Setting Contest 2: Positions

Here's a draft of the positions list. I'm not sure I'm happy with it because it may be too detailed for the kind of play I'm imagining. Does the difference between a Guard and a Tackle (OG/OT) really matter here? Maybe. Maybe not.

Offensive Line (OL)
- Center (C)
- Offensive Guards (OG)
- Offensive Tackles (OT)
- Tight End (TE)*

Offensive Backs (OB)
- Quarterback (QB)*
- Halfbacks (HB)*
- Fullback (FB)*
- Wide Receivers (WR)*

Defensive Line (DL)
- Defensive Tackles (DT)
- Nose Tackle (NT)
- Defensive Ends (DE)

Defensive Backs (DB)
- Linebackers (LB)
- Safeties (SS/FS)
- Cornerbacks (CB)

Special Teams (ST)
- Placekicker (PK)
- Punter (P)
- Kick/Punt Returner (KR/PR)
- Gunner (G)

* Eligible Receivers

I'd like to have some sort of system where you could have a player play out of position, but they'd be one die size down. For example, one of your D6 Wide Receivers or Running Backs could really be your back-up D8 Quarterback. But, when you want to run a trick play, you get your WR/RB to pass down the field to your QB or another receiver. If you want to save money for better players, you could also have your D8 Placekicker operate as a D6 Punter as well or use a Wide Receiver as a Punt Returner.

I don't think individual players positions are going to be marked on the field. That would be WAY complicated, even if it was just one marker for all the Running Backs and another marker for Receivers. Instead, you describe the things you want to have happen and the players just materialize there or were there all along. You wanna throw a long bomb down into the endzone? Well, guess what, your Wide Receivers are there. Now we roll QB + WR against the distance and the defense's Safeties and/or Cornerbacks to see if he can catch the pass. Maybe the defense also wants to bring in one of his linesmen and try to say that the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage or say that a Linebacker rushed the QB while he was getting the pass off.

In this way, you don't really call plays beforehand so much as invent them on the spot. It's much more like watching football on TV or in a movie than actually playing football, and that's definitely the feel I want.

Another option would be to just have general stats like Run Protection, Pass Protection, Passing, Running, Catching, etc. But I kind of like treating these like actual positions and players.