Football position attributes explained
Every football position leans on a different short list of attributes. A quarterback is defined by arm talent, accuracy, and decision making; a cornerback by coverage, change of direction, and recovery speed. Rating a player means scoring the attributes their position actually uses and giving the decisive ones the most weight.
The three kinds of attributes
It helps to sort attributes into three buckets before you score anything, because they improve on very different timelines.
- Physical. Speed, acceleration, strength, size, jumping, stamina. These move slowly and respond to structured training.
- Technical. Throwing mechanics, route running, hand placement, tackling form, catching. These move fastest, because they respond to reps and coaching.
- Mental. Awareness, play recognition, discipline, toughness under fatigue. These move with film study and game experience more than with training volume.
A player who is stuck usually has a technical gap, not a physical one. Technical attributes are where a training week produces visible change soonest.
What matters at each position
The table below lists the attributes most positions are judged on first. It is a starting point for self-scouting, not an exhaustive list, and every scheme shifts the emphasis somewhat.
| Position | Highest-weight attributes | Also matters |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Throw accuracy, throw power, decision making, awareness | Pocket movement, mobility, ball security |
| Running back | Vision, acceleration, ball security, contact balance | Pass blocking, receiving, agility |
| Wide receiver | Catching, route running, speed, release | Contested catching, blocking, awareness |
| Tight end | Catching, run blocking, strength | Route running, speed, awareness |
| Offensive line | Pass blocking, run blocking, strength, hand placement | Footwork, awareness, stamina |
| Defensive line | Strength, pass rush moves, block shedding, first-step quickness | Tackling, pursuit, stamina |
| Linebacker | Tackling, play recognition, pursuit, block shedding | Zone coverage, speed, hit power |
| Cornerback | Man coverage, change of direction, speed, press technique | Zone coverage, catching, tackling |
| Safety | Zone coverage, range, tackling, play recognition | Man coverage, hit power, communication |
| Kicker and punter | Leg power, accuracy, consistency under pressure | Hang time, composure, situational awareness |
Why weighting changes everything
Two players with the same attribute scores can be rated very differently once position weights are applied. Elite straight-line speed is decisive for a cornerback and secondary for a guard, and man coverage is close to meaningless for a tight end.
This is also why a single overall number is a poor training target on its own. The productive question is not "how do I raise my number" but "which of my low attributes does my position weight heaviest".
How to self-assess without inflating
Honest baselines are the hard part. A rating you talked yourself into produces a training plan aimed at problems you do not have.
- Compare against your level. Rate yourself against the players you actually line up against, not against professionals.
- Use evidence, not memory. Score catching from a full season, not from your best game.
- Watch your own film. Most players discover a technical flaw they had never noticed within one viewing.
- Ask a coach for two numbers. Your best attribute and your worst. Compare those to your own scores and adjust.
- Re-rate on a schedule. Monthly is frequent enough to catch movement and slow enough for the movement to be real.
Turning attributes into a plan
Once you know your two or three weakest high-weight attributes, the training week writes itself: give each one dedicated work on separate days, keep the reps technical rather than exhausting, and retest at the end of the block. A receiver whose weakness is release work needs press-release reps, not more conditioning.
How MyOVR handles positions
MyOVR rates you across up to 40 attributes in 7 categories, and only the attributes that matter for your position count toward your overall. You pick your position during onboarding, and the app uses it to decide which attributes apply. From there it generates an AI weekly training plan around your position, level, goals, and the training days you have available, with setup instructions, coaching cues, and common mistakes on every drill.
Related guides
What is an OVR rating in football? — how attributes get weighted into one number.
How to build a weekly football training plan — structuring the work once you know your weak spots.
Score your own position-specific attributes in MyOVR.