RB
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Running back |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Sports, Science & Engineering |
| Also written | Rb |
RB has three meanings. The most common are Running back (American football) and Rubidium (chemical element); it can also stand for Right back.
Meanings of RB at a glance
| # | RB stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Running back | Sports › American Football |
| 2 | Rubidium | Science & Engineering › Chemical Element |
| 3 | Right back | Sports › Soccer (Association Football) |
1. Running back
Sports · American Football Abbreviations
Offensive backfield player whose main job is carrying the ball on rushing plays after a handoff or pitch from the quarterback. Running backs also catch short passes and pick up blitzing defenders, and on depth charts the term covers both halfbacks and fullbacks.
Example: The RB carried 24 times for 131 yards and caught four passes out of the backfield.
In soccer, RB means right back, a defender, so the sport matters when reading a lineup. Fantasy football managers draft "RB1" and "RB2" starters, and a "bell-cow back" is one who gets most of a team's carries. Running back salaries have fallen relative to other positions since the 2010s as the NFL shifted toward passing.
2. Rubidium (Rb)
Science & Engineering · Chemical Element Abbreviations
An alkali metal with atomic number 37, rubidium melts at about 39 °C and ignites spontaneously in air. Its main high-tech role is timekeeping: compact rubidium atomic clocks discipline cell towers and navigation satellites. Rubidium-87 atoms were used to create the first Bose-Einstein condensate in 1995.
Example: The base station holds time with a Rb oscillator if the satellite signal is lost.
Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff discovered rubidium in 1861 in the mineral lepidolite using their new flame spectroscope, a year after finding cesium the same way. They named it from Latin rubidus (deep red) after the prominent red lines in its spectrum. Radioactive rubidium-87, with a half-life of about 49 billion years, is used to date ancient rocks.
3. Right back
Sports · Soccer (Association Football) Abbreviations
Defender on the right side of a back four, marking left wingers and supporting attacks down the right flank. Modern right backs often contribute assists from crosses and set pieces.
Example: Their RB has six assists this season, most among Premier League defenders.
Cafu, who captained Brazil to the 2002 World Cup, is often ranked the greatest right back. Trent Alexander-Arnold's passing range made him a playmaker from the position. In American football RB means running back.
Related abbreviations
More American football abbreviations
- PS – Practice squad
- PUP – Physically unable to perform
- QB – Quarterback
- QBR – Total Quarterback Rating
- REC – Receptions
- RFA – Restricted free agent
- RPO – Run-pass option
- RTP – Roughing the passer
See all 80 American football abbreviations →