FOOTBALL IN HIGH HEELS: THE OFFENSIVE MOVES AND POSITIONS
Offensive moves and positions…..no, we are not talking about Fifty Shades of Grey and the, um, questionable things that happened between Christian and Anastasia, but what the offense does in football. As promised in yesterday’s column, here is a look at what the offense does during a game. These are terms I heard of before and of course, I will be honest and share what my original thoughts were before learning the truth.
Source: Wikipedia and Football for Dummies.
Blocking: What it means: This is when one player obstructs another player’s path with his body. The purpose of this is to prevent defensive players tackling the ball carrier or to protect the quarterback while attempting to pass or hand-off the ball.
What I thought it meant: I pretty much had this same thought, but did not know the specifics regarding the quarterback.
Line of Scrimmage: What it means: an imaginary transverse line (across the width of the football field) beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun.
What I thought it meant:A type of line up during practice for the teams before the big game.
Skill Positions: What it means: These are the positions that are most directly responsible for causing or preventing points from being scored.
What I thought it meant: Positions being handed out based on the skill level of the player.
Running: What it means: It is an action taken by the offense that means to advance the ball by running with it, rather than passing.
What I thought it meant: Running around the field. I didn’t know there were any specifics involved, I just thought it was them running for whatever reason. This is also known as rushing, which in my mind made me think of rush week in sororities.
Passing: What it means: This is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team’s goal line.
What I thought it meant: Okay, I was pretty close on this one since it is pretty self explanatory. To me, it looks like a crazy game of hot potato, but at least I understand the point of passing!
Offensive Guard: What it means: Two guards line up directly on either side of the center and block on both running and passing plays.
What I thought it meant: I thought they were bodyguards for the team in the sense that they protected their fellow players from the other team.
Offensive Tackle: What It Means: Two tackles play outside of the guards and block both running and passing plays.
What I Thought It Meant: They tackled players from the opposing team that tried to steal the ball.
Center: What It Means: They begin the play from scrimmage by snapping the ball to a back, usually the quarterback. They are in the middle and help block defensive players.
What I thought it meant: He was the center of attention during the game because he was the one who did all the legwork.
My mind is fried now trying to wrap my mind around this, so join me tomorrow as I take on the defense. Stay tuned!
