The Offensive Line Positions in Football: A Complete Guide
The offensive line is one of the most important components of a football team. Without a quality offensive line, it’s difficult for the quarterback, the running backs, and the wide receivers to operate effectively. Below is a description of the key functions of the offensive line.
The Importance of the Offensive Line
There’s a saying in football that goes, “It all starts up front.” That means the fundamental building block of a team is the offensive line. If you have a bad offensive line, it’s very difficult to score. If your team can’t score, it’s difficult to win games.
There are 2 types of offensive plays in football: running and passing. The offensive line must block differently on running and passing plays. The offensive line’s job is to protect the quarterback on passing plays and to push the defense back on running plays and create holes for the running backs to get through.
For passing plays, the offensive line is trying to keep the defensive linemen from sacking the quarterback. They’re “protecting” the quarterback by giving them time to pass the football. In a passing situation, the linemen should “hold” their blocks for 2 to 3 seconds in the NFL. A quarterback needs roughly 3 seconds to set up and throw a pass. Holding a block means the linemen don’t let the defensive players break through and sack the quarterback. When the offensive linemen are blocking on a pass play, they create what’s called a “pocket.” The pocket is the wall of protection for the quarterback. Each lineman must do their job and hold their blocks to prevent the pocket from breaking down. If the pocket breaks down, the defense has a lane to sack the quarterback. The linemen use their bodies as shields in pass protection, and they can use their hands if they don’t extend them.
Run blocking is much more proactive. In run blocking situations, the offensive linemen initiate contact with the defense. In this situation, the linemen are pushing the defensive players backwards. Their job is to create space for the running backs to get through so they can get downfield. Linemen use their bodies and hands to push the defense back for run blocking plays.
Overview of the Offensive Line Positions
The offensive line generally consists of 5 positions: center, the left and right guard, and the left and right tackle. A tight end, who often catches passes, can be considered part of the offensive line in certain situations. The offensive line’s job is to protect the quarterback from the defense and to block defenders to help running backs move the ball forward. Offensive linemen are typically some of the biggest players on the football field. The average weight of an NFL offensive lineman was around 315 pounds in 2023. Below is a description of each position on the offensive line:
Center: The center is the middle player on the offensive line. On each side of the center are 2 guards and 2 tackles. The biggest job for the center, aside from blocking, is to snap the ball to the quarterback from between their legs. The quarterback can stand either directly behind the center, with their hands underneath his bottom, or a few yards back. After taking the snap, the center will push forward and block a lineman on a running play or stand up, take a step back, and block a lineman on a pass play. The center is often called the quarterback of the offensive line. Their job is to signal to their teammates on the line what the defense line is trying to do before the ball is snapped. Typically, they’ll use their hands to point out the position of the defensive linemen. Sometimes, the offensive linemen will shift slightly before the ball is snapped to make sure they’re in the best position to block.
Left Guard and Right Guard: The left guard is positioned next to the center on the left side and the right guard is on the right side of the center. Their job is to pass and run block. Sometimes, they’ll team up with the center and block defensive linemen. A guard can also “pull” on a running play. That means they could step back and run to the other side of the center and block between where the right guard and right tackle line up. In this play, the running back would wait for the left guard to get to his position and follow behind them. Guards are typically smaller and quicker than tackles because they must move more.
Left and Right Tackle: The left tackle is often considered the most skilled player on the offensive line. They have a huge responsibility: to protect the quarterback’s blindside on a pass play. When a right-handed quarterback drops back to pass, they can’t see defensive linemen coming from the left side of the field. If a defensive lineman breaks through the left side, the quarterback is particularly vulnerable because they likely won’t be able to run or move sideways to escape that lineman. On the right side, the quarterback has a view of where the defensive players are coming from. Tackles can also pull on running plays. The job of both tackles is essentially the same. Guards and tackles can also “sweep” on running plays. That means they run to the outside and create blocking lanes for the running backs.
Tight End: A tight end is typically a hybrid pass receiver and blocker. On running plays, a tight end is often used as an extra blocker. On passing plays, they run routes. The blocking responsibilities for a tight end often involve players, like a linebacker or a defensive back, who are on the right side of the defense. Tight ends line up on the left side of the offensive line. They’re next to the left tackle.
Types of Offensive Blocking Techniques
There are 2 main schemes that offensive coaches use for their offensive line when they design their blocking plays: zone and man to man. Below is a description of each.
Zone: Zone blocking is when an offensive lineman is responsible for an area. On a zone-blocking play, each lineman has a defined space that they must block. If there isn’t a player in that space, the lineman must move over to the space nearest to them and help another lineman block. When 2 players block a defensive lineman, it’s called double teaming. Zone blocking is often used for running plays. It gives the lineman more flexibility and freedom to adjust their blocking when the play starts. The running backs can choose where they want to run in a zone-blocking play. This allows them to wait for the play to develop and find a hole to run through.
Man to Man: Man-to-man blocking is when each lineman is assigned a specific defensive lineman to block. For instance, in a man-to-man play, the center could be assigned to the nose tackle while the guards must block the 2 inside defensive linemen and the tackles must block the outside defensive linemen. For this type of blocking, the running back typically must run through a designated space. In man to man, there’s no ambiguity about what the responsibility is for each lineman. The advantage to this kind of blocking is that the offense knows exactly where the play starts along the line.
Offensive linemen are the unsung workhorses on a football team. You need to be unselfish and focus on team success to be a good offensive lineman. They’re often unknown outside of their teammates. The offensive line is sometimes called the fundamental building block of a quality football team. You can’t be a championship football team without a great offensive line.