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A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block.[1] There are usually one or two running backs on the field for a given play, depending on the offensive formation. A running back may be a halfback (in certain contexts also referred to as a "tailback" — see below), a wingback, or a fullback. A running back will sometimes be called a "feature back" if he is the team's key player/more prominent running back.
With the increase in pass-oriented offenses and singleback formations, it is more common to refer to these players as simply running backs.