The name H-back can be confusing, because the H-back rarely carries the ball as running backs do; instead, the H-back plays a position similar to a tight end. The name stems from the playbook notation in use at the time the position was developed. Under the system used by Joe Gibbs (and indeed, by many teams then as now), the standard set of eligible ball carriers consisted of three receivers and three backs. The three receivers, the split end, tight end, and flanker, were labeled "X", "Y", and "Z" on play diagrams. The three backs, quarterback, halfback, and fullback, were labeled "Q", "H", and "F". Gibbs' innovation was to move one of the backs up to the line of scrimmage, to act as an extra tight end. At the time the system was developed, the best running back on the Redskins was John R