ball car*ri*er
What is the definition of ball carrier in football?
1. A ball carrier in football is the offensive player who has possession of the ball and is attempting to move forward in order to gain positive yardage. A ball carrier can be a running back, wide receiver, quarterback or any other position player who has control of the ball on that given play.
If a defense causes a fumble or intercepts a pass, the defender in possession of the ball becomes the new ball carrier and their team is now the offensive team.
What do ball carriers do?
In American football, a ball carrier is responsible for moving the ball toward the end zone to get their team closer to a potential scoring opportunity. If that’s not possible, the ball carrier’s job is to retain possession and evade the defense so that a turnover does not occur.
The ball carrier is nearly always one of the players on offense. The only instances in which a defensive player is the ball carrier is immediately following a turnover, such as a fumble or interception.
How should the ball carrier hold the ball?
The best way to carry the football is to cradle it firmly between the lower bicep and the forearm. The palm should grip one end of the football while the other end is tucked toward the elbow pit. Ball carriers should hold the ball close to their chest to minimize the chance of a defender loosening it from their grip.
What is the opposite of a ball carrier?
The opposite of a ball carrier in football is the defense, especially a player who is trying to tackle or block the ball carrier. The goal of the defense is to stop the ball carrier and potentially create a turnover situation.
Rules for ball carriers in football
There are a number of football rules regarding the ball carrier. Most of these rules apply to how the defense is permitted to contact the ball carrier without incurring a foul or penalty.
Can you hold the ball carrier in football?
Defensive players are permitted to hold the ball carrier. Holding is not permitted on any other offensive player other than the one who is currently in possession of the ball. The penalty for an illegal hold is five yards and an automatic first down.
Is pushing a ball carrier out of bounds a tackle?
If a defensive player pushes a ball carrier out of bounds, it is considered a tackle. Typically, tackles are associated with bringing the ball carrier down to the ground. However, a push out of bounds is still considered a tackle because contact made by the defensive player brought a stop to the ball carrier’s forward progress on the field.
Is it illegal to trip the ball carrier?
Tripping the ball carrier is illegal and highly dangerous. When this foul is committed by the defense, it results in a 10-yard penalty and an automatic first down.
Can a ball carrier grab a face mask?
No football players are permitted to grab a face mask, including the ball carrier. The penalty for a face mask foul is a loss of 15 yards.
In the National Football League (NFL), momentary contact with an opponent’s face mask is permitted as long as the player immediately releases it.
What is helping the runner?
Helping the runner is a type of football foul in which a member of the offense carries or pulls the ball carrier in order to gain positive yardage. Other names for this foul include assisting the runner and aiding the runner.
Helping the runner is not a common foul in the NFL. As of the 2022 season, the last time helping the runner was called was in 1991. The penalty for helping the runner is 10 yards.
What is it called when a ball carrier drops the ball?
A fumble occurs when the ball carrier drops or loses possession of the ball before being tackled. If this happens, a ball carrier can attempt to make a fumble recovery by diving on it or picking it up to regain control of the ball.
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Which position is the ball carrier?
Any player on the field can potentially be the ball carrier. However, the positions referred to as eligible receivers are the most common ball carriers in game situations. These positions include:
- Quarterback (QB)
- Halfback (HB) / running back (RB)
- Fullback (FB)
- Wide receiver (WR)
- Tight end (TE)
What are NFL ball carriers?
An NFL ball carrier refers to any NFL player who has possession of the ball in an official game.
Who are the best NFL ball carriers in history?
There are a number of standout ball carriers in the history of the NFL. Some of the most notable are Barry Sander, Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith.
Barry Sanders
Barry Sanders was a running back for the Detroit Lions. During his career, he was the league leader for rushing yards four times. As of the 2022 season, he ranks fourth for the most career rushing yards with 15,269 despite only playing for 10 seasons. His superior speed and agility made him one of the most difficult runners for defenders to catch. Sanders received the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award in 1994 and 1997 and was first-team All-Pro a total of six times.
Walter Payton
Playing for the Chicago Bears, Walter Payton became one of the most successful rushers of all time. He ranks second for the most career rushing yards with 16,726 and fifth for the most rushing touchdowns with 110. He broke a number of records during his 13-season career and earned numerous accolades, including Super Bowl champion, NFL Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year and first-time All-Pro five times.
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith was a running back for 15 seasons in the NFL, spending most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys. He holds league records in three important ball carrier categories: most rushing attempts (4,409), most rushing yards (18,355) and most rushing touchdowns (164). In the 1993 season, he was a Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP, NFL Most Valuable Player and the league leader for rushing yards. Overall, he was on three Super Bowl championship teams, participated in eight Pro Bowls and had six All-Pro selections.
Other top ball carriers in the NFL
Some of the other players commonly noted among the best NFL ball carriers include:
- Jim Brown – Cleveland Browns
- O.J. Simpson – Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers
- Adrian Peterson – Minnesota Vikings and others
- Frank Gore – San Francisco 49ers and others
- LaDainian Tomlinson – San Diego Chargers, New York Jets
Example of how ball carrier is used in commentary
1. The ball carrier advances the ball just inches past the line of scrimmage, giving the Lions the very crucial first down.
Sport the term is used
1. Football
