Lineman (football)
From Freepedia
For other uses of the term, please see the Lineman article.Image:Linemen.jpg Lineman is a position in American football. (See also American and Canadian football position names.) Linemen are the frontline players of the offense or defense of any play during the game.
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Offense
Center
The center is the player who puts the ball into play. He is responsible for getting the ball into play on the right call, plus blocking his assigned man. If anyone on the field moves past the line of scrimmage before the center hikes the ball, he will be called on the foul. Likewise, if any offensive lineman flinches, his team will be assessed a penalty for the false start.
Guards
A guard is the man who is set next to the center. The guard’s job is mainly speed blocking and pulling. A guard must either base block or pull. A guard calls a 3 call if the defensive tackle is in a 2 formation. When a guard pulls, he traps the man down on the other side of the line after the offensive lineman blocking him lets him through.
Tackles
The tackles are the strong position on the line. They power their blocks with quick steps and maneuverability. The tackles are mostly in charge of the outside protection. No one should be able to get past the tackle. If the tight end goes out for a pass, the tackle must cover everyone that his guard isn’t, plus what the tight end isn’t covering in case his man comes in to make pressure.
Every lineman must cooperate with the play called by the quarterback. Each man has a different job on each play, and each play requires him to do his job correctly in order to be able to complete the play.
Defense
Nose guard
The nose guard is an extremely important player of the defense. The nose guard is usually the fastest defensive lineman. He has to be fast in order to shoot the gaps and squeeze their way through. On the other hand, he also has to be strong, so that he can stand up his man and read the play.
Tackle
The defensive tackle is a very valuable player on the team. He must sometime block for a blitzing linebacker, get in his gap, or post up his man and read block. If a defensive tackle reads a pass play, they must be able to shoot the gaps and pursue the quarterback. Both nose guard and tackle must be very fast on the play, if a running back gets past a player, all units must be able to stop them on their pursuit angles.
Defensive Ends
The defensive end is like the tight end of the defense. The defensive end’s job is to provide pressure on the quarterback and cause problems for the opposing offense. Defensive ends are usually extremely fast for players of thier size, often the fastest and smallest players on the defensive line. They must be able to shed blockers to get to the ball. Defensive ends are also often used to cover the outside area of the line of scrimmage, to tackle ball carriers running to the far right or left side, and to defend against screen passes. Defensive ends are usually the only players on the line who are ever used to cover offensive players running receiving routes, albiet ones that are very close to the line of scrimmage.
