When a team does not have possession of the ball, it is on defense and uses various methods to prevent the other team’s offense from scoring.
These players must tackle the offensive player who has the ball to stop the offense from advancing.
The Defense will also try to take the ball away from the offense. They can do this by either intercepting a pass or forcing an offensive player to fumble.
Here are the basic defensive positions:
Defensive linemen
The Defensive linemen put pressure on the quarterback by trying to tackle him before he releases the ball. They also try to stop running backs. There are typically three or four defensive linemen. Individual positions include:
- Ends (LE/RE) – The ends line up on the outside of the line and try to rush around the offensive tackles.
- Nose tackle (NT) – The nose tackle lines up over the football.
- Tackle (LDT/RDT) – The tackle lines up across from a guard and tries to knife through the offensive line.
Linebackers
When there are four linemen, there is a middle linebacker (MLB) and two outside linebackers (OLB). When there are three linemen, there are two inside linebackers (ILB) and two outside linebackers. Their job is to back up the linemen, as well as contain runners and cover receivers on some plays.
Cornerbacks (CB)
The Cornerbacks job is to prevent the wide receivers from catching the ball by breaking up passes from the quarterback. When a Cornerback can cover a particular Wide Receiver and take him out of the game he is often called a Shutdown Corner for his ability to shutdown a Wide Receiver from making plays.
Safeties
The safeties play deep behind the rest of the defense to prevent a long pass or run. A strong safety (SS) lines up on the strong side of the field. Their job is to provide support for the Cornerbacks, cover Tight Ends and Wide Receivers and also play closer to the play to provide run support.
The free safety (FS) is usually allowed to roam around in the deeper, middle position of the field. They provide support for the Cornerbacks, cover Wide Receivers and prevent deep throws.
Special Teams
If a team has to kick the ball, it uses its special-teams unit. This unit includes the team’s kickers, the offensive line, and players who run down the field to tackle a returner (see below).
- Placekicker – The placekicker kicks the ball through the goalposts to score points and kicks the ball to the other team to start the game and after each scoring possession.
- Punter – The punter free-kicks the ball if his team cannot advance the ball down the field.
- Returner – During a kickoff or punt, the returner tries to catch the ball and return it as far as he can. A player can score a touchdown on a return.
Article written by:
Bonsor, Kevin. “How American Football Works.” on HowStuffWorks.co
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