Positions
What is a slot receiver? What is a nickelback? An H-back? An “edge”?
As the game of American football has evolved, so have the names of many of its positions. Most positions are named according to their relationship to the line of scrimmage. In the old days of one-platoon football, a guy who played end on offense also played defensive end. Since offenses have always had to follow stricter formation rules than defenses, and because old-time players were listed by their offensive positions, we will examine offensive roles first. Also, because this article was written by a Packers fan for fellow Packers fans, I will present this through a green-and-gold lens, using Packers players as illustrative examples.
Offensive Positions
While specialization and systemic evolution have resulted in the development of new position names and the obsolescence of others, there are two overarching rules that govern how an offense can line up…and they have been in place from the very beginning:
● The team playing offense must have at least seven players on the line of scrimmage.
● Only a player on the end of the line or in back of the line is eligible to run with, throw, or catch the football.
On a team of eleven players, there are seven linemen (including two ends) and four backs. Per Rule #1, a team can have more than seven on the line but, per Rule #2, this would be foolish since a line can only have two ends; therefore, each additional lineman would mean one fewer eligible player (back). So what constitutes the line?
The Line
Every line has a center, and every line has two ends. In the early days when players played both offense and defense, the line consisted of: left end, left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, right tackle, right end:
E – T – G – C – G – T – E
Vince Lombardi played right guard on Fordham’s vaunted 1936 line, nicknamed the “Seven Blocks of Granite”…coincidentally in the year the team he would eventually coach to multiple championships was en route to their fourth. In those run-oriented days, ends—while eligible receivers—were very much considered part of the line. The backs behind them would be configured differently depending on the offense, but we’ll address that later.
Center
The center is the only interior lineman (i.e. non-end) who may handle the football. He is the one responsible for hiking, or snapping, the ball to the back who initiates the play (not necessarily the quarterback, as we’ll address later as well). As one would suspect, the center is usually the one in the center of the line…but this isn’t always the case. Pop Warner’s old single-wing offense usually featured an unbalanced line in which one guard or tackle would line up on the other side of the center, creating a strong side and a weak side of the formation:
E – G – C – G – T – T – E
The center is the leader of the offensive line. He makes the line calls, points out the opponent’s “Mike” (middle linebacker, the position of which determines who blocks whom), and must deliver the ball to the quarterback a split second before having to block a nose tackle or attack a linebacker at the next level.
Guards
Guards line up on either side of the center. Their job is to block interior defensive linemen to create running lanes or keep them off the quarterback. In many offensive schemes a guard will “pull”, meaning he will leave his position when the ball is snapped in order to run across the formation to block for an outside running play. This was a key component of Vince Lombardi’s signature sweep plays. Because of this duty, guards historically were smaller and quicker than tackles. Hall of Fame guard Mike Michalske, who played on the first three Packers championship teams, was actually a 210-pound converted fullback.
Tackles
Tackles line up outside the guards and are the outermost interior linemen. Because their job is to stop outside pass rushers, they tend to have more length than guards, with an emphasis on quick feet. Hall of Fame tackles Cal Hubbard and Forrest Gregg were considered massive at 250 pounds (especially Hubbard, who played in the 1920s and ‘30s), in an era when centers and guards weighed around 230. Today there is not much difference in size between tackles and guards, and many players can play both positions. However, since the left tackle typically faces the defense’s best pass rusher, it is a premium position requiring more athleticism and commanding higher pay than the other interior line positions.
The five interior linemen (center, guards, tackles) are unique among position groups in that substitution almost never occurs. The five work in concert with each other, and continuity is a key to success. All other position groups (I will never insult offensive linemen by calling the others “skill positions”) will substitute players often to suit different formations or plays, or simply to give a player a rest.
In our next installment we will address the “eligible” members of the line, and the most evolved personnel group on the offensive side of the ball.