<P> In modern American football , the quarterback is usually the leader of the offense . The quarterback touches the ball on almost every offensive play , and his successes and failures can have a significant impact on the fortunes of his team . Accordingly , the quarterback is among the most glorified and scrutinized positions in team sports . Prior to each play , the quarterback will usually tell the rest of his team which play the team will run . After the team is lined up , the center will pass the ball back to the quarterback ( a process called the snap ) . Usually on a running play , the quarterback will then hand or pitch the ball backwards to a half back or full back . On a passing play , the quarterback is almost always the player responsible for trying to throw the ball downfield to an eligible receiver downfield . Additionally , the quarterback will often run with the ball himself , which could be part of a designed play like the option run or quarterback sneak , or it could be an effort to avoid being sacked by the defense . </P>
<P> In modern American football , the quarterback is usually the leader of the offense . The quarterback touches the ball on almost every offensive play , and his successes and failures can have a significant impact on the fortunes of his team . Accordingly , the quarterback is among the most glorified and scrutinized positions in team sports . Prior to each play , the quarterback will usually tell the rest of his team which play the team will run . After the team is lined up , the center will pass the ball back to the quarterback ( a process called the snap ) . Usually on a running play , the quarterback will then hand or pitch the ball backwards to a half back or full back . On a passing play , the quarterback is almost always the player responsible for trying to throw the ball downfield to an eligible receiver downfield . Additionally , the quarterback will often run with the ball himself , which could be part of a designed play like the option run or quarterback sneak , or it could be an effort to avoid being sacked by the defense . </P>
who does a quarterback throw the ball to
who does a quarterback throw the ball to
half back full back eligible receiver
half back full back eligible receiver