I was wondering how the quarterback position was named? What does it mean?
I love football, and I hope there isn't an obvious answer out there that I'm completely oblivious to! :)
2006-12-15 01:57:21 · 5 answers · asked by Sillycat 1 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
A quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. A quarterback is usually the leader of the offensive team, and initiates most plays. In addition, the quarterback is responsible for calling the signals before most plays.
The term quarterback has its origin in Scottish rugby, wherein backfield players, according to their customary distance behind the forwards, were designated "quarter back" (i.e. ¼ of the way back), "half back", and "full back". Eventually in rugby the English-Irish nomenclature prevailed, with halfback, three-quarters back, and fullback; in some places, notably New Zealand, the term "five-eighths back" is used as well.
2006-12-15 03:37:11 · answer #1 · answered by Waldeck 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It started in 1876 when they used a coin flip to determine the kickoff of the first game. The coach gave a quarter to his "quarterback" to use, but the player - as they were poorly paid in those days - kept it despite the coach's insistence that he "give his quarter back." The nickname stuck and expanded to other positions.
Either my completely BS'd story is somehow miraculously true, or ...
My guess is because he's "a quarter of the way back" into the backfield. It makes sense if you'd think of the halfback being behind the quarterback and being "halfway back", and the fullback being behind or next to the halfback and thus being "all the way back" into the backfield.
The only problem with this is that the fullback usually lines up ahead of the halfback, but this wasn't always the case. In the old days, the different backs often would line up alongside each other, so this could just be an evolution thing.
Good question, though.
2006-12-15 10:43:45 · answer #2 · answered by Lawn Jockey 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
in the I formation the quarterback is 1/4 of the way back
2006-12-15 10:06:10 · answer #3 · answered by BBaller25 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yea, all the names like quarterback tailback fullback and halfback come from before the passing game became popular, and therefore there was different formations that dont really get used today.
2006-12-15 10:08:48 · answer #4 · answered by Adam 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
its a refund
2006-12-15 12:20:03 · answer #5 · answered by thuglife 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋