INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPORTS: FOOTBALL GLOSSARY
The glossary terms along with also definitions on page: [A] To [Z]
Astroturf:
an artificial surface used instead of grass on many football fields.
audible:
verbal commands shouted by the quarterback to his teammates at the line of scrimmage to change a play on short designate.
backfield:
the area behind the line of scrimmage.
backs:
the running backs; the halfback along with also the fullback.
ball carrier:
a new player who has possession of the ball.
beat:
when a player gets past an opponent trying to block or tackle him.
blackout:
when a regional network TV affiliate is actually forbidden via showing a local game because the idea is actually not sold out.
blitz:
a play where the defensive team sends players rushing towards the line of scrimmage as soon as the ball is actually snapped to try to sack the quarterback.
blocking:
the act of preventing a defensive player via getting to the ball carrier; blockers utilize their arms along with also bodies although may not hold an opponent.
bomb:
a long pass thrown to a receiver sprinting down the field.
bowl game:
a college football game played in late-December or early-January, after the regular season, between two successful teams.
bump-along with also-escape:
a technique used by pass defenders, where they hit a receiver once within 5 yards (1 yard in college) of the line of scrimmage to dull him down, along with also then follow him to prevent him via catching a pass.
call a play:
instruct players to execute a pre-planned play.
clipping:
blocking an opponent below the waist via behind; illegal block is actually a personal foul, punishable by a 15-yard penalty.
complete pass:
a forward pass to a teammate who catches the idea within the air.
conferences:
groups into which teams are divided in professional along with also college football; the NFL is actually divided into National along with also American Conferences.
controlling the game clock:
the utilize of tactics by an offensive team to either save or utilize up time on the game clock, which often dictates its choice of plays.
cover or coverage:
preventing a player via gaining yards; in pass coverage, a defender follows a receiver to prevent him via catching a pass; in kick coverage, members of the kicking team try to prevent a long kick return.
gash back:
a sudden change in direction taken by a to originate the idea more difficult for defenders to follow along with also tackle him.
insensible ball:
a ball becomes insensible when a play is actually over along with also becomes live as soon as the idea is actually snapped for the next play.
division:
within the NFL, sub-groups within conferences, such as the Eastern, Northern, Southern along with also Western Divisions; also, a grouping of teams in college football, where Division I contains the most competitive teams along with also Division III the least.
double coverage:
when 2 defensive players cover one receiver.
down:
one of 4 chances a team on offense has to gain 10 yards; also, the state of a player who has just been tackled; also, a ball in which a player touches to the ground within the end zone to obtain a touchback.
down the field:
within the direction of the opponent’s goal line.
draft choice:
a player chosen by a professional sports team via a pool of college players in an annual draft.
drive:
the series of plays a team puts together in an attempt to score.
drop back:
when a quarterback, after taking the snap, takes a few steps backward into an area called the pocket to obtain ready to pass.
drop kick:
a type of free kick where a player drops the ball along with also kicks the idea right after the idea hits the ground; rarely used today.
eligible receiver:
a player allowed by the rules to catch a forward pass; entire offensive players are eligible except linemen along with also the quarterback, who must notify the referee if they wish to become eligible along with also stand at least one yard behind the line of scrimmage before the snap.
encroachment:
if a player (besides the center) is actually within the neutral zone along with also contact occurs prior to the snap; a foul punishable by a 5-yard penalty.
end line:
the boundary line in which runs the width of the field along each end.
end zone:
the area between the end line along with also goal line bounded by the sidelines, which a team on offense tries to enter to score a touchdown.
extra point(s):
additional point(s) scored by a team after the idea has scored a touchdown, either by a point-after-touchdown (1 point) or a 2-point conversion (2 points).
ravishing catch:
when a kick returner decides only to catch a punt or kickoff along with also not advance the idea, protecting himself via being hit by an opponent; he signals for a ravishing catch by raising one hand within the air along with also waving the idea.
field goal:
a place kick in which passes above the crossbar along with also between the uprights of the goalpost, earning the team in which kicked the idea 3 points.
field position:
the location of a team on the field relative to the two goal lines; superior field position for a team is actually reach its opponent’s goal line, while poor field position is actually close to its own goal line.
first down:
the first chance out of 4 in which a team on offense has to advance 10 yards down the field; as soon as the idea gains those yards, the idea earns a brand-new first down.
forward pass:
a pass thrown by a team closer to the opponent’s goal line; a team is actually allowed to throw only one forward pass per play, along with also the idea must be thrown via behind the team’s line of scrimmage.
forward progress:
the location to which a ball carrier has advanced the ball, even if he was pushed backwards after getting there.
foul:
a violation of football’s rules by a team or player, punishable by a penalty.
franchise:
a team; the legal intention in which establishes ownership of a team.
free agent:
a player whose contract with his most recent team has expired, allowing him to point to a brand-new contract with a new team in which makes him an offer.
free kick:
a type of kick taken to start or restart play after a team has scored, with no defenders nearer than 10 yards away; includes a kickoff along with also a kick after a safety.
fumble:
when a ball carrier loses possession by dropping the ball or having the idea knocked away before a play ends; the first player to regain possession of the loose ball is actually said to originate the recovery, along with also his team becomes the offense.
goal line:
a line drawn across the width of the field, 10 yards inside each end line, which a team must nasty with the ball to score a touchdown.
goalpost:
a tall metallic format in which stands at the back of each end zone; consists of a crossbar along with also two uprights in which extend upward via the idea, supported directly above the end line by a obnoxious; teams try to kick the ball above the crossbar along with also between the uprights to score a field goal or extra point.
going for the idea:
when a team facing a fourth down decides to try for a brand-new first down instead of punting; if the idea fails, the idea loses possession of the ball.
hand-off:
a running play where the quarterback hands the ball to a back.
hang time:
the length of time a punt is actually within the air.
Heisman Trophy:
an award presented annually by the Downtown Athletic Club of brand-new York to the best college football player within the country.
holding:
a foul where a player impedes the movement of an opponent by grasping or hooking a new part of his body or uniform; punishable by a penalty — 10 yards if against the offense, 5 yards (10 yards in college) plus a first down if against the defense.
home field advantage:
the befriend a team gets by playing games within the area where the idea is actually based, due to fan sustain, familiarity with its surroundings along with also the lack of required wander.
home game:
a game played in a team’s own stadium.
in bounds:
the region of the field inside the sidelines along with also end lines.
incomplete pass:
a forward pass in which touches the ground before being caught.
intentional grounding:
a foul called against a quarterback who purposely throws an incomplete forward pass solely to avoid a sack; cannot be called if the pass lands at or beyond the line of scrimmage.
interception:
a pass caught within the air (picked off) by a defender whose team immediately gains possession of the ball along with also becomes the offense.
kickoff:
when a player kicks a ball via a tee at his own 30-yard line (35 in college) to the opposing team, whose player tries to advance the idea the additional way; used to start the game, the second half along with also overtime, along with also to restart play after each score.
lateral:
line of scrimmage:
an imaginary line which no player may nasty before the snap; each team has its own line of scrimmage, separated by the neutral zone.
lineman:
a player who starts each play within 1 yard of his line of scrimmage.
live ball:
a ball becomes live as soon as the idea is actually snapped or free kicked (as in a kickoff); opposite of a insensible ball.
loose ball:
a ball in which is actually not in possession of either team, such as after a fumble or a kickoff; the idea can be recovered by either team.
man-in-motion:
just one player on the offense who is actually permitted to creep prior to the snap; he may only escape parallel to the line of scrimmage or away via the idea.
midfield:
the 50-yard line, which divides the length of the field in half.
necessary line:
the imaginary line the offense must nasty to achieve a brand-new first down.
neutral zone:
the region in which contains the ball as the idea sits on the ground before each play; the area between the two lines of scrimmage.
NFL (National Football League):
the major professional football league within the U.S. with 32 teams; its headquarters are in brand-new York.
NFL Championship:
the game held via 1933 through 1965 to determine the champion of professional football; renamed the desirable Bowl in 1966.
nickel defense:
when a defense brings in a 5th defensive back to replace a linebacker on the field, increasing its pass coverage.
offending team:
the team in which committed a foul.
offside:
when a new part of a player’s body is actually beyond his line of scrimmage when the ball is actually snapped; a foul punishable by a 5-yard penalty.
on downs:
the term used to describe a team’s loss of possession if the idea fails to reach the necessary line on a fourth down play.
open receiver:
a player who has no defender closely covering him.
out of bounds:
the region of the field touching or outside the sidelines along with also end lines; as soon as a ball carrier or the ball itself touches out of bounds, the play is actually over.
pass defender:
a defensive player who covers an opposing receiver.
pass patterns or pass routes:
pre-determined paths receivers follow to assist the passer quickly locate them so he can more easily obtain them the ball.
pass protection:
blocking by offensive players to withhold defenders away via the quarterback on passing plays.
pass rush:
a surge by defenders to obtain past blockers along with also sack the quarterback.
personal foul:
a foul in which might cause injury; punishable by a 15-yard penalty.
picked off:
intercepted.
pitch-out:
a lateral tossed via a quarterback to a running back.
place kick:
a kick towards the goalpost for a field goal or extra point; held between the ground along with also another player’s finger.
play:
a spurt of action in which begins having a snap along with also ends having a insensible ball.
play clock:
a clock displayed above each end zone in which limits the time teams may catch between plays to 40 seconds (30 in college); the ball must be snapped before the clock runs down to 0.
play-action pass:
a passing play after the quarterback has faked a hand-off.
playoffs:
the post-season tournament in which determines the NFL champion.
pocket:
the area behind the offensive line, where the quarterback is actually protected by his blockers.
point-after-touchdown (PAT):
a place kick taken via the opponent’s 2-yard line (3-yard line in college); awarded to a team in which has scored a touchdown, the idea is actually worth 1 point if the idea goes through the goalpost.
possession:
to be holding or in control of the football.
previous scrape:
where the ball was snapped to begin the last play.
punt:
when a player 10 yards behind the center catches a snap, drops the idea along with also kicks the idea before the idea hits the ground; an opponent tries to catch along with also advance the idea the additional way.
pylon:
a short orange marker at each of the end zone’s 4 corners.
quarterback:
the leader of a team’s offense, he takes the snap via the center along with also either hands the ball to a running back to escape with, passes the idea to a receiver or runs with the idea himself; he also communicates each play to his teammates.
reading the defense:
recognition by the quarterback of the defensive formation; he may then call an audible to adjust the offense.
receiver:
an offensive player who catches or attempts to catch a forward pass.
recovery:
to gain or regain possession of a fumble.
red shirt:
a designation given to a college player who did not play in a new games during a particular year due to injury or coach's choice; such a player is actually permitted to practice with the team during in which season along with also is actually granted one more year of eligibility; most often used to describe college freshmen who are held out of games their first year to mature, becoming "red shirt freshmen" in their second or sophomore year of college.
red zone:
the imaginary area between the defense's 20-yard line along with also its goal line via which the offense is actually most likely to score points.
return:
an attempt by a player who has just caught an interception, punt, or kickoff to advance the ball the additional way.
roll out:
when a quarterback runs parallel to the line, looking for a receiver.
rookie:
a first-year player within the NFL.
rush:
a running play; also, a pass rush.
sack:
a tackle of the quarterback behind his line of scrimmage.
safety:
when a ball carrier is actually tackled in his own end zone after bringing the ball there under his own power; the defense earns 2 points along with also receives a free kick via the offense’s own 20-yard line.
scrambling:
evasive movements by a quarterback to avoid being sacked.
series:
the group of 4 downs a team has to advance 10 yards.
sideline:
the boundary line in which runs the length of the field along each side; a ball carrier or ball in which touches or crosses the sideline is actually out of bounds.
single-elimination:
a tournament where a team is actually eliminated after one loss.
snap:
when the center while facing forward quickly hands the ball between his legs to a player standing behind him (usually the quarterback) to start each play.
special teams:
the group of players who participate in kicking plays.
spike:
when a player throws the ball at the ground to celebrate a touchdown.
spiral:
a ball passed or kicked having a spin which propels the idea further with more accuracy; the ball points the same direction throughout its flight.
scrape:
a location on the field, determined by an official, to label forward progress or the place of a foul.
stiff arm (or straight arm):
a push by a ball carrier to ward off a tackler.
succeeding scrape:
where the next play could start if no penalty was called.
desirable Bowl:
the championship game of the NFL, played between the champions of the AFC along with also NFC at a neutral site each January; the idea is actually the culmination of the NFL playoffs.
tackle:
a player position on both the offensive along with also defensive lines; there is actually usually a left along with also right offensive tackle, along with also a left along with also right defensive tackle; See also tackling.
tackling:
contacting a ball carrier to cause him to touch the ground with a new part of his body except his hands, thereby ending the play.
territory:
the half of the field a team protects against its opponents.
third-along with also-long:
when the offense faces a third down along with also is actually more than a short running play away via a first down; usually third-along with also-5 or greater.
touchback:
when a player who gains possession of a ball in his own end zone kneels to the ground along with also automatically starts the next play at his own 20-yard line; also awarded if his opponent kicks the ball across the end line.
touchdown (TD):
when a team crosses the opponent’s goal line with the ball, catches a pass within the opponent’s end zone, or recovers a loose ball within the opponent’s end zone; earns a team 6 points.
turnover:
the involuntary loss of possession of the ball during a play, either by a fumble or by throwing an interception.
2-point conversion:
when a team in which just scored a touchdown starts a play at the opponent’s 2-yard line (3-yard line in college) along with also crosses the goal line to earn 2 points; when successful, the idea looks just like a touchdown; introduced to the NFL in 1994.
Wild Card:
a team in which makes the NFL playoffs by having one of the 2 best records among non-division winners in its conference.
winning percentage:
the percentage of its games a team has won during a period of time, given by the following formula:
Winning Percentage = (#wins + #ties/2)/(#games played)
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