Before the snap, why does the QB yell out numbers and colors?

Question

I've always been a big football fan, but that was the part of the game that i never understood.

Answer 1

It means he's calling out audibles, like different routes, blocking schemes, and changing the direction the ball carrier is headed.

Answer 2

hes calling an audible.(changing routes, blocking schemes, ect.) some times veterans will use dummy audibles to confuse the defense. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning.  

Answer 3

One to confuse the defense by changing the number he takes the snap on. That way the defense can not get a jump on the snap.

Two to call audibles: That is change the play at the line if he sees something in the defensive line up he doesn't like.

Two to call audibles: That is change the play at the line if he sees something in the defensive line up he can take advantage of by calling a different play than the one he had called in the huddle.

When calling audibles they all have a preset code so the defensive will not know which play they are calling. Like 51 might be a pass one play the next time it might be a run up the middle if called on the line of scrimmage.  

Answer 4

this is telling his offense line and wrs rbs what the defense is doing like blitz schemes and stuff. so he is essentially telling his team where to block and making changes to the playcall

Answer 5

oh d**n....

Answer 6

Normally this is for audibles. Meaning the defense is set up to totally counter your play.    like say he says blue or red, blue means that everything is nothing. red means maybe the audible is gonna be a run. and maybe green means pass  the numbers are the holes for the runner to run through or the pass patterns.

Answer 7

It's basically to modify the offensive play based on the look the defense give him...for example if there is a TE split to the left who is going to run a square out route, as a checkdown, but the offense needs a big gain on the play, and the QB senses the defense is going to blitz, the QB will use a pre-determined word eg. purple, florida which says hey, don't run your route, block for me instead.

It can also be used to change routes. This happened in the Cowboys Eagles game. T.O. was lined up in the slot running a square out. Dawkins was covering him, but Romo could see Dawkins was going to blitz, and there would be a huge hole in the center of the field, so Romo audibles to T.O. to run a post pattern instead. The result = Dallas TD.

It can also be used to send receivers or backs in motion. Lastly, it is used to alert blockers where a potential blitzer might be coming from(in case they hadn't seen an LB creeping to the line).

Often a QB will call a fake audible, where he says a bunch of words which have no meaning to the offense. This makes the defense think he is changing the play, when he’s not!  

Answer 8

hes calling an audible or maybe changeing the play

Answer 9

hes basicly making mismatchs with the defense making the WRs run routes where they ll be wide open for sum good pass plays

Answer 10

He is calling out assignments and plays for his offense to run.   Even after calling a play in the huddle, the QB can notice the defense's alignments, and will make changes at the line of scrimmage.