An
end in
American and
Canadian football is a player who lines up at either end of the
line of scrimmage, usually beside the
tackles. Rules state that a legal offensive formation must always consist of seven players on the line of scrimmage and that the player on the end of the line constitutes an
eligible receiver. Before the advent of
two platoons, in which teams fielded distinct defensive and offensive units, players that lined up on the ends of the line on both offense and defense were referred to simply as "ends". The position was used in this sense up until roughly the 1960s.