ARENA FOOTBALL GLOSSARY
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Hail Mary
a long pass play, thrown towards a group of receivers near the end zone in hope of a touchdown. Used by a team as a last resort as time is running out in either of two halfs (usually by a team trailing in the second half). Refers to the Catholic prayer.
halfback
a player position on offense. Also known as a running back.
halfback option play
a trick play in which the halfback throws a pass.
halo violation
In the NCAA (college football) is a penalty for interference with the opportunity to catch a kick. The so called halo rule states that no player of the kicking team may be within two yards of a receiving team player positioned to catch a punt, kickoff.
hand-off
(also known as backward pass) a player's handing of a live ball to another player. The hand-off goes either backwards or laterally, as opposed to a forward pass. Sometimes called a "switch" in touch football. (Note different usage of term from its rugby meaning.)
hash marks
lines between which the ball begins each play. The lines are parallel to and a distance in from the side lines and marked as broken lines.
H back
a player listed in a roster or depth chart as a fullback and playing as a hybrid of a fullback and a tight end
holder
a player who holds the ball upright for a place kick. Often backup quarterbacks are used for their superior ball-handling ability
holding
there are two kinds of holding: offensive holding, illegally blocking a player from the opposing team by grabbing and holding his uniform or body; and defensive holding, called against defensive players who impede receivers who are more than 5 yards from the line of scrimmage, but who are not actively making an attempt to catch the ball (if the defensive player were to impede an offensive player in the act of catching the ball, that would be the more severe penalty of pass interference)
huddle
an on-field gathering of members of a team in order to secretly communicate instructions for the upcoming play
I formation
A formation that includes a fullback and tailback lined up with the fullback directly in front of the tailback. If a third back is in line, this is referred to as a "full house I". If the third back is lined up along side the fullback, it is referred to as a "Power I".
incomplete pass
a forward pass of the ball which no player legally caught.
inbounds lines
the hash marks.
inside
of a player's path: relatively close (in reference to the sides of the field) to where the ball was snapped from. Thus, a ballcarrier's path in crossing the neutral zone may be said to be "inside" of an opponent, or an "inside run" in general, and a rushing defensive player may be said to put on an "inside move" or "inside rush".
of the movement of the ball between players: directed toward a player who cuts between a player in the backfield who throws or hands the ball and the place from which it was snapped. Thus, an "inside pass" or "inside handoff". An "inside reverse" (sometimes called a scissors play) is a reverse play via an inside handoff.
interception
the legal catching of a forward pass thrown by an opposing player
Jumbo
an offensive formation which includes two tight ends, one on either side, plus a full back and running back in an i formation. Sometimes one of the tight ends is shifted next to the other as a wingback, with a blocking back also lined up to that side -- this is referred to as a heavy jumbo
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