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Positions

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Top-down view of an 11-personnel offense versus a 4-3 base defense. Tap any player to read its glossary entry.

LOS DEFENSE OFFENSE Quarterback QB Center C Left Guard LG Right Guard RG Left Tackle LT Right Tackle RT Tight End TE Running Back RB Wide Receiver (X) WR Slot Receiver WR Wide Receiver (Z) WR Defensive End DE Defensive Tackle DT Defensive Tackle DT Defensive End DE Weak-Side Linebacker WLB Middle Linebacker MLB Strong-Side Linebacker SLB Cornerback CB Cornerback CB Strong Safety SS Free Safety FS

For novice viewers

  • The offensive line is five players: LT–LG–C–RG–RT, spanning the middle.
  • Strong side = the half of the field with the tight end; weak side = the other half. The Strong Safety (SS) and Strong-Side Linebacker (SLB) line up on the strong side, not the middle.
  • The two outside linebackers (WLB, SLB) sit at similar depth — their names describe which side of the formation they cover, not how deep they play.
  • Cornerbacks line up across from receivers; the coverage type (man vs zone) is decided post-snap and isn't visible in the pre-snap diagram.