football terms
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men’s sports
All competition levels at or above the college level are men’s sports, regardless of whether some competitors are younger than 18 years old: men’s basketball, men’s tennis, men’s swimming, men’s track and field It is not necessary to identify the gender if the sport is generally known to be played by only male athletes: baseball,
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boys’ sports
All competition levels at or below the high school level are boys’ sports, regardless of whether some competitors are 18 years old: boys’ basketball, boys’ tennis, boys’ swimming, boys’ track and field It is not necessary to identify the gender if the sport is generally known to be played by only male athletes: baseball, football
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wide receiver
Two words. Although it technically only refers to receivers set out “wide” from the formation, in everyday speech it can be used to refer even to receivers to usually set up in the slot. For a general audience, if positional specificity is required, informal terms such as primary receiver or secondary target are preferable over
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football positions
American football has numerous types of positions, some of which only exist in certain formations and systems. When unsure of the exact nature of the position, err on the side of the more generalized term, e.g. running back vs. halfback OFFENSE DEFENSE SPECIAL TEAMS quarterback defensive back placekicker running back cornerback punter tailback free safety/strong
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long snapper
Two words. See: football positions
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NFL team nicknames
In general news and sports coverage, the full city and team name should be used on first reference in copy. However, in all headlines and on first reference in copy where the NFL context is obvious, only the full team name needs to be used: Falcons gear up for Week 8 clash with Saints; The
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San Francisco 49ers
On subsequent reference in copy, Niners should be preferred.
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Monsters of the Midway
Acceptable sparingly on subsequent reference in copy to the Chicago Bears. Avoid in headlines, as it weakens SEO.