a player position on offense. He is split wide (usually about 10 yards) from the formation and plays on the line of scrimmage as a split end or one yard off as a flanker.

The wide receivers may be the most important players on the offense except for the quarterback. They usually catch the ball on passing plays, but they may also try to lure cornerbacks and safeties away from the line of scrimmage on run plays. Receivers are getting taller in pro football, so cornerbacks are having a harder time stopping the pass.

An offensive player whose function is to catch the football. Wideouts, as they are sometimes called, line up on wide sides of the field and are covered by cornerbacks on the defensive side of the ball.

The wide receiver (WR) position in American and Canadian football is the pass-catching specialist. Wide receivers (also referred to as wideouts or simply receivers) are among the fastest and most agile players in the game, and they are frequent highlight-reel favorites.