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From the dawn of American football through the 1880s most offensive schemes focused on the running game. In a running based game plan the halfback was typically the cornerstone of the offense. This system focused on a physical run attack concentrated in the inside of the field, and therefore depended on a skilled "power back."
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. [1] There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a given play, depending on the offensive formation.
The term "half-back" fell out of use by the early 1970s and "midfield" was used in naming the positions that play around the middle third as in centre midfield and wide midfield. [1] The fluid nature of the modern game means that positions in football are not as rigidly defined as in sports such as rugby or American football. Even so, most ...
It was seen that the players outside scrimmage (the "pack", i.e. the forwards) were not limited to a defensive role, the tends and half-tends were renamed "back" and "half back" positions. As the game advanced, backs positioned at different depths (i.e. distances behind the forwards) were further differentiated into separate positions.
In football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the field. Many variations are possible on both sides of the ball, depending on the strategy being employed. On offense, the formation must include at least seven players on the line of scrimmage , including a center to start the play by snapping the ball.
The offensive backfield is an ambiguous generic term of football, which includes: (1) a place, namely the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage; and (2) a group classification of certain players positioned there, i.e., members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the quarterback, halfbacks and fullback. [1]
As the first line of defence, the centre half-back must aim to break down opposition attacks before they can get into a scoring position. [1] Given that a centre half-back's opponent is usually the centre half-forward, the role is regarded as a key position in the team, and is usually reserved for tall and well-built players.
The halfback then lines up behind either the left or right tackle. Once the run has been established, it can be a dangerous formation. Because of the real threat of a team running out of the pro-set, defenses must respect the play fake and play run [clarification needed]. This pulls the safety to the line and opens up the middle of the field deep.