Eligible receiver
What it is
The players allowed to catch a forward pass: the backs, and the two men on the end of the line.
Why it matters
Eligibility is decided by alignment and by number, not by talent — which is why a tight end who lines up covered by a receiver outside him cannot legally catch a pass, and why tackle-eligible plays require a report to the official. Every formation an offense uses has to be checked against this rule, and a defense that counts eligibles before the snap knows how many receivers it must actually account for.
Also called
Programs call this eligible, covered up, ineligible, tackle eligible or on the line. The Coach answers to any of them.
Related
This entry is authored, not generated. It is one of 205 in the index that the AI-ssistant Coach retrieves from, and that Film Study tags clips against.