Can you name the primary American football positions?

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American Football Positions Quiz

Rating:	Report a mistake
Published: October 7th, 2008
Category: Sports
Plays: 268,611

Tags: Football Quizzes, America Quizzes, primary

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	Brian Marshall:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 16:38 GMT	26 points
	Good idea but defense could be more specific, ie inside and outside linebacker, nose guard, free safety, strong safety

	WVUIE97:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 16:47 GMT	20 points
	Tailback and running back are conceivably the same, especially if you aren't going to differentiate the safeties, linebackers and wide receivers.

	Kevin:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 16:52 GMT	6 points
	Agreed with WVU 97... I typed in halfback, up back, and h-back, but it was Tailback they were looking for? I'm pretty sure that's not an official position. And Running Back should be halfback. Just sayin'.

	SporcleAdmin:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 16:56 GMT	22 points
	Agreed and removed tailback. Halfback/running back edited as well.

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	luckyface:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 17:11 GMT	13 points
	Cry us a river, Roger.

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	Bradley:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 18:03 GMT	3 points
	holder is a bit questionable, because almost no NFL team has a guy who has this as his only role. For FGs, the holder is almost always either the punter (because his practice schedule will match that of the FG kicker) or the backup QB (in case the play gets fouled up and someone has to throw a pass... or for fakes)

	AdmiralMaxtreme:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 18:31 GMT	24 points
	@Bradley: if you were setting up a field goal, you're going to call the guy holding the ball a "holder." It may not be his specific job description, but in that situation, that's what he's called.

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	Jeremy:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 20:19 GMT	10 points
	I think holder is fine for special teams. It's usually the backup QB but that's his position if he doesn't come in as QB.

	Lindsay:	Oct 7th, 2008 at 21:45 GMT	8 points
	Bradley, sure the holder often has another role on the team besides holding, but so do the majority of kick/punt returners. So if the returners are considered specific positions (which I think they should be), then having holder on the list is logical as well.

	deej:	Oct 8th, 2008 at 00:17 GMT	11 points
	adam lapish: american football, american spelling :) if i can spell "rogers centre" in the nhl arenas, you can do this

	NotHisRealName:	Oct 8th, 2008 at 02:19 GMT	0 points
	@ Brian. I wouldn't go with nose tackle, it's just a defensive tackle. Besides, if you play the 4-3 as opposed to the 3-4, you don't really have a nose tackle. Plus, if you're going to play the nickel or the dime, you have a nickelback (no, not the band) and a dimeback. I don't know if you want to get even more specific with Right/Left tackle/guard or not... I would say have a quiz on standard football (or American armoured wankball :P) formations but those have TONS of names. There, my comment cherry is busted.

	ronnymexico:	Oct 8th, 2008 at 13:53 GMT	20 points
	Accepting "centre" is silly, it's American Football after all...

Special Teams

	Bradley:	Oct 8th, 2008 at 20:28 GMT	0 points
	Yeah, but no one is going to be on an NFL roster as listed on NFL.com or ESPN or any other sports site as being position: holder. NFL.com sez: center, cornerback, defensive back, defensive end, defensive tackle, free safety, guard, kicker, linebacker, long snapper, middle linebacker, nose tackle, outside linebacker, punter, quarterback, runningback, strong safety, (offensive) tackle, tight end, wide receiver.

	mahatma:	Oct 9th, 2008 at 11:47 GMT	-1 points
	Maybe this could be a puzzle with graphics (Xs and Os) to fill in. It would clarify the 3-4/4-3 question on defense, and would also give a place for fullback, split end, slot receiver, etc. Football terminology changes so fast, though. I can't remember the last time I heard somebody described as a 'free' or 'strong' safety, even though they're often listed as such in the lineups.

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	drhaase:	Oct 18th, 2008 at 03:53 GMT	21 points
	american football players are also twice the size of rugby players. if american football players plowed into each other full speed, people would die. believe me, in a head on race, a top NFL RB would destroy a rugby player with no pads on...not knocking rugby in anyway. but that's the truth.

	Loppy:	Jan 11th, 2009 at 20:13 GMT	0 points
	should be more specific positions here

	Loppy:	Jan 11th, 2009 at 20:15 GMT	-2 points
	A venue in USA spelled a center and a venue in Canada is spelled a centre but you say both of the terms the same way

	LB1973:	Jan 22nd, 2009 at 19:49 GMT	-2 points
	Wooo got them all and I'm British! Oh and I've played both Rugby and US Football and both are tough hard sports. and Rugby players are no smaller than pro footballers thats just a ridiculous statement!

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	ekedolphin:	Mar 7th, 2009 at 10:25 GMT	-1 points
	Holder. Darn it.

	canofan42:	Mar 7th, 2009 at 14:59 GMT	-1 points
	Got em all. I thought this one was pretty fair. No complaints.

	siukong:	Mar 25th, 2009 at 04:57 GMT	-3 points
	Damn! I kept putting in 'punt return' and 'kick return' but not returner.

	SomeSp0rcler:	Mar 30th, 2009 at 00:47 GMT	-1 points
	Dammit! I was all like "placeholder" -- no, "ballholder" -- no (thank god), "kickholder" -- no, before I concluded they don't have that kind of position in the list. It was "holder". !*#$@!

	DaRiPPER:	Apr 6th, 2009 at 13:54 GMT	7 points
	I typed split end and it gave me tight end. Thats not right.

	Manny:	Apr 12th, 2009 at 19:46 GMT	-2 points
	Bah Holder...

	die_grosse_muzzi:	Apr 13th, 2009 at 20:37 GMT	-4 points
	I liked it, but think you should add gunner as a position on special teams

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	Mello:	May 4th, 2009 at 01:51 GMT	3 points
	I don't see why we need to treat "punt returner" and "kick returner" as separate positions when "strong safety" and "free safety" are not differentiated. I know they're separate positions, but it seems that "returner" would suffice, especially when "gunner" is left off the list.

	bleech128:	May 5th, 2009 at 01:07 GMT	4 points
	yeah i agree with whoever said more specific positions or whatever. really easy if you even watch football in USA.

	Feelingroovy:	May 7th, 2009 at 16:57 GMT	9 points
	I remember star QB John Brodie being asked why he was the holder on field goals? He said, "If I wasn't, the ball would fall over."

	drhaase:	May 10th, 2009 at 17:46 GMT	5 points
	@ Craig...i disagree with size. i have never seen rugby players that come close to the size of American football players. i mean, its not a knock on rugby players...but i mean you have to be built a completely different way to play each sport.

	tommyjoe:	May 12th, 2009 at 23:41 GMT	1 point
	i think it cuda been more specific, and also use abbreaviations, cuz there much quicker like qb, hb, fb, stuff like that

	Dave42:	May 24th, 2009 at 04:49 GMT	3 points
	Took me a while to remember holder, but got 'em all. I thought the position names were all fine.