N
National Football League (NFL)
the largest professional American football league, with 32 teams.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
principal governing body of college sports, including college football
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
another governing body of college sports, including college football, whose member schools tend to be smaller than those of the NCAA
neutral zone
the region between the lines of scrimmage or between the free kick restraining lines
NFL
the National Football League
NFL Europa
the NFL's former 6-team European spring league, which folded after its 2007 season.
nickel back
an extra, or fifth, defensive back. Named after the coin, worth five cents. Popularized by the Miami Dolphins in the 1970s, now common.
no good
unsuccessful. Often said of an unsuccessful field goal attempt.
no-huddle offense
a tactic wherein the offense quickly forms near the line of scrimmage without huddling before the next play.
nose tackle
a tackle in a 3-man defensive line who lines up "opposite the center's nose".
O
offensive team
the team with possession of the ball
offside
* an infraction of the rule that requires both teams to be on their own side of their restraining line as or before the ball is put play. Offside is normally called on the defensive team during a scrimmage down and on the kicking team during free kick downs.
* in Canadian football, at the time a ball is kicked by a teammate, being ahead of the ball, or being the person who held the ball for the place kick
one back formation
a formation where the offensive team has one running back in the backfield with the quarterback. Other eligible receivers are near the line of scrimmage.
onside kick
a play in which the kicking team tries to recover the kicked ball.
Option run or Option
* Usually, a type of play in which the quarterback has the option of handing off, keeping, or laterally passing to one or more backs. Often described by a type of formation or play action, such as triple option, veer option, or counter option. Teams running option plays often specialize in them.
* Less often, a play in which a back may either pass or run
Option offense
* an offense heavily relying upon the option run and variations thereof.
outside
opposite of inside
P
PAT
Point After Touchdown. See try.
package
the group of players on the field for a given play. For example, the Nickel Package substitutes a cornerback for either a linebacker or a defensive lineman (the latter is referred to as a 3-3-5 Nickel), or the Jumbo package substitutes a wide receiver with a tight end.
pancake
a particularly hard block that leaves the blocked player lying flat on the field. This statistic is not recorded in NFL, but in NFL computer games, they are the statistics used to determine who is a good blocker.
Catching a pass
pass interference
when a player illegally hinders an eligible receiver's opportunity to catch forward pass.
passer rating
(also quarterback rating) a numeric value used to measure of the performance of quarterbacks. It was formulated in 1973 and it uses the player's completion percentage, passing yards, touchdowns and interceptions.
passing play
a play in which a forward pass is made.
pass protection
the use of blocking by the offensive line and backs to allow the quarterback time and space to throw the ball.
pick
use of one player to block a second player. Also used to describe an interception of a pass, e.g. a pass by the offense can be "picked off" by the defense. A "pick 6" is a nickname for an interception returned for a touchdown.
pistol formation
a hybrid version of the shotgun in which the quarterback lines up about 3 yards behind the center and the running back lines up directly behind the quarterback.
place kick
kicking the ball from where it has been placed stationary on the ground or, where legal, on a tee.
play
see down.
the plan of action the offensive team has for each snap, for example a running play or pass play
play action
a tactic in which the quarterback fakes either a handoff or a throw in order to draw the defense away from the intended offensive method
play clock
a timer used to increase the pace of the game between plays. The offensive team must snap the ball before the time expires, or receive a 5 yard delay of game foul. Currently, the NFL uses 40 seconds (60 seconds after a time out).
playing field
see field of play
an area on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage, where the offensive linemen attempt to prevent the defensive players from reaching the quarterback during passing plays
pooch kick
a punt or kickoff that is deliberately kicked with less than full force. It is often used in an attempt to limit the ability of the return team to return the ball.[8][9]
position
a place where a player plays relative to teammates, and/or a role filled by that player
possession
(a) having the ball on offense for a number of downs, ultimately resulting in either a score, a turn-over, or the end of the half. (b) physical control of the ball after a pass or fumble.
post pattern
Sprint 8 to 10 yards, fake, look back at QB, then sprint deep at 45 degrees, the opposite pattern is the flag route
Pop Warner League
youth football leagues similar to Little League Baseball leagues
preseason
In the NFL, games (in or around August) that do not count toward the final team standings. These games are used to pick final team rosters. Star players often have limited playing time during preseason.
prevent defense
a defensive strategy that utilizes deep zone coverage in order to prevent a big pass play from happening down field, usually at the expense of giving up yards at shorter distances. Often used against Hail Mary plays, or at the end of the game when the defending team is protecting a lead. Disparaged by many fans. John Madden, legendary player, coach, and commentator, has been quoted as saying, "The only thing a prevent defense prevents is a win."
pro set
offensive formation using two backs, lined up side-by-side 2-3 yards behind the quarterback, with one on either side of the quarterback
pulling
a term used to describe an offensive lineman who, instead of blocking the player in front of him, steps back and moves down the line("pulls") to block another player, usually in a "trap" or "sweep."
pump fake
when the quarterback fakes a pass and keeps the ball in his hand in an attempt to fool the defensive team.
punt
a kick in which the ball is dropped and kicked before it reaches the ground. Used to give up the ball to the opposition after offensive downs have been used, as far down the field as possible.
punt return
when a punt is fielded by the receiving team and advanced for better field position. The punt returner generally attempts to move the ball as far up the field as possible. Alternatively, they can signal for a fair catch or allow the ball to go into the end zone for a touchback.
punter (P)
a kicker who specializes in punting as opposed to place kicking. [/B]
