What is a Pulling Guard in Football? (Full Explanation)

By Coach Martin | Football Basics

Offensive coaches are always looking for ways to keep defenses guessing and surprise them with new play calls and schemes.

One way that they do this is by calling misdirection plays that involve not just ball carriers and quarterbacks doing something different, but offensive linemen changing it up as well.

One of the most common misdirection plays that involve offensive linemen is when guards don’t block straight ahead, instead moving behind other offensive linemen to get to their assignment.

When this happens, they are called a pulling guard.

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American Football Rules (Simple Guide for Beginners)

By Coach Martin | Football Rules & Penalties

If you’re new to the game of American football, it can seem quite complicated.

Because it’s such a fast-moving game with a lot of players all over the field, it can be confusing to those who don’t know what’s going on.

At its core, though, American football is a quite simple game.

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What is the Tackle Box in Football? (Full Explanation)

By Coach Martin | Football Basics

The tackle box in football is a term that you’ll hear referenced many times throughout a game.

In most cases, it comes up in conversation when an offense is attempting a pass.

While the tackle box isn’t a set area outlined on the field, it does have a very distinct definition.

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What is a Zero Blitz in Football? (Full Explanation)

By Coach Martin | Football Defense

Defenses in football are always looking for new and innovative ways to put pressure on the opposing offense.

They do this by instituting different types of defensive formations, coverages, and rushes to disrupt the offense’s blocking scheme and get to the ball carrier.

Sometimes, defensive coaches want to put extra pressure on the quarterback by rushing more defenders than they normally would.

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What is an Interception in Football? (Full Explanation)

By Coach Martin | Football Rules & Penalties

There are a number of ways a turnover can happen in football.

These occur when the defense is able to gain possession of the football while the ball is still live.

Turnovers are always really big in football, no matter how, when, or where they occur on the field.

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What is the Read Option in Football? (Full Explanation)

By Coach Martin | Football Plays

In recent years, a new play has taken the world of football by storm.

It’s called the Read Option — and it’s become so much more than a simple offensive play.

It’s now evolved into an entire way that offenses will attack defenses throughout a game.

The Read Option is rather simple in design.

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What is a Will Linebacker in Football? (Full Explanation)

By Coach Martin | Football Positions

In a 4-3 base defensive system, the Will linebacker is one of the three traditional linebackers in a football defense.

Coaches named it “Will” to make it easier to signify not just where the player would line up but what his main responsibilities would be as well.

The Will linebacker refers to the linebacker who lines up on the weak side of the defense before the snap.

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What is a Sam Linebacker in Football? (Full Explanation)

By Coach Martin | Football Positions

The Sam linebacker is one of the three traditional linebackers in a football defense.

Football coaches named it “Sam” to make it easier to refer to the player’s position, where he lines up and his general responsibilities.

The Sam linebacker refers to the linebacker that lines up on the strong side of the offense.

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What is Face Masking in Football? (Full Penalty Explanation)

By Coach Martin | Football Rules & Penalties

Football players wear a helmet with a face mask to protect their head, neck and face while playing this high-contact sport.

Players should treat helmets as protective equipment and shouldn’t use it to make a hit on another player or used in any other way.

Sometimes, though, players end up hitting, pushing or grabbing another player’s helmet and/or face mask.

When this happens, it can result in a penalty called by the referee.

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What is a Halfback in Football? (Fullback vs Halfback)

By Coach Martin | Football Positions

In football, there are different names given to running backs based on their particular role in offense.

These names are typically given based on the offensive formation and style of attack.

The names help coaches and players identify the roles those lined up in the backfield.

One of those players is called a Halfback.

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