Entertainment / Football Glossary

Forward Progress: The location to which a ball carrier has advanced the ball, even if he was pushed backwards after getting there.

Foul: A violation of football’s rules by a team or player, punishable by a penalty.

Four-Point Stance: A down lineman's stance with four points on the ground, in other words, his two feet and his two hands often a technique used in short yardage or goal line situations.

Fourth Down: The final of a set of four downs. Unless a first down is achieved or a penalty forces a replay of the down, the team will lose control of the ball after this play. If a team does not think t . . . View Full Definition

Fourth Down Conversion: The act of using a fourth down play to make a first down. These are comparatively uncommon. If a team is close enough, they will generally attempt a field goal on fourth down. Otherwise, the . . . View Full Definition

Franchise: A team; the legal arrangement that establishes ownership of a team.

Free Agent: A player whose contract with his most recent team has expired, allowing him to sign a new contract with any team that makes him an offer.

Free Kick: A type of kick taken to start or restart play after a team has scored, with no defenders nearer than 10 yards away; includes a kickoff and a kick after a safety.

Free Safety (FS): A player position on defense. Free safeties typically play deep, or 'center field', and often have the pass defense responsibility of assisting other defensive backs in deep coverage (compar . . . View Full Definition

Fullback (FB): A player position on offense. Originally, lined up deep behind the quarterback in the T formation. In modern formations this position may be varied, and this player has more blocking respons . . . View Full Definition

Fumble: When a ball carrier loses possession by dropping the ball or having it knocked away before a play ends; the first player to regain possession of the loose ball is said to make the recovery, . . . View Full Definition

Goal: A surface in space marked by a structure of two upright posts 18 feet 6 inches apart extending above a horizontal crossbar whose top edge is 10 feet off the ground. The goal is the surface a . . . View Full Definition

Goal Area: The end zone in Canadian professional football.

Goal Line: A line drawn across the width of the field, 10 yards inside each end line, which a team must cross with the ball to score a touchdown.

Goalpost: A tall metallic structure that stands at the back of each end zone; consists of a crossbar and two uprights that extend upward from it, supported directly above the end line by a base; teams . . . View Full Definition

Going For It: When a team facing a fourth down decides to try for a new first down instead of punting; if it fails, it loses possession of the ball.

Grasping: A foul in which a player grabs the face mask or helmet opening of another player's helmet, usually in the process of making a tackle. It results in a 15 yard penalty. A 5-yard penalty was on . . . View Full Definition

Gridiron: Either (a) the field of play; a football field; or (b) the game itself, now often used to distinguish among football (soccer), rugby union, rugby league, and American football. The word deri . . . View Full Definition

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