The Concepts The Offense The Defense
Special Teams General Comments Important
Rules and Penalties
- There are 4 quarters in the game, 15 minutes each. The clock does not run continuously
and can be stopped depending on the events on the field. Due to this games usually go on
for much longer than 1 hour.
- The playing field is 100 yards long, marked at 5 yard intervals and has an endzone at
either end of the pitch.
- The pitch is numbered from 5 yards at one endzone to 50 yards at the center of the pitch
to 5 yards at the other endzone.
- Both teams are only allowed 11 people on the field at any one time, and as many
substitutions as a team likes. The same player can be substituted back onto the field
arbitrarily.
- One team has possession of the ball, the offense. The opposing team must then be the
defense.
- Possession
- The offense has 4 attempts/downs to move the ball 10 yards. If the ball is moved 10
yards or more before the 4 downs are completed the offense is awarded another 4 downs and
so on. In this sense American Football can be considered a territorial game. If the 10
yards is not obtained the ball is given to the other team and they become the offense.
- Scoring
- When a ball crosses into the opponents endzone, breaks the plane , a touchdown
is awarded worth 6 points. After a touchdown the scoring team may try for an extra point
by kicking a field goal or 2 extra points by once again entering the endzone with the ball
from the 3 yard line.
- A team may kick for a fieldgoal which is worth 3 points (except immediately after a
touchdown).
- The defense may score 6 points by
- Returning a interception for a touchdown.
- Returning a fumble for a touchdown.
- Blocking a punt or 3 point field goal attempt for a touchdown.
- The defense may score 2 points by
- Tackling a member of the offense in his own endzone, a safety.
- Blocking an extra point and returning it for a touchdown.
- Returning the ball for a touchdown after an offensive turnover whilst attempting 2
points (after a touchdown).
- The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Return to the index
- The offense is the team in possession of the ball.
- The huddle
- Generally (except in a hurry up offense at the end of a game) the offense meets in a huddle
where the next play is decided by the quarterback.
- At the start of each play/down the ball is placed on the line of scrimmage. This lines
corresponds to the point on the pitch that the offense reached on the last play.
- During each play the ball may be thrown forward once, provided it was thrown before the
line of scrimmage.
- The ball can be thrown laterally or backwards as often and from anywhere that one likes.
However due to the nature of the sport this is generally unwise.
- The person with the ball tries to obtain a first down by gaining as many yards as
possible.
- The positions
- The quarterback
- The coordinator and leader of the offense, he receives the ball at the snap from the
center. What happens next is purely at the dissection of the quarterback. Usually this is
planned in the huddle before the play.
- Quarterbacks options
- Pass the ball to a wide receiver, tight end or running back.
- Give the ball to a running back.
- Run with the ball himself.
- The offensive line
- The center
- Snaps the ball at the start of each play, i.e. the ball which is in front of
him on the ground is given to the quarterback who is behind him. The center snaps the ball
depending on the cadence, which is a verbal signal from the quarterback which the rest of
the offense is aware of.
- The guards and tackles
- The guards line up on either side of the center and the tackles line up on either side
of the guards.
- The tight end
- The tight end lines up on one side of the offensive line outside the tackles. On running
plays he usually blocks a defensive player whilst on passing plays he can stay home to
block or run a specific route and catch a ball.
- The wide receivers
- The wide receivers line up a yard back or on the line of scrimmage. They run
predetermined routes given in the huddle on passing plays or block defensive players on
running plays.
- The running backs
- The running backs are all rounders, they have to be able to block defensive players, run
aggressively with the ball, catch the ball and occasionally even throw the ball. There are
usually 2 running backs lined up behind the quarterback in either I-formation (in a line
with behind the quarterback) or pro-set (in a line parallel with the line of scrimmage).
Sometimes there will be 3 running backs parallel to the line of scrimmage, this is called
the wishbone formation.
- There must be 7 offensive players on the line of scrimmage at the start
of each play.
- If the play is a running play the offensive line tries to create a hole for the running
backs to gain yardage.
- If the play is a passing play the offensive line protect the quarterback to give him
time to find a receiver, tight end or running back and make the pass. If the defense catch
the quarterback before he throws the ball it is a sack.
- Each space on the line of scrimmage has an associated hole number, also each running
back has a specific running number. Hence from a combination of 2 numbers everybody on the
offense know who is getting the ball and where he is going. This is all predetermined in
the huddle. (See diagram)
- Often when an offensive has a 4th down and they cannot guarantee that they will make the
1st down they will punt. This consists of kicking the ball to the defense (about 40 yards)
and stopping them as they catch it. This gives the team that was on offense better field
position for their defense.
Return to the index
- The defense is the team that has not got possession of the ball.
- The defense can line up anywhere after 1 yard from the line of scrimmage.
- The defense tries to stop the offense from obtaining the first down and thus gives the
ball to their own offense.
- The positions
- The defensive tackles
- They line up over the interior of the offensive line, i.e. over the center or guards.
They provide they pass rush on passing plays and try to fill the holes on running plays.
- The defensive ends
- They line up near the edge of the offensive line, i.e. over the tackles or outside the
tackles. They have the same function as the defensive tackles.
- The linebackers
- They line up behind the defensive line men, ends and tackles. Their primary function to
stop the run and back up the defensive backs on short passing situations. There are middle
linebackers and outside linebackers. Often one or more of the linebackers will charge
through a predetermined section of the offensive line in order to blitz the offensive
backfield.
- The defensive backs
- The defensive backs defend against the pass. They consist of cornerbacks who mark the
wide receivers and safeties who patrol the middle of the field. There are 2 types of
safety, the strong safety who marks the tight end on the pass and provides the linebackers
with support on the run and the free safety who always travels to the ball and is
generally the last line of defense. There are 2 types of pass defense, man to man and
zone. In man to man, each member of the offense is marked closely during a play be his
corresponding member of the defense. In zone each member of the defense is responsible for
a specific region of the field. In short yardage situations man is usually preferred as
there tend to be seams between the zones marked by different players. On the other hand in
long yardage situations there zone is usually preferred as although the short pass is
available the tackle after the pass is almost ensured.
- Whereas offensive depends on planning and timing defense usually depends more on flow
and aggressiveness.
- Certain defensive formations are better against the run and others against the pass.
Defensive formations are usually based on the probability of the next offensive play ,
i.e. on 3rd and long (3 down and a lot of yards to the next first down) and offense is
likely to pass. Hence you will see a good pass defense, whereas on 3rd and short you are
more likely to see a run defense.
- A numbering system for the defense consists of 2 numbers. The first number corresponds
to the number of defensive linemen and the second to the number of linebackers. Thus a 5-2
defense has 5 linemen and 2 linebackers, see diagram.
Return to the index
- Kick Off
- At the start of each half or after a team scores a touchdown or fieldgoal the scoring
team kicks the ball to the other team from their own 35 yard line. The ball must travel at
least 10 yards and not go directly out of bounds (off the pitch). Once the ball is kicked
the players rush down field to stop the other teams progression with the ball.
- Kick Off Return
- The team that receives the kick off, the receiving player after catching the ball can
either rush with the ball, with the rest of his team blocking for him, or call a fair
catch and his teams offense will start from the 20 yard line.
- During kick off nobody can block or hit anyone below the waist that does not have the
ball.
Return to the index
- The 2 minute warning, only 2 minutes left in the half. Usually a very exciting part of a
close game as the loosing team speeds up in order to make their last ditch attempt at
winning.
- When a team breaks a rule they suffer a penalty. They extent of the penalty depends on
the rule broken. At the place where the penalty occurs the referee throws a flag.
- Sometimes a team can decline a penalty on the other team if it is in their own best
interest. I.e. the game can proceed as if the penalty never occurred. For example a
defense may prefer a 4th and 5 rather than a 3rd and 15 as the offense will then have to
punt.
Return to the index
- Facemask
- Offside
- Holding
- Clipping
- Pass Interference
- Unsportsmanlike Conduct
- Illegal Formation
- Encroachment
- Blocking below the waist.
Return to the index
The information is from AI's American
Football Page.