In the NFL, eleven play against eleven – with one ball. But who actually does what in American football? What are the tasks of the players in their positions on offense and defense? Patrick Esume explains what the individual players have to do.

Munich – There are eleven players on both offense and defense in American football. It’s easy to lose track of what tasks the individual positions actually have to fulfill.

As a former NFL trainer and ex-coach of the French national team, Patrick Esume knows exactly what the players have to do. An overview of the positions in American football – without special teams.

OFFENSE

Quarterback (QB): The playmaker of the offense, who can either throw the ball to his wide receivers (WR) or hand it off to his running back (RB) on every play. Like the running back, the quarterback can also run himself.

Wide Receiver (WR): Usually the fastest players on the field. They have to catch the quarterback’s passes and then sprint as far as possible towards the end zone.

Running back (RB): The ball carrier who, after receiving the ball from the quarterback, runs through the defense to score a touchdown. Running backs can also catch balls (similar to wide receivers) and run into the end zone.

Fullback (FB): One of the ball carriers who rarely gets the ball, but clears the way for the running back through the defense.

Halfback (HB): Also a form of running back.

Tailback (TB): Also a form of running back. Depending on the formation, he is at the end of the backfield, e.g. in the i-formation, i.e. behind the quarterback and fullback.

Tight end (TE): A so-called hybrid position with a wide range of tasks. Can catch balls like a wide receiver and also block large defenders at the line of scrimmage (LOS).

Offensive Line (OL – Guard and Tackle): Players on the offensive line who either have to stop the defender to buy the quarterback time or block gaps for the ball carrier in the running game.

Center (C): The middle player on the offensive line who delivers the ball to the quarterback with each snap. He otherwise has the same responsibilities as the rest of the OL.