Utente:Mario Longobardi/sandbox/Running back

A running back (RB) is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.

There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a given play, depending on the offensive formation. A running back may be a halfback (HB for short, also called a tailback) or a fullback (FB). While a fullback is technically a running back, in modern parlance the terms "running back" and "RB" are frequently used to refer only to halfbacks.

Halfback/tailback

The halfback or tailback position is one of the more glamorous positions on the field, as it is often integral in both the passing and running attack. A well-rounded halfback is commonly viewed as a requirement for a team's success. He is responsible for carrying the ball on the majority of running plays, and may frequently be used as a receiver on short passing plays. In today's game, an effective halfback must have a superior blend of both quickness and agility as a runner, as well as sure hands and shrewd vision upfield as a receiver. More and more quarterbacks depend on halfbacks as a dump-off receiver when primary targets downfield are covered. Occasionally, they line up as additional wide receivers. When not serving either of these functions, the primary responsibility of a halfback is to aid the offensive linemen in blocking, either to protect the quarterback or another player carrying the football. On some rare occasions, running backs are used to pass the ball on a halfback option play or halfback pass.

No position in American football can perform his duties successfully without the help of other players. Like the wide receiver, who generally cannot make big plays without the quarterback passing to him (with the exception of the end-around play), the running back nearly always needs good blocking from the offensive line to successfully gain yardage. Also, a running back will generally have more rushing attempts than a receiver will have receptions, which is mainly because a receiver will average 10 to 20 yards per reception, while running backs will average 5 yards on a good run.

Running backs tend to benefit greatly from the blocking of the offensive lineman, so much so that a below-average running back can perform superbly with a deft group of blockers.

Note that the difference between halfback and tailback is simply the position of the player in the team's offensive formation. The halfback lines up approximately half-way between the line of scrimmage and the fullback (similarly, quarterbacks line up a quarter of the distance between the line of scrimmage and the fullback). Because the halfback is usually the team's main ball carrier (while the fullback is primarily a blocker), many coaches see fit to position the halfback behind the fullback (at the "tail end" of the formation). In this case, the halfback becomes a tailback.

Fullback

In most college and professional football schemes, fullbacks carry the ball infrequently. Currently, they are primarily used to aid the offensive linemen in blocking. On most running plays, the fullback leads the halfback, attempting to block potential tacklers before they reach the ball carrier. Also, fullbacks are sometimes used in passing plays, although they typically protect the quarterback. Fullbacks are technically running backs, but today the term is usually used in referring to the halfback or tailback. Although fullbacks currently are rarely used as ball carriers, there was once a time when they ran the ball as frequently as running backs.

In high school football, where the offenses are simpler and player sizes vary greatly, fullbacks are still frequently used as ball carriers. In many high school and in some college football scheme known as the "Triple Option," the fullback is considered a primary ballcarrier for this offense. The fullback in this particular offense plays a unique role by establishing an inside running threat during the a triple option. Triple Option scheme fullbacks require excellent ballcarrying skills and employ a tenacious running style, but often lack the receiving skills of their counterparts in other schemes. College teams such as Navy and Air Force have employed the triple option scheme with success.

While in years past the fullback lined up on the field for almost every offensive play, teams often opt to replace the fullback with an additional wide receiver or a tight end in modern football. Fullbacks in the National Football League rarely get to carry or catch the ball since they are used almost exclusively as blockers. Their talent and value to a team is usually judged by the success of the team's halfback or by how many times the team's quarterback is sacked, similar to the way offensive linemen are judged. There have been some exceptions, however. Mike Alstott of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers often carries the ball and is also used as a receiver in short pass situations. Fullbacks are also still used occasionally as rushers on plays when a short gain is needed for a first-down, as they are large and powerful and therefore good for breaking through the line for a short distance. The role of the fullback in professional football was expanded by the modern employment of the "West Coast Offense," where many pass plays originate from the typical two-back (pro-set) formations and flood the field with four or five receivers (including both running backs).

Characteristics of a running back

Height and weight

There is a great diversity in those who play at the running back position. At one extreme are smaller, agile players, such as Barry Sanders, who stood at only 5'8". These fast, elusive running backs are usually called "scat backs". Other examples of scat backs include Thurman Thomas, Reggie Bush, Kevin Faulk, Garrett Wolfe, Brian Westbrook, Darren Sproles, Charles Roberts (football) and Maurice Jones-Drew (note however that Jones-Drew is also known for his powerful running style in addition to his speed, despite his 5'7" height).

At the other extreme are bigger, stronger players, such as Jerome Bettis (nicknamed "The Bus") who at his retirement in 2006 weighed almost 260 lbs (118 kg). Other examples of power backs include Larry Csonka, Earl Campbell, Franco Harris,Christian Okoye,Brandon Jacobs, Najeh Davenport, Ron Dayne, T.J. Duckett, Jamal Lewis, Musa Smith, Cedric Benson and Ricky Williams. This kind of running back is referred to as a "power back" because they rely on their strength and size to break through defenders. They are usually (but not always) slow compared to most NFL players, and usually do not run to the outside instead opting to run through the line. They must also be able to protect the ball well.

Several successful running backs fall somewhere between these extremes, combining speed with power, such as Walter Payton, OJ Simpson, Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jim Brown, Marcus Allen, Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Kevin Jones, Ronnie Brown, Adrian Peterson, Steven Jackson and Larry Johnson .

Receiving ability

In addition to skill at running the ball, some running backs in the National Football League are known for their prowess at catching passes. The role of the running back as a receiver out of the backfield has expanded greatly in the NFL over the years, and a versatile running back who provides his team good running and pass-catching abilities is highly valued. On passing plays, a running back will often run a safe route, such as a hook, creating a safe target for a quarterback to throw to if all other receivers are covered. The increase in demand for running backs with good receiving abilities can be attributed to the rise in popularity of the West Coast offense and its variants, which often requires its running backs to catch passes on a regular basis. Currently there are two running backs on the NFL's list of all-time top 20 leading pass catchers, fullback Larry Centers and halfback Marshall Faulk. A good example of a dual threat running and pass catching running back is the Philadelphia Eagles' Brian Westbrook; in 2006, Westbrook rushed for 1,217 yards on 240 carries and caught only 77 passes for a stellar 699 yards, giving him 1,916 total yards from the line of scrimmage, and he set a career-postseason rushing record, rushing for 141 yards on twenty carries against the New York Giants, including a 49 yard touchdown.

Some teams have a running back known as the "third down back", who is more skilled at catching passes and/or better at pass blocking and "picking up the blitz" than the other backs, and thus is often put in the game in third down and long situations where a pass is needed to pick up a first down. He can also be used to fool the defense by making them think he is being put into the game for a pass play, when the play is actually a run.

Blocking

Running backs are also required to help the offensive line in passing situations, and, in the case of the full back, running plays. Running backs will often block blitzing linebackers or safeties on passing plays when the offensive line is occupied with the defensive linemen. On running plays, the fullback will often attempt to tear a hole in the offensive line for the running back to run through. Effective blocking backs, such as Lorenzo Neal, are usually key components for a running back's success (as seen in LaDainian Tomlinson's record-breaking season in 2006).

Goal line backs

Many teams also have a running back designated as a "goal line back" or "short yardage specialist". This running back comes into the game in short yardage situations when the offense needs only 1 or 2 yards to get a first down. They also come into the game when the offense nears the goal-line. Normally when an offense gets inside the 5 yard line they send in their goal-line formation which usually includes 8 blockers, a quarterback, a running back, and a fullback. The closer they are to the goal-line the more likely they are to use this formation. If a certain running back is used often near the goal-line he is called the goal-line back. Short yardage and goal-line backs are Power Backs that are not prone to fumbling. Their job is to get the first down or touchdown by muscling through or pushing a large mass of players that are being blocked without dropping the ball.

Kick and punt returners

A running back might be called upon to return punts and kickoffs on special teams. Although this is most often done by wide receivers and defensive backs, such as corner backs, (because they are generally the fastest players on the team), some running backs have enough speed and talent to perform this role. The NFL's current all time leading in kickoff return yards (14,014 yards) and punt return yards (4,999) is a running back, Brian Mitchell. He also gained 1,967 rushing yards, 2,336 receiving yards, and 15 fumble return yards, giving him a total of 23,330 all-purpose yards, the second most in NFL history behind Jerry Rice.

References

• [http://football.about.com/cs/football101/a/positionoff.htm%7C Football 101: Basic Football positions