Entertainment / Football Glossary

National Football League (NFL): The largest professional American football league, with 32 teams.

Necessary Line: The imaginary line the offense must cross to achieve a new first down.

Neutral Zone: The region that contains the ball as it sits on the ground before each play; the area between the two lines of scrimmage.

NFL Championship: The game held from 1933 through 1965 to decide the champion of professional football; renamed the Super Bowl in 1966.

NFL Europa: The NFL's former 6-team European spring league, which folded after its 2007 season.

Nickel Back: An extra, or fifth, defensive back. Named after the coin, worth five cents. Popularized by the Miami Dolphins in the 1970s, now common.

Nickel Defense: When a defense brings in a 5th defensive back to replace a linebacker on the field, increasing its pass coverage.

No Good: Unsuccessful. Often said of an unsuccessful field goal attempt.

No-Huddle Offense: A tactic wherein the offense quickly forms near the line of scrimmage without huddling before the next play.

Nose Tackle: A tackle in a 3-man defensive line who lines up 'opposite the center's nose'.

Offending Team: The team that committed a foul.

Offensive Team: The team with possession of the ball

Offside: An infraction of the rule that requires both teams to be on their own side of their restraining line as or before the ball is put play. Offside is normally called on the defensive team durin . . . View Full Definition

On Downs: The term used to describe a team’s loss of possession if it fails to reach the necessary line on a fourth down play.

One Back Formation: A formation where the offensive team has one running back in the backfield with the quarterback. Other eligible receivers are near the line of scrimmage.

Onside Kick: A play in which the kicking team tries to recover the kicked ball.

Open Receiver: A player who has no defender closely covering him.

Option Offense: An offense heavily relying upon the option run and variations thereof.

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