Meet the Team…

The Coach is the person who trains the team and formulates the strategies to be used in game play. While a basic flag football team will have only one coach the more advanced teams will have several different coaches for different things in the game. Coaches will include a head coach, defensive coach, offensive coach, kicking coach, etc. A good coach will have the heart, desire and motivation to win with his team…but so will a good team member. Good coaches will also expect discipline from their team in many ways. Above all a good coach will be willing to teach at the level of those on the team. In other words if the coach is teaching 9 year olds how to play he/she won’t be as critical as a college coach would be. Most coaches will also carry a positive and powerful personality. These are the same qualities the coach will look for in his team captain.

Standard numbering is also required in college and professional ball. It is highly recommended that high school teams use the standard numbering as well. Standard numbering is as follows:

· Ends are numbers 80 to 89,

· Tackles are numbers 70 to 79,

· Guards are numbers 60 to 69,

· Centers are numbers 50 to 59,

· Backs are numbers 1 to 49.

The NFL also has required numbering although it is not the same as college and professional football. Their numbering looks like this:

· Quarterbacks and kickers are numbers 1 to 19,

· Running and defensive backs are numbers 20 to 49,

· Centers and linebackers are numbers 50 to 59,

· Defensive linemen and inferior offensive linemen are numbers 60 to 79,

· Wide receivers and tight ends are numbers 89 to 89.

The Offensive Line:

The wide receiver is the team member on the end of the left side of the line of scrimmage.

The receiver or pass receiver is the player whose job it is to get into the open to catch a pass from the quarterback and run the ball for a touchdown.

The flankeris a player on the right or left side of the offensive line that is a receiver who is split out further than the wingback.

The tight end is an offensive lineman on either end of the line of scrimmage. These players block the opposing team’s defensive line to create an opening for their runner. Basically they make it possible for the receiver to reach his destination.

The tackles or guards will be on each side of the center. These are referred to as the right guard and left guard. This is my son’s position for the last two years. It is the job of these two players to protect the quarterback. Generally the biggest players on the team will be positioned, as close to the ball as possible therefore they will be tackles. If your son becomes a tackle do not get to worried. These guys have the most padding and protection on the team.

The center is the team member who is positioned in the center of the line of scrimmage and whose job it is to snap the ball to begin play. Most often the snap goes to the quarterback.

The quarterback is the player that takes the ball from the center and either passes (throws the ball, hands the ball off to another player or runs with the ball. This player is very fast and agile as they must be able to both throw the ball with a high degree of accuracy and be capable of running the ball when necessary.

The fullback is a player whose job it is to block for the quarterback and the halfback. The fullback will also run and receive the ball when necessary.

The running back, also called the half back or tail back, is the player that runs the ball, receives passes or blocks for a team member running with the ball. This is a multi-functional player and usually is not positioned very close to the ball.

On to the Defensive Line:

A tackle is a defensive lineman positioned on either side of the nose tackle.

The nose tackle or nose guard is the middle of the defensive line. This player is positioned on the field directly opposite of the offensive team’s center.

The inside linebackers are three to four players positioned behind the defensive linemen. The linebackers tackle runners and block or intercept passes. Inside linebackers are the one or two linebackers in the middle of the line.

The outside linebackers are the two linebackers on the ends of the defensive line.

The safeties are positioned in the defensive backfield. There are two types of safeties: a strong safety and a free safety. A strong safety is on the tight end side of the offensive line and must be a good tackler. A free safety is a player who is not assigned to defend against any particular offensive player. This safety follows the play wherever it goes and needs to be a good pass defender.

The cornerbacksare the players whose job it is to tackle runners and to intercept passes. These players are deep in the backfield but not as deep as a safety.

Now for the Special Teams:

The kickeris a player that tries to kick the ball for a field goal.

The punteris a player that drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground.

A holderis a team member that holds the ball for the kicker for a place kick. (Think Lucy in Charlie Brown except they aren’t allowed to pick the ball up.)

The returner is a team member that runs back kickoffs and punts.

All players except the center who are on the line of scrimmage must not cross into the “neutral zone”. The neutral zone is an area the length of the football that is lying lengthwise on the field. Crossing into the neutral zone will result in an offside penalty that we will discuss more in the chapter about game officials.

A “man in motion” is allowed behind the line of scrimmage. Only one player is allowed to move and must move either parallel to or away from the line of scrimmage. Moving toward the line of scrimmage results in a five-yard penalty for his team.

All teams also need their support people. Water boys and ball boys make a huge difference. The team is kept hydrated by the water boys and most high school coaches will let aspiring players to this job. This is a great opportunity for young players to be on the field with the big guys. Ball boys make sure that when the coach needs a new ball it is ready. When a ball gets filthy or wet and is causing problems the ball boy will clean it and get it ready to go back into the game.