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Running back

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High school running back

A running back, halfback or tailback is the position of a player on an American and Canadian football team who lines up in the offensive backfield. Depending on the offensive formation, the halfback may be joined in the backfield by other backs, most commonly a fullback.

Halfback or tailback

The halfback or tailback position is one of the more glamorous positions on the field, and is commonly viewed as a requirement for a team's success. They are responsible for carrying the ball on the majority of running plays, and may frequently be used as a receiver on short passing plays. Occasionally, they line up as additional wide receivers. When not serving either of these functions, the primary responsibility of a halfback is to aid the offensive linemen in blocking, either to protect the quarterback or another player carrying the football. On some rare occasions, running backs are used to pass the ball on a halfback option play

Unlike wide receivers, who cannot make big plays without the quarterback passing the ball to them (with the exception of the reverse play), the running back is often given full credit for every big play he makes. Also, a running back will generally have more rushing attempts than a receiver will have receptions.

There is a great diversity in the types of football players that play the running back position. On one extreme are smaller and agile players. One such example is Warrick Dunn, who stands at only 5 ft 8 in and weighs 185 lb, a relatively small size for a football player. These types of running backs are often referred to as "speed backs" because they rely on speed and agility to evade defenders and gain yards. At the other extreme are bigger, stronger running backs such as Jerome Bettis, who weighs almost 260 lb (118 kg). These kinds of running backs are referred to as "power backs" because they rely on their strength and size to "truck through" defenders.

In addition to being great at running the ball, some running backs in the NFL are known for their prowess at catching passes. The role of the running back as a receiver out of the backfield has expanded greatly in the NFL over the years, and a versitile running back who provides his team good running and pass catching abilities is highly valued. Currently there are 2 running backs on the list of the NFL's all time top 20 leading pass catchers: Fullback Larry Centers and halfback Marshall Faulk. A good example of a dual threat running and pass catching running back is LaDainian Tomlinson, who currently plays for the San Diego Chargers. In 2003, Tomlinson rushed for 1,645 yards and caught 100 passes for 725 yards, giving him 2,370 total yards from the line of scrimmage. He also set a record by becoming the first NFL player ever to rush for over 1,000 yards and catch 100 passes in a season.

Some teams have a running back known as the "third down back", who is more skilled at catching passes than the starting running back on the team, and thus is often put in the game in third down and long situations where a pass is needed to pick up a first down. He can also be used to fool the defense by making them think he is put into the game on for a pass play, but the play is actually a run.

Fullback

A fullback carries the ball only infrequently. Currently, they are primarily used to aid the offensive linemen in blocking. On most running plays, the fullback leads the halfback, attempting to block potential tacklers before they reach the ball carrier. Also, fullbacks are sometimes used in passing plays, although they typically protect the quarterback. Fullbacks are technically running backs, but today the term is usually used in referring to the halfback or tailback. Although fullbacks currently are rarely used as ball carriers, there was once a time when they ran the ball as frequently as running backs.

In previous years the fullback lined up on the field for almost every offensive play, teams currently often opt to replace the fullback with an additional wide receiver or a tight end in modern football. Fullbacks in the National Football League rarely get to carry or catch the ball since they are used almost exclusively as blockers. Their talent and value to a team is usually judged by the success of the team's halfback or by how many times the team's quarterback is sacked, similar to the way offensive linemen are judged.

Running backs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

The following running backs are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Current stars

Future stars

Future Hall of Famers still active

Retired running backs (not yet in Hall of Fame)

Canadian Football League all-time star running backs

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