For the funk song by Michael Henderson, see Wide Receiver (song)

A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football. Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Michael Henderson is a Bass guitarist and vocalist best known for his work with Miles Davis in the early 1970s providing a deep funky groove to early Only players in certain positions are eligible to catch a forward pass. In several forms of Football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction of the opponent's end line The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible receivers, as are all players in the backfield. In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time Since these two receivers begin play as the offensive players nearest the sidelines, they are referred to as "wide" receivers. At the start of play, one wide receiver may begin play in the backfield, at least a yard behind the line of scrimmage, as is shown in the diagram at the right. The wide receiver on the right begins play in the backfield. Such positioning allows another player, usually the tight end, to also become the eligible receiver on that side of the line. The tight end ( TE) is a position in American football on the Offensive team. Such positioning defines the strong side of the field. This is the right side of the field in the diagram shown.

The wide receiver (WR) position in American and Canadian football is the pass-catching specialist. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with In accordance with the Manual of Style (see) Canadian English is used throughout this article (see Canadian_English#Spelling) Wide receivers (also referred to as wideouts or simply receivers) are among the fastest and most agile players in the game, and they are frequent highlight-reel favorites.

Role

The wide receiver's principal role is to catch passes from the quarterback. In several forms of Football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction of the opponent's end line Quarterback ( QB) is a position in American and Canadian football. On passing plays, the receiver attempts to avoid, outmaneuver, or simply outrun defenders (typically cornerbacks and/or safeties) in the area of his pass route. A cornerback ( CB) (also referred to as a corner) is a positional role played by a member of the defensive team in American and Canadian Safety ( S) is an American and Canadian football position played by a member of the defense. A route is a path or pattern that a receiver in American Football runs to get open for a Forward pass. If the receiver becomes open, or has an unobstructed path to the destination of a catch, he may then become the quarterback's target. Once a pass is thrown in his direction, the receiver's goal is to first catch the ball and then attempt to run downfield. Some receivers are perceived as a deep threat because of their flat-out speed, while others may be possession receivers known for not dropping passes, running crossing routes across the middle of the field, and generally, converting third down situations. A receiver's height and weight also contribute to his expected role; tall in height and light in weight are advantages at the receiver position.

Wide receivers, and the passing game generally, are particularly important when a team uses a hurry-up offense. The hurry-up offense is an American football offensive style which has two related forms the "two-minute drill" and the "no-huddle offense" Receivers are able to position themselves near the sideline to run out of bounds, stopping the clock at the end of the play (a failed (incomplete) pass attempt will also stop the clock).

A wide receiver has two potential roles in running plays that range in status. Particularly in the case of draw plays, he may run a pass route with the intent of drawing off defenders. A draw is a type of American football play The draw appears to be a passing play but is actually a running play in this way it can be considered the opposite of the Alternately, he may block normally for the running back. Well-rounded receivers are noted for blocking defensive backs in support of teammates in addition to their pass-catching abilities.

Sometimes wide receivers are used to run the ball, usually in some form of reverse. A reverse (sometimes referred to as an end reverse) is a relatively common Trick play in American football that involves one or more abrupt changes in the This can be effective because the defense usually does not expect them to be the ball carrier on running plays. Although receivers are rarely used as ball carriers, running the ball with a receiver can be extremely successful. For example, in addition to holding nearly every National Football League receiving record, wide receiver Jerry Rice also rushed the ball 87 times for 645 yards (590 m) and 10 touchdowns in his 20 NFL seasons. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962 in Crawford Mississippi) is a former football Wide receiver in the NFL. ^[1]

In even rarer cases, receivers may pass the ball as part of a trick play. A trick play, also known as a gadget play or gimmick play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool Despite the infrequency of these plays, some receivers have proven to be capable passers, particularly those with prior experience as a quarterback. Wide receivers also serve on special teams as return men on kickoffs and punts, or as part of the hands team during onside kicks. Onside kick (sometimes onsides kick) is a term used in American and Canadian football for a type of kickoff, and in some circumstances and leagues ^[2][3]

Finally, on errant passes, receivers must frequently play a defensive role by attempting to prevent an interception. If a pass is intercepted, receivers must use their speed to chase down and tackle the ball carrier to prevent him from returning the ball for a long gain or a touchdown.

Types

While the general fan base and most commentators use the generic term wide receiver for all such players, specific names exist for most receiver positions:

• Split end (X or SE): A receiver on the line of scrimmage, necessary to meet the rule requiring seven such players at snap. In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line crossing the football field across its narrower dimension beyond A snap (colloquially called a "hike" "snapback" or "pass from center" starts each American football and Canadian football Where applicable, this receiver is on the opposite side of the tight end. The split end is farthest from center on his side of the field. ^[4]
• Flanker (Z or FL): A receiver lining up behind the line of scrimmage. Frequently the team's featured receiver, the flanker uses the initial buffer between himself and a defender to avoid jamming, legal contact within five yards (5 m) of the line of scrimmage. In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage they The flanker is generally on the same side of the formation as a tight end. As with the split end, this receiver is the farthest player from center on his side of the field. The flanker is probably lined up just like a split end except that he is just behind the line of scrimmage, being in the backfield and not on the line. ^[5]
• Slot receiver (Y or SL): A less-formal name given to receivers in addition to split ends and flankers. These receivers line up between the split end/flanker and the linemen. If aligned with a flanker, the slot receiver is usually on the line of scrimmage, and if with a split end, off the line of scrimmage. As with the flanker position, a featured receiver often takes a slot position with a split end to avoid jamming. ^[5]
• Slot back: A receiver lining up in the offensive back field. Canadian and Arena football allow them to take a running start at the line. In accordance with the Manual of Style (see) Canadian English is used throughout this article (see Canadian_English#Spelling) This article is about the sport of Arena Football See Arena Football (video game for the EA Sports Video game of the same name They are usually larger players as they need to make catches over the middle. In American football slot backs are typically used in flexbone or other Triple Option offenses while Canadian football uses them in almost all formations. The flexbone formation is an offensive formation in American football that utilizes a Quarterback, five offensive linemen three Running backs The Triple option is an American football formation used to offer multiple ways to progress the football forward in the field of play

References

In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with In accordance with the Manual of Style (see) Canadian English is used throughout this article (see Canadian_English#Spelling) In sports offense or offence (see American and British English spelling differences; pronounced with first-syllable stress also known as attack, is the In many team Sports defense or defence (see spelling differences) is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring In American football, each team has 11 players on the field at one time Lineman in American football. (See also American and Canadian football position names. In American and Canadian football, a guard ( G) is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line In American and Canadian football, offensive tackles ( OT, T) are a part of the Offensive line. Center ( C) is a position in American football and Canadian football ( spelled centre in Canadian English) Lineman in American football. (See also American and Canadian football position names. Defensive tackle ( DT) is a position on the defensive line in American and Canadian football. Defensive end ( DE) is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football. Definition The nose tackle is a defensive alignment position for a Defensive lineman in American and Canadian football Placekicker, or simply kicker ( PK or K) is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the A punter ( P) in American or Canadian football is a Special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and Kickoff specialist ( KOS) is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterback ( QB) is a position in American and Canadian football. This article relates to Sports. For the Vietnam War bombing raids see Operation Linebacker and Operation Linebacker II. In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center (though he could also be a tackle guard In American football the holder is the player who receives the Snap during field goal and Extra point attempts A running back ( RB) is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield. A halfback or tailback is an offensive position in American, and College football who lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible In American football, a fullback ( FB) is a position in the offensive backfield An H-Back (not to be confused with a Half-Back) is an offensive position in American football, and is also known as F-Back. In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage they A cornerback ( CB) (also referred to as a corner) is a positional role played by a member of the defensive team in American and Canadian Safety ( S) is an American and Canadian football position played by a member of the defense. Punt returner ( PR) is a position on Special teams in American football. In American and Canadian football, a kick returner ( KR) is the player on Special teams who is primarily responsible to catch Kickoffs The tight end ( TE) is a position in American football on the Offensive team. In accordance with the Manual of Style (see) Canadian English is used throughout this article (see Canadian_English#Spelling) In American football, a nickelback is a Cornerback who serves as the fifth (in addition to the typical four defensive backs on the defense In American football, a dimeback is a Cornerback who serves as the sixth defensive back (fourth cornerback on defense In American football, a gunner (also often referred to as a "shooter" is a player on kickoffs and punts who specializes in running down the sideline very A formation in American football refers to the position players line up in before the start of a down. Part of the confusion with American Football position names is that they are based on the role the player normally has in the offense rather than necessarily his position at the start

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