Football Players Terms Part 2
These football players
terms, lingo and jargon are part of sports gamerisms, Define
Your Game!
Football, part 2 continues for football players and fans who dream of
the bomb that saves the game.
Football Players Terms: F
- Fair
Catch: a receiver can call for a fair catch that
blows the
play
dead when the ball is received. Defensive players cannot tackle this
offensive player after the call.
- Fair Catch
Interference: penalty that
occurs when the
defense gets too close to a player receiving a punt.
- False Start:
happens when an offensive player moves prior
to the ball hike.
- Field Goal:
a kick worth three points. How many times has
this successful play been a game winner?
- Field
Position: occurs when the offense takes control of
the ball.
- First and Ten:
the first of four downs with ten yards to go.
- First Down:
awarded when the offensive teams gains ten or
more yards on a given play.
- Flag
Football: a form of football where the player is ruled
down when a flag
is pulled off by a defender rather than tackling them.
- Flanker:
football players terms for a wide receiver.
- Flood:
football jargon for a play where all players go to
one side of the field.
- Forward Pass:
a pass going downfield in front of the
quarterback.
- Forward
Progress: the point a player reaches prior to being
tackled and where the ball is spotted.
- Foul:
rule violation resulting in a penalty.
- Franchise:
team ownership.
- Free Agent:
term for expired contract player who can then
select other team offers.
- Free Kick:
a punt that takes the place off a kickoff after
a safety.
- Free safety:
a player on defense who is the last line of
the defense and therefore, plays the furthest downfield.
- Front Four:
another name for the defensive line. Depending
on the team, can be considered the 'fearsome four'.
- Fullback:
player who plays in front of the running back who
is used for blocking, but will run or catch occasionally.
- Fumble:
the loss of the ball while in play by a player
advancing or in possession of the ball.
Football Players Terms: G
- Game Ball:
typically refers to an award given to the most
valuable player by the team after the game has ended.
- Goal Line:
the line that divides the field of play from the
end zone.
- Goal Line
Stand: referred to when the defense stops the
offense for consecutive downs when they are inside the five-yard line.
- Goalpost:
the posts or uprights where the ball must be
kicked in between the two to score an extra point or field goal.
- Going
for It: football jargon for team decision to attempt a
first down on
the next play instead of punting. Failure of the strategy results in
losing ball possession. Either way, this action makes for exciting
football.
- Gridiron:
another term for the football field.
- Guard:
the outside players on the offensive line.
- Gunner:
special teams players whose primary job is to race
down the field to tackle the player returning a punt or kickoff.
Football Players Terms: H
- Hail
Mary: football jargon for a deep pass thrown as a last
resort with
little chance of succeeding, but when it does--'tis a beautiful sight
to see.
- Halfback:
another term for a running back.
- Handoff:
the act of the quarterback handing the ball to a
player so they can advance the ball by running.
- Hands Team:
lingo used to recover an onside kick.
- Hang Time:
period of time that a punt remains in the air.
Counting seconds=1, 2, 3...
- Heisman
Trophy: annual award for the finest college
football player in the U.S.
- Hike:
the transfer of the ball from the center to the
quarterback on his command.
- Hitch and Go:
a route run by a receiver where they fake
back to the quarterback and go deep.
- Holder:
the player who holds the ball for the kicker.
- Holding:
the act of obstructing a player by physically
restraining another player, normally by grabbing their jersey.
- Home Field
Advantage: game played at team's hometown venue.
- Home Game:
played at team's hometown venue.
- Huddle:
a grouping of the players to plan offensive or
defensive plays.
- Hurry-up
Offense: football jargon for offensive run in a quick
manner where
there is no time to substitute or huddle. Used in time
sensitive
situations at the end of games mainly.
Football Players Terms: I
- K
- Illegal
Procedure: illegal movement by an offensive player
prior to the snap.
- In bounds:
field area inside end and sidelines. Keep those
feet in, in and yes, in!
- Incomplete
Pass/Incompletion: a pass thrown by the
quarterback but not caught.
- Intentional
Grounding: illegal throw of the ball to a spot
on the field where there is no receiver.
- Interception:
a turnover where an opposing defensive player catches a ball thrown by
the quarterback resulting in a change of possession.
- Kickoff:
change of possession that occurs after a score in which the team that
scored kicks the ball to the other team in order to determine field
position.
- Kick Returner:
someone who returns kickoffs.
Football Players Terms: L
- Lateral:
a pass thrown backwards to a teammate when that
player is past the
line of scrimmage.
- Linebacker:
a player in the middle of the defense that can
rush the quarterback, drop back into coverage and stop the run.
- Lineman:
a football term for offensive and defensive
players on the line closest to the ball.
- Line
of Scrimmage: the line where the ball starts each play and
then is
advanced down the field as the offense moves the ball toward the end
zone.
- Live Ball:
occurs when the football is put into play or
kicked.
- Long Snapper:
football lingo for player who specializes in
hiking the ball longer distances in order to be kicked.
- Loose Ball:
a fumble. Ok, who's got it?
Football Players Terms: M
- Man
in Motion: the player who is in motion on offense prior to
the
snap. Typically, only one player is allowed in motion at a
time.
- Man-to-man
Coverage: defensive scheme in which each player
is assigned one offensive player to guard.
- Midfield:
refers to the 50-yard line.
Football Players Terms: N
- Necessary
Line: area that the offensive team must travel to
receive a first down.
- Neutral Zone:
the space between the ball and the defensive
line, prior to the snap.
- Nickel Back:
the fifth cornerback on the field.
- Nickel
Defense: lingo for defensive scheme utilizing five
cornerbacks.
- Nose Guard:
the central player on the defensive line who
lines up opposite the center.
- Nose Tackle:
another name for nose guard.
Football Players Terms: O
- Offending
Team: football team that committed a foul.
- Offense:
the team trying to score and score and score and...
- Offensive
Pass Interference: blatant obstruction keeping
the defense from catching the ball.
- Officials:
those in charge of keeping order in the game and
enforcing rules.
- Offside:
occurs when the offense moves across the neutral
zone prior to the ball being snapped.
- On Downs:
loss of ball possession.
- Onside Kick:
action where the kicking team tries to recover
after ten yards.
- Open Receiver:
player who is not well protected by the
opposing team, thus open to a play.
- Option:
football jargon for a play in which the quarterback keeps the ball and
runs with the option of pitching it to his running back.
- Out of Bounds:
field area outside end and sidelines.
Further play is not continued.
- Overtime:
extra period of play that happens when the score
is tied at the end of the game.
Football Players Terms is followed by terms P - Z
Other Sports Clicks
Soccer
Game Terms
Cricket Game
Facts
Rugby Game
Terms
Fantasy Sports Glossary
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