Lineman ( gridiron football ) - wikipedia Lineman ( gridiron football ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2007 ) A diagram of the linemen, with defensive linemen ( in 4 - 3 formation ) in red and offensive linemen in green. In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A number of NFL rules specifically address restrictions and requirements for the offensive line. The defensive line is covered by the same rules that apply to all defensive players and the offensive lineman are supposed to help block the quarterback from getting sacks for a loss or even worse a fumble. Linemen are usually the largest players on the field in both height and weight, since their positions usually require less running and more strength than skill positions. Contents 1 Offensive line 1.1 Run 1.2 Pass 1.3 Interior 2 Defensive line 3 References Offensive line An offensive lineman 's motion during a play is often limited to just a few quick steps to establish position, followed by a wrestling match similar to sumo. Offensive linemen thus tend to be the largest players on the field, with excellent agility and balance but limited straight - line running speed. Most pro and college football offensive lineman tend to weigh over 300 pounds. Offensive line in three - point stance in white. Run On running plays, the primary job of the offensive line is to create space for the ball carrier to run, either by pushing all defensive players backwards past the line of scrimmage, or by pushing defensive players to the side to allow the ball carrier to run past them. Pass On passing plays, the offensive line is responsible for stopping defensive players from tackling the quarterback before he has thrown the ball. Stopping these players indefinitely is usually not possible, so the main objective of the offensive line is to slow them down, providing the quarterback with several seconds to identify an open receiver and throw the ball. Steelers line Interior The interior offensive line consists of the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball into play, two guards who flank the center, and two offensive tackles who flank the guards. In addition to the interior line, a full offensive line may also include a tight end outside one or both of the tackles. The Packers line Interior offensive linemen are not eligible to catch forward passes, and are not allowed to advance more than 2 yards past the line of scrimmage at the time a pass is thrown, whether they are engaged with a defensive player or not. However, ends ( whether tight ends or wide receivers ) are eligible to catch passes. On some running plays, an offensive lineman will pull by backing out of his initial position and running behind the other offensive linemen to engage a defensive player beyond the initial width of the offensive line ; in modern games this duty usually falls to guards. When an offensive lineman knocks a player down on a block, leaving the defensive player lying flat on his back, it is colloquially known as a pancake block. When an offensive line has an equal number of men on either side of the center, it is known as a balanced line. Defensive line The defensive line consists of one or two defensive tackles and two defensive ends who play outside the defensive tackles. The defensive line works with the linebackers to try to control the line of scrimmage. The 4 - 3 defensive formation, most commonly used in the NFL, employs two defensive tackles ( and a defensive line of four men, with three linebackers behind them ), while the 3 - 4 formation uses just a single defensive tackle, called the nose tackle ( and a defensive line of three men, with four linebackers behind them ). However, defensive ends in a typical 3 - 4 have responsibilities more similar to a 4 - 3 defensive tackle than 4 - 3 defensive ends. On running plays, the goal is to tackle the ball carrier. The defensive line attempts to maintain their original formation ( even spacing without holes ), but also to prevent any members of the opposing offensive line from successfully engaging the linebackers, who chase down the ball carrier. The defensive tackles are usually the most skilled run defenders on the team. On passing plays, the defensive line tries to reach the quarterback. Ideally, the defensive players are able to tackle the quarterback for a loss ( a sack ), but in practice the quarterback will usually manage to throw the ball before an actual tackle is made ; the goal is thus to put pressure on the quarterback as quickly as possible to force him to throw the ball before he can find an open receiver. Defensive ends are usually the most skilled pass rushers on the team. In order to increase the pressure on the quarterback, teams will often have players other than the defensive line attempt to tackle the quarterback ; this is called a blitz. Because the defense does not know whether the offense is attempting to run a passing play or a running play ( or whether a quarterback will give up on an attempt to pass and instead run with the ball ), they must balance passing and running strategies : running around offensive linemen and avoiding contact may allow faster pressure on a quarterback, but it also leaves a hole in the defensive line and frees an offensive lineman to engage a linebacker, enabling a big running play. Defensive linemen -- particularly defensive ends -- are called upon to do more running than offensive linemen, thus they usually tend to be somewhat lighter and faster. References Jump up ^ `` NFL Beginner 's Guide to Football ''. National Football League. Jump up ^ Bishop, Greg ( September 12, 2004 ). `` Sumo wrestlers... or NFL linemen ? ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2017. Jump up ^ `` What Is a Pancake Block in Football ? ''. Livestrong. Jump up ^ Football. Taylor & Francis. Positions in American football and Canadian football Offense ( Skill position ) Defense Special teams Linemen Guard, Tackle, Center Linemen Tackle, End Kicking players Placekicker, Punter, Kickoff specialist Quarterback ( Dual - threat, Game manager, System ) Linebacker Snapping Long snapper, Holder Backs Halfback / Tailback, Fullback, H - back, Triple - threat Backs Cornerback, Safety, Halfback Returning Punt returner, Kick returner, Jammer Receivers Wide receiver ( Eligible ), Tight end, Slotback Nickelback, Dimeback Tackling Gunner, Upback, Utility Formations ( List ) -- Nomenclature -- Strategy Gridiron football concepts Codes American Glossary History Early Modern Rules Canadian American -- Canadian comparison Burnside rules Glossary Arena Indoor 9 - man 8 - man 6 - man Flag Touch Street / Backyard Powderpuff Wheelchair Rules of gridiron football codes Levels of play Youth / midget Pop Warner AYF High school Varsity Junior varsity College Club Sprint Professional Practice squad Women 's International Field Lines Yard lines Hash marks Goal line Sidelines Line of scrimmage Field goal range Spaces End zone Red zone Neutral zone Coffin corner Flat Gap Hole Pocket Scoring Touchdown One - point conversion Two - point conversion Field goal Safety Single ( rouge ) Turnovers Fumble Interception Muffed punt Turnover on downs Downs First down Three - and - out Fourth down conversion Dead ball Play clock Timeout Kneel Spike Time warnings 3 min. 2 min. 1 min. Clock management Running out the clock Untimed play Garbage time Statistics Carry Completion Rushing yards Passing yards Passer rating Total quarterback rating Reception Receiving yards Pass deflected Sack Return yards Total offense Yards after catch Yards from scrimmage All - purpose yardage Touchdown pass Practice Two - A-Days Oklahoma drill Three - cone drill Film session Officiating Official ( American, Canadian ) Chain crew Penalty Penalty flag Instant replay Miscellaneous Ball Coaching tree Concussions Equipment 12th man Letterman Overtime Running up the score Touchdown celebration Gatorade shower Tuck rule Uniform number Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lineman_(gridiron_football)&oldid=801445231 '' Categories : American football positions Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from June 2007 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Magyar Nederlands Edit links This page was last edited on 19 September 2017, at 18 : 33. 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Question: what position in football has the biggest players
Answer: Linemen