Backpedaling is a fitness technique that involves taking short, quick steps backwards while leaning the body forward. The hips are kept low and the feet are always under the body or in front of it. It is commonly used by boxers and football players to improve their balance and coordination. Football players, especially defensive backs, also use backpedaling to cover the receivers when they go out on a pass play.. Backpedaling is a motion exercise that helps strengthen certain lower body muscles.
Carrying a football properly when running helps to protect it from defensive players and decreases the chances of fumbling the ball. If a fumble occurs, the opposing team may recover the ball and score. Learn how to carry the f...
Running backs are critical to a football team's offense. They use their athletic ability, size and speed to help move the offense down the field and put points on the scoreboard. Running backs rely on a good offensive line to c...
But without the ability to secure the football, your chances of making it successfully into the end zone are diminished. Instead, skill position players, such as the quarterback, running backs and wide receivers, can perform va...
Running can put intense strain on the Achilles tendons, particularly if you don't warm up or cool down properly. The sooner you seek treatment for your tendinitis, the sooner you will be pain-free and able to return to exercise...
In an offensive formation, the strong side is the side of the formation on which the tight end lines up, while the weak side is the side of the formation that is opposite the strong side. These terms also have relevance to defe...
Backpedaling in football is the technique used by defensive backs to cover receivers when they go out for a pass. It simply means running backwards, but it requires great coordination and well-developed leg muscles that may not...
The stiff arm is a technique used in football by a running back, wide receiver or tight end to fend off the tackler and allow an offensive play to continue. The ball carrier's primary job is to secure the ball and gain as much ...
Some of the greatest athletes who have worn NFL uniforms have been running backs. Barry Sanders may have had more quickness than any player who played the position when he starred for the Detroit Lions. Gale Sayers had the abil...
Rushing yards are positive ground gained by running the football past the line of scrimmage. When the runner is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, rushing yards are subtracted. Running backs are primarily responsible for rus...
Running the football requires speed, physical toughness and determination. Running backs and fullbacks get most of the carries for the offensive unit in football, and improvement comes with weight training, physical conditionin...
The outside linebackers’ specific responsibilities depend largely on the game situation and the opponent’s offensive formation. The inside linebacker is responsible for defending against running plays in the middle ...
In addition to running the ball, the halfback and fullback – collectively known as running backs – also are allowed to throw and catch the ball. As part of a team’s offensive unit, the fullback and halfback ha...
When you run with a football, people usually think about the legs and lower body doing all the work. And while the lower body does play a large part, many smaller muscles in the upper and lower body are essential when you carry...
Players who lack height do not necessarily lack strength. Shorter running backs, linebackers and wide receivers still can be impact players.
According to a survey of their peers on NFL.com., three cornerbacks rank No. 8, 16 and 18 in the 2011 preseason Top 100 poll. They are, respectively, Darrelle Revis, Charles Woodson and Nnamdia Asomugha. The trio has brought re...
But soreness in the back may indicate something different -- specifically, injuries that can be caused or exacerbated by running and can become chronic if they aren't dealt with properly.
When a football quarterback drops back to pass the main targets he looks for are wide receivers and tight ends. The similarities between receivers and tight ends stop there however, since the positions line up differently, have...
Subsequently, Newton published his laws of motion that explain the physical forces at work when objects collide. In football, tacklers and runners apply physics associated with the forces of motion and mass generated during a c...
They are defensive players responsible for making tackles and intercepting passes, but those are the only similarities. A linebacker plays closer to the line of scrimmage and his primary responsibility is tackling the running b...
A quarterback can roll right or left and he can either pass or run. Most offenses have designed "roll-out" plays to mix in with drop-back passing plays or shotgun passing plays. Quarterbacks may also roll out on their own to ev...
Stopping the running game is essential for any team that wants to win consistently in football. When a team has a running back who combines speed and power, and that running back has support from a big and powerful offensive li...
The T is a football formation that gets its name from the "T" shape that the backs and quarterbacks form when they line up. According to T. Kyle King of Dawg Sports, the T formation was the dominant offensive formation of the 1...
American football has a long tradition of two-way players, those who play offense and defense. And a common combination for those multitalented players is middle linebacker and running back. Many of the top recruited high schoo...
The two positions may line up just a few feet from each other on the playing field and accumulate the same statistics, but running backs and fullbacks can have very different roles within an offense.
Running backs are difficult to classify. When a team builds a running attack, it can do so with a variety of types of backs. A running back can use his strength and bulk to overpower the defense. A running back can use his spee...
Football players need mouthguards to protect the teeth, but also to help prevent other facial injuries. Properly fitted and cushioned mouthguards prevent concussions. At the high school level, a properly fitted mouthguard will ...
In football, running backs are some of the most versatile players on the field. They run the football, catch passes out of the backfield and block for the quarterback. Not only can running backs score touchdowns, they are some...
Whether you are a small and shifty runner like Barry Sanders or a bigger power runner like Peyton Hillis, there are several skills that all running backs need to be successful.
The offensive line in football has the task of creating holes for running backs to gain yards or to keep defenders away from the quarterback on passing plays. Complex defensive plays mean that the offensive line has to be ready...
Running backs hold importance in an offense, which involves them in nearly every play. On a running play, the running back takes the ball behind the line of scrimmage and attempts to gain as many yards as possible. On a passing...
Most blitzes are designed to either force the quarterback out of the pocket or cause him to make quick decisions that lead to mistakes. Some other blitzes are meant to stop the run play. A successful blitz will usually leave an...
In American football, a halfback is also known as a tailback or sometimes just a running back. But running backs can include fullbacks and halfbacks. A halfback usually lines up behind the quarterback on offense and either take...
Mouth guards for running backs protect their teeth and help prevent concussions and jaw dislocation. Football collisions can occur with great force; the running back is vulnerable because the defensive players are gunning for h...
In football, a wrist flip is an important skill to have for a quarterback, especially if his team has the option in the playbook. The option is an offensive running play that requires the quarterback to read the defense and pos...
Playing the halfback position -- also called the running back -- in American football is no easy task. Halfbacks have much more demanded of them than players at other positions because of the multiple roles they play on offense...
The quarterback is often considered the most important player in football and usually gets the majority of headlines. Other skill-position players, including running backs and wide receivers, score the majority of touchdowns. H...
Ricky Watters retired from his 11-year professional football career as a running back in 2001 with more than 10,000 career rushing yards. Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the 6-foot-1, 211-pound Watters began his fo...
Every position requires a different set of muscle groups to be strong and flexible. As a running back, your position is as physically demanding as any on the field, as you not only have to power your way through tacklers each a...
By running the ball, blocking and catching passes, the running back works with the quarterback, offensive line and wide receivers to drive the ball down the field and put points on the scoreboard. It takes more than natural ski...
There are many elusive running backs in college, as well as at the professional level. The word elusive means to evade. For a running back, this means having the ability to elude defenders to gain more yards or score a touchdow...
Former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith had below average speed, but ran for more yards than any player in NFL history and made it to the Hall of Fame. Fast running backs who cannot find the small seams in a defense do ...
When on the football field, few players take more abuse than running backs. Because your responsibility is to carry the ball up the field, you need to have speed and power to outrun opponents to avoid tackles. While practice ca...
Still, there are a few positions that generally receive the bulk of the headlines and TV highlights. Tailback, also known as running back, is one of these glory positions, because it's the tailbacks who often pile up the big st...
Getting a jump before the snap of the football results in a penalty. Blocking a player from behind or unloading on a receiver who is stretched out to make a catch results in a personal foul penalty. Back-to-back penalties can s...
Next, jerseys were reinforced at the shoulders to avoid ripping and tearing, and jerseys are often skin-tight to prevent opponents from pulling them. The latest innovation is the cut at the bottom of the jersey in the back, whi...
Now with the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League, McFadden is one of the more stellar running backs in the NFL, topping 1,000 yards in the 2010 season and earning a nomination as an alternate in the 2011 Pro Bowl.
A game called harpaston that was placed by the Greeks has elements that are used in modern day football, such as scoring by kicking the ball or running it across a goal line.
The ground game in football has gone through various stages of importance. When it comes to moving the football, running the ball has always been a factor. In the early days of the game, running the ball was the only way to adv...
Thomas Jones is a running back who has had a strong career in the NFL. After a slow start with the Arizona Cardinals, he made a name for himself as a tough, hard-running player who would take a hit from an opponent in order to ...
In the early years of the league, an NFL quarterback's primary job was to hand the ball off to a back who would run it toward the goal line. More than 60 years later, quarterbacks on the professional level pass, read defenses, ...
Anyone who watches football knows that the glory usually goes to the touchdown-makers -- the quarterbacks, running backs and receivers who cross the goal line to earn their teams six points and themselves the adoration of fans....
With a 15-year tenure in the National Football League and playing three seasons at the University of Florida, Emmitt Smith set records as a running back that stood past his retirement. Smith is associated with the 1990s renaiss...
The face mask on the football helmet comes in a variation of sizes and styles depending on the helmets design and position of the football player. Though most players can choose what style they want, different face masks were d...
As a football running back, you must create a workout program that trains you to withstand the physical demands of the position. To break tackles, you must strengthen the large muscles of the lower body. For rapid acceleration,...
A running back in football is one of the most vital players on the field. The ability to take the handoff or pitchout from the quarterback and run with the ball for positive yardage takes speed, power, athletic ability, toughne...
A strong fullback is a physical player who can gain tough yards on the ground, block linemen and linebackers to open holes for the running back and also protect the quarterback. The fullback must be strong physically and know h...
Workouts are designed to develop particular skills, such as taking a hand-off, change of direction and catching passes. A football player that's dedicated to physical conditioning and ball handling techniques will become a bett...
An ideal diet for running backs requires 55 percent to 60 percent of their daily caloric intake to come from carbohydrates, 15 percent from protein, and 30 percent from fat, according to Leslie Bonci, who serves as the director...
A sweep is designed to gain yardage by turning the corner on the outside. An off tackle play is designed to exploit a weakness in the defensive line. A middle run is designed to beat the linebackers and give you an opportunity ...
Preparing to play the position of running back in football takes a lot of work. The running back absorbs as much contact as any player on the football field, and in order to handle that physical workload, the back has to prepar...
The ability to huddle up between downs and call plays mean coaches have a large influence over the game. Many football teams will have a balanced approach. Other teams may adopt more specific football strategies in a game, such...
The running back's job on the football field is to carry the ball as far as possible toward the end zone without fumbling or being tackled. Running backs are prized for their speed, strength and ability to cut and change direct...
In fact, football players are regularly slammed into at high speeds by players who can weigh upwards of 300 lbs., so they must wear safety equipment to avoid serious injuries. This equipment is crucial particularly for running ...
Playing running back at any level of organized football means that you are going to take a lot of punishment. When you run with the football, you will be the subject of hard and forceful tackles that border on violence. When yo...
Football is a demanding physical game for everyone who plays. However, running backs take more punishment and abuse than any other players on the field. They carry the ball, catch the ball and have to block. They are tackled by...
The box is a football term that refers to the area near enough to the line of scrimmage to enable a player to defend the run. The more defenders inside the box the easier it is to stop the running play. The more players you pu...
