Pass – Throwing a football to another player is a pass. Passes may be thrown either forward or laterally. Lateral passes are alternatively referred to as a backward pass, because the ball is thrown in a sideways or rearward direction. One of the advantages of throwing a backward pass is that it is legal for any player on the field in any position to do so. Also, any player is eligible to legally receive a lateral/backward pass. In contrast, there are rules concerning forward passes, such as the eligible receiver rule. A forward pass is one that moves the ball directly toward the opponent’s end zone, and is permitted only once during each scrimmage down. In order to be a legal pass, the thrower must be a member of the offensive team, and the catcher must be an eligible receiver who has established both feet as being inbounds at the time of the catch.

Pass Defender – A pass defender is a defensive player, usually a defensive back, though sometimes a linebacker, or even lineman who is in charge of covering the receivers. It is this player(s)’ responsibility to stop a receiver from catching a pass and/or gaining yardage if he does get possession of the ball. In most cases, a pass defender is assigned to cover a specific receiver. Defensive backs may specialize as safeties or cornerbacks. In all cases they are positioned somewhat back from the line of scrimmage at the start of the play. Safeties may be further subdivided into free safety and strong safety. The strong safety tends to be a larger defensive back and is typically assigned to cover the strong side of the offense. Because the free safety is usually a smaller, and faster, player, he is often expected to follow the ball as the play unfolds.

Pass Interference – Pass interference is a violation that is called when a player unfairly obstructs another’s ability to catch a legal pass. This foul can be committed by either offense or defense. Defensive pass interference results in the ball being spotted at the location of the foul with an automatic first down as a penalty while offensive pass interference is a 10 yard penalty. After a forward pass is let into the air it is considered a loose ball and any eligible receiver may attempt to catch it. Because all defensive players are eligible receivers, if an offensive player commits pass interference against a defensive player attempting to intercept a forward pass it is called as offensive pass interference. There are certain situations in which a defensive player chooses to deliberately commit pass interference, where the intended receiver is very likely to score, although this is more common at the collegiate level, where the penalties for interference are less severe.

Pass Pattern – A pass pattern is the route run by a receiver during a passing play. The receiver follows a specific pattern, or route, in order to get into position to receive the pass. There are several different passing routes that most teams use consistently. A flat route, which is primarily used by a running back or fullback, has the receiver running parallel to the line of scrimmage until he reaches the sidelines when he turns back to wait for the pass. The post route is a much deeper pattern, that is designed to create holes in coverage towards the middle of the playing area. A curl route involves deceiving the other team by appearing to be running a fly pattern, and stopping to turn midway. Other commonly used pass patterns include: drag, hitch, fly, corner, post, slant, swing and double out routes. The type of route that is used in any given play will be chosen based upon the game conditions.

Pass Protection – a blocking plan arranged for the offensive line to protect the “Quarterback” during passing plays, usually differs from “Run Protection” in that the focus is more about keeping defenders from getting into the “Back Field” than opening holes by pushing defenders backward
 
Pass Route – See “Pass Pattern”

Pass Rush – A pass rush occurs when defensive players attempt to break through the offensive line and sack the quarterback before he has a chance to throw the ball. Players run towards the quarterback (or kicker in some cases), crossing the line of scrimmage in order either tackle or hurry the pass. Alternatively, they can block or disrupt a kick. This tactic is used frequently at both the college and professional level. Teams may choose to blitz, sending several of their players to the quarterback, which greatly improves the odds of a successful pass rush. However, because of strict rules regarding tackling a quarterback or kicker, most teams send few men to decrease the risk of drawing a penalty. There are many different types of pass rushing moves that can be used by defensive players, aside from blitzing, including the: slap rib, club move, swim move and bull rush.

Passing Game – the team’s ability to successfully pass the ball

Penalty – A penalty is the consequence that is levied against a team for committing a foul, which is a violation of the rules.Some of the most commonly incurred fouls include: offsides, clipping, chop blocking, delay of game, facemask and pass interference. Officials signal penalties by tossing a flag onto the playing field in the direction of the spot where the foul occurred. In most cases, however, play is not stopped and the penalty is given only after the down. The penalty is dependent upon the foul committed, most often either a 5, 10 or 15 yard penalty. Some defensive penalties give the offense an automatic first down and, conversely, offensive penalties may result in loss of a down. In certain cases, such as when the game clock is close to running out, the team that has been fouled against has the option of declining the penalty and accepting the result of the last play. In cases where a double foul has occurred; that is, both teams have committed a penalty, the down is replayed with the fouls being offset

Personal Foul – A personal foul is an illegal maneuver that endangers another player’s health and unnecessarily risks causing bodily harm. A personal foul results in a 15 yard penalty and a first down. Personal fouls may be committed by members of either the offense or defense, and where officials deem a foul to be particularly flagrant, the player may be ejected from the game. Common personal fouls include roughing the kicker, roughing the snapper, spearing, leaping or unnecessary roughness. Roughing the passer is called when a defender continues to tackle a passer after he has already released the pass into the air, while roughing the kicker is tackling or running into the kicker after a missed attempt at blocking his kick. In this case, in particular, the kicker’s extended leg is vulnerable to injury. Intentionally grasping or twisting another player’s facemask is another personal foul. The referee’s signal for a personal foul is to open the fists held diagonally above the head, and striking the front edge of one hand to the rear edge of the other hand.

Pick – A pick, or alternatively a pick off or an interception, occurs when a defensive player catches a pass, giving his team possession of the ball. At this point, the defensive player with possession of the ball is working as offense, and begins to move the ball towards the opposing goal. If the interceptor is able to retain his possession of the ball, his team will take over possession for the next play at the point where he was downed. Linebackers are the most likely players to intercept passes in this manner, partly because of their proximity to the eligible receivers who are the targets of the pass being thrown. After a pass is intercepted, all of the defensive players immediately switch roles to being blockers who are focused on helping the player who has possession of the ball to get as much yardage as he can or score. Meanwhile, the offensive players may attempt to down the ball carrier.
Pick Off – See “Interception”

Pigskin – a slang term for the football, even though it’s made from leather

Piling On – Piling on is a foul that is called when players continue to jump on a ball carrier after he’s already been tackled and downed. This foul results in a 15 yard penalty for the offending team, and may also be referred to as a late hit or dog pile. A late hit is a type of personal foul, which are infractions that are conduct or safety related, and result in unnecessary roughness or violent contact. In the event that a player makes flagrant or repeated violations of the same type, officials may choose to eject him from the game. The referee signals a personal foul by holding open fists diagonally above the head, and striking the rear edge of one hand with the front edge of the other. Personal fouls differ from those that are considered unsportsmanlike conduct in that the latter are fouls that do not involve contact between players.

Pitch – the “Quarterback” laterals the ball to a running back in motion 

Pitch Out – See “Pitch”

Placekick – A placekick is a football kick that is made from a stationary position. It may be a field goal, extra point or kickoff. The player who is called in to make placekicks on these occasions is the placekicker, who specializes in kicking, and may be one of the smaller players on the team. Placekickers today use a soccer-style kick, meaning that they approach the ball from behind and to the left (if they are right-footed) and advance in to kick the ball using the instep of the right foot. These players are not used as often as many others, but can easily sway the direction of a game. Field goals are generally only attempted when there is very little time left in a game half, or the game has gone into overtime and extra point kicks are taken after every touchdown. The placekick is also used to begin each game half, as well as to begin overtime when it occurs.

Place Kicker – A placekicker is the player who is in charge of making placekicks that occur during field goals, extra point kicks and kickoffs. In modern football, the placekicker serves a specialized role and generally does not double as another position. In fact, many teams employ both punters and kickers, in order to better protect their players from injury. Some teams choose to further specialize by having a placekicker who is particularly adept at making long kicks, such as those required for kickoffs. The majority of placekickers kick the ball ‘soccer-style’, by taking several steps to approach and hitting the ball with the instep. Although rarer, some players today still choose to kick the ball from straight on, which actually requires the use of a special shoe. In the straight on style, the ball is approached from directly behind it rather than from the side. Most placekickers use the same type of stance as they approach, which is simply to bend slightly prior to the kick.

Play – A play is the offensive or defensive plan that is used during a down in football. Teams keep playbooks outlining the various plays that they use frequently and guard them carefully to prevent other teams from developing counterplays. A play consists of the formation that will be used and the specific pattern of movement of the players and the ball. Plays are often called out using a code that denotes the type of play and the players involved. Offensive plays are often running plays that indicate a specific route for a player to run, getting the ball further downfield. Passing plays may also be used to gain yardage. The defense engages in pass coverage plays, to attempt to prevent the offense from gaining yards. The most basic types of pass coverage are man-on-man and zone coverage. In man-on-man coverage, each player is assigned to cover specific player(s) on the other team, whereas zone coverage assigns a defensive player to guard a particular area of the field.

Play-Action Pass – A play-action pass is an offensive football play in which the quarterback fakes a hand-off of the ball to a running back before a pass play in order to deceive the defense. Although a play action pass seems to be a type of running play (from the defense’s point of view) it is actually a pass play. The play-action pass, abbreviated as PA, is most frequently used in situations in which the defense is focused on topping a ball runner. A successful pass action play will deceive the defense and draw them into acting on the run fake so that they are not in position for pass coverage. The play action pass is run in the following manner: the quarterback hands off to the running back after the ball is snapped. The running back gets into the position to take a handoff, but the quarterback pulls the ball back quickly, hopefully hiding it from the defense. Meanwhile, the running back keeps moving as if he has the ball.

Playbook – A playbook is a written collection of a team’s plays, often kept in the form of a notebook. Teams at high school, college and professional levels keep playbooks for offensive, defensive and special teams plays. The plays include a written description as well as diagrams of player placement. Playbooks may also be purchased, and include the most common types of plays, which teams will usually customize for themselves. Each play in the playbook contains information on contingency variations to use in various situations. While there may be several copies of a playbook that are distributed to coaches, and sometimes to players, it must be carefully guarded and access to the playbook monitored, in order to prevent it from falling into a competitor’s hands. Many teams, including NFL teams, now use playbook software to organize and create their playbook. Such software creates scale diagrams, and some of the programs even produce short animations, demonstrating the play’s progression on the computer screen.

Play Clock – The play clock is the clock that measures the amount of time that a team has between plays. It is alternatively referred to as a delay-of-game timer and works to increase the pace of a football game by forcing the offensive team to put the ball into play before time expires. They may do so by snapping the ball during a scrimmage or kicking during a free kick. Failure to put the ball into play during this time results in a delay of game foul being assessed, and a penalty of 5 yards to the offending team. The NFL allows teams 40 seconds from the end of the previous down, or 25 seconds after a game delay or an administrative stop of the clock. Teams engage in clock management, a strategy by which the team that is leading tries to use as much time as they can between plays, while the team that is behind attempts to conserve time in order to get more chances to score.

Playmaker – A playmaker is a player who is known for regularly making big-impact, successful plays. In order to be considered a playmaker, a player must be able to read the game, reacting quickly to changing situations while being aware of where all of the other players are. When playing offense, good playmakers often take possession of the ball and either make or facilitate a pass that ultimately results in a goal for his team. Playmakers are not restricted to a particular position, but may be any player who is frequently successful in making ‘big’ plays. ‘Playmaker’ is also a popular playbook editing and football play simulation computer program. The program is used by many teams to create their playbooks, and features tools that create diagrams which can then be run as animations. In this way, coaches and players can review plays, as well as creating contingency plays for changing game situations.

Playoffs – Playoffs are the system of determining the championship team through an eliminating tournament. Playoffs are used at all levels of play in football, and different athletic organizations have different structures to determine who goes to a championship game. In the NFL, the playoffs, which are a single-elimination tournament, determine which two teams will play against each other in the Superbowl. The tournament takes place at the end of the regular season, when six teams from each of the NFL’s two conferences, (The American Football Conference and the National Football Conference), who qualify based upon their season records, face off. The playoffs are a series of games, beginning with the ‘wild card’ round. Teams that make it through this round advance to the Divisional Playoffs. Two winning teams from each conference play each other to get the title of Divisional Champions, and it is the winning team from each division who ultimately meet at the Superbowl.

Pocket – The pocket is the area of the backfield behind the offensive line and between the two offensive tackles, that is formed during certain pass plays. The pocket is created when offensive linemen drop back to help protect the quarterback, leaving a horseshoe shaped area. Ideally, the quarterback will have enough time to throw his pass, as long as he stays within the pocket area. This area may be alternatively referred to as a passing pocket. In the event that some defensive players are able to breach this protective area of the backfield, the quarterback can either be forced out or sacked. In Australian rules football, the pocket also refers to playing positions that are situated deep in the field, either the forward or back pocket,

Point After Touchdown (PAT) – A Point After Touchdown, or alternatively an extra point, is a chance for a team to score an extra point, and is awarded immediately after a touchdown is made. A player will line up to attempt to kick the ball through the uprights (goalposts). If they are successful, they receive one extra point for that touchdown, for a total of seven points. Teams may also elect to attempt a two point conversion, in which they must run or pass from the line of scrimmage, rather than kicking. If they succeed at a two point conversion attempt, the total points awarded for that touchdown will be eight. Both the NFL and Canadian football use the PAT rule. In the NFL, the PAT is taken at the two-yard line, while the NCAA and high school football use the three-yard line. During an extra point attempt, the game clock is stopped.

Point Spread – A point spread is a sports betting device intended to equalize uneven teams for gambling. A favored team must win by a certain number of points for bettors to get paid. In sports bookmaking, the margin of the final score can be more important than who wins or loses. The point spread is, simply put, an adjustment to the final game score, that is made by the bookmakers. When two teams meet, and one is clearly favored to win, this adjustment is made to offset the differences in the team’s skills. The team that is expected to win is referred to as the favored team, while the other team is called the weaker team. For example, a team may be favored to win by 5.5 points, in which case the bettor would only win the bet if the teams beats the other by at least 6 points. Point spreads are most commonly used during betting on the sports of basketball and football.

Pooch Kick – See “Squib Kick”

Possession – In football, possession refers to the player, or the team, that has control of the ball at any given point in time. In order to legally be in possession of the ball, a player has to maintain control over the ball while both of his feet, or another part of the body that is not his hands, is on the ground. A team gains possession of the ball when they are on offense. Their possession ends whenever the ball is given up to the other team through a turnover, a punt, or when that team scores. Whenever a player who has possession of the ball drops it by any means other than to pass, kick or hand it off, it is called as a fumble. The ball may also change possession with a successful interception by the defense. This happens when a defensive player catches the quarterback’s pass, leading to immediate change of possession.

Post Pattern – The post pattern is a type of football passing route. When this route is used, a receiver begins to run parallel with the sideline and ultimately cuts toward the goal post at the end. He does this at approximately a forty five degree angle. The post strategy is designed to force the opposing players deep upfield, which leaves holes in the middle of the lineup. In order to be successful, the wide receiver must be able to really catch a ball when there is heavy traffic around him. Another variant of the post pattern is called a skinny post. In a skinny post, the receiver goes into the infield at a much shallower angle. The wide receiver has to be situated in the correct position, and get there quickly, in order to get to the pass. In most cases, the quarterback throws the pass far in advance of the receiver being in position. It is his (the receiver’s) responsibility to get to where he knows that the ball is going to end up.

Post-Season &ndash The post season consists of the series of NFL games that occur after the regular sixteen game season, and culminates in the Superbowl. The NFL’s regular season runs from the weekend after Labor Day for 17 weeks, with most games played on Sunday afternoons. The post-season consists of the single elimination playoff tournament that begins after the final regular season game. During this tournament, teams from each of the NFL’s two conferences, the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC), compete for a spot in the Superbowl. The teams are chosen for the playoffs on the basis of their regular season performance. The first round of the Playoffs is a wild card round, during which lower-scoring teams get a chance to compete. The winner of each conference’s Wild Card round advances to divisional playoffs. This is followed by the conference championships. The winner of each conference’s championship play against each other in the Superbowl.

Power Sweep – The power sweep is a type of running play in which several offensive linemen run towards the line of scrimmage, while leading the running back. The quarterback then hands or throws the ball to the running back who is protected. Although not a particularly complex play, it is often very effective. The power sweep, alternatively referred to as simply ‘sweep’ requires speed and teamwork to be successful. Vince Lombardi is responsible for developing this play, which brought great success to the Green Bay Packers. One of the advantages of the power sweep is that it can be run from nearly any type of offensive formation. The fullback is the player that is the number one defender of the quarterback, and later, the receiver. However, the quarterback must also serve as a blocker. After he passes off the ball, this is his main function.

Preseason – The National Football League’s (NFL) preseason consists of a series of exhibition games that are played before the regular season begins. The results of these games don’t count for a team’s standing, as they are mostly played for warm up and to test new players.The regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day, and runs for approximately 17 weeks, during which each team plays 16 games. The preseason is sometimes referred to as the exhibition season, and generally runs from early August to the beginning of the regular season. During these games, coaches watch new players and run various plays. The veteran players are not extensively used, in order to decrease the incidence of injury. Each team in the NFL is allotted a guaranteed four exhibition games in the preseason. The very first game of the year is the Hall of Fame game, in which a team from the American Football Conference (AFC) faces off against a NFC (National Football Conference) team.

Previous Spot – the location of the ball before the previous play, generally used in the case of penalties

Primary Receiver – The primary receiver is the quarterback’s receiver of choice on any given play. This receiver would be the quarterback’s first choice to throw the ball to, and if for any reason he is not available, then the quarterback will consider the next options. The wide receiver is often, but not always the primary receiver. Whichever player the ball is thrown to must be an eligible receiver in order for the pass to be considered legal. Because running backs and tight ends are also eligible receivers, the quarterback may choose to pass to one of these players, dependent upon the game situation. At the beginning of the play, a good quarterback should be surveying the field to assess who his primary receiver, as well as a second and third option would be. He must then keep an eye on developments in the defense and change strategies for passing as the situation warrants.

Pulling – Pulling is when an offensive player runs out of his regular area of the field to get ahead of the ball carrier or passer (generally the quarterback or a running back) in order to block for him. Pulling is one of the major responsibilities of offensive guards. In order to run a successful pulling play, the guard(s) involved must be both quick and agile. There are numerous plays that are based upon variations of pulling. One of the most frequently used pull plays is the sweep. A sweep uses two guards, who pull out of their zones in order to each run to a specific side of the field to ready themselves to block for the running back. Different variations of the sweep include a trap pull, long (or power) pull, combination pull and fold pull. Most coaches regularly engage offensive linemen in drills that work on their pulling technique.

Pump Fake – A pump fake is a move that is used by a quarterback to deceive defensive players into believing that he is going to throw to a specific receiver, only to bring the ball back and throw it in a different direction. For example, a quarterback may pump fake a pass to a close by receiver, but hold onto the ball and instead throw a deep pass to another receiver who is further downfield of him. When quarterbacks are going to pump fake, they step back from the line of scrimmage to prepare for the pass, and fake a throwing motion in one direction, while looking at the person that he is faking towards. In order to successfully fake out the defense, this move must be executed very quickly and cleanly. Any hesitation from the quarterback will draw attention back to his actions, and give away the fact that he has not yet made the throw.

Punt – A punt is when the ball is dropped and kicked into the air before it hits the ground. It is used almost exclusively on fourth down to secure better field position when transferring possession of the ball to the other team. The ball is kicked after it is snapped, with the punter generally lining up about 15 yards or so behind the line of scrimmage, or even within the end zone. Although rarely used, the team that is punting may fake a punt, by choosing to either run with the ball or passing to a receiver, rather than kicking. Most teams employ a special teams member who is strictly a punter. This player must be very skilled at making accurate, and often very high, kicks. A punt is distinguished from a drop kick in that in the case of the latter, the ball is kicked only after it has already touched the ground.

Punter – A punter is the player on a team who is employed to kick the ball during punts. Although this player is rarely recognized as one of the stars of his team, his actions are extremely important and can result in substantial gains in field position. Punters may or may not also serve as a team’s kickoff specialist. The primary skills that are required of a punter are the ability to make very accurate kicks, and to kick the ball high. He must also be able to work well under pressure situations. The punter puts the ball into play by dropping it towards their foot and kicking it before it hits the ground, which contrasts with a dropkick, in which the ball hits the ground first. Punts are generally used when an offensive team is too far from the end zone to try for a field goal and there is little time. They are most frequently used in the fourth down to attempt to get the ball in a better field position before possession goes to the other team.

Punt Return – catching a punted ball and running it toward the kicking team

Pylon – a bright orange marker placed at the corners of the End Zones