Football has a lot of positions. Here is the version parents actually need.
Start with offense, because that is the easier half. The offense has the ball and is trying to score. The five players in the middle of the formation are the offensive linemen.
Their job is to block. They do not run routes, they do not catch, they just block. The quarterback is behind the center (the middle lineman) and touches the ball on every play.
They either hand it off or throw it. Running backs take handoffs and run.
Wide receivers line up on the edges and run pass routes. The tight end is a hybrid who lines up next to the linemen but can also catch passes.
At the youth level, formations simplify. Many 8-10 year old offenses use a basic version of two wide receivers, one tight end, and one or two running backs. The concepts are the same.
Defense is a mirror. The defensive linemen line up across from the offensive linemen and try to get through them to tackle the ball carrier or get to the quarterback. Linebackers are behind the defensive line and do a little of everything: they stop runs, drop back to cover passes, and blitz (rush the quarterback).
Cornerbacks cover the wide receivers. Safeties are the defensive backfield players farthest from the line, playing a last-resort role against both the run and pass.
The positions kids at 8-10 are most likely to play: receiver, running back, linebacker, cornerback, and lineman on either side. Quarterback at this level usually goes to the most athletic kid who can handle the responsibility.
A word on what position means at this age. At 8-10, position assignment is mostly logistics. A coach putting your kid at guard is not closing a door.
Positions change constantly as kids grow and develop. A guard at 9 becomes a tight end at 13 all the time. The kid who learns to block early often becomes the most technically sound offensive lineman on the field at 14.
Do not let the 8-year-old position assignment carry more weight than it deserves.
One thing worth watching: does your kid actually know what their job is on each play. Not which position they are, but what they are doing on this specific snap. That understanding is what separates kids who are just standing on the field from kids who are actually playing foot