Tasks of the NFL stars

Who does what? The positions in American football

(Bild: APA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Lachlan Cunningham)

Two teams, 22 players and seven referees - that's all you need for an NFL game. But who actually does what? How do the various positions in American football differ? We summarize.

Offense:

Probably the most important player in any offense is the quarterback. He determines how the ball is moved forward. He either throws a pass, hands the ball to the running back or runs himself. If the quarterback decides to throw a pass, it is usually caught by a wide receiver who tries to sprint into the end zone with the ball. Running plays, on the other hand, involve the running back, whose job it is to make his way through the defense to get into the end zone. The fullback ensures that the opponents cannot get to him. Tailbacks and halfbacks perform similar tasks to the running back. Tight ends can be used both for passes and as defenders at the line of scrimmage. In the offensive line, guards and tackles ensure that the defensive line does not penetrate to the quarterback, while the center throws the ball to the quarterback at the beginning of the play by means of a snap.

(Bild: AFP)

Defense:

At the line of scrimmage, the defensive tackles try to bring down the quarterback or the player carrying the ball. Further out, the defensive ends pursue the same task. If the ball carrier still manages to get past the defensive line, linebackers wait in the second row. To prevent pass plays, the wide receivers are covered by cornerbacks and tackled if necessary. The safeties form the back line of the defense and try to stop the offense just short of the end zone if necessary.

(Bild: APA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Sean M. Haffey)

Special Teams:

The kicker opens the game by kicking off and tries to make field goals during the course of the game to put points on the scoring board. The holder and long snapper are responsible for putting the ball in the right position before the kick is made. If there is a turnover, the punter kicks the ball as far as possible into the opponent's half, where it is picked up by the opponent's punt or kick returner.