I came across a headline on the cover of a non-sports magazine last week that read, “Formations. Reads. Audibles. In today’s college football, it’s all on the quarterback.”
I thought, hmmm no wonder talking sports is intimidating, you have to know a lot just to understand a headline!
Then, as if I needed more of a nudge, at the pool this weekend I overheard a conversation in which a guy said, “I’m calling an Audible.” His female friend promptly asked, “What the heck is an Audible?”
This segment will explain the common sports terminology that creeps into everyday conversations.
This week, in honor of my fabulous friend at the pool and the intimidating headline, Fumble No More presents: FUMBLES, FORMATIONS, READS, and AUDIBLES.
When a player has possession of the football and looses it (usually by dropping it).
We aren’t dropping any more balls, ladies! Sports lingo won’t cause us to fumble a conversation.
The plays that the offense and defense will run all begin with a formation. Each player has a certain place to line up which makes up the formation.
Formations can be quite complex, but they are important to understanding the game. Click here, FORMATIONS, and you too can master the 4-3, the 3-4, the Wishbone, the Shotgun, and others.
A player tries to READ the opponent’s movements and formations to anticipate the next move.
Our natural, feminine instincts allow us to make great READS every day.
In the huddle, the Quarterback will call a play. If, once the offense gets to the line of scrimmage, the Quarterback decides the play won’t work (possibly based on a READ of the defense’s FORMATION), he will call an AUDBILE and change the play.
AUDIBLE = change of plans.
If you have sports lingo that causes you to fumble in conversations, submit it in the Start Talking comment box on the right! We may feature it in the next Fumble No More segment.
