1
play quarterback
表示“担任四分卫”这个位置时，quarterback 前不用冠词。
He plays quarterback for the high school team.
他在高中校队担任四分卫。
四分卫
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
四分卫
the player in American football who directs the team's offensive plays; also the position itself
He plays quarterback for the high school team.
他在高中校队担任四分卫。
The quarterback threw a long pass to the wide receiver.
四分卫向外接手传了一个长传球。
Our team needs a quarterback who can stay calm under pressure.
我们队需要一个能在压力下保持冷静的四分卫。
The young quarterback studied the opposing defense before the snap.
那位年轻四分卫在开球前研究了对方的防守。
表示“担任四分卫”这个位置时，quarterback 前不用冠词。
He plays quarterback for the high school team.
他在高中校队担任四分卫。
of 后接团队，表示某队的四分卫（球员）。
She is the quarterback of the national team.
她是国家队的四分卫。
作不及物动词，表示“担任四分卫”；过去式和过去分词均为 quarterbacked。
He quarterbacked for the team in the final game.
他在决赛中为球队担任四分卫。
Not this
He is quarterback of the team.
Use this
He is the quarterback of the team.
quarterback 是可数名词，且此处由 of the team 限定、指特定角色，所以需要用定冠词 the；汉语没有冠词，直译时容易漏掉。
Not this
He is the quarterback in the team.
Use this
He is the quarterback on the team.
英语中表示“在队里”要用 on the team，而不是 in the team；这是受汉语“在队里”的影响。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
首发四分卫
He was named the starting quarterback for the season opener.
他被任命为赛季揭幕战的首发四分卫。
替补四分卫
The backup quarterback led the team to victory after the starter got injured.
首发球员受伤后，替补四分卫带领球队取得了胜利。
核心四分卫；招牌四分卫
The team is looking for a franchise quarterback to build its future around.
球队正在寻找一位可以围绕其打造未来的核心四分卫。
四分卫突袭
The quarterback sneak gained the two yards needed for a first down.
四分卫突袭推进了两码，拿到了首攻。
四分卫评分
His quarterback rating improved after three strong passing games.
在三场出色的传球比赛之后，他的四分卫评分有所提高。
新秀四分卫
The rookie quarterback threw three touchdown passes in his first game.
这位新秀四分卫在首场比赛中传出了三次达阵传球。
事后诸葛亮；马后炮（事后指手画脚的人）
Don't be a Monday-morning quarterback; if you'd been there, you might have made the same mistake.
别当马后炮了；如果你当时在场，也许也会犯同样的错误。
纸上谈兵的人；爱指手画脚的旁观者
My uncle is an armchair quarterback who criticizes every play from his sofa.
我叔叔是个纸上谈兵的人，坐在沙发上对每一次进攻都指手画脚。
Use quarterback naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
把 quarterback 拆成 quarter（四分之一）+ back（后卫）：想象后场的四分卫手里拿着四分之一张战术图指挥进攻。
语域：neutral 常见场景：sports commentary、sports news、casual conversation about American football 这个义项（四分卫）属于标准的中性体育用语，通常用于美式橄榄球的比赛解说、体育新闻和日常聊天。
Quarterback begins with the stressed syllable /ˈkwɒːtə/, which sounds exactly like quarter. Its final -back is /bæk/, but since the given pronunciation marks no stress on this syllable, back, black, attack, and backpack share the /æk/ sounds without rhyming with the whole word. quarterfinal is a useful lookalike for the initial quarter- spelling, pronounced /ˈkwɒːtə/ with secondary stress.
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.