Utility player
Encyclopedia
In sport, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently, a sort of jack of all trades
. Sports in which the term is often used include association football (soccer), baseball
, rugby
, rugby league
, water polo
and softball
.
In cricket
, the term all rounder is used instead, although this generally refers to a player who can both bat and bowl competently.
The term has gained prominence in all sports due to its use in fantasy leagues, but in rugby and rugby league, it is commonly used by commentators to recognize a player's versatility.
, a utility player is a player who can play several different positions. In general, each major league baseball
team has at least one player who can be described as a utility player.
Most professional teams have two types of utility players. There are "utility infielder
s", who usually play all of the infield positions (plus occasionally catcher
). Utility outfielder
s, or fourth outfielders, tend to play all three outfield positions at various times. Occasionally, there will be players who perform a combination of the two duties. Utility players tend to be players who come off of the bench, though this isn't absolute. Often, players who don't have high prospects to be a major league star will learn additional positions so they can look more attractive to major league clubs as bench talent
.
In , the Detroit Tigers
' Tony Phillips
was the first player to start ten games at five different positions in the same season. César Tovar
, Cookie Rojas
, Bert Campaneris
, Shane Halter
, Don Kelly, and Jose Oquendo
all played every position (including pitcher
) during their respective careers.
Until becoming an everyday third baseman with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
, and later an everyday second baseman with the Seattle Mariners
, Chone Figgins
earned a reputation as the game's most respected utility player. In , for example, Figgins started 48 games at third, 45 in center field and 36 at second, and finished 17th in American League
Most Valuable Player
balloting. A famous current utility player is Ryan Theriot
of the St. Louis Cardinals
, who has played shortstop, third base, second
and outfield
at some point in his short major league career. Mark DeRosa
is another famous utility man, playing just about every position for the Cubs, Cleveland Indians
, St. Louis Cardinals
, and currently the San Francisco Giants
in the past 3 seasons. As well as the Detroit Tigers third baseman
Brandon Inge
who has played third base, catcher, left field, right field, and center field. Several players have recently been named All Stars
while playing multiple positions in their All Star seasons. Second baseman Ben Zobrist
of the Tampa Bay Rays
has played first, third, shortstop and outfield in his career. José Bautista is also a current utility player, having played first base, second base, third base, right field, center field, and left field in his career. Zobrist and Bautista both finished in the top 10 in MVP voting while starting at least 40 games at two different defensive positions.
In softball
, a utility player is a player who can play several positions but can also bat well. Coaches often look for such players to bat as clean-up or 5th in the lineup.
, the utility player is often capable of playing multiple positions, and often they may play both offense and defense. The concept was far more common in the early days of football, when pro teams used their best athletes as many ways as possible, and substitutions were far more restricted, meaning players had to stay on the field for offense, defense and "special teams". This was known as the one-platoon system
.
The triple threat man
, who could run, pass and kick, was particularly popular during the early days of football from the time the forward pass was invented to the World War II era (see, for instance, Bradbury Robinson
, Tommy Hughitt
, Sammy Baugh
and, during his college years, Johnny Unitas
). Most levels of football lifted the substitution restrictions during the post-World War II era in the late 1940s, beginning with "platooning" (use of different offensive and defensive units) and eventually transitioning to complete free substitution. Chuck Bednarik
, a center and linebacker, was the last full-time two way player in the NFL, having retired in 1962. Despite this, the American Football League
of the 1960s frequently used players at multiple positions, particularly kickers and punters (e.g. George Blanda
, Paul Maguire
, Cookie Gilchrist
, Gino Cappelletti
, and Gene Mingo
, a running back who became the first black placekicker in modern professional football, among others). Because of increased injury risk awareness, since the AFL-NFL merger
these types of players are increasingly rare, and true utility players are mostly backups (e.g. Guido Merkens
, Brad Smith
) or career minor-league players (e.g. Don Jonas
, Eric Crouch
). It is still very common in smaller high schools to see top players play two or even three ways (offense, defense and special teams), in multiple positions, but in college and pro ball, where rosters are larger and the talent pool is more elite, the injury risk outweighs potential benefits.
Currently, in the National Football League
, Bill Belichick
of the New England Patriots
uses the utility player frequently. For instance, Doug Flutie
, as a member of the Patriots, famously switched from quarterback to kicker for one extra-point play in 2006, to deliver the first drop kick
in the NFL in sixty years. Belichick has also used his linebackers, including Bryan Cox
and Mike Vrabel
, as H-back
s on offense, and doubled his wide receivers (e.g. Troy Brown
and Randy Moss
) as cornerbacks and safeties.
The tackle eligible
is a special form of utility player; examples of those who used this play notably include Jason Peters
, Warren Sapp
, Jumbo Elliott, William "The Refrigerator" Perry
, Mitch Frerotte
and Anthony Muñoz
. Another example of a type of utility player is the halfback option play
, in which a running back
performs the passing duties of a quarterback
; Walter Payton
, LaDanian Tomlinson and most recently Ronnie Brown
have used this play multiple times, and this type of play has spawned an entire offensive scheme
. Note that generally, a player who plays one regular position as well as special teams is usually not considered a utility player, nor are hybrid running back/wide receivers such as Reggie Bush
; only those who play two distinct offensive and/or defensive positions are considered such, as are those who play an offensive or defensive position and in addition kick or punt.
The Arena Football League, for many years, made almost all of its players, with the exception of two players on each side (always a quarterback, a kicker {the quarterback and kicker were never on the field at the same time} and usually a wide receiver and two defensive backs), play both sides of the ball; this was known as "ironman." The "ironman" concept was dropped in 2007, but is expected to be reinstated when Arena Football 1 takes over the league in 2010.
and wingers
to play either position in certain situations. Depending on need, a team may use a natural centreman on the wing if they have too many centres or, conversely, a winger may be pressed to play centre because of a lack of suitable players in that area. Because of the frequency of forwards
playing both positions, the term utility player tends to refer not to a player that plays more than one forward position, but to a player that can play both defense
and forward. Teams may use a defenseman as a forward, or vice versa, for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes a natural defenseman who struggles on the defensive side of the game but possesses strong offensive qualities may be used as a winger. Marc-Andre Bergeron
and Kurtis Foster
, for example, have proven to be a quality offensive defensemen who struggle in defending their own zone. As such, they have dressed as forwards so their teams can continue to use their offensive abilities on the powerplay
while still using the standard six defensemen during even strength.
An extra defenseman may also be pressed to play forward in an emergency situation, where a team has a rash of injuries to their forwards and do not have time to summon a replacement player from a farm team
.
It is very common for teams to use a forward on "the point" (defense) during the powerplay to provide a greater offensive threat. Though the forward is playing defense in this situation, they aren't necessarily seen as true utility players.
Along with Bergeron and Foster, other notable defensemen that have played forward at some point in their careers include Phil Housley
, Mark Streit
, Christoph Schubert
, Ian White and Chris Campoli
. Notable forwards who have played defense include Sergei Fedorov
, Mathieu Dandenault
and Sami Kapanen
.
In some cases a player has made a full time conversion from one position to the other and experienced success. Hockey Hall of Famer Red Kelly
spent the first half of his career as an offensive defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings before finishing his career as a strong two-way centreman for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wendel Clark
was a star defenseman in junior before converting to left wing and scoring over 300 goals and 500 points in 15 NHL seasons. (Some junior hockey teams have a tendency to put their best offensive players on defence instead of as forwards, since defencemen generally have more time on the ice.) Dustin Byfuglien
is an example of a current player who has made the switch from forward to defense full time. Jonathan Ericsson
of the Detroit Red Wings is another example of a player who converted from forward to defense.
It is extremely rare for goaltenders to play any position other than goaltender; likewise, it is just as rare for non-goaltenders to suit up in goal, because of the significant difference in skills and equipment required for the position.
In association football, like other sports, the utility man is usually a player who can play myriad positions. This will be commonly be defence
and midfield
, sometimes defence and attack
. A few outfield players have also made competent substitute goalkeepers, for example Phil Jagielka
. But in the case of goalkeepers playing as outfield players, it is extremely rare. Some may be free kick and penalty specialists (Chilavert and Jorge Campos), but they don't hold a role in the outfield.
and swingman
to refer to a player who can play two or three different positions, with more specific terms being combo guard
, cornerman
, and forward-center
.
, Luke McAllister
and Cory Jane
, but Australia also has many utility backs like Adam Ashley-Cooper
, Quade Cooper
and Matt Giteau
.
Despite that, there are forwards who are capable of covering multiple positions. Many players in the back row of the scrum (flanker
s and number eights) will frequently switch between the two positions. Less often, a player may also be capable of playing lock as well as a back-row position, with a notable modern example being Sébastien Chabal
, who has played internationally
as both a lock and a back-rower. However, this description never applies to props who can play both ends of the front row (i.e. Numbers 1 & 3).
is a prime example of this as he played in six different positions in his NRL career.
Jack of all trades, master of none
"Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a person that is competent with many skills but is not necessarily outstanding in any particular one....
. Sports in which the term is often used include association football (soccer), baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
.
In cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, the term all rounder is used instead, although this generally refers to a player who can both bat and bowl competently.
The term has gained prominence in all sports due to its use in fantasy leagues, but in rugby and rugby league, it is commonly used by commentators to recognize a player's versatility.
Baseball
In baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, a utility player is a player who can play several different positions. In general, each major league baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team has at least one player who can be described as a utility player.
Most professional teams have two types of utility players. There are "utility infielder
Utility infielder
A utility infielder is a baseball player, usually one who does not have a regular starting role on the team and who is capable of playing more than one of the four defensive infield positions: second base, third base, shortstop, and less typically first base...
s", who usually play all of the infield positions (plus occasionally catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
). Utility outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
s, or fourth outfielders, tend to play all three outfield positions at various times. Occasionally, there will be players who perform a combination of the two duties. Utility players tend to be players who come off of the bench, though this isn't absolute. Often, players who don't have high prospects to be a major league star will learn additional positions so they can look more attractive to major league clubs as bench talent
Bench jockey
A bench jockey is a slang term in American baseball to describe a player, coach or manager with the talent of annoying and distracting opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout with verbal repartee...
.
In , the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
' Tony Phillips
Tony Phillips
Keith Anthony Phillips is a former Major League Baseball utility player who had an 18-year career from to . He played regularly at three infield positions, primarily as a second baseman, but also had significant time as a shortstop and third baseman...
was the first player to start ten games at five different positions in the same season. César Tovar
César Tovar
César Leonardo Tovar , nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins , Philadelphia Phillies , Texas Rangers , Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees...
, Cookie Rojas
Cookie Rojas
Octavio Victor Rojas Rivas , better known as Cookie Rojas, is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and outfielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals. After retiring as a player he went on to both coach and manage in the...
, Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
, Shane Halter
Shane Halter
Shane David Halter is a former Major League Baseball infielder/outfielder and right-handed batter.-High school years:...
, Don Kelly, and Jose Oquendo
José Oquendo
José Manuel Roberto Guillermo Oquendo Contreras is a former Major League Baseball infielder and the current third base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
all played every position (including pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
) during their respective careers.
Until becoming an everyday third baseman with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
, and later an everyday second baseman with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, Chone Figgins
Chone Figgins
Desmond DeChone "Chone" Figgins is an American Major League Baseball third baseman for the Seattle Mariners. Figgins is a utility player, playing all positions except catcher, pitcher, and first base.-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:...
earned a reputation as the game's most respected utility player. In , for example, Figgins started 48 games at third, 45 in center field and 36 at second, and finished 17th in American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
balloting. A famous current utility player is Ryan Theriot
Ryan Theriot
Ryan Stewart Theriot is a Major League Baseball infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.Theriot is the son of Randy and Mary Theriot, and has an older brother Wes and younger brother Austin. Both his father and older brother played baseball at Broadmoor High School.Theriot graduated from Broadmoor...
of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, who has played shortstop, third base, second
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
at some point in his short major league career. Mark DeRosa
Mark DeRosa
Mark Thomas DeRosa is a Major League Baseball player. DeRosa is a utility player who has been primarily a second baseman, but can play other positions, including the outfield; he played six positions for the Chicago Cubs. He bats right-handed.DeRosa was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th...
is another famous utility man, playing just about every position for the Cubs, Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, and currently the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the past 3 seasons. As well as the Detroit Tigers third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Brandon Inge
Brandon Inge
Charles Brandon Inge is an American professional baseball infielder for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed....
who has played third base, catcher, left field, right field, and center field. Several players have recently been named All Stars
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
while playing multiple positions in their All Star seasons. Second baseman Ben Zobrist
Ben Zobrist
Benjamin Thomas "Ben" Zobrist is an American baseball player currently with Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays. A switch-hitter who throws right-handed, he has exhibited a versatility to play most positions with the exception of pitcher and catcher. He has been the Rays' starting second...
of the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
has played first, third, shortstop and outfield in his career. José Bautista is also a current utility player, having played first base, second base, third base, right field, center field, and left field in his career. Zobrist and Bautista both finished in the top 10 in MVP voting while starting at least 40 games at two different defensive positions.
In softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, a utility player is a player who can play several positions but can also bat well. Coaches often look for such players to bat as clean-up or 5th in the lineup.
North American football
In gridiron footballGridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
, the utility player is often capable of playing multiple positions, and often they may play both offense and defense. The concept was far more common in the early days of football, when pro teams used their best athletes as many ways as possible, and substitutions were far more restricted, meaning players had to stay on the field for offense, defense and "special teams". This was known as the one-platoon system
One-platoon system
The one-platoon system, also known as iron man football, was a system in American football where players played on both offense and defense. It was the result of rules that limited player substitutions. The alternative system is known as the "two-platoon system", or simply the "platoon system",...
.
Triple threat man
In gridiron football, the phrase triple-threat man refers to a player who excels at all three of the skills of running, passing, and kicking. In modern usage, such a player would be referred to as a utility player....
, who could run, pass and kick, was particularly popular during the early days of football from the time the forward pass was invented to the World War II era (see, for instance, Bradbury Robinson
Bradbury Robinson
Bradbury Norton Robinson, Jr. was a pioneering American football player, physician, and local politician. He played college football at the University of Wisconsin in 1903 and at Saint Louis University from 1904 to 1907. In 1904, though personal connections to Wisconsin governor Robert M. La...
, Tommy Hughitt
Tommy Hughitt
Ernest Fredrick Hughitt , was a National Football League utility player and coach. He was also an All-American quarterback for the University of Michigan in 1913....
, Sammy Baugh
Sammy Baugh
Samuel Adrian "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the Horned Frogs at Texas Christian University, where he was a two-time All-American. He then played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952...
and, during his college years, Johnny Unitas
Johnny Unitas
John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...
). Most levels of football lifted the substitution restrictions during the post-World War II era in the late 1940s, beginning with "platooning" (use of different offensive and defensive units) and eventually transitioning to complete free substitution. Chuck Bednarik
Chuck Bednarik
Charles Philip Bednarik is a former professional American football player, known as one of the most devastating tacklers in the history of football and the last two-way player in the National Football League...
, a center and linebacker, was the last full-time two way player in the NFL, having retired in 1962. Despite this, the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
of the 1960s frequently used players at multiple positions, particularly kickers and punters (e.g. George Blanda
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
, Paul Maguire
Paul Maguire
Paul Leo Maguire is a former American football player and current television sportscaster.-Early sports career:Maguire attended Ursuline High School in Youngstown,Ohio and was recruited to play at The Citadel by the late Al Davis who was then an assistant coach and chief recruiter...
, Cookie Gilchrist
Cookie Gilchrist
Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist was a gridiron football player in the American Football League and Canadian Football League.-Career:...
, Gino Cappelletti
Gino Cappelletti
Gino Cappelletti is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played at the University of Minnesota, and was a star in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots...
, and Gene Mingo
Gene Mingo
Eugene L. Mingo is a former professional American football player who played several positions including halfback, placekicker, and return specialist...
, a running back who became the first black placekicker in modern professional football, among others). Because of increased injury risk awareness, since the AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
these types of players are increasingly rare, and true utility players are mostly backups (e.g. Guido Merkens
Guido Merkens
Guido Albert Merkens, Jr. is a former professional American football player who played quarterback,...
, Brad Smith
Brad Smith (American football)
Bradley "Brad" Alexander Smith is an American football quarterback, running back, wide receiver and return specialist for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played college football at Missouri.-High...
) or career minor-league players (e.g. Don Jonas
Don Jonas
-Sources:* Bob Gill, “The Best Little Quarterback You Never Heard Of” on the Professional Football Researchers Association website.-References:...
, Eric Crouch
Eric Crouch
Eric Eugene Crouch is an American quarterback for the Omaha Nighthawks. He also is a TV sports analyst and recreational equipment vendor....
). It is still very common in smaller high schools to see top players play two or even three ways (offense, defense and special teams), in multiple positions, but in college and pro ball, where rosters are larger and the talent pool is more elite, the injury risk outweighs potential benefits.
Currently, in the National Football League
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...
, Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
uses the utility player frequently. For instance, Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
, as a member of the Patriots, famously switched from quarterback to kicker for one extra-point play in 2006, to deliver the first drop kick
Drop kick
A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground. It contrasts to a punt, wherein the player kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first....
in the NFL in sixty years. Belichick has also used his linebackers, including Bryan Cox
Bryan Cox
Bryan Keith Cox is a former American football linebacker who played twelve seasons in the NFL from 1991 through 2002. He was a member of the New England Patriots club that won Super Bowl XXXVI...
and Mike Vrabel
Mike Vrabel
Michael George "Mike" Vrabel is an assistant coach at Ohio State. He is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League. Vrabel spent 14 seasons in the NFL, having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs...
, as H-back
H-back
An H-Back is an offensive position in American football, and is also known as power back. The position is a hybrid of a fullback and a tight end. The position was made notable in the NFL by the Washington Redskins under head coach Joe Gibbs who ran a two tight end system...
s on offense, and doubled his wide receivers (e.g. Troy Brown
Troy Brown
Troy Fitzgerald Brown is a former NFL wide receiver, cornerback and punt returner in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall...
and Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
) as cornerbacks and safeties.
The tackle eligible
Tackle-eligible play
In football, the tackle-eligible play is a forward-pass play in which coaches will attempt to create mismatches against a defense by inserting an offensive tackle , into an offensive formation as an eligible receiver, usually as a tight end or as a fullback...
is a special form of utility player; examples of those who used this play notably include Jason Peters
Jason Peters
-Buffalo Bills:Peters was picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted rookie free agent in April 2004. He was cut then re-signed to the Bills' practice squad. He was signed to the active roster on November 12, 2004...
, Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
, Jumbo Elliott, William "The Refrigerator" Perry
William Perry (American football)
William Perry is a former professional American football player. He is best known for his years as a defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears. In reference to his large size, he was popularly known as "The Refrigerator" or, abbreviated, "The Fridge".-Life and athletic career:Perry was born in...
, Mitch Frerotte
Mitch Frerotte
Paul Mitchael Frerotte was an American professional football player who played as a guard for four seasons in the National Football League, all with the Buffalo Bills. Frerotte is perhaps best known for scoring three touchdowns during the 1992 NFL season, a record for an offensive lineman.Frerotte...
and Anthony Muñoz
Anthony Muñoz
Michael Anthony Muñoz , is a Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle who played most of his career for the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals...
. Another example of a type of utility player is the halfback option play
Halfback option play
The halfback option play is an unorthodox play in American football. It resembles a normal running play, but the running back has the option to throw a pass to a wide receiver or tight end before crossing the line of scrimmage....
, in which a 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...
performs the passing duties of a 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...
; Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
, LaDanian Tomlinson and most recently Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
have used this play multiple times, and this type of play has spawned an entire offensive scheme
Wildcat offense
|- style="text-align:center;"| || |- style="text-align:center;"| Base Wildcat || Speed Sweep|- style="text-align:center;"| || |- style="text-align:center;"| QB Counter || Split Zone|- style="text-align:center;"...
. Note that generally, a player who plays one regular position as well as special teams is usually not considered a utility player, nor are hybrid running back/wide receivers such as Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
; only those who play two distinct offensive and/or defensive positions are considered such, as are those who play an offensive or defensive position and in addition kick or punt.
The Arena Football League, for many years, made almost all of its players, with the exception of two players on each side (always a quarterback, a kicker {the quarterback and kicker were never on the field at the same time} and usually a wide receiver and two defensive backs), play both sides of the ball; this was known as "ironman." The "ironman" concept was dropped in 2007, but is expected to be reinstated when Arena Football 1 takes over the league in 2010.
Ice hockey
In ice hockey, it is common for centresCentre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
and wingers
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
to play either position in certain situations. Depending on need, a team may use a natural centreman on the wing if they have too many centres or, conversely, a winger may be pressed to play centre because of a lack of suitable players in that area. Because of the frequency of forwards
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
playing both positions, the term utility player tends to refer not to a player that plays more than one forward position, but to a player that can play both defense
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
and forward. Teams may use a defenseman as a forward, or vice versa, for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes a natural defenseman who struggles on the defensive side of the game but possesses strong offensive qualities may be used as a winger. Marc-Andre Bergeron
Marc-André Bergeron
Marc-André Bergeron is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently under contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning.-Career:...
and Kurtis Foster
Kurtis Foster
Kurtis Foster is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, for example, have proven to be a quality offensive defensemen who struggle in defending their own zone. As such, they have dressed as forwards so their teams can continue to use their offensive abilities on the powerplay
Powerplay
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
while still using the standard six defensemen during even strength.
An extra defenseman may also be pressed to play forward in an emergency situation, where a team has a rash of injuries to their forwards and do not have time to summon a replacement player from a farm team
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
.
It is very common for teams to use a forward on "the point" (defense) during the powerplay to provide a greater offensive threat. Though the forward is playing defense in this situation, they aren't necessarily seen as true utility players.
Along with Bergeron and Foster, other notable defensemen that have played forward at some point in their careers include Phil Housley
Phil Housley
Phillip Francis Housley is a former American ice hockey player who played for the Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and Toronto Maple Leafs...
, Mark Streit
Mark Streit
Mark Streit is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman and occasional forward and captain of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League , also captaining the Swiss national team. He is presently one of five players in the NHL from Switzerland...
, Christoph Schubert
Christoph Schubert
Christoph Schubert is a German professional ice hockey player. Schubert is currently playing for Hamburg Freezers in Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
, Ian White and Chris Campoli
Chris Campoli
Chris Campoli is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens. Campoli previously played with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders.- Junior career :...
. Notable forwards who have played defense include Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
, Mathieu Dandenault
Mathieu Dandenault
Mathieu Dandenault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played for the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
and Sami Kapanen
Sami Kapanen
Sami Hannu Antero Kapanen is a Finnish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for KalPa of the SM-liiga. He has played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers...
.
In some cases a player has made a full time conversion from one position to the other and experienced success. Hockey Hall of Famer Red Kelly
Red Kelly
Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly, CM is a retired Canadian ice hockey player in the NHL. He played on more Stanley Cup winning teams than any player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens, and is the only player to be part of two of the nine dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history...
spent the first half of his career as an offensive defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings before finishing his career as a strong two-way centreman for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wendel Clark
Wendel Clark
Wendel L. Clark is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is perhaps best known for being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League , captaining the team from 1991 to 1994...
was a star defenseman in junior before converting to left wing and scoring over 300 goals and 500 points in 15 NHL seasons. (Some junior hockey teams have a tendency to put their best offensive players on defence instead of as forwards, since defencemen generally have more time on the ice.) Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Ray Byfuglien is an American professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. His known nickname is "Big Buff," made up by his teammates...
is an example of a current player who has made the switch from forward to defense full time. Jonathan Ericsson
Jonathan Ericsson
Jonathan Ericsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who now plays for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
of the Detroit Red Wings is another example of a player who converted from forward to defense.
It is extremely rare for goaltenders to play any position other than goaltender; likewise, it is just as rare for non-goaltenders to suit up in goal, because of the significant difference in skills and equipment required for the position.
Association football
- For a more comprehensive list, see: :Category:Association football utility players
In association football, like other sports, the utility man is usually a player who can play myriad positions. This will be commonly be defence
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
and midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, sometimes defence and attack
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. A few outfield players have also made competent substitute goalkeepers, for example Phil Jagielka
Phil Jagielka
Philip Nikodem "Phil" Jagielka is an English international footballer who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He played regularly in central midfield for his previous club Sheffield United, but generally plays in central defence for Everton...
. But in the case of goalkeepers playing as outfield players, it is extremely rare. Some may be free kick and penalty specialists (Chilavert and Jorge Campos), but they don't hold a role in the outfield.
Basketball
The term "utility player" is rarely used in basketball outside of fantasy leagues. Instead; basketball uses the terms tweenerTweener (basketball)
A tweener in basketball is a term, sometimes used derisively, for a player who is able to play two positions, but is not ideally suited to play either position exclusively, so he/she is said to be in between...
and swingman
Swingman
A Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
to refer to a player who can play two or three different positions, with more specific terms being combo guard
Combo Guard
A combo guard is a basketball player who combines the attributes of a shooting guard and point guard , but does not necessarily fit the standard description of either position...
, cornerman
Cornerman (basketball)
Cornerman is a term used in basketball to denote a player who can play both the small forward and power forward basketball positions. "Cornerman" is sometimes interchangeably used with the term "forward" , but generally refers to players that can play both forward positions. They usually fit two...
, and forward-center
Forward-Center
Forward–center is a basketball position for players who play or have played both forward and center on a consistent basis. Typically, this means power forward and center, since these are usually the two biggest player positions on any basketball team, and therefore more often overlap each...
.
Rugby union
Utility player is a term used mostly in New Zealand. In rugby union, it comes in a form of utility back. It is mostly a back who can cover at least two positions. Notable examples in New Zealand include Daniel BowdenDaniel Bowden
Daniel Bowden is a New Zealand Rugby Union player that plays rugby for Aviva Premiership side London Irish.-Highlanders:Bowden played his first match for the Highlanders on Friday 15 February 2008 when he started against the Reds in Brisbane, he kicked one penalty for the match...
, Luke McAllister
Luke McAllister
Luke Bernard James McAllister was a fictional character in the popular soap opera Emmerdale played by Noah Huntley. In his first year at Emmerdale he was simply a nice but naive character, but come 1994, his life in the Dales would take a turn for the worse.On 9 August 1994, the Dingle family...
and Cory Jane
Cory Jane
Cory Steven Jane is a New Zealand international rugby union player.He first played for the All Blacks in 2008 and plays as a winger. In 2011 Jane was selected into the Tri Nations team as injury cover...
, but Australia also has many utility backs like Adam Ashley-Cooper
Adam Ashley-Cooper
Adam Ashley-Cooper is an Australian rugby union footballer. He he has signed with the NSW Waratahs in the international Super Rugby competition for 2012 and also plays for Australia. He was educated at the Berkeley Vale High School and played his junior rugby for Ourimbah on the NSW Central Coast...
, Quade Cooper
Quade Cooper
Quade S. Cooper is a New Zealand born Australian rugby union player.He currently plays for the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby competition and the Australia national rugby union team, generally as fly-half.-Career:...
and Matt Giteau
Matt Giteau
Matthew Giteau is an Australian rugby union footballer, a former international who now plays for the French Top 14 side Toulon. He attended St Edmund's College, Canberra, which has produced other Wallabies including George Gregan, Matt Henjak and the former rugby league star and now coach Ricky...
.
Despite that, there are forwards who are capable of covering multiple positions. Many players in the back row of the scrum (flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
s and number eights) will frequently switch between the two positions. Less often, a player may also be capable of playing lock as well as a back-row position, with a notable modern example being Sébastien Chabal
Sebastien Chabal
Sébastien Chabal, born 8 December 1977 in Valence, Drôme, is a French rugby union rugby player. He has played number eight and lock professionally for the French team Bourgoin ; the English team Sale Sharks ; the French team Racing Métro 92 Paris ; and the French national side. He earned his first...
, who has played internationally
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
as both a lock and a back-rower. However, this description never applies to props who can play both ends of the front row (i.e. Numbers 1 & 3).
Rugby League
The use of utility in rugby league is more expansive because not only would a player play only at backs' (or forwards') positions, some may play in forward and back positions with similar roles (e.g. halfback/hooker), or even play so many different positions as injury cover. Lance HohaiaLance Hohaia
Lance Hohaia is a New Zealand rugby league player, he currently plays for St Helens RLFC. In 2008 Hohaia was a member of the World Cup winning New Zealand team.-Early years:...
is a prime example of this as he played in six different positions in his NRL career.