American Football Positions: Quarter-back, tight end, wide receiver and more explained

To American football newcomers, the sport can often look like a dozen men trying to block each other with one man trying to pass to a handful of players further upfield.

Although at first glance it might look like most positions on an American football field do very similar jobs, but to more experienced NFL fans, the intricacies between each role are much more apparent.

Each team deploys three separate teams per match depending on what's happening on the pitch. There's the offensive team, who are deployed when the team is in possession of the ball and is tasked with scoring points; the defensive team, who are tasked with stopping the other team from scoring points, and special teams, who are used for kicking plays, such as kick-offs.

Below, we look at every position on an American football pitch.

Offense

Quarter-back (QB)

The main man of any American football team is its quarter-back. The quarter-back is in charge of a team's offense, calling plays and executing them.

Quarter-backs need to have the physical attributes to be able to throw the ball long distances and quickly, as well as lightning-fast decision-making to decide whether to pass or run with the ball as well as who to pass to. The quarter-back needs total awareness of both offensive and defensive players to ensure possession isn't lost via a turnover.

Though not essential, the ability to run with the ball can be vital on occasions when passing options aren't available.

Running back (RB)

A running back is typically tasked with running with the ball - hence the name. On plays where the quarter-back opts not to pass the ball, they will usually hand the ball off to a running back, who attempts to gain yards on foot.

While strength is a useful attribute to power through defensive players, running backs tend to have incredible speed, agility and balance to navigate past defenders.

Running backs are often referred to as either fullbacks or halfbacks. Fullbacks are usually bigger than halfbacks, and while they can run the ball themselves, they're usually deployed in a blocking role. The halfback is more often handed the ball by the quarter-back to run into space.

Wide receiver (WR)

Wide receivers are positioned outside the offensive line at the snap, and are tasked with catching the ball and running with it.

Plays are called by the quarter-back prior to the snap, with each wide receiver knowing what route they need to run. Like running backs, wide receivers need supreme acceleration, speed and agility in order to evade opposing defenders, but also need the ability to catch the ball, making height an important attribute.

On running plays, where the halfback takes the ball, wide receivers are tasked with blocking defenders.

Wide receivers will usually record the most receiving touchdowns and rack up the most receiving yards.

Tight end (TE)

Tight ends are perhaps the most well rounded physical players of the offensive line-up. They need the speed and agility to act as a receiver as well as the strength to act as a blocker.

On running plays, tight ends act as additional blockers, and on passing plays, tight ends can be used for shorter passing plays.

Although wide receivers are typically the receiving touchdown leaders over a season, Jimmy Graham (2013) and Rob Gronkowski (2011) have both topped led the league in receiving touchdowns.

Centre (C)

The centre is the player holding the ball at the start of play and is in charge of snapping the ball to the quarter-back. From there, the centre needs the size and strength to block defenders to stop them getting to the quarter-back.

Offensive guard (OG)

Each team fields two offensive guards who are positioned either side of the centre. While the roles may look interchangeable, there are slight differences.

The left guard (LG), is more often considered a 'pass blocker', whose job it is to protect the quarter-back on passing plays. The reason being that, if right-handed, the quarter-back has less visibility of the left side.

The right guard (RG) is more often considered a 'run blocker', whose job it is to open gaps for running backs to exploit on running plays.

With the primary role stopping defensive players getting to the quarter-back, guards need to have considerable size and strength.

Offensive tackle (OT)

With space to their left or right, offensive tackles need to have the same - or more - size and strength as guards, but added agility to cover more space from on-rushing defensive ends (DE).

Like guards, tackles are split into left tackles (LT) and right tackles (RT), and have similar roles to guards.

Defense

Middle linebacker (MLB)

The quarter-back's opposite number, the middle linebacker operates behind the defensive line, ahead of the backs and inside the outside linebackers.

Due to their central positioning, middle linebackers are best placed to call defensive plays, and unlike the defensive backs and defensive line, have more hybrid roles, although not as hybrid as outside linebackers.

Typically dropping into pass coverage, middle linebackers need excellent anticipation and positioning to give themselves the best chance of disrupting offensive plays, and need to be physical enough to stop any running backs on running plays.

Outside linebacker (OLB)

The outside linebackers are found either side of the middle linebacker, and can either drop into pass coverage or joint the defensive line in an attempt to blitz the quarter-back.

Due to their increased emphasis on blitzing, outside linebackers tend to be quicker and leaner than inside linebackers.

Defensive tackle (DT)

Positioned on the inside of the defensive line, the defensive tackles are tasked with out-muscling their opposite number in the offensive line to get to the quarter-back. If they can't get to the quarter-back, they need to at least ensure gaps don't appear in the defensive line for running backs to exploit.

Similar to offensive guards, defensive tackles need to be amongst the strongest players on the field.

Defensive end (DE)

Slightly quicker and more agile than defensive tackles, defensive ends are positioned on the outside of the defensive line and have more expectation of getting to the quarter-back. Typically, defensive ends record more QB hits and sacks than any other position.

Cornerback (CB)

Cornerbacks line up directly opposite wide receivers. While a wide receiver's job is to receive passes and run with the ball, a cornerback's job is to prevent that from happening.

As such, like wide receivers, cornerbacks need tremendous agility to be able to stay with fast-moving receivers, as well as the pace and acceleration to match their speed, and the physicality to prevent them receiving the ball or, ideally, intercepting it themselves.

Safety (S)

A defensive line-up will either feature one or two safeties: a strong safety (SS) and a free safety (FS).

The strong safety lines up on the side of the field with the tight end and is closer to the defensive line, needing to be more vigilant of running plays, looking to stop the running back, meaning they're usually stronger than the free safety.

The free safety is the last line of defence and needs to be able to support cornerbacks in tracking wide receivers, meaning they need to be quicker than the strong safety.

Special teams

Kicker (K)

As you might expect, a kicker is in charge of kicking plays: kick-offs, points after touchdowns and field goal attempts.

Punter (P)

While kickers and punters have very similar roles, kickers are utilised for more accurate kicking, while punters typically need to get as much distance as they can.

Punters are used for punting (note: different from place kicking) when a team is on fourth down and doesn't think they'll achieve the required distance for a new set of downs.

Kick returner (KR)

A kick returner is tasked with returning kick-offs, meaning they need speed, strength and agility to evade onrushing defenders.

Punt returner (PR)

Similar to a kick returner, a punt returner returns punts, therefore needing the same speed, strength and agility of kick returners.

Long snapper (LS)

While the centre is tasked with snapping the ball to the quarter-back, a long snapper is used on special teams to snap the ball to the holder (H) before blocking defenders and stopping kick or punt returners.

Holder (H)

On special teams, the holder must quickly receive the ball from the long snapper and place it on the field for the kicker.

Personal protector (PP)

The personal protector stands a few yards behind the line of scrimmage. When the ball is snapped, the personal protector acts as the last line of defence to stop anyone reaching the kicker or punter as well as the last line of defence for a punt or kick return.

Gunner (G)

The gunner needs to be the quickest player on special teams, being the first to reach the kick/punt returner to stop them gaining yards.