Football Positions Explained for Beginners
Eleven players a side, three units, and a lot of abbreviations. A plain-English tour of who does what — and which positions exist in flag football.
Each team puts eleven players on the field at a time, drawn from three separate units: offence (tries to score), defence (tries to stop them) and special teams (kicking plays). Most players belong to just one unit, which is why rosters are so large.
Offence
| Position | Abbr. | The job |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | QB | Runs the offence: takes the snap, then hands off, throws or runs. |
| Running back | RB / HB | Carries the ball on running plays, catches short passes, blocks for the QB. |
| Fullback | FB | A bigger back used mainly as a lead blocker. Rarer than it used to be. |
| Wide receiver | WR | Runs routes and catches passes. Lines up near the sidelines or in the "slot" inside. |
| Tight end | TE | Half lineman, half receiver: blocks on one play, catches a pass on the next. |
| Centre | C | Snaps the ball to the QB and blocks. Usually calls out the blocking assignments. |
| Guards | G | Line up either side of the centre. Block — and often "pull" to lead running plays. |
| Tackles | T | The ends of the line. They protect the QB from the fastest pass rushers. |
The centre, two guards and two tackles are the offensive line. By rule they may not catch a forward pass or run downfield on a passing play — their numbers (50–79) tell the officials who they are.
Defence
| Position | Abbr. | The job |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive tackle | DT | Interior linemen who clog running lanes and push the pocket. |
| Defensive end / edge | DE | Outside linemen. The main pass rushers. |
| Linebacker | LB | The second level: stop the run, cover backs and tight ends, sometimes blitz. The middle linebacker often calls the defence. |
| Cornerback | CB | Covers wide receivers. |
| Safety | S | The last line. The free safety plays deep; the strong safety plays closer to the line and helps against the run. |
Cornerbacks and safeties together are the secondary, or defensive backs. A nickel defence swaps a linebacker for a fifth defensive back; a dime uses six.
You will hear defences described by their front: a 4-3 has four linemen and three linebackers, a 3-4 has three and four.
Special teams
- Kicker (K) — field goals, extra points and usually kickoffs.
- Punter (P) — kicks the ball away on fourth down.
- Long snapper (LS) — a specialist centre for the longer snaps on punts and kicks.
- Holder — catches the snap and places it for the kicker; often the punter or a backup QB.
- Returners (KR / PR) — catch kickoffs and punts and run them back.
- Gunners — the fastest coverage players, who sprint downfield to tackle the returner.
What about flag football?
With five players and no blocking, the line disappears entirely. A 5-on-5 flag team usually has:
- a quarterback,
- a centre, who snaps the ball and then runs a route like anyone else,
- and three receivers or backs.
On defence you will see rushers (who start seven yards back), cornerbacks and a safety. Everyone is eligible to catch a pass, which makes flag football a great place to try every role. Details are in our flag football rules guide.
Picking a position as a new player
- Fast with good hands? Receiver or cornerback.
- Quick decision-maker with an accurate arm? Quarterback — and start with how to throw a spiral.
- Strong and happy doing unglamorous work? The line, where games are actually won.
- Like reading plays and hitting gaps? Linebacker or safety.
In youth football, the best advice is not to specialise early. Children who play several positions learn the game faster and are still growing into the body they will eventually play in.