In
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
, a back is a player who plays away from the
line of scrimmage (as opposed to a
lineman). Historically, the term "back" was used to describe multiple positions on offense and defense, although more descriptive and specific position naming is now common. Thus, "back" can refer to positions including:
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Offense
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Fullback, one of the two rushing positions, along with the halfback
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Halfback, one of the two rushing positions, along with the fullback
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Tailback, a halfback who is lined up deep in the backfield, as in the I formation
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H-back, an offensive position that lines up similarly to a tight end, but is set back from the line of scrimmage
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Quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
, a member of the offensive team that lines up directly behind the offensive line and receives the snap of the ball at the beginning of a play
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Running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
, a member of the offensive backfield whose primary role is to receive handoffs from the quarterback to run with the ball
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Singleback, an offensive formation that only requires one running back
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Slotback, a wide receiver on the offensive team that is positioned in the "slot" (located between the last offensive lineman/tight end and the next wide receiver)
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Upback, a blocker who lines up behind the line of scrimmage in punting situations
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Wingback, a position in the single wing formation, usually a running back
Defense
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Defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
, a member of the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage
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Cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
, a member of the defensive team that primarily defends wide receivers
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Dimeback, a cornerback or safety who serves as the sixth defensive back
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Nickelback, a cornerback or safety who serves as the additional defensive back in a nickel defense
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Linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
, a member of the defensive team that is positioned approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage
See also
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History of American football positions
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Back (disambiguation)
References
{{list of lists, sports
Broad-concept articles
American football positions