NFL Football Glossary
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man-in-motion:
a single player on the offense who is permitted to move prior to the snap ; he may only run parallel to the line of scrimmage or away from it.
midfield:
the 50-yard line, which divides the length of the field in half.
necessary line:
the imaginary line the offense must cross to achieve a new first down .
neutral zone:
the region that contains the ball as it sits on the ground before each play; the area between the two lines of scrimmage .
NFL (National Football League):
the major professional football league in the U.S. with 32 teams; its headquarters are in New York. (Click here for a complete NFL history)
NFL Championship:
the game held from 1933 through 1965 to decide the champion of professional football; renamed the Super Bowl in 1966. (Click here to read more on the Super Bowl)
nickel defense:
when a defense brings in a 5th defensive back to replace a linebacker on the field, increasing its pass coverage .
offending team:
the team that committed a foul .
offside:
when any part of a player’s body is beyond his line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped ; a foul punishable by a 5-yard penalty.
on downs:
the term used to describe a team’s loss of possession if it fails to reach the necessary line on a fourth down play.
open receiver:
a player who has no defender closely covering him.
out of bounds:
the region of the field touching or outside the sidelines and > end lines ; as soon as a ball carrier or the ball itself touches out of bounds, the play is over.
pass defender:
a defensive player who covers an opposing receiver .
pass patterns or pass routes:
pre-determined paths receivers follow to help the passer quickly locate them so he can more easily get them the ball.
pass protection:
blocking by offensive players to keep defenders away from the quarterback on passing plays.
pass rush:
a surge by defenders to get past blockers and sack the quarterback .
personal foul:
a foul that might cause injury; punishable by a 15-yard penalty.
pitch-out:
a lateral tossed from a quarterback to a running back.
place kick:
a kick towards the goalpost for a field goal or extra point ; held between the ground and another player’s finger.
play:
a spurt of action that begins with a snap and ends with a dead ball .
play clock: a clock displayed above each end zone that limits the time teams may take between plays to 40 seconds (30 in college); the ball must be snapped before the clock runs down to 0.
play-action pass:
a passing play after the quarterback has faked a hand-off .
playoffs:
the post-season tournament that determines the NFL champion.
pocket:
the area behind the offensive line, where the quarterback is protected by his blockers .
point-after-touchdown (PAT):
a place kick taken from the opponent’s 2-yard line (3-yard line in college); awarded to a team that has scored a touchdown , it is worth 1 point if it goes through the goalpost .
possession:
to be holding or in control of the football.
previous spot:
where the ball was snapped to begin the last play.
punt:
when a player 10 yards behind the center catches a snap , drops it and kicks it before it hits the ground; an opponent tries to catch and advance it the other way.
pylon:
a short orange marker at each of the end zone’s 4 corners.
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