Offensive Line

Tackles(T): (Alignment is outside of the Guard) One of the hardest positions to teach and play in football is the offensive Tackles.  The Tackles are responsible for blocking the most athletic big guys on the field.  Offensive Tackles can not be too aggressive in their approach to blocking, they must play with good technique or they will be exposed.  Tackles are usually tall in body type with long wing spans. 

Guard(G): (Aligned directly next to the Center) Guards have the job of blocking the big athletic hogs on the defensive line; the defensive Tackles.  They also have to be athletic enough to pull and block athletic defenders in space.  Guards must play with good leverage because they are usually outsized by the defensive Tackles.  Power and agility are essential in playing Guards.

Center(C): (Everyone aligns off of the Center) The Center has one of the hardest jobs in football, for the simple fact that the Center has to secure the snap to the Quarterback and be in position to block the defensive Tackle and or decipher any twist, stunts, or blitzes.  The Center is also the Quarterback of the offensive line.  He is responsible for alerting the offensive line of the defensive fronts and or any major offensive line adjustments.  The Centers body type is usually that of the Guard, but can be bigger.  He must be skilled enough to do many tasks in one since he’s actually one of the few players to touch the ball on every play.

Tight End(Y): (Base alignment is outside of the offensive Tackle) The Tight End is what they call a tweener.  He has the athletic ability of a wide receiver but the size and power of a smaller offensive Tackle.  Tight Ends might be one of the most important keys in an offense consistently moving the ball on every level.  If you look at teams that win the championships in the Pro’s, they usually have a big athletic Tight End.  Tight Ends are usually covered by linebackers.  Teams take advantage of this because linebackers are not used to covering in space.  That forces the defense to use a secondary player (usually a safety) to cover the Tight End.  The Tight End must have the ability to learn the run and blocking schemes as well as the passing schemes.  All in all, the Tight End is a key weapon in the offensive attack.

Receivers

Tight End(Y): (Base alignment is outside of the offensive Tackle) The Tight End is what they call a tweener.  He has the athletic ability of a wide receiver but the size and power of a smaller offensive Tackle.  Tight Ends might be one of the most important keys in an offense consistently moving the ball on every level.  If you look at teams that win the championships in the Pro’s, they usually have a big athletic Tight End.  Tight Ends are usually covered by linebackers.  Teams take advantage of this because linebackers are not used to covering in space.  That forces the defense to use a secondary player (usually a safety) to cover the Tight End.  The Tight End must have the ability to learn the run and blocking schemes as well as the passing schemes.  All in all, the Tight End is a key weapon in the offensive attack.

Split End(X): (Alignment depends on the formation but is usually aligned outside of the numbers) The (X) receiver is usually the bigger of the two wideouts.  He is on the line, so defensive backs will feel more comfortable in press alignment than pressing the (Z) who is off the line and has more room to release.  The bigger (X) can fend off the jam using different techniques.  The new trend now is the 6’3 to 6’6 wide outs that can easily beat the smaller quicker corners.  They are usually the (X). 

Flanker(Z): (Alignment depends on the formation but is usually aligned off of the ball outside of the numbers) The (Z) receiver is usually the quicker of the two and has more room to work the corner with this deeper alignment.  Wideouts should also be effective blockers and can tremendously improve run games on all levels of play.

Offensive Backs

Halfback(Hb): ( Alignment varies by formation. Base alignment is 7 yards deep directly behind the ball) The (Hb) is the work horse of the offense.  One of the most important aspects of the (Hb) is ball security.  The ball should be held high and tight in between the chest pec and the bicep with the hand covering the tip of the ball.  When entering into contact, the far hand should cover the outside portion of the ball.  This minimizes the chance of helmets knocking the ball out.  The next important aspect of running the ball is hitting the holes.  You want to run with good body lean and run with a purpose.  Some plays dictate that you hesitate before you hit the hole, but on ones that don’t, you must hit the holes before the linebackers realize it’s a run.  Because if you don’t hit the holes, the linebackers will!

Fullback(Fb): (Alignment varies by formation.  Base alignment is 3-5 yards deep directly behind the Quarterback) Usually the toughest player on the offense.  He’s a lineman in a runningbacks body.  He must play with good leverage and be able to block with authority.  He must also have decent ball skills as he could be called on as a receiver out of the backfield. 

Quarterbacks(Qb): (Will have its own section)