In high school football, the fullback usually lines up in front of the running back and provides the lead block in the seams that linemen create to help the running back find space to run. The fullback may also provide additional pass protection for the quarterback or leave the backfield to catch passes. Fullbacks are also often used to run the ball in goal-line situations because they are typically bigger and more physical than running backs.
Traditional Role of the Fullback
Throughout football history, the fullback was a big, physical player who cleared the way for the running game along with the five offensive linemen. Most often, the fullback lines up between the quarterback and the running back, either directly between the two or off to one side of the formation. At the snap of the ball, the offensive line blocks the defensive linemen and creates a seam for the running back. As the crease opens, the fullback enters the hole and finds the nearest linebacker to block, creating an opening for the running back.
Chemistry With the Running Backs
An important role of the fullback is to develop chemistry not only with the offensive line but also with the running backs. In high school football, the fullback must make the correct blocks to create a hole big enough for the running back to go through. The running back has to trust that the fullback will make the correct block without leaving the running back alone against a bigger tackler. When the backfield teammates have practiced and played together long enough to develop this crucial chemistry, the fullback knows exactly where the running back is behind him and the running back knows where the fullback is going.
Fullbacks in the Spread Offense
While run-blocking is the most common use for fullbacks in high school football, the birth of the modern West Coast and spread offenses has created much different roles for fullbacks. In the spread offense, becoming ever more common in high school football, the fullback often lines up out wide and is used as an extra receiver instead of a blocker. The fullback is often used as the only back in the backfield when there are four receivers on the field, in order to provide extra protection for the quarterback.
Fullbacks Becoming Extinct in the Modern Game
Fullbacks are undervalued in modern football because they only play 10 to 12 snaps per game in a typical offensive system, Bucky Brooks reports for NFL.com. However, Brooks notes, fullbacks have become much more versatile than in the past and now possess skills including pass-catching, running the ball in a two-back formation or, in late-game situations, being the single back who can pass protect. Fullbacks are also generally much more athletic than in the past and are often used like tight ends or running backs.
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