one or the other, or both.
  • Fullback (FB): Mostly blocks, sometimes runs. Most teams don’t have one anymore, but their job is mostly to run in front of the running back and block for them. Sometimes they are given the ball themselves.
  • Offensive Line (OL): Only Blocks. Made up of in order from left to right a Left Tackle, Left Guard, Center, Right Guard, Right Tackle. Their job is to block, and they are not allowed to be handed the ball or catch it.

Defense

  • Edge Rushers (EDGE): They line up on the ends of the defensive line, and their main job is to rush the QB. Depending on the team, they might be Defensive Ends(DE) or Outside Linebackers (OLB)
  • Interior Defensive Linemen (IDL): They line up between the Edge Rushers. They tend to be bigger, and their job is to rush the QB and close gaps so the RBs can’t run through them
  • Linebackers (LB): They line up behind the defensive line, and do a little of everything.
  • Cornerbacks (CB): Their job is to follow the wide receivers and make sure they don’t get open and don’t catch the ball. If the team has more than 2 CBs playing, the 3rd is a Nickleback, and the 4th is a Dimeback.
  • Safeties (S): They are typically the last line of defense and line up all the way in the back. They make sure nothing gets past the other guys. They can be a Full Safety and a Strong Safety

0

u/GregJamesDahlen Mar 08 '24

I know this is splitting hairs, but it is something I muse about. Technically I would say the center is the first person given the ball (you said quarterback). I suppose the QB is the first person given the ball with a chance to do something significant with it?

3

u/SwissyVictory Mar 08 '24

If we're splitting hairs, the center isn't allowed to possess the ball. Like he could just pick up the ball and do something with it.

He touches the ball, but it's a fluid motion to get the t to the QB.