Rule 2 – Section 27 – Article 4 – Lineman and Back

a. Lineman

1. A lineman is any Team A player legally on his scrimmage line (Rule 2-21-2).
2. A Team A player is legally on his scrimmage line when he faces his opponent’s goal line with the line of his shoulders approximately parallel thereto and either (a) he is the snapper (Rule 2-27-8) or (b) his head breaks the plane of the line drawn through the waistline of the snapper.

b. Interior lineman

An interior lineman is a lineman who is not on the end of his scrimmage line.

c. Restricted lineman

A restricted lineman is any interior lineman, or any lineman wearing a number 50-79, whose hand(s) are below the knees.

d. Back

1. A back is any Team A player who is not a lineman and whose head or shoulder does not break the plane of the line drawn through the waistline of the nearest Team A lineman.
2. A back is also the player in position to receive a hand-to-hand snap.
3. A lineman becomes a back before the snap when he moves to a position as a back and stops.