The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in
. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive
platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon generally comprises 50 people, although specific platoons may ran ...
and mostly line up directly behind the
offensive line
Image:Linemen.svg, 350px, A diagram of the linemen, with defensive linemen (in 4-3 formation) in red and offensive linemen in green.
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the ...
. In
modern American football, the quarterback is usually considered the leader of the offense, and is often responsible for calling the play in the
huddle
In sport, a huddle is an action of a team gathering together, usually in a tight circle, to strategize, motivate or celebrate. It is a popular strategy for keeping opponents insulated from sensitive information, and acts as a form of insulation wh ...
. The quarterback also touches the ball on almost every offensive play, and is the offensive player that almost always throws
forward pass
In several forms of football
Football is a family of team sport
A team is a [group (disambiguation), group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson (academic), ...
es. When the QB is tackled behind the line of scrimmage, it is called a Quarterback sack, sack.
Overview

In modern American football, the starting quarterback is usually the leader of the offense, and their successes and failures can have a significant impact on the fortunes of their team. Accordingly, the quarterback is among the most glorified, scrutinized, and highest-paid positions in team sports.
''
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London.
Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Augu ...
'' describes the signing of a starting quarterback as a
Catch-22
''Catch-22'' is a satirical
Satire is a genre
Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normall ...
, where "
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rect ...
teams cannot maintain success without excellent quarterback play. But excellent quarterback play is usually so expensive that it prevents NFL teams from maintaining success"; a star quarterback's high salary may prevent the signing of other expensive star players as the team has to stay under the hard
salary cap
In professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and incr ...
.
The majority of the highest-paid players in the NFL are quarterbacks.
Teams consistently use their top draft picks to select a quarterback.
The quarterback touches the ball on almost every offensive play. Depending on the
play calling system
A play calling system in American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, fi ...
, prior to each play the quarterback will usually gather the rest of his team together in a
huddle
In sport, a huddle is an action of a team gathering together, usually in a tight circle, to strategize, motivate or celebrate. It is a popular strategy for keeping opponents insulated from sensitive information, and acts as a form of insulation wh ...
to tell them which
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity)
Play is a range of Motivation#Incentive theories: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, intrinsically motivated activities done for recreational pleasure and enjoyment. Play is commonly associated w ...
the team will run. However, when there isn't much time left, teams forgo the huddle and the quarterback may call plays on the run. After the team is lined up, the
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry)
In geometry, a centre (or center) (from Ancient Greek language, Greek ''κέντρον'') of an object is a point in some sense in the middle of the object. According to the speci ...
will pass the ball back to the quarterback (a process called the
snap). Usually on a running play, the quarterback will then hand or pitch the ball backwards to a
halfback or
fullback. On a passing play, the quarterback is almost always the player responsible for trying to throw the ball downfield to an eligible receiver.
Additionally, the quarterback may run with the football himself, as part of a designed play like the
option run
An option offense is an older American football offensive system in which a key player (usually the quarterback) has several "options" of how each play will proceed based upon the actions of the defense. Traditionally, option-based offenses rely o ...
or
quarterback sneak
A quarterback sneak is a play in gridiron football in which the quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive ...
,
or the quarterback could make an impromptu run on his own (called a "scramble") to avoid being
sacked by the defense.

Depending on the offensive scheme used by their team, the quarterback's role can vary. In systems like the
triple option
The triple option is an American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport
A team sport includes any sport
Sport pertains to any for ...
, the quarterback will only pass the ball a few times per game, if at all,
while the pass-heavy
spread offense
:''"Spread offense" may also refer to the four corners offense The four corners offense, technically four corner stall, is an offensive strategy for stalling in basketball. Four players stand in the corners of the offensive half-court while the fi ...
, as run by schools like
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a d ...
, requires quarterbacks to throw the ball on most plays.
The passing game is emphasized heavily in the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football, LCF, links=no) is a professional sports league
A sports league is a group of sports team
A sports team is a group of individuals who play sport
Sport pertains ...
(CFL), where there are only three
downs (as opposed to the four downs used in American football), a larger field of play and an extra eligible receiver.
Different skillsets are required of the quarterback depending upon the offensive system. Quarterbacks that perform well in a pass-heavy spread offense system, a popular offensive scheme in the NCAA and NFHS, rarely perform well in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport
A team sport includes any s ...
(NFL), as the fundamentals of the
pro-style offense
A pro-style offense in American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football ...
used in the NFL are very different from those in the spread system,
while quarterbacks in Canadian football need to be able to throw the ball often and accurately.
In general, quarterbacks need to have physical skills such as arm strength, mobility and a quick throwing motion, in addition to intangibles such as competitiveness, leadership, intelligence and downfield vision.
In the NFL, quarterbacks are required to wear a
uniform number
In team
A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal
A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, Planning, plan and commit to achieve. ...
between 1 and 19.
[NFL Rules 2012, p. 21.] In the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and ...
(NCAA) and
National Federation of State High School Associations
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is the body
Body may refer to:
In science
* Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space
* Body (biology), the physical material o ...
(NFHS), quarterbacks are required to wear a uniform number between 1 and 49; in the NFHS, the quarterback can also wear a number between 80 and 89.
[NCAA Rules 2011–2012, p. 21–22.][NFHS Rules 2012, p. 16–17.] In the CFL, the quarterback can wear any number from 0 to 49 and 70 to 99.
[CFL Rules 2011, p. 35.] Because of their numbering, quarterbacks are
eligible receivers in the NCAA, NFHS and CFL;
[NCAA Rules 2011–2012, p. 73.][NFHS Rules 2012, p. 61.] in the NFL, quarterbacks are eligible receivers if they are not lined up directly under center.
Leadership

Often compared to
captains
Captain is a title for the commander of a military unit, the commander of a ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel, or the commander of a port, fire department or police department, election precinct, etc. The captain is a military rank in ar ...
of other team sports, before the implementation of
NFL team captains in 2007, the starting quarterback is usually the ''de facto'' team leader and a well-respected player on and off the field. Since 2007, when the NFL allowed teams to designate several captains to serve as on-field leaders, the starting quarterback has usually been one of the team captains as the leader of the team's offense.
In the NFL, while the
starting quarterback
In American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with go ...
has no other responsibility or authority, he may, depending on the league or individual team, have various informal duties, such as participation in pre-game ceremonies, the coin toss or other events outside the game. For instance, the starting quarterback is the first player (and third person after the team owner and head coach) to be presented with the
Lamar Hunt Trophy/
George Halas Trophy (after winning the AFC/NFC Conference title) and the
Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy
A trophy is a tangible, durable reminder of a specific achievement, and serves as a recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are often awarded for sports, sporting events, from youth sports to professi ...
(after a Super Bowl victory). The starting quarterback of the victorious Super Bowl team is often chosen for the "
I'm going to Disney World!" campaign (which includes a trip to
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake, Florida, Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando ...
for them and their families), whether they are the
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football Spo ...

or not; examples include
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is a former American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven pl ...
(
XXIII),
Trent Dilfer
Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is a former American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport
A team sport includes any sport ...
(
XXXV),
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football
Football is a family of team sport
A team is a _(Super_Bowl_50.html" ;"title="roup (disambiguation), group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal.
A ...

(Super Bowl 50">50) and Tom Brady (Super Bowl LIII, LIII). Dilfer was chosen even though teammate Ray Lewis was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXV, due to the bad publicity from Lewis' murder trial the previous year.
Being able to rely on a quarterback is vital to team morale.