NFL key terms to know for the 2025 season

Football is a game filled with terminology.

Every drive, every play, is complete with different terms that can help describe what happened on the field. From defensive play calls, to route concepts, to some of the statistics that assist us in understanding the game, football is filled with definitions to learn. And as the game evolves new terms are added, and new definitions are required.

Ahead of the 2025 NFL season we put together this list of some of the terms you are likely to hear during a given NFL broadcast. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and this is what you might term a 200-level course in football terminology.

Also bear in mind that terminology can vary from coach to coach, and team to team. And within many of these terms there are variations, tweaks, and adaptations that differ from team to team.

Cover 0

On this play from last season the Washington Commanders use a zero blitz to get home against Kenny Pickett and the Philadelphia Eagles:

Cover 0 is a man coverage defensive scheme where the defense uses man coverage across the board and does not have any defenders to help deep downfield. Each coverage player is “on an island” with their receiver. Cover 0 is typically paired with a blitz package, so you may hear this called “zero blitz” during a game.

Cover 1

Cover 1 is a man coverage scheme with one deep safety providing help against vertical routes, often along with an underneath “hole” defender proving help on in-breaking routes along the second level. The rest of the defense is in man coverage.

On this play from 2024 against the Houston Texans, the New England Patriots are in Cover 1. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins (#21) is the deep free safety while linebacker Josh Uche (#55) is the underneath “hole” defender, helping against an initial in-breaking route:

Cover 2

A zone defensive coverage with two deep defenders, usually the two safeties, each responsible for half of the field. As with many football concepts there are several variations, such as pure zone Cover 2 with two deep defenders and zone defenders underneath, Cover 2 Man Under with two deep zone defenders and man coverage underneath, or variations such as “Palms” or “2-Read,” where the outside cornerback will read the inside receiver and “trap” them if they run a quick out route.

Then there is “inverted” Cover 2, where the coverage players will rotate so that the safties come downhill and outside cornerback drop to be the deep half-field defenders. Then there is “Tampa 2,” which as a defender in the middle of the field, usually an athletic linebacker, who helps defend between the safeties, which is one of the coverage’s weaknesses.

Here is an example of the Arizona Cardinals running Cover 2 from the preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders:

Cover 3

Cover 3 is a zone coverage scheme with three deep defenders, each responsible for a third of the field. On this play against the San Francisco 49ers from 2024, the Los Angeles Rams are in Cover 3:

Cover 4 or “Quarters”

A zone defensive coverage with four deep defenders, each responsible for a quarter of the field. This is why Cover 4 is often termed “Quarters” coverage.

Here is an example of the Philadelphia Eagles running Cover 4 or Quarters from the preseason against the New York Jets:

Mesh concept

Odds are you know what the mesh concept is, but just in case, this is a route concept with the basic element being a pair of shallow crossing routes underneath. These two receivers cross over the middle just a few yards downfield, hoping to create traffic for the defenders and the opportunity for a big play.

This is traditionally best against man coverage, but additional routes from receivers such as a “sit” route from a third offensive player a bit deeper downfield, and over the top of the “mesh,” can work against zone. Play-designers often pair this concept with a “rail” or wheel route from a running back out of the backfield.

Here are the Minnesota Vikings running a mesh concept against the New England Patriots from the preseason. In addition to the two crossing routes underneath you also see the sit route a bit deeper downfield, as well as the rail route from the running back, which Max Brosmer throws to:

Simulated pressures

Simulated pressures are one of the ways that defenses are “fighting back” in the modern NFL. In such a design the defense will show pressure before the snap, hoping the offensive line/quarterback adjust the protection to protect against threats, and then drop defenders, often non-traditional defenders, into coverage and rush with fewer defenders than they showed presnap.

The hope is that the offense had adjusted the scheme so linemen are blocking air/defenders who are dropping into coverage, and that you generate a free runner at the quarterback.

On this play from last season the Minnesota Vikings show pressure up front, but drop both edge players. Even though they rush just four, they get to Will Levis:

Mike point

Before the snap you might have seen and heard a quarterback at the line of scrimmage shout out something like “54 is the Mike” while pointing at a defender.

What is a quarterback doing, and why are they doing it?

That is what is called the “mike point,” and what the quarterback is doing is identifying the middle of the three linebackers in the defensive alignment. Who that player is can vary on defensive personnel, formations, and even the offensive play that is called. But the quarterback identifies that player because run blocking schemes and pass protection schemes are based off the “mike” defender.

For example, in some quick pass protection schemes the offensive line may slide away from the mike, or toward the mike. The mike point may also impact a running back’s responsibilities in pass protection, whether scanning towards the mike defender or away from the mike defender. The QB can also “re-point” the mike if the defense adjusts presnap, or if the quarterback wants to change the protection scheme based on a blitz look.

For more on the mike point this video from former NFL quarterback JT O’Sullivan is well worth your time.

Dagger concept

A two-receiver passing concept where an inside receiver runs a vertical route, while a receiver aligned outside of them runs a dig route. The quarterback will “alert” the deep route first, looking at the vertical route first to see if they can get a big throw over the top of the defense. But the main element is the dig route, as that outside receiver cuts inside hoping to find space vacated by the defense due to the threat of the vertical route.

Here is an example of the Denver Broncos running the dagger concept last season, with Bo Nix hitting the dig route. You’ll see the vertical route from the inside receiver draw the defense and create the opportunity for the dig route:

Offensive personnel packages

In every offensive formation there are five eligible receivers.

Add in the quarterback and your five offensive linemen, and you have 11 players on the field.

To identify what offensive personnel package is in the game teams use a two-digit system where the first number refers to the number of running backs in the game and the second number refers to the number of tight ends in the game. The difference between adding those numbers and five gives you the complete picture.

For example 11 personnel is a standard offensive personnel package for most teams. That means the offense has one running back, one tight end (adding up to two) and to get to five you need three … or three wide receivers.

Another example is 12 personnel, which is one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers.

Backside dig

On many passing plays in today’s NFL there is a main concept that the quarterback will look to on one side of the field, and then a dig route coming from the backside that gives the quarterback a backup plan if the defense has the main concept covered.

On this play from last season the Cincinnati Bengals have a post/wheel combination to the left, along with a route to the flat. But Joe Burrow sees that the Carolina Panthers have that covered, so he comes to the backside dig from Ja’Marr Chase, and that turns into a 63-yard touchdown:

Line of scrimmage “gaps”

Gaps refer to the spaces between the five offensive linemen. Using a letter system, the offense and the defense can identify the gaps that are created. The space between the center and each guard is termed the “A-Gaps,” the spaces between the guards and the tackles are the “B-Gaps,” and so on.

This article from The Phinsider dives into the gap terminology.

Defensive line techniques

You may have heard an analyst call a defender a “1-technique” or a “3-technique” player. These numbers and techniques refer to their alignment in the formation. These numbers start with 0 — identifying a nose tackle that is head-up on the center — and build out to 9.

Within the tackle box, a player with an even number is aligned head-up on an offensive lineman: 0-technique players are head-up on the center, 2-technique players are head-up on the guards, and 4-technique players are head-up on the tackles.

When you get outside of the tackle box things change a bit, as you might have a 7-technique player that is inside of a tight end, an 8-technique player that is head-up on the tight end, and a 9-technique that is outside the tight end. There is even the “wide-9” where a player, often a pass rusher, aligns well outside the tight end.
This graphic, taken from a great piece looking at this from Big Blue View, highlights both the gaps and the techniques:

One of the biggest distinctions here comes in the difference between a 3-technique player and a 5-technique player. As you can see from the above, the 3-technique defensive lineman aligns on the outside shoulder of the guard. This is typically the alignment of a defensive tackle.

A 5-technique player aligns on the outside shoulder of the tackle, typically the alignment of a defensive end in a 3-4 front.

25 or 40-second play clock

Depending on the situation, the offense has either 25 or 40 seconds on the “play clock” to snap the ball. Generally speaking, the offense starts with a 40-second play clock. However, if there are certain “administrative stoppages” as defined in the NFL Rules, then the offense has just 25 seconds. Those stoppages include: A change of possession, a timeout, the two-minute warning, the end of a quarter, a penalty, a punt, or a point-after attempt.

Run-Pass Option or RPO

Run-Pass option plays, or RPOs, have become common offensive designs in the modern NFL. At their core, RPOs are plays that contain both a run element, and a pass element, and the quarterback makes a decision either prior to, or just after, the snap whether to execute the run element or the passing element.

RPOs can be “box count” or “ratio reads,” where the quarterback decides before the snap whether to use the passing concept or the run design. If the defense plays with a light box up front, the quarterback likely decides to use the run concept. But if the defense has overloaded the box, the quarterback can use the passing concept.

Some other RPOs require a decision after the snap. These typically have the quarterback reading a defender, often a linebacker, and deciding whether to hand the ball off or throw based on that player’s movements once the play begins.

Zone read

A zone read is a running play where the offense leaves a defender unblocked, typically a defensive end, and “blocks” them based on the movement in the backfield between the quarterback and the running back. While the rest of the offense uses zone blocking scheme, the quarterback takes the snap and “reads” the unblocked defender.

If that defender crashes inside on a potential handoff, the quarterback keeps the football himself. If the defensive end stays home, the quarterback hands the football off. The design of the play puts that unblocked defender into conflict, and then the quarterback bases their decision on what that defender does. Chip Kelly offered this explanation of the concept during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.

Here is an example of the Baltimore Ravens running this design against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The unblocked defensive end crashes down, and Lamar Jackson pulls the football and runs to the edge for an eight-yard gain:

Play-action pass

A play-action pass is a passing design where the quarterback executes a run fake prior to looking downfield to throw. These fakes are often a simulated handoff, although quarterbacks can fake a toss or pitch on these designs. The goal is to suck defenders “downhill” towards the line of scrimmage, hoping to free receivers behind them.

Defensive-adjusted Value Over Average

As set forth in this explainer, Defensive-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) “measures a team’s efficiency by comparing success on every single play to a league average based on situation and opponent.” The metric measures not just the yardage gained on a given play, but the yardage needed for a first down on a given play. Therefore, a five-yard run on 3rd-and-4 is worth more than a five-yard run on 3rd-and-25.

A play’s efficiency, or success, is then determined given how the team performed on that given play relative to how other teams have performed in that situation.

Returning to the explainer:

Every single play run in the NFL gets a “success value” based on this system, and then that number gets compared to the average success values of plays in similar situations for all players, adjusted for a number of variables. These include down and distance, field location, time remaining in game, and the team’s lead or deficit in the game score. Teams are always compared to the overall offensive average, as the team made its own choice whether to pass or rush. When it comes to individual players, however, rushing plays are compared to other rushing plays, passing plays to other passing plays, tight ends to tight ends, wideouts to wideouts, and so on.

Going back to our example of the three-yard rush, if Player A gains three yards under a set of circumstances in which the average NFL running back gains only one yard, then Player A has a certain amount of value above others at his position. Likewise, if Player B gains three yards on a play on which, under similar circumstances, an average NFL back gains four yards, that Player B has negative value relative to others at his position. Once we make all our adjustments, we can evaluate the difference between this player’s rate of success and the expected success rate of an average running back in the same situation (or between the opposing defense and the average defense in the same situation, etc.). Add up every play by a certain team or player, divide by the total of the various baselines for success in all those situations, and you get VOA, or Value Over Average.

Each play is then adjusted relative to how average defenses have performed in those situations, leading to the Defensive-adjusted Value Over Average, or DVOA.

Expected Points Added

Expected Points Added (EPA) captures how much a play improved a teams’ scoring chances (the true value of the play) by accounting for the context in which it occurred. Based upon historical data, we can calculate how many points a team gains on average on a drive based on down, distance, and field position. We can then extrapolate how successful — or not — an individual play was based on the team’s change in expected points from one play to the next. For example, the rough expected points for a 1st-and-10 play from a team’s own 25-yard line is 1.06. If the quarterback throws a 15-yard completion on first down, giving the team a 1st-and-10 at their own 40-yard line, their new expected points for the drive is 1.88. Meaning that first-down play had an EPA of +0.82. But if the quarterback is sacked for a loss of 10, meaning the offense now faces 2nd-and-20 from their own 15-yard line, their new expected points for the drive is now -0.54, meaning the sack delivered an EPA of -1.6.

Air yards

This is a statistic that measures the distance of a quarterback’s throws, quantifying the yardage the ball travels and removing any yardage after the catch gained by the wide receiver. The general philosophy is that the more air yards a quarterback has, the more aggressive they are in the downfield, vertical passing game.

Average Depth of Target

There are two ways at examining Average Depth of Target (aDOT). From a quarterback’s perspective it quantifies how far a quarterback’s average pass is thrown down the field, calculated by taking their air yards (as defined above) and dividing them by the number of passing attempts. A wide receiver can also have their aDOT calculated by the air yards on all of the throws were they were targeted, and dividing those by the number of targets. Receivers with higher aDOTs are your vertical threats in the downfield passing game, while receivers that operate near the line of scrimmage might have high reception numbers, but lower aDOTs.

Completion Percentage Over Expectation

Completion Percentage Over Expectation (CPOE) is another metric to help define quarterback play. Every pass attempt has an “expected completion percentage,” calculated based on historical data and looking at various factors including the depth of the throw and the distance from the sideline. From there CPOE is calculated looking at the difference between a quarterback’s actual completion percentage and their expected completin percentage. Historically speaking, the higher your CPOE, the better you are playing the quarterback position, given that you are completing more passes than expected.

Yards After Catch

Yards After Catch (YAC) shows how much yardage was gained by the receiver following the catch. Depending on who you talk to, this is primarily a wide receiver stat, a quarterback stat, or a combination of both. Quarterbacks can help their wide receiver pick up YAC by making on-time, accurate throws away from the leverage of the nearest defender. WRs can help themselves by making defenders miss in space.