AboutDarrel Expertise Long time Raider fan who has bled silver and black for over 30 years. Make it out to Oakland from NY City, at least once a year to see the boys play. Can answer just about anything regarding the Raiders, even dating back to what their original name was going to be. Might be able to help with other NFL stuff/rules etc...
Question This isn't a question specifically about the Raiders but about the NFL in general. I notice in a lot of teams the label "halfback" is rarely used. Instead, the generic "running back" is used. My understanding is that the "running back" category includes both fullbacks and halfbacks, but if a player in a NFL team today is simply labeled as "running back," does he usually play the role of a halfback rather than the role of a fullback?
Answer Michael:
It used to be that more teams used what is referred to as a "Pro Set" that meant having a fullback (Normally a blocking back) and a halfback (usually the guy who ran the ball) everyone basically knew the difference between the two terms. More and more as the game has evolved into more of a passing game, teams have employed a single back and gone with extra receivers, since there really is no reason to distinguish the two backs anymore the generic term: "Running back" is more in vogue these days. If you study NFL rosters you'll notice that most teams will have a 2-1 ratio of guys that would be considered halfbacks as opposed to fullbacks or as they are sometimes referred (H-Backs).
