Halfback A halfback , sometimes referred to as a tailback , is an offensive position in American football , which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays . Historically , from the 1870s through the 1950s , the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive position . In the related sport of Canadian football , halfback is a defensive rather than offensive position . Early offensive backfields . Before the emergence of the T - formation in the 1940s , all members of the offensive backfield were legitimate threats to run or pass the ball . Most teams used four offensive backs on every play : a quarterback , two halfbacks , and a fullback . The quarterback began each play a quarter of the way back , the halfbacks began each play side by side and halfway back , and the fullback began each play the farthest back . The sport ' s first triple threat , Bradbury Robinson of St . Louis University , ran , passed , received and punted out of the halfback position . It was as a halfback that Robinson threw the first legal forward pass to teammate Jack Schneider in a game at Carroll College on September 5 , 1906 . Now that most offensive formations have only one or two running back s , the original designations do not mean as much , as the fullback is now usually a lead blocker ( technically a halfback ) , while the halfback or tailback ( called such because he stands at the " tail " of the I ) lines up behind the fullback . Responsibilities of the halfback . The halfback position is one of the more glamorous positions on the field , and is commonly viewed as a requirement for a team ' s success . They are responsible for carrying the ball on the majority of running plays , and may frequently be used as a receiver on short passing plays . Occasionally , they line up as additional wide receivers . When not serving either of these functions , the primary responsibility of a halfback is to aid the offensive linemen in blocking , either to protect the quarterback or another player carrying the football . Sometimes the halfback or tailback can catch the ball from the backfield as he is an eligible receiver . Running ability . No position in American football can perform his duties successfully without the help of other players . Like the wide receiver , who generally cannot make big plays without the quarterback passing to him ( with the exception of the end - around play ) , the halfback needs good blocking from the offensive line and fullback to successfully gain yardage . Also , a halfback will generally have more rushing attempts than a receiver will have receptions . This is mainly because most football teams have one primary halfback to receive most of the carries , while successful passes will generally be spread between a number of different receivers ( wide receivers , tight ends , running backs ) . The running back is usually a short stature man , with a wide muscular body . This is the position that usually gets worked the most in American football . Characteristics of a halfback . Height and weight . There is a great diversity in those who play at the running back position . At one extreme are smaller , faster players . These fast , agile , and elusive running backs are often called " scat backs " because their low center of gravity and maneuverability allow them to dodge tacklers . Hall - of - famer Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions exemplifies this running style . " Scat backs " still active in the NFL include Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans , Darren Sproles of the San Diego Chargers , and Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints . At the other extreme are " power backs " : bigger , stronger players who can break through tackles using brute strength and raw power . They are usually ( but not always ) slower runners compared to other backs , and typically run straight ahead ( or " North - and - South " in football terminology ) rather than dodging to the outside edges of the playing field ( i . e . running " East - and - West " ) like shorter , quicker , lighter backs will often do . Historically , some of the greatest halfbacks were " power " running backs , such as John Riggins and Jerome Bettis . More recent examples are Steven Jackson of the Saint Louis Rams , Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants and Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns . Receiving ability . In addition to skill at running the ball , some halfbacks in the National Football League are known for their prowess at catching passes . The role of the halfback as a receiver out of the backfield has expanded greatly in the NFL over the years , and a versatile halfback who provides his team with running and pass - catching abilities is highly valued . On passing plays , a halfback will often run a safe route , such as a hook , creating a safe target for a quarterback to throw to if all other receivers are covered . The increase in demand for halfbacks with good receiving abilities can be attributed to the rise in popularity of the West Coast offense and its variants , which often requires its halfbacks to catch passes on a regular basis . A great early example of a system that combined accomplished rushing skills with receiving abiity is the offense of the San Francisco 49ers of the 1980s and 1990s under Bill Walsh and George Seifert . Their teams featured two Pro Bowl running backs who also had excellent receiving skills in Roger Craig and Ricky Watters . Craig became the first player in NFL history to both rush and receive more than 1 , 000 yards in a season . Currently Marshall Faulk is one of the top 20 pass catchers in NFL history . A good example of a dual threat running and pass - catching halfback is New York Jets ' LaDainian Tomlinson ; in 2003 , while with the San Diego Chargers , Tomlinson rushed for 1 , 645 yards and caught 100 passes for 725 yards , giving him 2 , 370 total yards from the line of scrimmage , and he became the first NFL player ever to rush for over 1 , 000 yards and catch 100 passes in a season . Some teams have a halfback who is more skilled at catching short passes than the starting halfback on the team , and / or is better at pass blocking or " picking up the blitz " than that of the other backs . Known as a " third down " back , he is often put in the game in third down and long situations where a pass is needed to pick up a first down . He can also be used to fool the defense by making them think he is being put into the game for a pass play , when the play is actually a run . One example of this type of running back is Chester Taylor of the Chicago Bears . Blocking . Halfbacks are also required to help the offensive line in passing situations , and , in the case of the fullback , running plays . Halfbacks will often block blitzing linebackers or safeties on passing plays when the offensive line is occupied with the defensive linemen . On running plays , the fullback will often attempt to tear a hole in the offensive line for the halfback to run through . Effective blocking backs are usually key components for a running back ' s success ( as seen in LaDainian Tomlinson record - breaking season in 2006 ) . Goal line backs . Many teams also have a halfback designated as a " goal line back " or " short yardage specialist " . This halfback comes into the game in short yardage situations when the offense needs only one to five yards to get a first down . They also come into the game when the offense nears the goal - line . Normally when an offense gets inside the 5 yard line they send in their goal - line formation which usually includes eight blockers , a quarterback , a halfback , and a fullback . The closer they are to the goal - line the more likely they are to use this formation . If a certain halfback is used often near the goal - line he is called the goal - line back . Short yardage and goal - line backs are usually larger power backs that are not prone to fumbling . Their job is to get the first down or touchdown by muscling through or pushing a large mass of players that are being blocked without dropping the ball . Players like John Kuhn , Thomas Jones , and Brandon Jacobs specialise in short - yardage situations , like 3rd and short . Contributing to special teams . A halfback might be called upon to return punt s and kickoff s on special teams . Although this is most often done by wide receiver s and defensive back s , such as cornerback s ( because they are generally the fastest players on the team ) , some halfbacks have enough speed and talent to perform this role . The NFL ' s current all time leading in kickoff return yards ( 14 , 014 yards ) and punt return yards ( 4 , 999 ) by a halfback is Brian Mitchell . He also gained 1 , 967 rushing yards , 2 , 336 receiving yards , and 15 fumble return yards , giving him a total of 23 , 330 all - purpose yards , the second most in NFL history behind Jerry Rice . Passing ability . On rare occasions , a halfback is asked to throw the ball when running an HB option . This play is generally referred to as a half - back pass , regardless if the player throwing the football is a tailback or fullback . This play is risky because most halfbacks are inexperienced passers , and so it is often run only by certain halfbacks more skilled at passing than most . The HB can also throw the ball while running a Direct Snap play where the Center snaps the ball to halfback directly . This has become particular in teams that use the " wildcat " formation , most prominently the Miami Dolphins , where RB Ronnie Brown would run , pass and receive out of this set .