In football what does playing in the box mean?

Answer 1

Playing in the box refers to the players whose job it is to stop the run. The Box is usually a combination of 7 defensive linemen and linebackers. They are usually arranged in either a 4-3, 3-4 or 5-2 where the format reads lineman-linebackers. You may sometimes here a team as having 8 (or more) in the box. This occurs when a team brings up defensive backs even with or in front of the linebackers in obvious running situations.