Glossary
The terms you hear on an NFL broadcast, explained in plain language.
9 min read
Scoring
- Touchdown TD
- A 6-point score: the ball, in a player’s possession, crosses the opponent’s goal line.
- Extra point PAT
- A kick after a touchdown from the 15-yard line. Worth 1 point.
- Two-point conversion
- After a touchdown, one play from the 2-yard line worth 2 points if it ends in the end zone.
- Field goal FG
- A kick through the uprights during play. Worth 3 points.
- Safety
- Two points for the defense when it tackles the ball carrier in his own end zone.
- Red zone
- The last 20 yards before the opponent’s end zone.
- Pick six
- An interception returned for a touchdown.
The game
- Snap
- The center’s backward handoff that puts the ball in play at the start of each play.
- Down
- Each of the four tries the offense has to gain 10 yards.
- First down
- Earned by gaining 10 yards; it gives the offense a new set of four downs.
- Line of scrimmage
- The imaginary line, sideline to sideline, where each play starts.
- Drive
- A team’s series of plays from the moment it gets the ball until it scores or gives it up.
- Huddle
- The gathering where the offense gets the play call before lining up.
- Audible
- A play change the quarterback calls at the line after reading the defense.
- Shotgun
- A formation where the quarterback takes the snap several yards behind the center.
- Play action
- A fake handoff before a pass, to draw the defense in.
- Sack
- Tackling the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage before he throws.
- Fumble
- The ball carrier loses the ball before the play ends; anyone can recover it.
- Interception INT
- A pass caught by a defender.
- Turnover
- Losing the ball through an interception or a fumble.
- Turnover on downs
- Losing the ball by failing to gain a first down on fourth down.
- Punt
- A kick, usually on fourth down, to push the opponent away from your end zone.
- Touchback
- The ball is dead in the end zone after a kick; the receiving team starts at the yard line set by the rules.
- Fair catch
- A catch of a kick after a raised hand: the returner can’t be tackled but can’t advance either.
- Onside kick
- A short kickoff the kicking team tries to recover.
- Hail Mary
- A long, desperate pass into the end zone, usually on the last play.
- Kneel down
- The quarterback takes a knee right after the snap to run the clock.
- Spike
- The quarterback throws the ball into the ground right after the snap to stop the clock; it counts as an incomplete pass.
- Two-minute warning
- The automatic stoppage with two minutes left in each half.
- Challenge
- A coach’s request, made with a red flag, to review a play on video.
- Flag
- The yellow flag an official throws to signal a foul.
Positions
- Quarterback QB
- Runs the offense, takes the snap and throws the passes.
- Running back RB
- The ball carrier who takes handoffs from the quarterback.
- Fullback FB
- A blocking back who leads the way for the running back.
- Wide receiver WR
- A pass catcher who lines up wide, near the sideline.
- Tight end TE
- A player who lines up next to the line: blocks and catches passes.
- Offensive line OL
- The offense’s five blockers: a center, two guards and two tackles.
- Defensive line DL
- The defenders on the line: defensive tackles in the middle and defensive ends on the outside.
- Edge rusher
- An outside defender whose main job is to get to the quarterback.
- Linebacker LB
- A second-level defender who stops the run, covers passes and rushes the passer.
- Cornerback CB
- A defender who covers the wide receivers.
- Safety S
- As a position, the last line of the defense, deep in the field.
- Kicker K
- Kicks field goals, extra points and kickoffs.
- Punter P
- Kicks the punts.
- Long snapper
- A specialist in the long snap on punts and field goals.
- Returner
- The player who fields and returns kickoffs and punts.
Strategy
- Blitz
- A defensive call that sends more rushers than usual after the quarterback.
- Man coverage
- Each defender follows one receiver.
- Zone coverage
- Each defender protects an area of the field.
- The protected space, formed by the offensive line, from which the quarterback throws.
- Two-minute drill
- A fast, no-huddle offense to score before the end of a half.
- Garbage time
- The final minutes of a decided game, when the stats can mislead.
Season and rosters
- Bye week
- Each team’s week off during the regular season.
- Division
- A group of four teams. Each conference has four: East, North, South and West.
- Conference
- Each half of the league, the AFC and the NFC, with 16 teams each.
- Wild card
- A playoff spot for the best teams that don’t win their division.
- Seed
- A team’s position in its conference’s playoff bracket, from 1 to 7.
- Clinch
- To mathematically secure a playoff spot or a title.
- Strength of schedule
- The combined record of a team’s opponents.
- Injury report
- The list of injured players that teams publish during game week.
- Questionable
- Uncertain to play.
- Doubtful
- Unlikely to play.
- Out
- Will not play.
- Injured reserve IR
- A player placed here misses at least several weeks and leaves the active roster.
- Practice squad
- Players who practice with the team and can be promoted to the active roster.
- Trade deadline
- The last day for trades during the season.
- Draft
- The yearly selection of college players, in reverse order of the standings.
- Free agency
- The period when players without a contract can sign with any team.
- Salary cap
- The maximum each team can spend on player salaries.
Picks and stats
- Pick
- The model’s prediction for a game.
- Spread
- The points the market gives the favorite. A “−3.5” is how much the favorite must win by to beat it.
- Favorite, underdog
- The team expected to win and the team expected to lose, according to the line.
- Against the spread ATS
- A team’s result once the line is applied.
- Cover
- To beat the line: win by more than the spread or, as the underdog, lose by less.
- Push
- The final margin lands exactly on the line.
- Pick'em PK
- A game with no favorite: a line of 0.
- Total over/under
- The combined points the market expects from both teams.
- Elo
- A rating system that moves up or down after each result depending on how expected it was. It is the basis of this site’s model.
- Win probability
- How often a team would win if the game were played many times.
- Home-field advantage
- What playing at home is worth, in points or in probability.
- Brier score
- A measure of how good probability forecasts are: the mean squared error. Lower is better.