User:Strongbad/North American Football/Offense

The offense is the bread and butter of a team's scoring, so naturally, it is the most exciting part of the game. The offensive unit consists of five offensive linemen and six "skilled" players. One of the skilled players is usually the quarterback, who initiates offensive plays and is the offense's focal point. The other skilled players may be running backs, who are either halfbacks or fullbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends. Each player's job in a play depends on what kind of play it is, but mainly, it depends on whether it is a running or a passing play.

The offensive lineman's job is simple, and it leads to their sheer size on the field. A lineman's size should not be underappreciated because being squashed by one of these guys can be quite painful and is not good for your health in the long term. They are required to keep defensive linemen and linebackers away from the running back and quarterback. They do this by simple blocking, but some linemen will "pancake" a defender, which means that the defender is pushed to the ground. If a defender is pancaked, the defense is essentially short by one man. A lineman does not want a defensive player to push past him, but this happens on almost every play.

No discussion of the offense is complete without mentioning the quarterback's duties. He calls for the ball to be snapped from the center to initiate the play. On a running play, the quarterback does not do much other than hand the ball off. On a passing play, however, the quarterback gets to shine. He must throw the ball to an open receiver before the defense gets to him. The position of quarterback is arguably the most demanding position in football.

The position of running back requires a good deal of bravery. One of the running back's jobs is obvious from the name; he runs with the ball, hoping to gain good yardage and possibly a touchdown. Another job is blocking, and the fullback, who is generally bigger than the halfback, does this often. A halfback on a team with a strong passing game can expect to block a lot, though. The running backs can also catch passes. This can create mismatches for the defense.

The wide receiver is the main passing threat on offense. He is normally one of the smallest and fastest men on the field. They are required to catch passes from the quarterback (and, occasionally, the halfback). When a team looks for big yardage, the wide receiver is normally who it turns to. The wide receivers don't play a big role in running plays; they generally lead cornerbacks and safeties upfield so the running back can cover more ground.

Although every skilled position seems to call for multiple offensive talents, the tight end has the most split job after the quarterback. On some plays, they act just like offensive linemen and block defenders. On other plays, particularly near the opponent's goal line, they can catch passes. This makes them dangerous on the field.