The Gridiron Glossary

By Chris Wilson

A collection of football terms defined and described. Learn about America's most popular game and translate the commentator jargon and coach speak you hear during every game.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chris Wilson
• Release date: Aug 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463040683

Chris Wilson

Chris Wilson is J. B. Jackson Professor of Cultural Landscape Studies at the University of New Mexico. He is the author of The Myth of Santa Fe: Creating a Modern Regional Tradition (1997) and Facing Southwest: The Life and Houses of John Gaw Meem (2001). Paul Groth is Associate Professor in the Departments of Architecture and Geography at the University of California, Berkeley. He is author of Living Downtown: The History of Residential Hotels in the United States (1994) and the coeditor of Understanding Ordinary Landscapes (1997).

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The Gridiron Glossary

Look Up the Meaning of Football Terminology

By Charlie Wilson

Copyright © 2018 by Chris Wilson

All Rights Reserved

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Smashwords Edition

#

# Technique – A designation to describe the alignment of defensive players in a front. Single numbers are used to describe defensive linemen. A number with a one in front describes a linebacker in the same position but off the line of scrimmage.

0 Technique – A 0 technique nose guard in a 3-4 defensive front aligns directly over the center.

1 Technique – A 1 technique nose guard align between the center and guard, usually to the weak side.

3 Technique – A 3 technique defensive lineman aligns on the outside shoulder of the guard.

4 Technique– A 4 Technique is a defensive lineman lined up over the tackle.

5 Technique– A 5 technique is a defensive lineman aligned on the outside shoulder of the tackle,

6 Technique – A 6 Technique is a defensive lineman aligned head up on the tight end.

7 Technique – A 7 Technique is a defensive lineman lined up over the inside shoulder of a tight end.

9 Technique – A 9 Technique is a defensive lineman lined up on the outside shoulder of a tight end.

## Personnel – A short-hand way of describing offensive personnel groupings based on the number of running backs and tight ends on the field. The number of wide receivers is assumed, and the numbers together always totals five. Said as Twelve Personnel, or Ten Personnel.

00 Offensive Personnel – An offensive personnel package where the five eligible receivers consist of 0 running backs, 0 tight ends, and 5 wide receivers.

02 Offensive Personnel – An offensive personnel package where the five eligible receivers consist of 0 running backs, 2 tight ends, and 3 wide receivers.

10 Offensive Personnel – 10 offensive personnel is a package where the five eligible receivers consist of 1 running back, 0 tight ends, and 4 wide receivers.

11 Offensive Personnel – An offensive personnel grouping in which an offense uses one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers.

12 Offensive Personnel – An offensive personnel group that gives the offense one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers.

13 Offensive Personnel – A heavy package with one running back, one wide receiver and three tight ends.

14 Offensive Personnel – A heavy package with four tight ends, one running back, and no wide receivers.

20 Offensive Personnel – An offensive personnel package where the five eligible players consist of 2 running backs, 0 tight ends, and 3 wide receivers.

21 Offensive Personnel –A balanced offensive personnel group with two running backs, one tight end and two wide receivers. This was the most common personnel grouping in NFL and college football until the rise of spread formations.

22 Offensive Personnel – A package featuring two running backs, two tight ends and a single wide receiver.

23 Offensive Personnel – A heavy package where the five eligible players consist of 2 running backs and 3 tight ends, with 0 wide receivers.

#-# Front, #-#-# Front – The front of a defense is often described numerically based on the number of down linemen and linebackers. The number of defensive backs is often assumed, and the total number of defensive players totals 11.

3-3 – An adaptation of the 3-4 in response to the rise of spread offensive formations. Because of the space created in the formation, defenses that base out of 3-3 often rely on movement, stuns and blitzes to be effective.

3-4 – A defensive formation with three down linemen and four linebackers. This is a balanced defense that can be strong against the run while have an extra fast player on the field. The four linebackers allow teams a great deal of flexibility in blitzing and stunting.

4-2-5 – A defensive formation that emerged with the rise spread offensive formations. Teams that base out of the 4-2-5 often use a hybrid linebacker/safety as the fifth defensive back.

4-3 – A defensive formation with four defensive linemen and three linebackers. A balanced defense that is prized for its straight-forward assignments and aggression.

4-4 – A defensive formation with four defensive linemen and four linebackers. More popular in lower levels of football where teams are not as effective passing the ball. Having eight players in the formation makes it strong against offenses that run the ball.

5-2 – A defensive formation with five down linemen and two linebackers. An older formation that is still seen in lower levels of football. The 5-2 was a precursor to the 3-4 defense.

2-Point Stance – The 2-point stance features two points of contact with the ground, always two feet.

3-Point Stance – The 3-point stance is a common stance used by players along the line of scrimmage. A player has two feet in contact with the ground and squats forward with one hand on the ground. This stance allows players to move in either direction and have a substantial forward burst.

40-Yard Dash – The 40-yard dash is the most basic and well-known combine drill. It measures the straight-line speed of players. Often abbreviated to just 40.

5×5 Kickoff Alignment – A 5X5 kickoff alignment is five men deployed to each side of the kicker and is typically employed to disguise the target location of the kick.

46 Defense – The 46 defense was designed by Buddy Ryan and named after NFL safety Doug Plank, who wore jersey number 46. Also called a Bear Defense, since it was used with the 1985 Chicago Bears, often considered one of the best defenses in the history of the NFL. The 46 features defensive linemen covering the center and both offensive guards. It also shifts two linebackers near the tight end so that the defense can bring a confusing number of blitzes while remaining safe in pass coverage. The 46 was very successful at stopping offenses that tried to run with two running backs. Feature of the 46 are still in use in certain situations, but the rise of passing teams and spread formations have made the pure 46 rare.

4-Point Stance – The 4-point stance features 4 points of contact with the ground, as the player has both hands & both feet on the ground with his weight sitting forward.

6×4 Kickoff Alignment – The 6×4 kickoff alignment consists of six men on one side of the kicker, overloading coverage to that side, and only four men on the other, weak side.

7-on-7 – A competitive passing drill involving no interior linemen other than the center; features offensive team consisting of C, QB, and receivers versus defensive team of defensive backs and linebackers. In high school, some states have competitive 7-on-7 leagues.

90-Man Roster – The 90-man roster is the expanded roster NFL teams can use in between the end of the regular season and the start of the new season.

A

A Gap – The A Gap is the space between the center and guard on either side of an offensive line. See Gap Control for more information.

Ace – One-back, balanced, offensive formation with two tight ends, two receivers, and one running back who is aligned behind the quarterback and center

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) – A ligament in the knee that when torn requires surgery and 9-12 months of rehabilitation for a player to return.

Across