Slotback

Last updated
The Slotback (SB) in the flexbone formation Flexbone Formation.svg
The Slotback (SB) in the flexbone formation

Slotback, also called slot receiver, is a position in gridiron football. The "slot" is the playing area between the offensive tackle and the wide receiver. A player who lines up between those two players and behind the line of scrimmage fills that "slot".

Contents

The slotback position is a fixture of Canadian football and indoor football where they act as extra receivers. It is also used in American football where the position requires a versatile player who must combine the receiving skills of a wide receiver, the ball-carrying skills of a running back, and the blocking skills of a tight end. [1] In modern NFL, the slotback is often referred to as the "flex" position.

Slotbacks can line up as far as 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. In both Canadian and indoor football, slotbacks can make a running start toward the line of scrimmage before the snap. In the NFL, this would be called illegal motion, however, most professional leagues such as the Canadian Football League, the World Football League, and the XFL allow forward motion. There is a difference between a wide receiver, slot receiver and slot corner.

Role

Slotbacks are primarily used as receivers and sometimes running backs, and are often used to provide pass protection on blitzes and blocking as required on running plays. They may be preferred over the wide receiver or tight end for receiving short passes or hand-offs because they line up closer to the quarterback. When formations containing slotbacks are used in American football, the team often has to go without a tight end, a fullback, or a running back since there are only 11 players on the offense and 7 of those are on the line of scrimmage. This is one of the reasons that slotbacks are less common in the American game.

In Canadian football, there are 12 players per side on the field. With 3 downs, the CFL is a much more pass heavy game. Slotbacks are similar to wide receivers, with the exception that they line up closer to the quarterback and can use the waggle (motion before the snap). Canadian slotbacks rarely run the ball and are almost always sent out to receive passes. They will block on the lesser called run plays, as the tight end position is essentially obsolete in the CFL.

However, as NFL teams have increasingly "defaulted to three- and four-receiver sets" in recent years, the slot receiver has become a fixture of American football formations. [2] A slotback is typically treated as a third wide receiver and may be expected to be a "possession receiver" that can reliably catch a pass when covered by a safety since they are most commonly used when converting medium-distance third-down conversions.

Slotbacks are used effectively in the flexbone formation where they are used as extra receivers. They are usually relatively smaller and faster players and are used for short passes and short runs to get extra yards or a first down or third down drive.

Players are not drafted to the slotback position in the NFL; it is filled as needed by a wide receiver or running back with the necessary skill-set to effectively play the position. Slotbacks must be able to block, catch, and evade tacklers while still being highly productive. In 2019, the Navy Midshipmen football team's slotbacks gained over 1,500 all-purpose yards. [3]

Examples

In the last few years, the NFL has seen an increase in the number of slotbacks. Examples include retired players such as Darren Sproles and Larry Fitzgerald, along with active player Christian McCaffrey.

Larry Fitzgerald extended his football career by moving from an outside receiving position into the slot. Here he was able to use his quick change of direction in tandem with his willingness to block to still be an effective member of the offense. [4]

Christian McCaffrey entered the NFL in 2017 and quickly established himself as a dynamic playmaker, surpassing 1,000 yards from scrimmage in four of his first six seasons. In 2019, he achieved the rare feat of recording both 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, with a significant portion of his receiving production coming from the slotback position, showcasing his versatility and elite skill set. [5]

Darren Sproles did not thrive in the running back position, but achieved success as a slotback. His 2011 season is particularly representative of how a slotback can function successfully. He ran the ball 87 times and added 86 receptions for over 1,300 yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns. [6]

Slotbacks are very important in the CFL, where most formations include 3 slotbacks and 2 wide receivers in a 5-receiver set. In the TSN Top 50 CFL Players, four of the top players in league history were slotbacks: Allen Pitts, Milt Stegall, Ray Elgaard, and Terry Vaughn. These players were typically the most reliable receivers on their team.

In American football, slotbacks are labeled as wide receivers on depth charts. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian football</span> Canadian team sport

Canadian football, or simply football, is a sport in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete on a field 110 yards (101 m) long and 65 yards (59 m) wide, attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's end zone.

In gridiron football, not all players on offense are entitled to receive a forward pass: only an eligible pass receiver may legally catch a forward pass, and only an eligible receiver may advance beyond the neutral zone if a forward pass crosses into the neutral zone. If the pass is received by a non-eligible receiver, it is "illegal touching". If an ineligible receiver is beyond the neutral zone when a forward pass crossing the neutral zone is thrown, a foul of "ineligible receiver downfield" is called. Each league has slightly different rules regarding who is considered an eligible receiver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wide receiver</span> Offensive position in American and Canadian football

A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense, WR gets its name from the player being split out "wide", farthest away from the rest of the offensive formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tight end</span> Position in American football

The tight end (TE) is an offensive position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football. It is a hybrid that combines the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a receiver. As part of the receiver corps, they play inside the flanks (tight), contrasted with the split end who plays outside the flanks (wide). Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be effective blockers. On the other hand, unlike offensive linemen, they are eligible receivers and potent weapons in a team's offensive schemes.

This is a glossary of terms used in Canadian football. The Glossary of American football article also covers many terms that are also used in the Canadian version of the game.

  1. Legally positioned at the kick-off or the snap. On kick-offs, members of the kicking team must be behind the kick-off line; members of the receiving team must be at least 10 yards from the kick-off line. On scrimmages, at the snap the offence must be behind the line of scrimmage; the defence must be at least one yard beyond the line of scrimmage.
  2. A player of the kicking team who can legally recover the kick. The kicker and any teammates behind the ball at the time of the kick are onside. Thus on kick-offs all players of the kicking team are onside, but on other kicks usually only the kicker is. The holder on a place kick is not considered onside.
  1. A defensive position on scrimmages, also called free safety. Typical formations include a single safety, whose main duty is to cover wide receivers. See also defensive back.
  2. A two-point score. The defence scores a safety when the offence carries or passes the ball into its own goal area and then fails to run, pass, or kick the ball back into the field of play; when this term is used in this sense, it is also referred to as a safety touch.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comparison of American and Canadian football</span> Differences between the two most common types of gridiron football

American and Canadian football are gridiron codes of football that are very similar; both have their origins partly in rugby football, but some key differences exist between the two codes.

Strategy plays a crucial role in American football. Both teams carefully plan various aspects of their gameplay in an effort to win. This includes deciding on formations, selecting players for specific positions, and assigning roles and instructions to each player on offense and defense.

A formation in American football refers to the position players line up in before the start of a down. There are both offensive and defensive formations and many in both categories. Sometimes, formations are referred to as packages.

The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American and Canadian football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to another eligible receiver before crossing the line of scrimmage.

A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or trickeration, is a play in gridiron football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or a touchdown if it is successful, but with the chance of a significant loss of yards or a turnover if not. Trick plays are rarely used not only because of the riskiness, but also to maintain the element of surprise for when they are used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halfback (American football)</span> Offensive position in American football

A halfback (HB) is an offensive position in American football, whose duties involve lining up in the offensive backfield and carrying the ball on most rushing plays, i.e. a running back. When the principal ball carrier lines up deep in the backfield, and especially when that player is placed behind another player (usually a blocking back), as in the I formation, that player is instead referred to as a tailback (TB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American football positions</span> Specific roles that players take in American football

In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitutions", meaning that they may change any number of players during any "dead ball" situation. This has resulted in the development of three task-specific "platoons" of players within any single team: the offense, the defense, and "special teams". Within these three separate "platoons", various positions exist depending on the jobs that the players are doing. Football positions have evolved over the history of the game. Historically, the quarterback position was less defined in the early days of American football, originally resembling a more generalized role with no set responsibilities. By the 1920s, as the game became more structured, the quarterback became more central to the offense, especially with the introduction of forward passing. Similarly, positions like linebacker, which were not initially part of the game, began to take form in the 1930s as teams recognized the need for specialized defensive players to counteract the growing importance of passing in football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flexbone formation</span> American football formation

The flexbone formation is an offensive formation in American football that includes a quarterback, five offensive linemen, three running backs, and varying numbers of tight ends and wide receivers. The flexbone formation is derived from the wishbone formation and features a quarterback under center with a fullback lined up directly behind the quarterback. There are two smaller running backs called slotbacks aligned behind the line of scrimmage on each side of the offensive line. The slotbacks are sometimes incorrectly referred to as wingbacks. But in order to be a wingback, there must be a guard, tackle and tight end all on one side of the center on the line of scrimmage and then the wingback off the line of scrimmage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple option</span> American football strategic play

The triple option is an American football play used to offer six ways to move the football forward on the field of play. The triple option is based on the option run, but uses three players who might run with the ball instead of the two used in a standard option run.

The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see Glossary of Canadian football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildcat formation</span> American football offensive formation

Wildcat formation is a formation for the offense in football in which the ball is snapped not to the quarterback but directly to a player of another position lined up at the quarterback position. The wildcat features an unbalanced offensive line and looks to the defense like a sweep behind zone blocking. A player moves across the formation prior to the snap. However, once this player crosses the position of the running back who will receive the snap, the play develops unlike the sweep.

In American football, a back is a player who plays off of the line of scrimmage. Historically, the term "back" was used to describe multiple positions on offense and defense, although more descriptive and specific position naming is now common. Thus, "back" can refer to positions including:

In gridiron football, an ineligible receiver downfield, or an ineligible man downfield, is a penalty called against the offensive team when a forward pass is thrown while a player who is ineligible to receive a pass is beyond the line of scrimmage without blocking an opponent at the time of the pass. A player is determined ineligible based on his position at the time of the snap. When the ball is snapped, the offense is required to have no more than eleven players on the field, out of whom only six are eligible. On most plays, the eligible receivers include the quarterback, running backs, fullbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers, while the ineligible receivers are offensive linemen, including the center, offensive guards, and offensive tackles. However, in the National Football League, a quarterback is an ineligible receiver if he is directly under the center when he receives the snap.

The run and shoot offense is an offensive system for American football which emphasizes receiver motion and on-the-fly adjustments of receivers' routes in response to different defenses. It was conceived by former high school coach Glenn "Tiger" Ellison and refined and popularized by former Portland State offensive coordinator Mouse Davis.

References

  1. ↑ Association, American Football Coaches (2000). Offensive football strategies. Human Kinetics. ISBN   9780736001397.
  2. ↑ "The NFL's 11 best slot defenders". June 2019.
  3. ↑ Wagner, Bill (29 November 2019). "Navy slotback corps has been quite productive". capitalgazette.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  4. ↑ "Larry Fitzgerald And The Increased Importance Of The Slot Receiver". www.azcardinals.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  5. ↑ "Christian McCaffrey Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  6. ↑ "Darren Sproles Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  7. ↑ Alder, James. "What's the Slot in Football? Here's an Easy Explanation". LiveAbout.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.