What Are the Positions in American Football?

On most plays, the quarterback gets the ball from the center and controls the play. The QB might hand the ball off to a running back on a rushing play, or they might pass it to a running back, tight end or wide receiver on a passing play. The QB might even run the ball. But being a good quarterback is about more than just being able to throw good passes, said Karahuta.

“The quarterback has to know everybody’s position on the field. The lineman just needs to know to block here, and a receiver knows to run here. But the quarterback has to know everything,” he said. “There’s a big responsibility to see the whole field and know the whole field, not just play your own position.”

The QB must know where all those players are in order to know where the receivers will be before throwing a pass. And when the pass isn’t caught — or if it’s intercepted by the defensive team — the quarterback needs another important skill: quick mental recovery.

“He has to come back from making mistakes and recover from that,” said Roman Oben, a former U.S. National Football League (NFL) offensive tackle and the NFL’s vice president for football development.

Quarterbacks need to quickly make that recovery and respond positively, Oben said, because they need to lead the team before the next play in the huddle, where the team discusses the upcoming play.

“A QB has to set the tone for what everyone else has to do. So, the quarterback has to be, to some degree, a coach on the field,” Oben added.