From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhalfbackhalf‧back /ˈhɑːfbæk $ ˈhæf-/ noun [countable] 1 DSa player in a game of football, rugby, hockey etc who plays in the middle part of the field2 DSAa player in American football who, at the start of play, is behind the front line of players and next to the fullback
Examples from the Corpus
halfback• Williams promptly hit James Jett on a halfback pass, for an 18-yard touchdown.• There was Dave Snyder, a sprinter and halfback of true quality.• The first game I scored two goals from halfback.• Nevertheless, halfback Garrison Hearst is new to the offense.• If you want innovation, try more of that, and less of halfbacks and wide receivers throwing deep on the run.• They occasionally put tight end Andrew Glover at fullback, with Fenner moving to halfback.• The first was a third-down strike to halfback Anthony Theard that barely got the necessary 7 yards for a first down. 