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Navy quarterback Aaron Polanco sets up to throw.

Quarterback (QB) is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle. They initiate almost all plays by receiving the ball from the center, although occasionally teams will use a "direct snap" to another offensive player. Once the quarterback receives the snap, he can run with the ball, hand the ball to another player or attempt a forward pass.

At most levels, but especially at the college and professional level, the quarterback role is one of the most visible and important roles on the team. The quarterback touches the ball on nearly every offensive play and has a great deal of responsibility both in calling plays and making decisions during the play. Quarterbacks are frequently chosen early in the NFL Draft and often receive much more lucrative contracts than other positions. As of 2007, players in this position have won more Super Bowl MVP awards (21 of 41) than any other position.

If quarterbacks are uncomfortable with the formation the defense is using, they may call an audible to change their play. For example, if a quarterback receives the call to execute a running play, but notices the defense is ready to blitz, the quarterback may want to change the play. In order to do this, the quarterback will yell a special code, like “Blue 42” or “Texas 29”, which informs the offense to switch to a specific play or formation.

Also, quarterbacks can "spike," or throw the football at the ground, in order to stop the official game clock. For example, if a team is down by a field goal with only seconds remaining, a quarterback may spike the ball in order to prevent the game clock from running out. This usually allows the field goal unit to come onto the field, or attempt a final "Hail Mary pass". However, if a team is winning, a quarterback can keep the clock running by kneeling after the snap. This is normally done when the opposing team has no timeouts and there is little time left in the game, as it allows a team to burn up the remaining time on the clock without risking a turnover or injury.

Traditionally, quarterbacks have been responsible for calling the team’s offensive plays based on the defense’s formation, or game situation. In order to choose the proper play, quarterbacks will often spend time rehearsing and studying pre-arranged plays during their team’s practice sessions. The actual play starts with a “snap”, an action where the offense’s center lineman gives the ball to the quarterback. A quarterback who receives the ball has the option either to throw it to a receiver, to hand it to a running back or to keep the ball in an attempt to run or “scramble” past the defense.

In recent years, the rise of offensive coordinators has promoted a partiality towards a scripted game plan. The offensive coordinators and coaches will usually give the quarterback information via a built-in headphone in the helmet as to what to do before the play. Quarterbacks are allowed to talk to their coaches until there are fifteen seconds left on the play clock.^[1] The quarterback will then relay the information to teammates and execute the plays. When the players are set in a formation, the quarterback will start the play by calling out a code word, a number or a combination thereof.

Michael Vick uses his mobility to elude Dwight Freeney, a member of the AFC team at the NFL's 2006 Pro Bowl

With the rise of several blitz heavy defensive schemes, the importance of a mobile quarterback has been redefined. While arm power, accuracy, and pocket presence are still the most important quarterback virtues, the ability to elude or run past defenders creates an additional threat, that allows greater flexibility in the team's passing game. In the college game, many schools employ several plays that are designed for the quarterback to run with the ball. This is much less common in professional football, except for a quarterback sneak, but there is still an emphasis on being mobile enough to escape a heavy pass rush.

Although college and high school quarterbacks may choose any number for their jersey number, numbers 1-19 are by far the most common. One notable exception is Permian High School in Odessa, Texas, the subject of the film Friday Night Lights, where tradition dictates that quarterbacks wear #20. In the NFL, numbers 1-19 are worn almost exclusively by quarterbacks, with kickers and punters also wearing the numbers. However, wide receivers have recently begun taking numbers 10-19 in response to the numbers 80-89 filling up on rosters. Statistically, #7 is the most common number for quarterbacks, including legends such as Joe Theismann and John Elway and relative newcomers such as Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger, while #12 is often associated with some of the all-time greats such as Tom Brady, Joe Namath, Roger Staubach and Terry Bradshaw.

• American football quarterbacks
• Canadian Football League quarterbacks
• List of quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl wins

• Sports Illustrated's 10 Best Journeymen
• Quarterback Drills - Football plays & drills resource for coaches & players.
• Quantum Quarterback - Quarterback info for all teams
• ArmchairGM's 100 Greatest Quarterbacks of the Modern Era