- screaden
- Apr 8, 2009
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So I watched my first ever game all the way through and I think I've picked up on how everything generally works, but I have a few questions.
What is actually happening with the beginning kick off to the other end? It seems like everyone just kind of stands around while the dude kicks it and then the whole process starts like normal regardless of whether the ball is caught or not.
It's 4 tries to get to the (superimposed) yellow line right?
Are kickers/punters (not sure what the proper terminology is) pretty much completely disposable?
How is Jameis Winston viewed by the general audience? To my inexperienced view I was kind of amazed that he made even half of those throws.
I just decided to watch the Bucs because I follow the Rays in MLB, from the some of the reading I've done it seems like I'm jumping in at a good point.
Also is there a good resource for the names and definitions of the different positions? Bonus points if it has a basic explanation of how they interact with each other.
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Sep 22, 2017 03:42
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May 15, 2024 12:33
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- screaden
- Apr 8, 2009
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Positions:
This can get real complicated, so I'll stick to the basics. American football decended from Rugby in the 2nd half of the 19th century, so there are some archaic names based on how the game was played then, as well as some Rugby holdovers.
The 11 players on the team are divided into two groups, the forwards and the backs. Forwards play on or near the line of scrimmage (derived from the Rugby term "scrummage" or scrum), while back play behind it.
Offense:
The offense is required to have at least 7 forwards and at most 4 backs. There are five interior linemen, whose jobs are primarily to block (and are not permitted to catch forward passes), and two ends, whose main job is to catch passes.
The linemen are:
Center - plays at the center of the line, snaps the ball to the quarterback to start the play.
Guards - one on either side of the center. Named because their original job was to guard the center and quarterback during the exchange of the ball.
Tackles - one on either side of the guards. Named because on defense, the players at those positions did most of the tackling.
So the standard line formation is: ETGCGTE
The names of the backs are holdovers from Rugby. The farthest man from the line was fully back, or the fullback. Two players were halfway back between the line and the fullback - the halfbacks. One more player was between the halfbacks and the line, or a quarter of the way back - the quarterback.
Defense:
Defense is much more complicated than offense, as far as positions go. There are a variety of formations with lots of position names, but a base defense to start with is the 4-3-4. That is, there are four down linemen ("down" because they start the play with at least one hand on the ground), three linebackers, and four backs.
The main job of the down linemen is to rush into the backfield any way they can and either tackle a runner or get to the quarterback before he can pass the ball.
The linebackers play a yard or two behind the line, and their job is to plug holes in the line so a runner can't get through, cover running backs coming out of the backfield for a pass, and generally support the work of the linemen.
The backs are split into the cornerbacks and safeties. The cornerbacks play wide and near the line (at the "corners") and cover speedy ends and backs running to catch a pass. The safeties play toward the middle of the field and also cover passes over the middle or come up in run support. They are the "safeties" because they were the last line of defense.
These are the very basics to get you started on following what's going on. You'll have to spend some time learning the intricacies of what your own team does with these formations.
Thanks for this, super informative and just what I was looking for. It made it very hard to follow replays because the commentators would either refer to the players by their names, which I don't know, or by their positions, which I didn't know where they were on the field.
Thanks for all the other responses too, not too fussed on the exact yardage for the kickoff for the moment but at least I know what's happening now!
As a lifelong Bucs fan, you couldn't have picked a better year, other than 2002, obviously.
We've made a ton of great offseason moves, hopefully Jameis finally matures into his final "franchise QB" form, and he has all the weapons to throw to. Evans, DJax, Brate, OJ Howard, etc.
The defense looks excellent, maybe as good as our Superbowl defense at times. Granted, we've only played one game, but I am fully bought into the Bucs doing extremely well this year. Wildcard for sure, and if we can beat Atlanta, maybe we even take the South.
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Sep 22, 2017 05:47
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- screaden
- Apr 8, 2009
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As a lifelong Bucs fan, you couldn't have picked a better year, other than 2002, obviously.
We've made a ton of great offseason moves, hopefully Jameis finally matures into his final "franchise QB" form, and he has all the weapons to throw to. Evans, DJax, Brate, OJ Howard, etc.
The defense looks excellent, maybe as good as our Superbowl defense at times. Granted, we've only played one game, but I am fully bought into the Bucs doing extremely well this year. Wildcard for sure, and if we can beat Atlanta, maybe we even take the South.
Am I allowed to join in on the self-loathing "my team forever sucks" posting yet?
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Oct 31, 2017 06:08
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Sep 22, 2017 03:42
