What is the Offense?

There are two sides to every story, and in football, the offense and defense have very different perspectives. We started with the defense. Now, we’ll share a basic overview of the offense and in separate posts, break down each position. Hike!
The offensive unit is on the field when its team has the ball. As with the defense, there are generally three layers of players:
1. Offensive Backfield (the quarterback is the centerpiece of this 3-man unit)
2. Offensive Linemen (center line at the line of scrimmage, 6 men)
3. Wide Receivers (2 men off the side of the offensive line)
Here is the breakdown of positions:
QB= Quarterback
RB= Running Back
C= Center
G= Guard
T= Tackle
TE= Tight End
WR= Wide Receiver
Some refer to the offense as the celebrity side of football. These are the players that do most of the scoring and end up in many of the headlines. Think Terrell Owens or Chad Ocho Cinco.
There are many different offensive strategies to each game and to truly understand individual plays, it’s important to understand the big picture. Let’s start with the basics.
Running the Ball
A team’s running game is an offensive strategy based on running the ball down the field to gain yardage (remember our lesson on the field). Running the ball is considered a “conservative” approach to offense – it focuses on limiting turnovers and penalties. The overall strategy is to tire out the opponent’s defensive unit.
Passing the Ball
The passing game is an offensive strategy based on running the ball down the field to gain yardage. If you can throw the ball, you can strike from anywhere on the field, forcing an opponent to play catch up ball. Passing the ball is considered a finesse type of football, meant to keep the defense on its heels. This strategy is generally more exciting for fans!
So, there you have it. That should get you started. Stay tuned for a more detailed breakdown of each of the Offensive Player positions from the 101 Women soon! Until then, check out NFL’s beginner’s guide to football.