Number of American football players
American football matches are played by two competing teams, each consisting of eleven players who are once on the field, and one team consists of a large number of basic and reserve players of a maximum of forty-five players, and allows the replacement of an unlimited number of reserve players with the main players who are on the field, and both players seek to score the highest number of goals in the goal of the opposing team, and the calculation of goals varies according to the method of playing. the team’s score for her.
Some goals are calculated by six points, while others are calculated by three points, and other successful kick-offs are calculated on the goal by one point, and the team that manages to score the most points is considered the winner of the game at the end of its time; which extends to four quarters or periods of a quarter of an hour; American football can last up to two or even three hours.
also read: American Football Laws , American Football
Players’ centres in American football
The positions of players in American football vary depending on the position of the team on the field, where the players of the team are distributed when carrying out the attack differently from their distribution when the team defends against the attacks of the opposing team, and generally, American football players are distributed on many positions on the field as follows:
Offensive centres
The team is considered to be in the attacking phase when the ball is in its possession, and the main task of the attacking players is to get the ball to the scoring area of the opposing team, and the following shows the main positions on which the offensive players can be distributed in American football:
- A quarterback, a player with driving skills and the ability to throw the ball strongly and for long distances, is one of the two players the ball has when he and the centre player start the offence.
- Center player, who starts the process of carrying out any attack, where he turns the ball into a midfielder, and his main task is to throw the ball and direct it toward his team’s players, and then prevent the defensive players from the other team by getting it or snatching it.
- Running back, one of the players responsible for running the ball across the field when carrying out the attack, as well as intercepting balls from opposing team players.
- Fullback, a player tasked with preventing opposing players from overtaking his whereabouts, passes balls to his team members.
- Wide Receivers, a player who is usually near the front line with opposing team players, is located far from where the ball is placed on the pitch, where he has to make room for himself to receive the occasional balls passed to him by his teammates.
- Tight end, a player who performs a combination of defensive and offensive duties by preventing him from passing balls as well as helping pass the ball among his team members.
- Right guard and left guard: Left guard and right guard, two players in the offensive line to protect both the midfielder and the player carrying the ball.
- Right and left Tackle, two defensive players next to both the right and left guard.
Defence Centers
The task of the is to prevent the opposing team from scoring points, in addition to thwarting their access to their team’s pitch part by intercepting balls and preventing them from reaching them, and the defense players can be distributed to many positions on the pitch as follows:
- Defensive tackle players play in this position with two players who must maintain their positions on the field to prevent the opposing team from penetrating their areas, as well as running to penetrate the other team’s attack.
- Defensive end players are stationed on both sides of the defensive line and have the task of stopping attacks from both sides of the front line.
- Linebackers cover three to four players whose mission is to prevent the progress of opposing players, and is the second line of defense in the U.S. soccer team.
- Cornerback, this position usually includes two players on the corners of the field in order to cut off the opposing team’s attacks.
- Safety players collaborate with corner players to cover the passing ball, and the players are the last line of defense in American football, as they keep the players off the line.
Player numbers and their relationship to the player’s position
The system for the recruitment and allocation of numbers for American football players was introduced in 1952, and was updated in 1973, and the amendment included that the American football player wear a shirt with the player’s number on both the front and back sides, and the numbers allocated to American football players come according to his position:
Numbers 1 to 19: These numbers are worn by midfielders, ball-kickers, as well as players who execute kick-offs, field kicks, extra points, and other fixed balls.
Numbers 20 to 49: These numbers are worn by back-runners, tight end players, safety players and corner players.
Numbers 50 to 59: These numbers are worn by center players and linebackers.
Numbers 60 to 79: These numbers are worn by maneuvering players, guards, defensive end players, and defensive maneuverers.
Numbers 80 to 89: These numbers are worn by players receiving cross balls and tight end players.
Numbers 90 to 99: These numbers are worn by linebackers and defensemen.
Difference in the number of players between American football and rugby
American football is different from rugby in terms of the number of key players who can participate once in the game on the pitch; Changes in American football, however, allow only seven substitutions in rugby according to specific rules determined by the tournament or league that organizes the game.
