A fullback is a position in the offensive

Offense (sports)

In sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...

 backfield in American

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 and Canadian football

Canadian football

Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...

, and is one of the two running back

Running back

A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...

 positions along with the halfback

Halfback (American football)

A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...

. Typically, fullbacks are larger in size than halfbacks and in most offensive schemes their duties are split between power running and blocking for both the quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 and the other running back.

Many of the great runners of the history of American football have been fullbacks, notably Jim Brown

Jim Brown

James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...

, Franco Harris

Franco Harris

Franco Harris is a former American football player. He played his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.In the 1972 NFL Draft he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, the 13th selection overall...

, and Larry Csonka

Larry Csonka

Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...

; in recent years the position has evolved to be more a blocker than a runner, with occasional pass-catching duties. While some teams have actually phased-out fullbacks altogether in favor of two tight end

Tight end

The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...

 sets (notably, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....

 have fullback spots filled by backup tight ends), the remaining prominent fullbacks in the NFL

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 such as Ovie Mughelli

Ovie Mughelli

Ovie Phillip Mughelli is an American football fullback for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. He signed a 6-year, $18 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus on March 2, 2007 with the Falcons...

, Leonard Weaver, Owen Schmitt

Owen Schmitt

-Seattle Seahawks:Schmitt was drafted in the fifth round in the 2008 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He was the second Mountaineer selected in the draft, behind Steve Slaton in the third round to the Houston Texans. Schmitt signed a four-year $1.87 million contract that included a $158,000...

 and Tony Richardson are typically employed for breaking through tight defensive alignments, often in short-yardage situations as they are usually larger and heavier than halfbacks or tailbacks, or for screen passes. As a result, fullbacks are typically known less for speed and agility and more for muscularity and the ability to shed tackles. However, Le'Ron McClain

Le'Ron McClain

- Baltimore Ravens :McClain signed with the Ravens on July 27, 2007. He scored his first career touchdown on a Kyle Boller pass against the San Diego Chargers on November 25, 2007...

 was the rushing leader for the Baltimore Ravens in 2008, being deployed from the fullback position.

Although technically a running back, typically fullbacks are primarily valued for their blocking in most modern day offenses. In many offensive schemes, the fullback is used as a receiver, especially when the defense blitzes.

The position is less frequently used in Canadian football, which focuses more on passing

Forward pass

In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...

than running the ball.