Defensive Positions in Football

The Defense can make or break your team!

There are eleven defensive positions that make up the defensive team in football. These eleven players essentially make up three different lines of defense. Their overall goal is to keep the offense from scoring and the secondary goal is to get the ball back in the possession of their team..  

The first row of the defense lines up directly opposite the offensive team at the line of scrimmage. These five defensive positions include the nose guard, two defense tackles and two defensive ends. The nose guard plays in the middle nearest to the ball and his job is to stop the offense from running the ball.  On either side of the nose guard are the defense tackles, and their job is much the same--trying to stop the offensive running game.  The defensive ends are at the end of the line on either side of the defensive tackles and they try to stop rushing plays and get to the quarterback to sack him before he can pass the ball or hand it off. 

The linebackers hold defensive positions on the second  (secondary) line of the defense. It’s their goal to stop rushers from getting through to make first downs or to score.  There can be three or four linebackers--outside, inside--middle--and their job is to tackle offensive rushers.  Sometimes they cover running backs or tight ends. The middle linebacker calls out how they will play the defense in a similar way to how the quarterback calls out offensive plays.  Sometimes the linebackers will all rush the quarterback trying to sack him in a defensive maneuver called the blitz. 

Cornerbacks and safeties hold the defensive positions that make up the last line of defense. It’s the job of the cornerbacks to line up with the wide receivers and stop them from receiving the passes meant for them. The strong safety is closer to the line of scrimmage and helps cover the offensive running and passing game, while the free safety can roam around and go wherever needed. 

The most popular use of defensive positions in pro football is in the 3-4 defense.  This is where there are seven players in the front two lines of defense--three down linemen and four linebackers.  In the first line, at the line of scrimmage, there are players in three defensive positions--a defensive end on each end with a nose tackle in the middle.  Right behind them are four linebackers--one of the linebackers may also sometimes line up on the line of scrimmage.  

Typically in a 3-4 defense, the back line consists of the defensive positions of cornerback and safety.  The two cornerbacks are lined up on each side of the field to stop the wide receivers and there are two safeties protecting the field in front of the end zone lest any offensive player get that far down the field.