The Glossary
NFL Trivia Glossary.
The deep-cut football, baseball, and MMA terms every serious fan should know cold. Built by the makers of The Film Room, The Ace, and The Octagon.
NFL · 45 terms
Cover 2
A two-deep zone defense where safeties split the deep field in half.
Tampa 2
Cover 2 variant with the middle linebacker sinking into the deep middle.
Cover 3
Three-deep zone with a single high safety and four underneath.
Cover 4 (Quarters)
Four-deep zone with corners and safeties each taking a deep quarter.
Match Coverage
A hybrid zone that plays like man once receivers declare routes.
Pattern Match
Rule-based coverage where defenders pass off routes by pattern.
RPO (Run-Pass Option)
A single play where the QB reads a defender to choose run or pass post-snap.
Read Option
The QB reads the backside DE to decide handoff or keep.
Zone Read
Read option using zone blocking up front.
Inside Zone
Zone run scheme where blockers step playside and RB reads front-side.
Outside Zone
Wide zone run — Shanahan's signature scheme.
Gap Scheme
Man-blocking run scheme (Power, Counter, Duo).
Power (O)
Gap-scheme run with a pulling guard through the play-side hole.
Counter
Gap-scheme run with two pullers going opposite the initial flow.
Mesh Point
The moment the QB and RB meet on a read or option handoff.
Play Action
A pass play that fakes a run first to freeze defenders.
Bootleg / Boot
Play-action where the QB rolls opposite the run action.
West Coast Offense
Bill Walsh's short, timing-based passing game.
Air Coryell
Vertical passing offense pioneered by Don Coryell.
Erhardt-Perkins Offense
Concept-based passing system used by Belichick's Patriots.
Smash Concept
High-low pass concept: hitch under, corner over.
Mesh Concept
Two crossers underneath at 5-6 yards, creating natural pick action.
Levels
Layered in-breakers designed to beat zone coverage.
Pistol Formation
Shotgun with the RB directly behind the QB, not to the side.
Shotgun Formation
QB alignment 5-7 yards behind center for pre-snap read time.
Hurry-Up Offense (No-Huddle)
No-huddle tempo attack designed to keep the defense in base personnel.
K-Gun Offense
Jim Kelly's no-huddle Bills attack that reached four Super Bowls.
46 Defense
Buddy Ryan's overloaded 8-man front from the '85 Bears.
Blitz
Sending a fifth or sixth defender at the QB.
Zero Blitz
Cover 0 — pure man-to-man behind an all-out blitz with no safety help.
Nickel Defense
Five defensive backs — the modern NFL base defense.
Dime Defense
Six defensive backs, one LB — passing-down package.
Big Nickel
Nickel package with a safety as the fifth DB.
QB Spy
A defender assigned to mirror a mobile QB.
Tush Push
The Eagles' short-yardage QB sneak with pushers behind the QB.
QB Sneak
Classic short-yardage plunge behind the center.
Tuck Rule
Repealed rule that turned a Brady fumble into an incomplete pass.
Immaculate Reception
Franco Harris's shoestring TD to beat Oakland in the 1972 playoffs.
Hail Mary
A desperation deep pass to the end zone.
Two-Minute Drill
Hurry-up tempo used at the end of a half.
GOAT Debate (NFL)
The greatest-of-all-time NFL QB argument.
Super Bowl MVP
Award given to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl.
Franchise Tag
One-year contract at the top-5 positional average.
Salary Cap
League-wide payroll ceiling that resets annually.
NFL Combine
Pre-draft workout in Indianapolis every February.
MLB · 11 terms
WAR (Wins Above Replacement)
All-in-one stat measuring a player's total value in wins.
FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching)
ERA-scale pitching stat that ignores balls in play.
BABIP
Batting Average on Balls in Play — the luck metric.
OPS+
Park-adjusted OPS, scaled to 100 = league average.
The Shift
Infield alignment moved based on hitter tendencies — restricted in 2023.
Hitting for the Cycle
A single, double, triple, and home run in one game.
No-Hitter
A complete game with zero hits allowed.
Perfect Game
27 up, 27 down — the rarest pitching feat.
Walk-Off
Any play that ends the game in the home team's final at-bat.
Bullpen Game
A game with no traditional starter — all relievers.
Opener
A reliever who starts the game to face the top of the order once.
UFC · 10 terms
Guard (BJJ)
Bottom fighter uses legs to control the top fighter.
Full Mount
Top position with both knees pinning the opponent's ribs.
Guillotine Choke
Front-headlock choke often set up off a takedown.
Rear-Naked Choke
Blood choke applied from back mount.
TKO (Technical Knockout)
Fight stopped due to strikes without a clean KO.
Knockout (KO)
A fighter is rendered unconscious by strikes.
Octagon Control
Judging criterion for who dictates where the fight happens.
Sprawl and Brawl
Striker's strategy to defend takedowns and stay standing.
Leg Kick
Low kick to the thigh or calf that compounds damage.
Walk-Off KO
A finish so clean the fighter walks away before the ref intervenes.