What each position does, and — where the sport restricts it — where that player is allowed to go. Taken from the same rules reference built into the Squaddie app.
Football divides teams into three specialised units: Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. In youth football, athletes often play both offense and defense (two-way players).
| Position | Role | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback (QB) | The on-field general. Receives snaps, executes handoffs to running backs, and delivers passes to receivers. | Attack |
| Running Back (RB) | Primary ball carrier. Takes handoffs, runs inside or outside, catches passes from the backfield, and pass-blocks blitzers. | Attack |
| Wide Receiver (WR) | Deep and intermediate pass catcher. Runs precise route cuts, defeats man and zone coverage, and makes explosive plays. | Attack |
| Slot Receiver (Slot) | Quick receiver lined up inside between the offensive line and outside receiver. Specialises in underneath crossing routes. | Attack |
| Tight End (TE) | Hybrid player on the end of the line. Combines offensive line run/pass blocking with pass-catching ability. | Attack |
| Center (C) | Anchors the offensive line. Snaps the football to the QB and directs offensive line blocking calls. | Attack |
| Offensive Line (OG / OT / OL) | Protects the quarterback from pass rushers and drive-blocks defenders to create running lanes for backs. | Attack |
| Defensive Line (DE / DT / NT) | The front wall. Penetrates gaps, stops inside runs, and rushes the passer. | Defence |
| Linebacker (MLB / OLB / ILB) | The heart of the defense. Fills run gaps, sheds blocks, drops into pass coverage zones, and rushes on blitzes. | Defence |
| Cornerback (CB) | Perimeter pass coverage specialist. Covers wide receivers man-to-man or in zone coverage, and sets the edge on outside sweeps. | Defence |
| Free Safety (FS) | The deep centerfielder. Patrols deep pass coverage, reads the quarterback's eyes, and breaks up deep passes. | Defence |
| Strong Safety (SS) | Physical safety who plays closer to the line of scrimmage, supporting the run defense and covering tight ends. | Defence |
| Kicker (K) | Executes kickoffs, field goals, and extra points through the uprights. | Special Teams |
| Punter (P) | Kicks the football from scrimmage on 4th down to flip field position deep into opponent territory. | Special Teams |
| Long Snapper (LS) | Specialist who snaps the ball 7 yards back on field goals and 14 yards back on punts with pinpoint accuracy. | Special Teams |
| Returner (KR / PR) | Speed specialist who fields punts and kickoffs and returns them upfield to set up great offensive starting position. | Special Teams |
The practical exception is goalkeeper in the sports that have one, where some children genuinely want the role and are happy in it. Even then it is worth checking in, because a fixed keeper has a very different experience of a season from everyone else.
Rotating positions and rotating playing time are separate problems, and it helps to treat them separately — see how to plan player rotations for the mechanics, and fair playing time for the policy behind it.
Covers youth Flag (5v5 and 7v7) and Tackle (9v9 and 11v11) rules across ages 6–18 in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.
Governing bodies: USA Football · NFL Flag · IFAF · Gridiron Australia · American Football New Zealand
Last reviewed: September 2026. Junior formats vary by region and are revised between seasons — your competition handbook takes precedence over anything here. The full american football rules reference has formats, scoring, fouls and timings.
Squaddie knows the formats and positions for american football, so you are picking a team rather than describing your sport to an app.
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