Editing Quarterback (section)

==Overview==
[[File:Football-Formation-QB.svg|thumb|An example of quarterback positioning in an offensive formation]]
[[File:US Navy 031108-N-9593R-011 Navy quarterback Craig Candeto pitches the ball out.jpg|thumb|[[Navy Midshipmen football|Navy]] quarterback [[Craig Candeto]] pitches the ball while running an [[Option offense|option-based offense]]]]
In modern American football, the starting quarterback is usually the leader of the offense, and their successes and failures can have a significant impact on the fortunes of their team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/2103445|title = Winners and losers from the Stafford-Goff blockbuster|first = Dan|last = Wilkins|work = theScore.com| date=January 31, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/the-steelers-have-a-qb-big-ben-issue-not-a-head-coach-problem-070230142.html|title = The Steelers have a Big Ben issue. Not a Mike Tomlin problem |first = Charles|last = Robinson|date = 11 January 2021|work = Yahoo! Sports}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/mitchell-trubisky-can-see-himself-back-in-chicago-for-2021-season-there-are-multiple-reasons-why-that-shouldnt-happen-060307827.html|title=Mitchell Trubisky 'can see' himself back in Chicago for 2021 season. There are multiple reasons why that shouldn't happen|date=January 11, 2021|work=Yahoo! Sports}}</ref> Accordingly, the quarterback is among the most glorified, scrutinized, and highest-paid positions in team sports;<ref name="Spiral-bound">{{cite news |url= http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/29/sports/la-sp-super-bowl-quarterbacks-20120129 |title=Spiral-bound|last=Farmer|first=Sam|date=January 29, 2012|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=July 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061328/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/29/sports/la-sp-super-bowl-quarterbacks-20120129 |archive-date=September 21, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> the majority of the highest-paid players in the NFL are quarterbacks,<ref name="urlThe NFLs 25 highest-paid players in 2020, from Patrick Mahomes to Jalen Ramsey | Sporting News">{{cite web |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/nfl-highest-paid-players-2020-patrick-mahomes/s2560yib2yvwzjdlsfy10ox2 |title=The NFL's 25 highest-paid players in 2020, from Patrick Mahomes to Jalen Ramsey |work=Sporting News |date=August 12, 2021 }}</ref> and teams often use their top draft picks to select a quarterback.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tsn.ca/the-super-bowl-is-about-far-more-than-tom-brady-versus-patrick-mahomes-1.1587253 |title = The Super Bowl is about far more than Tom Brady versus Patrick Mahomes |work = TSN.ca |date = February 3, 2021}}</ref> ''[[Bleacher Report]]'' describes the signing of a starting quarterback as a [[Catch-22 (logic)|catch-22]], where "[[National Football League|NFL]] teams cannot maintain success without excellent quarterback play. But excellent quarterback play is usually so expensive that it prevents NFL teams from maintaining success"; a star quarterback's high salary may prevent the signing of other expensive star players as the team has to stay under the hard [[salary cap]].<ref name="Archived copy">{{Cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2837179-minnesota-vikings-are-desperate-to-escape-the-nfls-worst-quarterback-trap |title=Minnesota Vikings Are Desperate to Escape the NFL's Worst Quarterback Trap |website= [[Bleacher Report]] |access-date=May 22, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190522023340/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2837179-minnesota-vikings-are-desperate-to-escape-the-nfls-worst-quarterback-trap |archive-date=May 22, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> 
One of the major contributing factors behind the success and longevity of the [[New England Patriots]]' [[Brady–Belichick era]] was the willingness of starting quarterback [[Tom Brady]] to consistently take pay cuts despite his elite performance,<ref>{{cite news|last=Barnwell|first=Bill|title=Tom Brady or Bill Belichick: Who contributed more to Pats' dynasty?|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/tom-brady-bill-belichick-contributed-pats-dynasty/story?id=52680047|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=January 29, 2018|access-date=February 5, 2019|language=en}}</ref> which allowed the Patriots to spend that money elsewhere on additional skill players, with a famous example of this being the signing of Hall of Fame wide receiver [[Randy Moss]] in 2007.

The quarterback touches the ball on almost every offensive play. Depending on the [[play calling system]], prior to each play the quarterback will usually gather the rest of their team together in a [[huddle]] to tell them which [[American football plays|play]] the team will run. However, when there is not much time left, or when an offense simply wants to increase the tempo of their plays, teams will forgo the huddle and the quarterback may call plays while the other offensive players get into position or at the line of scrimmage. After the team is lined up, the [[Center (gridiron football)|center]] will pass the ball back to the quarterback (a process called the [[Snap (American and Canadian football)|snap]]). Usually on a running play, the quarterback will then hand or pitch the ball backwards to a [[Halfback (American football)|halfback]] or [[Fullback (gridiron football)|fullback]]. On a passing play, the quarterback is almost always the player responsible for trying to throw the ball downfield to an eligible receiver.<ref name="NFL 360 QB">{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl-360.com/positions/quarterback|title=Quarterback|publisher=[[National Football League|NFL 360]]|access-date=July 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055547/http://www.nfl-360.com/positions/quarterback|archive-date=September 21, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Additionally, the quarterback may run with the football himself, as part of a designed play like the [[option run]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://static.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/davie/1447132.html|title=Football 101: Option football|last=Davie|first=Bob|work=[[ESPN.com]]|access-date=July 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060729/http://static.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/davie/1447132.html|archive-date=September 21, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> or [[quarterback sneak]],<ref name="The art of the QB sneak">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/6845471/cfb-matt-barkley-tim-tebow-matt-leinart-more-explain-art-quarterback-sneak-espn-magazine|title=The art of the QB sneak|last=Roenigk|first=Alyssa|date=August 9, 2011|work=[[ESPN.com]]|access-date=July 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921062247/http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6845471/cfb-matt-barkley-tim-tebow-matt-leinart-more-explain-art-quarterback-sneak-espn-magazine|archive-date=September 21, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> or the quarterback could make an impromptu run on their own (called a "scramble") to avoid being [[Quarterback sack|sacked]] by the defense.<ref name="Scramble">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scramble|title=Scramble|dictionary=[[Merriam-Webster]]|access-date=July 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921054800/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scramble|archive-date=September 21, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Depending on the offensive scheme used by their team, the quarterback's role can vary. In systems like the [[triple option]], the quarterback will only pass the ball a few times per game, if at all,<ref name="Options All Around">{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1162431/index.htm|title=Options All Around|last=Chen|first=Albert|date=November 16, 2009|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|access-date=July 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114042930/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1162431/index.htm|archive-date=November 14, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> while the pass-heavy [[spread offense]], as run by schools like [[Texas Tech Red Raiders football|Texas Tech]], requires quarterbacks to throw the ball on most plays.<ref name="Spread concepts around for decades">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4340650|title=Spread concepts around for decades|date=July 20, 2009|work=[[ESPN.com]]|access-date=July 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620175903/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=4340650|archive-date=June 20, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The passing game is emphasized heavily in the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL), where there are only three [[Down (American and Canadian football)|downs]] (as opposed to the four downs used in American football), a larger field of play and an extra eligible receiver.<ref name="Moon: CFL not option for Tim Tebow">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/9234640/warren-moon-tim-tebow-throwing-not-cut-cfl|title=Moon: CFL not option for Tim Tebow|date=May 2, 2013|work=[[ESPN.com]]|access-date=July 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731081218/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9234640/warren-moon-tim-tebow-throwing-not-cut-cfl|archive-date=July 31, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> Different skillsets are required of the quarterback depending upon the offensive system. Quarterbacks that perform well in a pass-heavy spread offense system, a popular offensive scheme in the NCAA and NFHS, rarely perform well in the [[National Football League]] (NFL), as the fundamentals of the [[pro-style offense]] used in the NFL are very different from those in the spread system,<ref name="Spread QBs rarely enjoy pro success">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/high-school/football/great-state-debate/story/_/id/7472145/spread-quarterbacks-rarely-enjoy-pro-success|title=Spread QBs rarely enjoy pro success|last=Luginbill|first=Tom|date=January 18, 2012|work=[[ESPN.com]]|access-date=July 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921062411/http://espn.go.com/high-school/football/great-state-debate/story/_/id/7472145/spread-quarterbacks-rarely-enjoy-pro-success|archive-date=September 21, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> while quarterbacks in Canadian football need to be able to throw the ball often and accurately.<ref name="Moon: CFL not option for Tim Tebow" /> In general, quarterbacks need to have physical skills such as arm strength, mobility and a quick throwing motion, in addition to intangibles such as competitiveness, leadership, intelligence and downfield vision.<ref name="Skills a Quarterback and Needs to Succeed in American Football">{{cite web|url=http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/skills-a-quarterback-needs-to-succeed-in-american-.html|title=Skills a Quarterback Needs to Succeed in American Football|first1=Howie|last1=Long|author-link1=Howie Long|first2=John|last2=Czarnecki|website=[[For Dummies|Dummies.com]]|access-date=July 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723020929/http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/skills-a-quarterback-needs-to-succeed-in-american-.html|archive-date=July 23, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the NFL, quarterbacks are required to wear a [[Uniform number (American football)|uniform number]] between 1 and 19.<ref name="NFL Rules 2012, p. 21">NFL Rules 2012, p. 21.</ref> In the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) and [[National Federation of State High School Associations]] (NFHS), quarterbacks are required to wear a uniform number between 1 and 49; in the NFHS, the quarterback can also wear a number between 80 and 89.<ref name="NCAA Rules 2011-2012, p. 21-22">NCAA Rules 2011–2012, p.&nbsp;21–22.</ref><ref name="NFHS Rules 2012, p. 16-17">NFHS Rules 2012, p.&nbsp;16–17.</ref> In the CFL, the quarterback can wear any number from 0 to 49 and 70 to 99.<ref name="CFL Rules 2011, p. 35">CFL Rules 2011, p. 35.</ref> Because of their numbering, quarterbacks are [[eligible receiver]]s in the NCAA, NFHS and CFL;<ref name="NCAA Rules 2011-2012, p. 73">NCAA Rules 2011–2012, p.&nbsp;73.</ref><ref name="NFHS Rules 2012, p. 61">NFHS Rules 2012, p.&nbsp;61.</ref> in the NFL, quarterbacks are eligible receivers if they are not lined up directly under center.<ref name="Forward pass">{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/forwardpass|title=Forward pass|website=[[National Football League|NFL.com]]|access-date=July 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928160712/http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/forwardpass|archive-date=September 28, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>