Running back
position in American and Canadian football
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a given play, depending on the offensive formation. A running back may be a halfback (in certain contexts also referred to as a "tailback" — see below), a wingback, or a fullback. A running back will sometimes be called a "feature back" if he is the team's key player/more prominent running back.
With the increase in pass-oriented offenses and single set back formations, it is more common to refer to these players as simply running backs.
Halfback/tailback
The halfback (HB) or tailback (TB) position is responsible for carrying the ball on the majority of running plays, and may frequently be used as a receiver on short (or sometimes long, depending on the system) passing plays.
In the modern game, an effective halfback must have a blend of both quickness and agility as a runner, as well as sure hands and good vision up-field as a receiver. Quarterbacks depend on halfbacks as a safety valve or checkdown receiver when primary targets downfield are covered or when they are under pressure. Occasionally, halfbacks line up as additional wide receivers.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Running back” is position in American and Canadian football. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Running, back and position, not as a finished interpretation.
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