What's the difference between H-Back, Half back, and tailback?

[caneaddict]

I always thought the three were the same. Obviously I'm wrong because of the way I've been hearing those terms used recently. Would someone please explain the differences?

 

[TheBostonBomber]

I always thought the three were the same. Obviously I'm wrong because of the way I've been hearing those terms used recently. Would someone please explain the differences?

ditto

 

[MDFINFAN]

No difference, h-back is half back, tailback are all the same. The swift in the backfield I think is the different.. at h-back, the tail back moves to the left or right behind the guard, at tailback he's right behind the QB. I think this is how it goes now, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's some more info..


Football 101

 

[merlin00069]

From what i understand they are all the same thing, just different terms used for them. For example in college they call one of their receivers a "Flanker" , which is a term they dont use in the NFL ...well anymore. This was an old school term used back in the day. Tailback and Hback are the same thing with "Hback being a contraction of Half back.Just different terminology. In the old days they called QB's and HB's all "backs". Just evolution of the terms. Hope this helped. Cheers.

 

[JTaylor99]

Yeah they are all the same thing.

 

[Kaarel]

H-back - Mix between full back and a tight end. Often lines up at TE position, sometimes on a two-point stance and possibly gets motioned to the backfield as a (lead)blocker. Team that uses classical H-back is Joe Gibbs' Redskins, who play Chris Cooley in that role.

Halfback - basically old term for tailback. Lines up behind QB and FB on I-formation type of sets or next to FB on Pro-set type of formations.

Tailback - basically new term for halfback. Means back who is meant to be as the main ball carrier behind the full back or as a singleback in that type of formation.

 

[Grumpy]

h-back stand for hybrid and is not the same as a half back. Tailback and half back can be interchanged I believe.

A hybrid back or h-back can be lined up in the backfield or lined up in a tightend like position in a passing situation.

 

[caneaddict]

This is from the PB Post article:

Brown impresses Saban: Ronnie Brown lined up at fullback and H-back as often as at tailback Sunday, showing off his outstanding ability as a receiver.

Sounds like there is a difference.

Additionally, before the draft alot of people were mentioning that Matt Jones projects well to H-Back and will probably be used there because of his size. I don't see how someone being 6'6 1/4 makes them suited in any way to play RB. Plus no one EVER mentioned using him as a tailback, running back, or halfback, they always said H-Back.

 

[caneaddict]

Sorry:
Grumpy and Kaarel answered the question while I was posting the previous message about Matt Jones.

Thanks alot guys, that makes alot of sense. I knew that H-Back was being used in a different way then tailback and halfback. I love learning new football info.

 

[Mike13]

Yeah they are all the same thing.

Yeah thats what i think

 

[XXXSURTAINXXX]

I always thought the three were the same. Obviously I'm wrong because of the way I've been hearing those terms used recently. Would someone please explain the differences?

They are all the same. but diffrent offenses and formations causes for the name to change.

 

[fitskin]

H-back - Mix between full back and a tight end. Often lines up at TE position, sometimes on a two-point stance and possibly gets motioned to the backfield as a (lead)blocker. Team that uses classical H-back is Joe Gibbs' Redskins, who play Chris Cooley in that role.

Halfback - basically old term for tailback. Lines up behind QB and FB on I-formation type of sets or next to FB on Pro-set type of formations.

Tailback - basically new term for halfback. Means back who is meant to be as the main ball carrier behind the full back or as a singleback in that type of formation.

Well said, they are not all the same. This guy has it right.

 

[saves]

H-back - Mix between full back and a tight end. Often lines up at TE position, sometimes on a two-point stance and possibly gets motioned to the backfield as a (lead)blocker. Team that uses classical H-back is Joe Gibbs' Redskins, who play Chris Cooley in that role.

Halfback - basically old term for tailback. Lines up behind QB and FB on I-formation type of sets or next to FB on Pro-set type of formations.

Tailback - basically new term for halfback. Means back who is meant to be as the main ball carrier behind the full back or as a singleback in that type of formation.

Bingo.

Back in the day Half Backs and Full Backs used to split carries more or less. Now a days theres one guy who gets the bulk of the carries, and they just call them a tailback.

 

[Kaarel]

May also be added that H-back is perhaps more of a role than a position as teams may use their main tight end as a H-back on certain running plays.

For example, last season when Tom Coughlin took over the Giants, Jeremy Shockey was often assigned to a H-back role on certain (running) plays, especially in the beginning of the season. Though you might say that's not the best way to utilize the talents of Shockey as you would like to see him as a threat to downfield. Another good example is Cowboys, who tend to use one of their tight ends in that role, but generally most of the teams use one of their end(s) in a H-back role in certain situations.

 

[Disgustipate]

Odds are, the Dolphins will end up using a H-back. Scott Linehan used Jim Kleinsasser in that role with the Vikings, didnt he?