A Complete Guide to the Quarterback Position in Football
The quarterback is the most important player on a football team. They’re responsible for directing the offense. A quarterback is expected to be the team leader. Quarterbacks have immense responsibility. They call the plays and are expected to make sure the offensive players are in the right position when the ball is snapped. With a few exceptions, quarterbacks are the only players who handle the ball on every offensive possession. They often shoulder the blame if a team loses but are quick to give credit to their teammates when their team wins.
History of the Quarterback
Walter Camp is credited with creating and popularizing American football. Football was a derivative of rugby. In the 1870s, Camp started to refine the rules of football. He reduced the number of players from 15 to 11, established the line of scrimmage, and created the quarterback position. In the early years, the quarterback was primarily another running back. Teams rarely passed the football. One innovation that changed the way teams played offense was the T-formation. The T-formation is when the quarterback lines up directly behind the center to take the snap. Before the T-formation, quarterbacks would line up 5 to 7 yards behind the center in a Single T to get the snap with a running back lined up behind them.
By the 1940s, most teams were using the T-formation. It created more options for the quarterback to run and pass. When passing became even more prevalent, the shotgun formation became popular. Like the Single T, the quarterback receives the ball about 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage. However, there isn’t a running back in front of them. The shotgun was designed to make it easier to pass the ball. Since the quarterback doesn’t have to shuffle back 3 or 4 yards to get in position to pass, they can throw the ball quicker and make better reads. Most NFL and college teams use the shotgun.
Key Responsibilities of a Quarterback
The key responsibility for a quarterback is to call plays. Before every offensive possession, the offense huddles. During the huddle, which is when all 11 players get in a circle, the quarterback makes a play call. They usually get the play call signaled in from a sideline coach. It’s the quarterback’s job to make sure every player on the team understands the play call. The execution of the play starts after the ball is snapped. After the huddle breaks, and the quarterback gets into position to start the play, they often must make quick decisions about whether the play will work. Below are some responsibilities that quarterbacks have after they line up to have the ball snapped:
Read the Defense: Reading the defense means the quarterback is looking at where their opponents are lined up on the field. Defenses have tendencies. If they have extra players at the line of scrimmage, they might be trying to blitz. Blitzing indicates the defense believes the quarterback might pass the ball. Quarterbacks are expected to study film of their opponents before they play so they can understand their tendencies.
Audibles: If the quarterback believes the play that’s called won’t work because of the defense’s alignment, they can change the play. Changing the play means calling an audible. It’s the quarterback’s job to tell their teammates what the new play is while they’re waiting for the snap. Teams have code words they use to change the plays.
Positioning Players: The quarterback must make sure the skill players, like the running backs and wide receivers, are in the right position when they line up to snap. They might have to make a wide receiver move from one side of the line of scrimmage to the other based on what defense the play has called.
Many of the decisions a quarterback must make come after they break the huddle and line up for the snap. Quarterbacks must process information quickly. There’s only 40 seconds to call a play. If a team uses more than 40 seconds to start the play, they’re penalized. Occasionally, quarterbacks call their own plays. That means they don’t have coaches signaling in plays from the sidelines. Often, teams will go into a no-huddle. That means the team skips a huddle and the quarterback lines up behind the center and calls the play. Teams do this to make it hard for the defense to substitute.
Essential Skills for a Quarterback
The NFL spends millions of dollars scouting quarterbacks. A great quarterback can make the difference between an average team and an elite team. It’s hard, however, to find truly great quarterbacks. Below are some skills a quarterback must have:
Football IQ: A quarterback must understand the nuances and strategies of what makes an offense successful. They must know what matchups will give them a chance to succeed against certain types of defenses and what the strengths are of each offensive player. It’s their job to put those players in a position to succeed.
Strong Arm: Because quarterbacks throw the football to their receivers, they must have a good arm. A typical NFL quarterback can throw the ball 50 to 60 yards in the air. Not only does their arm need to be strong, but it should also be accurate. They need to put the ball in a place where their receivers can catch the ball while running.
Field Awareness: Quarterbacks must know where their players are on the field. When they drop back to pass, sometimes the 1st receiver they target is covered. They’ll have to adjust quickly and look to see where their 2nd and 3rd receivers are to keep the play alive.
Footwork: Quarterbacks often must move around in the backfield when they’re passing. They need good footwork to avoid the defensive players who are rushing in trying to sack them.
Toughness: Playing quarterback is one of the most physically demanding positions in football. Quarterbacks are sometimes called “sitting ducks” because they must deal with defensive players whose job is to sack them. Occasionally, a quarterback gets blindsided. That means they get tackled without seeing the rusher. All quarterbacks must endure hits from the defensive players.
Though not all quarterbacks are elusive, it helps if quarterbacks are good runners. Being able to escape from a rush adds another element the defense must prepare for. While a certain height isn’t necessary to play quarterback, it helps if you are tall enough to see over your offensive linemen. The height helps you see the field. An ideal height for an NFL quarterback is at least 6-foot-2.
The quarterback position is one of the most scrutinized and studied positions in sports. Football is the most popular sport in America. According to the Pew Research Center, 53% of adults prefer football to baseball, which is the next most popular at 27%. In the NFL, quarterbacks are the highest paid players on the team. The position will continue to evolve as offenses adapt, and teams will always be looking for great quarterbacks.