College Basketball Bracket Contest | Brackets Contests | Big Dance | March Mayhen | Sweet Sixteen | Elite Eight | Final Four | March Madness Contest | Bracket Contest 2009 | ABC Brackets
ABC Brackets
Bracket Contest 2009
Final Four Info
College Basketball
Directories Links
ABC Islands
Sports Articles
College Football Glossary | Q-T
- Quarter
- One period of a football game.
- Quarterback
- The offensive player who receives the ball from the center at the start of
each play before either handing it to the running back, throwing it to
a receiver, or running with it himself.
- Quarterback Rating
- A formula used to calculate a quarterback's effectiveness in the passing game.
- Quarterback Sneak
- An offensive play where the quarterback receives the snap from center and immediately runs or jumps forward.
- Quick Count
- A strategy where the quarterback calls the signals at the line of
scrimmage very fast so as to throw off the other team or catch them by
surprise.
- Quick Kick
- A play where the offense lines up in a formation as if they are going to
run an offensive play, but the player taking the snap surprises the
defense by punting the ball.
- Reading the Defense
- The act of recognizing defensive formations and keys.
- Ready List
- A short list of plays tailored specifically for an upcoming game.
- Receiver
- An offensive player whose job it is to catch the football.
- Recover
- Taking control of a ball that has been fumbled.
- Red Dog
- A defensive strategy in which a linebacker or defensive back vacates his
normal responsibilities in order to pressure the quarterback. The
object of a red dog is to tackle the quarterback behind the line of
scrimmage or force the quarterback to hurry his pass.
- Redshirt
- A college football player who skips a year of play without losing a year
of eligibility. A player will often redshirt because of an injury or
acedemic problem.
- Red Zone
- The area between the 20-yard line and the goal line at both ends of the field.
- Referee
- The referee is the official that has control of the game and is generally
the final authority in all decisions. Among his duties are:
Announce all penalties
Explain penalties to the offending team's captain
Explain penalties to the head coach of the offending team and inform him of who it was called against
Position himself in the backfield, approximately 10 yards behind the quarterback, before each snap
Monitor illegal hits on the quarterback
Watch for illegal blocks near the quarterback
Determine whether the yardage chains should be brought on the field for a measurement
You can tell the referee from the other officials because he is the only
one that wears a white hat. All other officials wear black hats.
- Regular Season
- The actual football season, which excludes the preseason and the playoffs.
- Return
- The act of bringing the ball back in the opposite direction after a change of possession.
- Returner
- A player who runs back kickoffs and/or punts.
- Reverse
- A play in which the running back receives a handoff from the quarterback
and then runs laterally behind the line of scrimmage before handing off
to a receiver running in the opposite direction.
- Roll
- The act of the quarterback moving left or right out of the pocket before throwing or running with the football.
- Roll Out
- The act of the quarterback moving left or right out of the pocket before throwing or running with the football.
- Rookie
- A player in his first season in the NFL or other professional league.
- Roster
- A list of the members of a football team.
- Roughing the Kicker
- Flagrantly running into or hitting the kicker after the ball has been kicked.
- Roughing the Passer
- Flagrantly running into or hitting the quarterback after the ball has been
released. Can also be called when a defender hits the quarterback in
the head.
- Route
- A predetermined direction and distance that a receiver follows when he runs from the line of scrimmage for a forward pass.
- Runback
- Returning a kickoff, punt, fumble recovery, or interception.
- Running Back
- An offensive player who runs with the football.
- Running into the Kicker
- Making incidental contact with a placekicker or punter after the ball has been
kicked. A less serious version of the roughing the kicker penalty.
- Rush
- 1. To run from the scrimmage line with the football.
2. To put pressure on the quarterback in an attempt to tackle him or force him into a bad throw.
- Sack
- Any tackle of the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.
- Safety
- 1. A two-point score by the defense that occurs when one of its players
tackles an opponent in possession of the ball in his own end zone.
2. A defensive player who lines up in the secondary between, but generally deeper the the cornerbacks.
- Safety Blitz
- A defensive tactic where one or both safeties rush the quarterback.
- Safety Valve
- A short pass thrown to a running back when the quarterback cannot find an open receiver before the pass rush closes in.
- Salary Cap
- The maximum amount of money that a team can spend on player salaries in a given year.
- Scheme
- A term used to describe offensive and defensive formations and the overall strategy for using such a formation.
- Scramble
- A tactic where a quarterback runs around behind the line of scrimmage to
avoid tacklers while buying time for his receivers to get open.
- Scrambler
- A quarterback who has the ability to buy time for his receivers by running around and avoiding tacklers.
- Scrambling
- The act, by a quarterback, of moving around to avoid the pass rush.
- Screen Pass
- A forward pass in which the defensive linemen are allowed to get through
the offensive line while two offensive linemen run wide to a specific
side of the field and then turn and block upfield for a running back
who takes a short pass from the quarterback.
- Scrimmage
- 1. The action between two teams when the ball is snapped.
2. A simulated game.
- Secondary
- 1. The defensive players who line up behind the linebackers and basically defend the pass.
2. The area of the field defended by the defensive backs.
- Second Forward Pass Behind the Line of Scrimmage
- An illegal pass play in which a player catches a forward pass behind the
line of scrimmage, then passes the ball forward to another receiver.
- Series
- The four downs that a team has to advance 10 yards.
- Shift
- The movement of one or more players to a different position in a formation before the football is snapped.
- Shotgun
- A passing formation in which the quarterback stands 5 to 7 yards beind the center before the snap.
- Side Judge
- The official that lines up 20 yards deep in the defensive backfield. His duties are essentially the same as the back judge:
Make sure the defensive team has no more than 11 players on the field
Watch all eligible receivers on his side of the field
Watch the area between the umpire and field judge
Rule on the legality of catches and pass interference penalties
Watch for clipping on kick returns
- Sidelines
- The line along each side of the field that marks where the field of play ends.
- Signal Caller
- The player who calls the plays in the huddle or on the line of scrimmage.
- Signals
- The code that a team uses to call their plays.
- Single Elimination
- A tournament where a team is eliminated after just one loss.
- Single-Wing Formation
- A rarely used offensive formation devised by legendary coach Pop Warner
that used three backfield teammates to block for the player carrying
the ball.
- Slant
- A play in which the ball carrier runs across the field at an angle instead of running straight toward the end zone.
- Slot
- A gap in the line between the wide receiver and a tackle.
- Snap
- The action in which the ball is thrown or handed by the center to the
quarterback, to the holder on a kick attempt, or to the punter.
- Spearing
- Hitting another player with the crown of the helmet.
- Special Teams
- The group of players who are on the field during kicks and punts.
- Spike
- The act of slamming the football to the ground.
- Spiral
- The spin on the ball in flight after the quarterback releases it.
- Split End
- The receiver that usually lines up on the line of scrimmage, but split to the outside of the formation.
- Spot
- The exact location on the field that a player's forward progress is stopped, as marked by an official.
- Square In
- A pass pattern where the runner goes downfield then turns in at a right angle to the center of the field.
- Square Out
- A pass pattern where the runner goes downfield then turns sharply out to the sideline.
- Squib Kick
- A low, line drive kickoff that often bounces around before it is fielded by the kick returner.
- Stance
- The position that a player assumes prior to the snap of the ball.
- Stiff Arm
- Using a hand and straight arm at the opponents head or chest area to avoid a tackle.
- Straight Arm
- Using a hand and stiff arm at the opponents head or chest area to avoid a tackle.
- Striking an Official
- No player may intentionally strike or push an official.
- Striking an Opponent
- A player may not strike another with a fist.
- Strong Safety
- A defensive player who generally lines up in the secondary to help stop
the pass, but often aligns close to the line of scrimmage to help stop the run.
- Strong Side
- The side of the offensive formation where the tight end aligns.
- Stunt
- A pass-rushing maneuver by two defensive linemen in which they alter
their course to the quarterback, hoping to confuse the offensive
linemen.
- Substitution
- The act of replacing one player with another.
- Subway Alumni
- The followers of any college team who didn't attend or graduate from that institution.
- Succeeding Spot
- The spot where the next play begins, provided no penalty was called.
- Suicide Squad
- The group of players who are on the field during kicks and punts that run
down field and try to break through the wedge created by the return
team.
- Super Bowl
- The National Football League's championship game.
- Sweep
- A running play in which two or more offensive linemen pull out of their
stances and running toward the outside of the line of scrimmage,
leading the running back who receives a handoff or pitch from the
quarterback.
-
- T-Formation
- An offensive formation that features three running backs in the backfield.
From above, the center, quarterback and running backs appear to be
lined up in the shape of a T.
- Tackle
- 1. To bring down an offensive player who has the ball.
2. Also refers to a position on both the defensive and offensive lines.
- Tailback
- An offensive player whose primary role is to carry the ball.
- Takeaway
- When a defense forces a fumble and recovers the ball or registers an interception.
- TD
- An abbreviation for touchdown.
- Territory
- The half of the field defended by a particular team.
- Third-and-Long
- A situation in which a team finds themselves forced to run a third-down
play in which they need to gain considerable yardage to get the first
down.
- Three-Point Stance
- The starting position many linemen take at the line of scrimmage before the football is snapped.
- Tight End
- An offensive player who serves as a receiver and also a blocker.
- Time Out
- A break in action requested by either team or one of the officials.
- Too Many Men on the Field
- Each team is allowed just 11 men on the field during a play. Having more than 11 is illegal.
- Touchback
- A play in which the ball is ruled dead on or behind a team's own goal
line, generally after a kickoff, punt, interception, or fumble.
- Touchdown
- A scoring play in which any part of the ball, while legally in the
possession of a player who is in-bounds, crosses the plane of the
opponent's goal line.
- Trap Block
- A blocking scheme where a defensive player is allowed through the
offensive line only to be blocked by another player behind the line.
- Trenches
- The area immediately around the line of scrimmage.
- Tripping
- Using a leg or foot to trip another player is illegal.
- Turn In
- A pass route where the player runs downfield then turns in toward the middle of the field.
- Turn Out
- A pass pattern where the player runs downfield then turns out toward the sidelines.
- Turnover
- A loss of possession of the ball via a fumble or interception.
- Two-minute Warning
- A official's timeout at the end of each half that signals just two minutes remain.
- Two-Point Conversion
- A scoring play, immediately after a touchdown, in which a team can add
two bonus points by running or passing the ball into the end zone on
one play starting from the opponent's two-yard line.