Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, but its rules can be confusing to someone not familiar with the game, especially when some rules vary from recreational leagues to college to professional football. Understanding the rules of football can help you enjoy the game more and is also a great benefit to coaches and players.
Game and Field
The object of the game of football is to score points by advancing the ball into a team's end zone for six points (touchdown) or by kicking the ball through a goal for three points (field goal). If a team scores a touchdown, it may kick a field goal on the next play for one extra point. It may also attempt another touchdown for two points. The team with the most points at the end of the regulation time is declared the winner. Football is played on rectangular field that is160 feet wide and 360 feet long. The playing field is 100 yards long, with each end zone being 10 yards long. Two goal posts are at either end of the field, 10 feet above the ground and 18 feet, 6 inches wide. The game is played by two teams of no more than 11 players on the field per team.
Game Play
According to the rules of football, the game begins with a coin toss to determine who will receive first possession of the ball. The team not receiving first possession kicks the ball to the other team to begin play. Once a team gains possession, it has four plays (called downs) in which to advance the ball at least 10 yards. A down ends when a team either scores, the person in possession of the ball is tackled or goes out of bounds or a passed ball falls to the ground. If a team fails to advance the ball 10 yards within the four downs, the other team is given possession as a turnover. Teams also have the option of "punting" the ball (a type of kick) to the other team before their downs expire in order to move the ball further away from their own goal line in order to prevent the other team from scoring. Teams may also try to kick a field goal before their downs expire.
Penalties
Since football is a contact sport, there are a number of penalties that govern the proper use of contact in tackling and other football actions. For instance, players defending or receiving a pass are not allowed to use their hands or bodies to contact their opponent in an attempt to prevent the other player from catching the ball while it is in the air. This is called pass interference. In high school and college football, this is penalized by a standard 15-yard penalty. In professional football, the offense is awarded the ball at the spot of the foul for defensive pass interference.
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