Every sport has its own language, and American football has more than most. Here is a plain-English glossary of the terms you will hear on any broadcast, from down to blitz to red zone, each explained in a single sentence. There is no need to read it top to bottom. Bookmark it, and dip in whenever a word throws you.
Audible. A change the quarterback calls out at the line, just before the snap, switching the play based on what he sees from the defense.
Blitz. When the defense sends extra players to rush the quarterback, trying to tackle him before he can throw.
Blind side. The side a quarterback cannot see when he sets up to throw, the left for a right-handed passer. The left tackle guards it.
Completion. A pass that is caught. If it hits the ground first, it is an incompletion, and the down is over with no gain.
Coverage. How defenders guard receivers. In “man” coverage each defender tracks one receiver; in “zone” each guards an area of the field.
Defense. The eleven players trying to stop the team with the ball. (British spelling: defence; the sport uses the American form.)
Down. One attempt to move the ball. The offense gets four downs to gain ten yards.
Drive. A single run of plays by the offense as it tries to move down the field and score.
End zone. The area at each end of the field. Get the ball into the opponent’s end zone and you score a touchdown.
Extra point. The kick worth one point, taken straight after a touchdown. Also called the point after touchdown, or PAT.
Fair catch. When a returner waves an arm to signal he will catch a kick without being tackled, giving up the right to run it back.
Field goal. A kick sent through the tall posts, worth three points.
First down. Gaining the ten yards you needed, which earns a fresh set of four downs. Also the name for the first of those four attempts.
Fumble. When a player carrying the ball drops it, and either team can dive on it to take possession.
Hail Mary. A long, hopeful pass heaved towards the end zone, usually on the last play of a half, praying someone comes down with it.
Handoff. When the quarterback gives the ball directly into the hands of a running back.
Holding. Illegally grabbing or hooking a player to block him. Offensive holding costs ten yards and is the most common penalty in the game.
Huddle. The quick gathering where a team agrees its next play before lining up.
Interception. When a defender catches a pass meant for the other team, taking the ball for his side.
Kickoff. The kick that starts each half and follows each score, putting the ball back in play for the receiving team.
Line of scrimmage. The line where the ball sits at the start of a play. Both teams line up on their own side of it.
Offense. The eleven players who have the ball and are trying to score.
Offensive line. The five blockers, a center, two guards and two tackles, who protect the quarterback and clear paths for runners. They never catch the ball. (More in Positions Decoded.)
Offside. When a defender is across the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. Five-yard penalty.
Overtime. Extra play when the scores are level after sixty minutes. (More in Overtime Decoded.)
Pass interference. Illegally stopping a receiver from catching a catchable pass. On defense it is a spot foul with no yardage cap. (More in Penalties & Pass Interference Decoded.)
Play-action. A trick where the quarterback fakes a handoff to freeze the defense, then throws.
Pocket. The protected patch of ground behind the offensive line where the quarterback stands to throw.
Punt. A kick on fourth down that hands the ball to the other team but pushes them a long way back.
Quarterback. The player who takes the snap and runs the offense, throwing, handing off, or running himself.
Red zone. The area inside the opponent’s twenty-yard line, where the offense is close enough that a touchdown is on.
Running back. The player who takes handoffs and runs with the ball, and often catches short passes too.
Sack. When the defense tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw.
Safety. Two different things with one name: a two-point score for the defense (tackling the ball-carrier in his own end zone), and a defensive position at the very back of the defense. (More in Scoring Decoded.)
Snap. The action that starts every play: the center passes the ball back between his legs to the quarterback.
Special teams. The third unit, on the field only for kicks and punts.
Tackle. Bringing the ball-carrier to the ground to end a play. Also the name of two positions on the offensive line and two on the defensive line.
Tight end. A hybrid player who both blocks like a lineman and catches like a receiver.
Touchback. When a kick sails into the end zone and is not run out, so the receiving team simply starts from a set spot instead.
Touchdown. The main score, worth six points, for getting the ball into the opponent’s end zone.
Turnover. When the ball changes hands unexpectedly, through an interception, a fumble, or failing to make a first down on fourth down.
Two-minute warning. An automatic stoppage two minutes before the end of each half, in effect a free timeout for both teams.
Two-point conversion. After a touchdown, running or throwing the ball into the end zone instead of kicking, for two points rather than one.
Wide receiver. A fast player who runs downfield to catch passes.
Yard line. The markings across the field that show distance. It is one hundred yards from one end zone to the other.
Where to go next
- Back to NFL Rules Decoded: how the whole game fits together.
- Scoring Decoded, Penalties & Pass Interference Decoded, Overtime Decoded, Replay & Challenges Decoded and Positions Decoded: the full guides behind these terms.
Want it straight from the source? The NFL’s official rulebook defines every term in full, and the league’s Video Rulebook shows them in real plays.