One of the hardest things to do when playing the sport of football is knowing which position best fits you, your body type, and most of all your personality. Following is a review of the nine football position and what type of players are best suited for them based on body structure, mentality, and abilities.

1. Quarterback:

The most important position on a team is, hands down, the quarterback (QB). This person is responsible for the entire offense, and if he falters, the whole offense falters. He needs to be a strong-minded, natural leader, be tough, and have football intelligence. A good memory is also important because a QB must know the entire playbook and what everybody is doing. When it comes to physical attributes. The QB must have a strong arm, a fluid throwing motion, and good accuracy. Good speed definitely won’t hurt to have in your arsenal, along with being able to take any kind of hit and never drop the ball.

2. Running Back

Most kids want to be running backs when they grow up, but few succeed because of the many traits and the mentality needed to be not just good, but great. Running backs need to be fearless and believe that they are the baddest on the field on every down. They have to fight for yards and never go out of bounds unless necessary. Physically, they need to be gifted with amazing speed and leg power since they have to outrun and run through the defense every down. Agility and ability to find holes is also needed, but these are natural abilities, making them hard to develop.

3. Middle Linebacker

The QB of the defense is a middle linebacker (MLB). When it comes to mentality, he needs to have the same mindset of a QB as he relays the play to everyone and knows who does what. When it comes to physicality, an MLB needs to be tall and built around 225 lbs to 250 lbs, as well as be 5’10” to 6’0 feet tall. They need to be agile to cover receivers, but big enough to stop a running back. An MLB has to be a jack of all trades on the defensive side.

4. Outside Linebacker

The outside linebackers (OLB), are asked to do as much as a middle linebacker and defensive linemen, all at the same time. They need to be tall and have long arms, a quick first step, and be punishing tacklers. They also have to be nimble enough to cover receivers and tight ends.

5.  Wide Receiver

Another popular position is wide receiver, but again, it takes a lot to be good.  Being tall is a plus, along with having long arms and big hands, as well as elite speed, agility for cuts and routes, being able to catch a football with your hands and not with your body, and amazing hand-eye coordination. Highing jumping or vertical power is also a plus for catching jump balls. Wide receivers need to be able to memorize route trees, feel like they “own” their side of the field and have confidence in their catching ability.

6. Defensive Back

Defensive backs (DB) are the guys who need to stop receivers, so while cockiness is a virtue for this position, pure skill is even more important. DBs need to be fast, have some ability to catch, and be able to jump high. They need long arms to swat balls away and to snag them from wide receivers. They need to be decent tackles with a lot of power to make receivers drop passes.

7. Tight End

Tight ends need everything a wide receiver needs, as well as a bigger body in terms of sheer mass. They also need to be better at blocking, since they’re part of the line most of the time.

8. Offensive Lineman

Offensive linemen are important since they protect the QB and open holes for running backs. For this position, you’ll need to be a big boy with the ability to plant your feet and not move or push anything in front of your back. Strength needs to be one of your biggest assets, but you also need agility and teamwork. A nice advantage is fast handwork and fast feet, as this will make your job ten times easier.

9. Defensive Lineman

Often considered the “meanest” men on the field, defensive linemen are always being hit or hitting someone. They need to be big and bulky with some height. A long wingspan will helps take down a QB or RB while being blocked by offensive linemen. They also need a fast first step and bull-rushes or spin moves to help free themselves from offensive linemen. Good tackling is also mandatory since they are responsible for most of the tackles at the line of scrimmage.

As you can see, every position on a football field has its own unique requirements, so if you really want to play football, this review should help narrow down which position may be right for you. Ultimately, however, where you fit on the field is decided by the coach, so put your best foot forward at the FCHS football tryouts which start July 29.

You can stack the deck in your favor by attending preseason conditioning starting June 2 and continuing every Tuesday and Thursday for two months with morning sessions at 9-11am and evening sessions at 6-8 pm. Note that all interested athletes need a sport physical on file with the school in order to participate in conditioning. For more information, contact Coach Steve Szarmach at [email protected].