Xs and Os: Football Terms

Originally published by Gameday.Style in football season 2011. External links and products featured may not still be available. 

  Football101women.com has the best "101" information about football out there.  Go read some of their informative and entertaining content  and become a more informed (and better) fan.  Super helpful are their posts on football terms, helpful to anyone new to football or wanting to learn more!

Football Terms You Need to Know, Part 1

Hang Time
The amount of time the ball – when punted – hangs in the air. A longer hang time gives the opposing team time to get down the field to stop the person (often times called punt returner) from advancing down the field toward his end zone once he has caught the ball.

Move the Chains
When a team has the ball they are playing offense and need to move the ball 10 yards in at least four plays to keep the ball.  On the sidelines are people who hold the chains (which are the length of 10 yards) to keep up with where the ball is on the field. If the offense gets that 10 yards with the four plays and they get to do it again it is often called “moving the chains.”

Slobber Knocker

When a player is hit so hard it knocks the slobber out of him! This could apply to coaches on the sidelines, as well, because of players getting tackled out of bounds and running into anyone in their wake.

3-point Stance

Could be a yoga position. Could be a dance step. In this case is refers to the position players on each side of the ball get into while waiting for the football to be snapped (put into play). Usually it is one hand on the ground with two feet firmly planted. A stance gives a player the advantage of movement.

Blitz/Show Blitz – Blitzing is, simply, bringing more than five defensive players running at thequarterback once he gets the ball in his hands from the center to squash him or otherwise mess up the intended play. It puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback to make the play work and get rid of the ball quickly.
Blitzing is aggressive and when a quarterback sees that the defensive guys are lined up in that attack-and- flatten- the- quarterback-into-a- pancake mode he can try and change the play to avoid potential disaster. Because teams study film each week of the team they are going to play, a quarterback can develop a keen eye to see that team lining up to blitz (show blitz).

Pick Six
When the quarterback throws the ball to the receiver on his team and it ends up in the hands of someone from the other team who then takes it all the way for a touchdown. This a great term or rotten term, depending on who you are rooting for!


On the Bubble

By the start of the regular football season each pro football team must have only 53 players as part of its team (usually called “roster”).  If a player is “on the bubble”, he is fighting for his football life. He may be kept on the team as part of the team or the practice squad or be may receive the dreaded pink slip. A whole host of football personnel for each and every team evaluate players during organized team activities (OTAs) and pre-season games to reach the ultimate decision of who stays and who goes.

Snot Bubbles
When a player is hit so hard that snot bubbles comes out his nose.