linebacker
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thumb|In white jerseys, Lance Briggs (#55) and [[Brian Urlacher (#54) of the Chicago Bears, are positioned as linebackers on Lambeau Field in 2011]] A Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line of scrimmage than the defensive backs (secondary).
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- Commons category
- American football linebackers
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~16 min read
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Formations
- 4–3 defense
- 3–4 defense
- 46 defense
- 4–4 defense
- Types
- Middle linebacker
- Outside linebacker
- Strongside linebacker
- Weakside linebacker
- Inside linebacker
- Buck
- History
- Modern Super Bowl era
- References
- Bibliography
thumb|In white jerseys, Lance Briggs (#55) and [[Brian Urlacher (#54) of the Chicago Bears, are positioned as linebackers on Lambeau Field in 2011]] A Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line of scrimmage than the defensive backs (secondary).
As such, linebackers play a hybrid role and are often the most versatile players on the defensive side of the ball; they can be asked to play roles similar to either a defensive lineman (such as stopping the runner on a running play) or a defensive back (such as dropping back into pass coverage). How linebackers play their positions depends on the defensive alignment, the philosophy of the coaching staff, and the particular play the offense may call.